Finding Your Groove With Kathleen Thompson

In Episode 116, we asked the question: “What would it feel like to go to work every day where people treated one another with love?”  On today’s episode we’ll talk about what that looks like, and some principles to build a team with love.

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Rhythm of Life – Sing With Your Hands

A strong team can take any crazy vision and turn it into reality.  – John Carmack

If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, heard my one word for 2019 is SING.  And just what you might be trying to accomplish this year, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing.

This week was no exception.  At my voice and Alexander lessons, we’ve previously identified tension in several places that impact my voice.  And this week I tried something different to identify and even stop the tension.

The funny thing is that I kept noticing tension in places I hadn’t noticed it before.  As I discovered each one, I put my hand on the spot to try and encourage it to release.  I really could have used 4 hands.  And, as you know, I only have 2.

Have you ever wished you had 4 hands?  Sometimes a little extra help could come in handy, couldn’t it?

Then again, sometimes all it takes is a different perspective.  And you suddenly see more clearly.  Why not try it yourself?  Let me know how it goes.  Leave a comment.

The first Democratic Presidential debate provided fodder for the late-night talk show hosts, and Jimmy Fallon was no exception.  It started like you’d expect.  And suddenly his monologue cut to a video; that turned out to be a montage of the candidates and President Trump to the tune of “Modern Major General” from Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan.  Here’s a link in case you want to watch it.  The video starts at 4:08.

I posted it on my Facebook page.  People responded with links to other G&S in places you wouldn’t expect.

I know that Gilbert & Sullivan operettas were the foundation of musical theater.  And that they’re still performed today.  But I didn’t know how often they show up in movies, television, and even satirical YouTube videos.

Here’s one by the Muppets of a lesser-known song from the Mikado.

So if you want to be cool, apparently it doesn’t hurt to know a little G&S.  It might make you look super smart.

What happens to a team when the manager bullies them into completing a project early – without consulting them first?

What should a manager do when faced with a difficult problem brought to them by someone on the team?

On this episode, we explore these questions as we look at how to build a team with love.  And you don’t have to be the leader of the team.  You can impact the team for the better, even when you’re not in charge.

Brene Brown, in her book Dare to Lead, says that a daring leader practices 3 principles to build a team with love.

I would add:

When our teams are built with love, it’s a win – win – win.  The team wins because they enjoy work more.  The manager wins because he/she has a highly effective team.  The organization wins because they get more effectiveness from teams like this one.

It’s not easy to build a team with love.  It takes a lot of maturity to act differently.  Share power.  And ask questions rather than dictate results.

It’s also important to have difficult conversations.  It’s easier to say nothing.  Make veiled remarks.  Or just order people around.  But a team built with love has real conversations.  And uses questions to get to the truth underneath truth.  And even under the next level.

What teams are you on right now?  Are they built with love?  Could they use more? What could you do to contribute to your team’s love quotient?  If you want to chime in, add your comments to the conversation

In the meantime, build your team with love.

Want to build your team with love? All it takes is one person. What if it could be you?
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115  – Built With Love

The post Episode 117: Built With Love – Your Team first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

What is love, really?  It’s a word we toss around so much.  “I love ice cream.  I love the Yankees.  I love my mother.  I love my work.”  If we’re going to build with love, it’s important to know what we mean.  On today’s second Built With Love episode, we ask and answer the question, “What is love?”

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Rhythm of Life – I Stepped in it

Love is not a feeling of happiness. Love is a willingness to sacrifice.  –Michael Novak

The other day I was moving some plants around in the garden.  I set the hose on trickle to water them well and promptly forgot about it.

A bit later I went to dig holes for 2 new lavender plants and stepped in one of them.  And it was filled with mud.

(c) Kathleen Thompson    (after rinsing my shoe)

There’s a lesson here.

I could have seen the mud.  I just wasn’t really looking.  I was too focused on my goal that I didn’t notice what was around me.

We can do this with projects too.  We don’t notice roadblocks until we run into them.  We don’t notice that perhaps we should have zigged instead of zagged because we’re so focused on doing what we already said we were going to do.

So, every once in a while, just stop.  Pay attention.  Notice what’s around.  You may see holes in your project plan.  See another way to do something.  Or you may see the mud before you step in it.

(c) Kathleen Thompson     The finished bad (after it dried out)

I’m sitting at my voice teacher’s recital.  Lucy stands up.  A former opera singer and sometime director, she strides to center of platform, take stance, and opens her mouth to sing.  Listen to the episode to hear the surprising song.  Here’s a YouTube link to the entire song.

In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks Goldie, his wife of 25 years, whether she loves him.  She defines love as what she does for him and what they’ve shared together.

How do you define love?  In the context of building something?  It’s good to ask this question as we embark on our Built With Love mini-series.

In the same Erwin McManus podcast I referenced last episode, he says that love is what you sacrifice for.

A famous bible verse read at many weddings talks about love.  It’s part of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.  He says love is more important than faith that moves mountains, great communication skills, the ability to tell the future, wisdom, and giving everything away. Then he defines what love is.

O Henry’s story, The Gift of the Magi, demonstrates that kind of love.  Jim and Delia sacrifice something of theirs to buy a gift the other will love. Listen to the episode to hear more about that.

This kind of love is a pure-hearted sacrifice.  Acting on the belief that the cause, purpose, relationship is greater than self.  The self is not out of the picture.  It’s just not whole picture.

Simon Sinek’s book “Start With Why”, talks about manipulation vs. inspiration.  Manipulations like price, fear, promotions, aspiration, novelty.  All influence behavior.

What’s the antidote, according to Simon?  Knowing your WHY.

That’s part of love, isn’t it?  A cause bigger than ourselves.  Donald Miller talks about this too in Building a StoryBrand.  What’s the problem with the world that your product or service helps solve?  Seth Godin – This is Marketing.  What’s the change in the world you seek to make?

We each have a choice.  To build a monument to our ego, wealth, success at expense of others, or build something to last.  That uplifts, inspires, heals, eases burden, brings joy, or a sparkle in someone’s eye.

You can make the choice to do that in your workplace, organization, studio, family.  Now that you know what love is, you can choose to build with that kind of love.

Imagine how world will look then.

Imagine how the world would look if we built it with love.
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115  – Built With Love

The post Episode #116: Built With Love – What is Love? first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

If I asked you what you love, what would you say?  And then, what does your life say you love?  What do your actions say you love?  Because you build what you love.  And sometimes what you build may not look like what you say.  I know that’s at least partly true for me.  Today is the first of a series to explore what it means to build what you love and build it with love.

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Rhythm of Life – I Hear Horns

You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.  – Bob Nelson

If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you’ve heard that I’m recording songs I wrote or co-wrote.  Right now we’re in the process of adding instruments to the tracks we already recorded.  Virtual instruments “played” with electronic keyboard.

If you haven’t ever done this, it’s challenging.  Because a keyboard doesn’t act like a wind instrument. Or a guitar.

Not only that, but I tried my hand at arranging horn parts for one of the songs, something I haven’t done for years.

As you might imagine, the results have been somewhat mixed.  But I’m learning something through the process that might help you too.  Even if you don’t write or record music.  Listen to the episode to find out.

I’ve been traveling to Los Angeles a lot during this past year.  And if there’s one thing you can’t ever seem to escape, it’s the traffic.  Traffic jams all over the place – seemingly at any time of day.

But one place I never expected to hear about a traffic jam is on Mount Everest.  Yet, according to news reports, that’s exactly what’s going on there.  And it’s caused 11 deaths in May of 2019 alone.  Here’s a picture of that traffic at the summit.

The reasons given are:

So if you’ve been thinking of climbing Mount Everest, you might want to think again.  It might be safer to drive in LA.

“What do you love?”  Go ahead.  Say it out loud right now.

So now here’s another question.  Do your actions align with what you just said?  According to a podcast by Erwin McManus, you build what you actually love.  Not what you say you love.    Sometimes they don’t match.  Would I be able to tell what you love by what you do?

In my case it’s a mixed bag.  In some parts of my life, my words and actions line up.  At least a fair amount of the time.  Others, not so much.  The same may be true for you.

Where they don’t line up, there could be 3 reasons:

It’s time to be honest.  Time to look at your values and actions and see where they do and don’t match.  Time to live in integrity.  Because that’s what holds the building up.

And the thing is, these decisions we make don’t just impact us.  They impact everyone around us.  There is nothing we do that impacts only ourselves.  And the essence of building with love is building something with and for others.  Because in the end, love is really about a relationship.  What we build shows what we love – whether it be other people, things, or checking things off our to-do list.

The letter of James in the Bible says this:  “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”  That’s exactly what we’re talking about here.

Do you know what you’re building right now with your life?  Take a look at your relationships.  Work.  Health.  How strong is the building?  How much integrity is there to hold it up?

Maybe you’re building something that you don’t want to build.  If so, it’s time to tear it down.  Get out whatever tool you want and start the demolition.  Then build what you actually love.

Why not start today?  Right now even?  Remember – you won’t be perfect at this.  No one is.  Especially not me.  But it’s still a worthy goal.  One to strive toward for the rest of your life.  Isn’t that exciting?  Encouraging?  Just imagine – you have unlimited growth potential.  And all you have to do is start.

What might you want to start or stop today?  Leave a comment.

You show what you love by what you build.
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The post Episode #115: Built With Love first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

Today’s episode marks the end of our Artisan series – at least for now.  We’ve talked about craftsmanship, creativity, and community on these last 20+ episodes.  This episode brings us back around to why it’s so important to be an Artisan.  Because that’s how you are created – to create.  And because the world is undergoing a seismic shift right now; triggered by technology.  Listen to the episode and then join the conversation in the comments.

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Rhythm of Life – You’re Not Ready

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. –George Bernard Shaw

“You’re not ready.”  That’s what I heard from my voice teacher as I talked about a plan to record my songs.  Not that the songs weren’t ready.  That my voice isn’t.

In the past, I might have felt defensive.  Tried to protect myself.  Or discouraged.

This time? I felt validated and hopeful.  Validated because I was an accurate judge of where my voice is at.  Hopeful because it’s not the end of the story.

Maybe you’re in middle of something that you’d like to move faster than it is.  Or just got told you’re not ready.  If so, why not go back to the reason why you’re doing whatever it is?  If the struggle is worth it, then keep going.  Even though you’re not ready – yet.

You know how parents of babies say something like “I wish Suzy could talk so she could tell us what’s bothering her?”  And then Suzy turns 2 or 3 and won’t stop talking, and they wish for quiet?

It’s kind of like that with spring in New England.  We can’t wait for it to come, and then complain about the bugs.  The grass.  The endless clean-up from winter damage.

For me, spring is worth any hassle that comes along for the ride.  Other things are that way too.  We get to enjoy their beauty, even with a little discomfort along the way.

“Will this be on the test?”  How many teachers cringe when they hear that question.  After working to help their students learn to love learning, and that’s what they hear?

The workplace equivalent is “What gets measured gets done.”  Different teams’ goals can get in the way of them working together effectively because they are measured differently.

In the last 20+ episodes, we’ve talked about an approach that’s quite different from “What gets measured gets done.”  We’ve explored what it means to be an Artisan.  One who cares so much about what they do that they’re willing to do the work it takes to get great at it.  Not because it’s on the test.  Not because it’s measured.  Because it matters.

On Seth Godin’s Akimbo Podcast of May 8, 2019, he talked about golden age of TV.  When television dominated and there were only 3 stations.  A mass market had been created by radio, and further consolidated with television.

And suddenly the beginning of the end of that mass market came.  Ushered in by digital broadcasting.  And accelerated with the internet.  Now there’s unlimited choice.  No more standardized test.  Almost every industry is experiencing upheaval with these unlimited options.  The mass market has split wide open.  The changes are reverberating throughout the world.

Yet it isn’t suddenly different.  Three trends happening during this time of transition.

You who are living an Artisan life are dedicated to your own noble cause.  To helping change the culture for the better.

If you’re an Artisan in the same industry as one of those mega-companies, you can’t take them on by playing the same game.

If you’re an Artisan inside one of these companies, duck your head.  Because the same attributes that make your organization appreciate you also make them scared. See what they don’t want to see.  You can thrive there, but it takes intention.

Whatever you do with all you’ve heard, please remember this – you are created to create.  Let that keep you playing big.  Not hide the light of your creativity.

Because this truth is just as fundamental as the truths in the Declaration of Independence.  And just as the ideal that all people are created equal has yet to be fully realized, the truth that you are created to create hasn’t either.  It’s something that will take your whole life to fully embrace and live out.  And that’s okay.  Because you’re worth it.  The cause is too.

I’d love to hear from you.  What does artisanship look like in your life now?  What are you doing to explore and develop artisanship? How much do you believe that you’re created to create? What do you dream of creating – even if it feels scary?  What questions do you have that you’d like answered?

Please leave a comment or email me at [email protected].

You were created to create.
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090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

The post Episode #114: The Artisan Life – We’ve Only Just Begun first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

As interesting as your work may be, sometimes it isn’t enough to keep you motivated.  There’s an element of service.  To your own community, as well as to the greater community.  On this episode we explore different ways to serve with your work.

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Rhythm of Life – Virtual Reality Has Nothing on Me

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.  –Mahatma Gandhi

You know those Virtual Reality scenes in a movie?  Where the character flies from one place to another in a split second, when there’s no way it could happen in real life?  It feels like my life’s a bit like that lately.

There are so many different facets to my life, that it’s hard to keep up.  Or keep them straight.  Stuff piles up on my desk because I don’t even have time to put away.  Suddenly the desk has been swallowed up.

It’s not always like this.  There are days where I focus on one thing and get completely in the flow.

It turns out that I need both in my life.  Days of novelty or change.  And times of concentration and flow.  The problem is, there are so many distractions.

The phone, undone chores, to-do list, beautiful weather.  Anything and everything can be distraction.

For me it’s often reading a book.  For you it could be something else.  What’s most insidious, though, is what we do that looks like work and feels like work…and isn’t the work that will actually move us down the field.  It isn’t important to further progress.  It’s busy work.  And it’s a form of hiding.

Only you know for sure whether the work you’re doing is important – or hiding.  It’s pretty easy to convince yourself of anything.

People all over are asking me this question – what’s your Enneagram #?  What’s an Enneagram you ask?  A system that explains personality by splitting into 9 types.  And something called a Wing.

Despite reading the entire book, I couldn’t decide what I was.  I felt like a combination of 3 or 4 different options.  When I tried to guess some of my closest friends, I couldn’t figure out what they were either.

I’ve found much better luck with DISC and Strengths Finders.  Check them out if you’re interested.

Jeff Goins and Stu McLaren weren’t motivated to make more money with their businesses.  Until they discovered this – a great purposes.  Not just the purpose for their business, as great as that is.  No, an even greater purpose.  To serve the community.

Jeff connected with a charity that was close to his heart. And Stu McLaren’s wife formed a charity that funds the construction and teacher for a school in Kenya.

Serving can come in different forms.

Active service:

Another option is with the business itself.  If you run a company, you can get certified as a B Corporation.  Combine profit and purpose.

Even if you’re not running a business, you could try and work at a B Corp or similar.

What else can you do beside active service?  –Donate.

It could be money or goods.  Direct or indirect.  You’re only limited by your creativity.  Listen to hear about how some famous and not-so-famous people serve their communities.  And why not share your story of service, if you have one?  Leave a comment or send an email to [email protected].

Serving the community with your work can be as rewarding as the work itself.
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090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

The post Episode 113: The Artisan Life – Serving the Greater Community first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

What do you think of when you picture an artist?  Someone working away in their studio alone for hours on end?  Well, what about artisans throughout history – like Antonio Stradivari – who made his iconic Stradivarius violins in an Italian community?  Or the 29 scientists at the 5th Solvay Conference in 1927?  Community can make all the difference in your artisan journey.  Listen to this episode to learn how community can accelerate your growth.

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Rhythm of Life – Singing Like a Frog

For me, it’s always part of my holiday to go and work my way along the shelf in the local artisan bakery with its breads, savoury tartlets, pastries and cakes.  It’s soul food: one of those things that tells you about a place and the history of a place and its people. –Paul Hollywood

You know how I told you that my word for 2019 is sing?  Well, I expected some interesting twists and turns related to that word.  And this year has already delivered.

I heard my singing on a scratch demo with my songwriting coach.  Then there was my last voice lesson.  We were trying to eliminate tension under my chin.  And it didn’t even sound like singing.  It sounded like a croaking frog.

It’s so often the way, isn’t it?  We start out all excited.  I did.  I started the year with word SING.  I was excited to see what would happen by setting this intention.  By focusing on singing.  I didn’t know I’d come face to face with my shortcomings and then struggle to even get a pleasing sound out.

This is what happens in the messy middle.  When the novelty has worn off and we’re nowhere near the finish line.  As uncomfortable as this is, we learn so much in the messy middle.

If you’re there right now, take heart.  Send an email to [email protected] or leave a comment with show notes.

Morley Palmer came home with a new car almost every year.  And loved it.  Until something went wrong.  Then it was, “The car doesn’t like me.”

My husband Jerry and I used to joke about his dad’s attitude.  And then the other day I felt like saying it myself.  Listen to the episode to hear why I almost said, “The Fitbit doesn’t like me.”

If you know me, you know that one of top 5 strengths on Strength Finder is Achiever.  I like to get stuff done.  Yet, as my friends said, what really matters is that I know I did something.  And that I enjoyed the process.

The same is true for you.  Love the work and keep doing it.  The results will follow when we’re ready.

In 1927 29 physicists and chemists gathered at the 5th Solvay International Conference of Physicists and Chemists.  A community of scientists.  And 17 of them won a Nobel prize.

How is that possible?  There was something about the community that made it possible.  A blend of encouragement and healthy competition.

We touched on this in Episode 111.  Athletes who were rivals and trained together pushed each other to perform better.

The Artisan Guilds of yore worked in much the same way.  Like the Cremonese violin makers, headed by Antonio Stradivari.  And their influence was at least as great as the scientists at the 5th Solvay International Conference.

What about this type community is so powerful?  How can you use that in your world as an Artisan?

A great example of this is the first-ever image of a black hole that was just released.

How do you find this community?  There are several options.  Listen to the episode to hear how you can find like-minded people to develop your artisanship together.

I believe so strongly in this, that I’m starting a group.  It will be limited to 8 people who are willing to invest in their own work, as well as the work of others.  Check it out at this link.  We’ll have a phone call to determine together whether or not it’s a good fit for you.

Want to grow as an artisan?  Want to be part of the elite group who become truly outstanding?  Then join a community.  Your art, and the world, will be better for it.

Have you had a great experience with an Artisan community?  Leave a comment.

17 Nobel Prizes coming out of the 5th Solvay Conference wasn’t an accident. It was community that did it.
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090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

The post Episode 112: The Artisan Life – Community in an Artisan Collective first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

Collaborating with one or more other people is a great way to have community as an Artisan.  On this episode, we’ll explore 4 characteristics of collaboration that you can use to magnify your talent and skill.

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Rhythm of Life – A Bucket, a Trowel, and a Snow Blower Walk Into a Snowstorm

The fun for me in collaboration is, one, working with other people just makes you smarter; that’s proven. -Lin-Manuel Miranda

We had a last-minute winter snow.  13 inches of wet snow.  When I tried to clear it with the snow blower, the chute that throws the snow got clogged.  This caused the blower to stall.  All the way at the end of the driveway.  UGH.

Listen to the episode to hear what I did, what I learned (and not just about snow), and what you can learn too.

Have you ever had the experience when something supposed to be over and wasn’t?  It happened last night.  It’s the 3rd day of Spring, and yet we had 3 inches of snow in the night.

Winter was supposed to be over.  Technically it is over.  Yet, you’d never know it by the weather.

This “not over when it’s supposedly over” used to happen with tech projects too.  And how often is that true in life too?

Sometimes the thing actually isn’t over.  Sometimes have to live in both realities for a while.

At other times it’s the last gasp before it gives up.  It looks impressive.  Like it will never end.  And yet, it will be gone tomorrow.

We can’t always tell which it is.  It may feel like forever.  It may be hard to hang on.  Hang on.  Find support through that last gasp.  That one more thing you think you can’t take.  You can.  Spring is coming.

I recently worked with a songwriting coach on one of my songs.  We did quite an overhaul of it.  It was quite the collaboration between us.  This experience showed me 4 characteristics of collaboration that make it a powerful way to experience community.  And in turn, grow as an Artisan.

Resources:

Lysa Terkeurst – It Will Be Okay

Ann Voskamp – The Broken Way

Adam Grant – The Creative Power of Misfits 

You’ve probably seen a sports team loaded with superstars that doesn’t win a championship.  Then a ragtag group of misfits creams everyone.  That’s the power of collaboration.  That looks like respect, trust, and holding space for one another.  Even when it’s noisy and even looks chaotic.

So find a person or people to collaborate with.  Bring what you have.  Be open and willing to break it.  Trust the process and each other.  And watch what happens.

Want to build artisasnship? Join a community of collaborators.
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090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

The post Episode 111: The Artisan Life – Join a Collaborative Community first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

What can a history lesson from 11th century England teach us about creativity?  Plenty as it turns out.  Just like the first seal made it clear who the message’s writer was, your seal can identify you and your work.  In this episode we talk about how you can use this to make your work stand out.

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Rhythm of Life – A Study in Opposites

Nobody can be exactly like me. Even I have trouble doing it.  – Tallulah Bankhead

Today I happened to look up at my bookcase.  At the top was a plaque that says RELAX.  What was right underneath it?  3 books:

They seem like complete opposites.  Either hustle or relax.  But what if those aren’t the only options?  Listen to the episode to hear what I mean by this and how you can apply it to your life.

I recently had a caricature artist draw me.  I didn’t’ think it looked like me.  What’s most important for drawing a great caricature?  Learning how to see.

The same is true in life too.  It’s easy to overlook people because they seem ordinary.  Yet they are anything but.  It’s important to learn how to see people for who they are.  Get to know the real them.

(c) Kathleen Thompson     Does this look like me?

It’s a time of intrigue, family feuds, and conquest.  England in the 11th century.  Edward is crowned king.  And he uses the first recorded seal stamp.  It’s dipped in wax and seals a letter or other important communication.  It helps the document reach its intended audience without tampering and helps the recipient identify the sender.

As an Artisan, you want to have a seal too.  A signature, so to speak.  Something that makes your work immediately identifiable.

How can you create your own seal?

What approaches can you take to make it your own?

Your “why” can help you create your seal too.

When your work becomes instantly recognizable, be prepared for people to either love you or reject you.  Because you now you stand for something clear.  Not everyone will like it.

People might be able to steal your idea.  They might be able to steal your program.  They can’t steal you.  Like the seal on ancient documents, your personal seal is the best anti-theft device I know.  What’s yours going to be?  Experiment until you figure it out.  And then put your seal on everything you make.  Someone’s waiting for you.

Want to share what you’re doing to create your own seal?  Leave a comment.

Someone may steal your idea, but they can’t steal you. Your personal seal is the best anti-theft device.
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090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

The post Episode 110: The Artisan Life – Create Your Own Seal first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

On one hand, there’s nothing new under the sun.  On the other, we’re created to create.  How can two apparently opposing ideas be true?  On this episode, we’re talking about 3 ways you can create new from something old.

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Tune-up Tip – The Mystery of Flavenoids

I continue to be interested in new things that seem old and old things that seem new.  – Jaquelin T. Roberson

You’ve probably heard the old expression “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  It’s been common wisdom for a long time that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is part of a healthy diet.

What do we do?  Try to distill the essence of what’s nutritious in the apple and give it to people without having them actually eat an apple. Because if an apple is good, concentrating the nutrition from an apple has to be even better, right?

Not.  It turns out that the whole is greater than the component parts.  That’s true for an apple, and it’s true in life too.

It could be the coach, the leader, who makes it that way.  Or it could be the relationship between the members of the team.  And the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts.

Eat apples. Drink tea.  Enjoy the food.  And get the full health benefits of flavonoids as you eat real food.  At the same time, work to create a team in your family or organization that’s unbeatable.

Have you ever collected stuff thinking, “I might use this someday.”?  Marie Kondo ‘s book “The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up”  and her new Netflix show “Tidying Up” has taken the world by storm. The guiding principle?  If something doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it.

This can be a challenge if you’re in to crafts, or making or repairing anything.  Any one of those activities has stuff that comes with it.  Not to mention the books that teach you how to do the thing you’re into.

There’s a big movement called “upcycling”.  Not simply recycling old stuff, like taking clothes to Goodwill.  This is making something new from the old.  But here’s the thing: to do that you have to have old stuff on hand.

The question is – how much old stuff?  How can you practice life-changing magic of tidying up and also practice making something new from old?  Listen to the episode to hear some solutions to this dilemma.

An old commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is a perfect demonstration of what we’re talking about today:  3 ways to make something new from something old.

The Bible says, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Every idea has already been had.  What makes our ideas creative is the twisting/bundling/combining of ideas to create a new combination.  There can be creative magic there.

I saw a great example of twisting at Hancock Shaker Village many years ago.

Then there’s the chocolate-covered potato chip.  Embedding at its best.

Or Baabaazuzu.   Combining in some of the most imaginative ways I’ve seen in a long time.

What’s similar to all these besides making something new from the old?  Play or experimentation.  Loving the process.  For someone like this, the process is the fun part.  The work is the fun part.

A friend’s cousin has a YouTube video about how much he hates Pachelbel’s Canon in D.  On the video, he shares many other songs using the same chord sequence, and sometimes even the same melody.

If feel like you’re not creative, or creative enough, perhaps you’re expecting too much.  Perhaps you’re expecting brand, spanking new.  As in completely new.  From blank sheet of paper new.  Recognize that there’s nothing new under the sun.  Some of most creative people I know admit that.  They say what they do is twist, embed, or combine.  Materials, art forms, ideas.  Real creativity is to make new from old.  Only God created something from nothing.  We are recreating.  Turning old into new.

It takes the pressure off, doesn’t it?  You can even practice.  What can you play with?  Experiment with?  Choose one old thing to make new.  Post a picture of description in the comments or on my Facebook page.  It could be really cool to see what you make.

So twist. Embed. Combine.  Build creativity as you make the old new again.

Creativity is making something old new again.
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090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

The post Episode 109: The Artisan Life – What’s Old is New Again first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy starts with these words: “…One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them…”  That ring, the ring of power, was the cause of untold destruction, and also forged heroes out of humble hobbits.  On this episode we’re talking about the One Ring in the Artisan’s Life.  Not the ring of power.  The ring of fear.

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Rhythm of Life – Progress Report on My 2019 Word

There must be more to life than having everything.  –Maurice Sendak

In Episode 107, I told you that my one word for 2019 is SING.  I thought I’d give you an update on what’s happened since I chose this word.

I participated in a workshop called “The Music in Me”.  It’s for people in a program with Roger Love, and it’s the most fun I’ve had in years.  Here’s a link to the video of me singing there.

Not only that, but I got my heart back in my singing.  Listen to the episode to hear how and maybe why it happened.  And what might happen next.

And know that I understand.  Sometimes it’s hard to have a heart.  Because when you do, you feel more joy…and more pain.  Others can break it.  Yet, if you want to grow as an Artisan, you need your heart in what you do.

So what do you want to do?  The choice is yours.  I know what I’m choosing now.  I hope you do too.

Right after “polar vortex” which hit much of the upper US, I posted something on Facebook about the book “Chicken Soup With Rice” by Maurice Sendak.

Carole King even wrote a song to the story.  You can find it here on YouTube.

That got me thinking.  What if I could narrate my day using the same rhyming technique?  So I did it.  Listen to the episode to hear my narration using the rhyming pattern of “Chicken Soup With Rice”.

How about you?  Can you narrate your day using the same rhyming pattern?  Leave a comment.

There’s a poem that starts JRR Tolkien’s trilogy “The Lord of the Rings”.  It speaks to one ring that rules them all.  It’s the ring of power.  It renders the wearer invisible.  If you wear it too many times, you start to fade until you become almost like a walking dead person.  It eventually corrupts the wearer if they wear it too long.

For an Artisan, there’s a ring that has just as much power.  Renders you invisible.  The longer you wear it the more you fade.  And it eventually corrupts your work.  What’s that ring?  Fear.

So many have talked about fear, especially related to creative work.

Elizabeth Gilbert – Big Magic

Now it’s important to acknowledge that there’s good fear.  The world is a dangerous place, and fear plays an important role in keeping you safe.

Then there’s the fear that prevents you from doing the creative work you’re called to do.  Don’t forget that you’ve been created in love to create with love.  And yet fear, the one ring to rule them all, can stop you cold.

Being an Artisan requires experimentation.  Comfort with the unknown.  Fear can’t rule there, or you’ll play it too safe.

This is great advice.  And it works for me.  But not forever.  Every so often I just lose it.  I can’t keep going.  Maybe you feel the same way.

People tell us we’re enough.  We have enough to deal with it alone.  Maybe that’s true sometimes.  But often I think we need more.  Especially where our creativity is at stake.

Brene Brown – “marble jar” friends.  People who make deposits into your life all the time.

You can exchange the ring of fear for the ring of love.  Love that casts out fear.  And out of love comes faith and hope.

Fear’s not gone forever, but it no longer has power over you.  It’s like Liz Gilbert says; fear’s in the back seat with its seat belt on so it can’t reach the steering wheel.

So put fear in the back seat.  Make a habit of doing the work.  Have marble-jar friends.  Create an alter ego.  And let God call your greatness out of you.

It takes a lot to pursue the life of an artisan.  Want your creativity to flourish?  Don’t wear the ring of fear that corrupts and renders you invisible.  Instead wear the ring of love, and let it rule over all.

Creativity flourishes when love overcomes fear.
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090: Why You Should Be an Artisan at Work

The post Episode 108: The Artisan Life – One Ring to Rule Them All first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.