My office space

Angee Robertson, the creator and entrepreneur behind Sheic Space interviewed me on BlogTalkRadio about the creation of my  new office space (since January) and about my work as a life coach, intuitive consultant and the host and creator of  Heart Beat. We first conversed on Sheic Space radio and then Angee beautifully shared the details of the interview in her monthly newsletter with photos of my office space.

In the interview I shared the following:

How the creation of my office space unfolded gracefully to really suit my work , style and clients

How I  moved into doing this life work and started my business

The type of support I seek to support me with my work and when I knew it was time to do so

And in closing Angee asked me to share any wisdom I may have collected thus far to share with other female entrepreneurs. I’ll leave you with my response

“If you have the vision to create then it is you that needs to create it along with whatever support you need. I think if you have the vision that’s a gift in itself. Know that the power is within you, the answers are within you and the world is beckoning your vision to come forward, so whatever you need to do to support yourself in making it happen, I encourage that.”

The interview can be read and heard here

I am fascinated by the topic of creativity. I read about it, write about it and I am continuously discovering more about the topic.  My interest in creativity has also led to having Dr. Robyn McKay,  Creativity Researcher & Positive Psychologist on my radio show on 3 different occasions in the last 2 months.

In fact in my most recent interview with Dr. McKay I had my creativity coached and identified in a creativity coaching session (given by her).  After all was said and done, I earned the title of creative personality, learned about the hallmarks of the creative personality and how I can enhance my creativity, flow and inspiration on a daily basis.  And so with all this recent discovery into my own creativity and on the topic in general,  the timing couldn’t have been better when Montreal writer Alexa Nazzaro approached me for an interview about my creative process. I gladly accepted and below is the result of the conversation I had with Alexa.

Creativity through Intuition: An Interview with Julie Cusmariu

By Alexa Nazzaro

Ask intuitive healer and life coach Julie Cusmariu how she’d describe her creative process and she has one word, of course: intuitive. Although the word might seem ambiguous for most, Julie should know, given the many creative hats she’s worn under this hefty label. Among these are writer for magazines such as Alive and Aspire, creator of her very own Internet radio show Heart Beat that hits the cyber air waves every Wednesday afternoon, and publisher of a monthly newsletter.

Julie doesn’t get any ideas from the classic discipline of brainstorming. “That’s too structured for me,” she replies with a laugh. Instead, she begins by asking herself some basic questions to help guide her: What does she want to express? What’s important to her at any given moment? These parameters are critical in ensuring that her ideas are always a reflection of sincerity, and not mirroring someone else’s desires. “I don’t care what others think,” she states simply though without arrogance.

Over the years, Julie has noted which conditions are optimal for generating ideas and carrying them through, and they almost all have something to do with her physical environment. She counts solitude up at the top along with silence. She also needs to feel well-rested and nourished. If she can check all of these off her list, her mind is primed for receiving ideas. How does she know which ones to go with? The best ones all affect her the same way. “I feel it,” she responds without hesitation. “It has staying power.” She makes sure to test this staying power; instead of jumping on them right away, they are stored in her very own creative journal – a folder on her laptop – where they can germinate a little, be turned over and examined. If after a while (she doesn’t abide by any prescribed waiting period, though some ideas aren’t acted upon for months), the idea still sticks, then it’s time to run. Between the initial idea and acting upon it have been frequent revisions or add-ons, Julie’s own brand of mental mapping.

Running with an idea leads into what is typically a very intense 2-3 day creativity blitz with very little sleep. “If I’m writing an article, for example, I’ll just sit down and not stop until I’m finished. There will be many changes, there will be many drafts, but the execution part doesn’t last that long.” Julie figures that the number of revisions and drafts between the first and final number around fifteen. Whether it’s for her magazine/newsletter writing or preparing the script for her radio show, she knows she’s reached her final revision when she can’t do anything else to make her message clear. “Once my message is across, it’s done,” she explains with finality.

As with all things, of course, her blitzes can sometimes be interrupted by the feared Creativity Block. Julie has had her fair number of experiences with the obstacle that stops all creators in their tracks, including her current struggle with her monthly newsletter. Inspiration has been waning but she isn’t buckling to the pressure of her original commitment of monthly publication. Her mantra seems to be, if it doesn’t work, don’t force it. Preferring to stop if she has a creative block, she’s taking this time to analyze why the newsletter isn’t cooperating. “If something isn’t working,” she recommends to others, “ask why.” In her case, she is questioning whether the newsletter continues to be in line with her overall identity as a creator. A new issue of the newsletter hasn’t been published for a few months now, which would arguably be called official writer’s block. She considers the term for a few moments and then asks, “Is that what this is now?”

Telling the difference between writer’s block and deeper signs that a work should be abandoned is one of the common pitfalls in the creative world and Julie acknowledges that giving up can be tempting when oftentimes pushing through is the name of the game. How does she know when to do the latter when it’s all too easy to do the former? “You need practice to know the difference,” she says. Her personal strategy is to look closely at the underlying idea of a particular work. If the idea itself continues to resonate with a personal mission she has, if the idea alone, stripped of any attached work, continues to excite her – even just a little – then she knows she has to persevere. Deadlines also help here, although Julie admits forcing certain ideas for the sake of a deadline imposed by someone else has probably not led to her best work. Exerting a degree of discipline, albeit at her own pace, is the best recipe.

Luckily for Julie, she’s never had to worry about the will to create leaving her or stalling. For Julie, creating is a constant compulsion. She is quick however, to point out particular activities that get her creative juices flowing more easily, among them, engaging with other people of a similar mind and talking about the things she loves. She finds this simple act of interacting with others calls inspiration to the surface and contributes greatly to a life where creativity is an urge and not a task. “I don’t do creativity,” Julie sums up. “It does me.” If only we were all so lucky.

Following your intuition is about being in the moment, constantly aware of your feelings, sensations and perceptions. There is nothing more you need to do other than be aware of what is going on for you and what feels true for you in the moment.  Once that moment is over, you’re already on to the next moment when you can again check in and see what is true for you then.  Relieve yourself of the responsibility of needing to know about what might or might not happen next week or in 6 months. If you can simply occupy yourself with the moment, (breathe, feel your body and tune in to what feels right for you), you will be on your way towards moving ahead and you will naturally be guided into the next right action. Whatever needs to show up for you will, as in each moment there is a revelation of  how and what you need for your next best step.  This is a process that takes practice and trust in oneself and in time gets easier and becomes more fulfilling.  As we tune in to each moment we  tune in to the most valuable source of wisdom we have access to,  the truth that resides within us.

To your awareness and self- discovery.

All the best!

If you want to read a recent blog post  about the ‘ I Need to Know Mind’ click here

We live in an age where information is coming at us from all directions.  Whether it be from our blackberry, computer, cell phone or twitter account, we’re all tapped in, tuned up and ready for the next piece of information to come our way. While I have no objection to the fast and furious ways about which we can operate in a day, I wonder how more more we can get plugged in and revved up. I wonder how much more cloaking of  this ever thickening layer of uncertainty we can muster.  Our   “I need to know now” society and state of mind that we collectively share is certainly familiar to me and I would imagine to most. But what happens to this mind when there is no way of knowing and there is no certainty to hold on to?  Is there a way to find a balance between the “need to know now” mind and the “I don’t know now” mind?

What if instead of not needing to know, we could allow the space to exist between the knowing and the not knowing? What if we could simply rest in that space and allow what is dismantling to fall apart and what is emerging to rise to the top?Whether it be a relationship or a job or the state of the economy, might it support us both individually and collectively to develop a quality of trust and patience within us as things rise and fall, and as things stir and then settle. In these times, can we allow the natural intelligence and order of the universe to continue operating as it does as we furiously try to find our foothold and safe place amidst it all. Can we feel assured that there is a larger more peaceful force within us and surrounding us that always has wisdom and order as its backdrop. If we alleviate the pressure within us to know, perhaps we might discover something totally brilliant in the absence of this need to know. Perhaps without the pressure we can instead in its place find ease and peace?

The space that Joan Borysenko  calls (in her book ‘Saying Yes to Change’) the space between what is “no longer” and what is “not yet”  is such a crucial space and time for the emergence of curiosity and discovery and for creations to begin taking form.  Might we be able to exchange our panic and fear of the unknown for wonder and trust? Perhaps we can even rest in this not knowing, and believe in this space as a place for incredible possibility and opportunity.  I know one thing for certain, I always love to be reminded of this:

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” –

In spending time on SPIRITube.com I came across an inspiring video interview (link featured below) featuring the wonderfully talented and wise, Author and Artist, Julia Cameron, author of several bestselling books including the ever popular The Artist’s Way.

I have yet to read The Artist’s Way but many of my friends and colleagues have shared it’s usefulness and brilliance with me. I am reading one of her works, in fact I am 1/2 way through floor sample, Cameron’s very engaging and fascinating creative memoir.

My teacher Sonia Choquette is a good friend of Julia Cameron and Sonia often mentions Julia in her work, while Julia mentions Sonia in her memoir. It is inspiring to know that over the years they have cultivated a wonderful friendship and both use their talents and gifts to support one another in their lives.

In this video, watch as Julia Cameron shares with us 2 powerful tools on getting unblocked creatively. In the interview she shares that these tools provide a “heightened sense of guidance, improve intuition and turn on the lights inside”. Also in the interview, Cameron shares the best advice she ever received on being an artist/writer.

Hearing this advice was very powerful for me especially because I am spending more and more time writing, and at the time of watching the video a few days ago, I was preparing to write an article on Intuition for a Canadian wellness magazine. I was at the time seeking more creative flow. It finally came and the article was successfully submitted and I had fun doing it.

Watch and enjoy the video and please share your comments and your experiences with creativity and writing!

http://is.gd/Ikz

May your creativity flow easily and gracefully into all areas of your life and may you use your intuition to know when your creative energy is abound and ready to be expressed.
Enjoy your days of summer ….

Julie