The Right Question

I thought I had to choose one over the other. Dancing or writing. I can't possibly focus on both, I would tell myself. There's only so much creative energy I can muster, and I must allocate it accordingly depending on mood and opportunity. I thought dancing and writing were separate from each other. I thought I had to choose. Indulge in one, and starve myself of the other. 

Wrong.

Zadie Smith's soul-quenching words (found in Maria Popova's Brain Pickings) opened my eyes to a truth that has been lingering under the surface, just out of reach: I cannot have one without the other. Writing and dancing don't just coexist, they inform one another. They are stronger together, like an embrace from both parents at once. They are the same message told in two languages. 

Writing and dancing - they are both platforms for telling stories.

I've been waiting for the best, most opportune, most inspired moment to write. I wait, and I wait, and I wait some more. Likewise, I wait for energy imbued with confidence and sex appeal to dance. I wait for the belief that I am able to dance well. I am still waiting.

When will the perfect moment of inspiration arrive? I ask myself. When will I be perfectly confident in my own skin?

No, these are not the right questions. I am waiting as if writing and dancing have anything to do with me. As if without me they won't exist. I am not a conjurer of words and movement who's art can only be preceded by the most ideal creative circumstances possible. I am not a super hero with super powers. I am a curator of stories. A curator who will be waiting forever if she doesn't ask the right question. 

There is, after all, only one: What story wants to be told today?

Londolozi

Londolozi: "Protector of all living things." Dare I call it the jewel of South Africa? It was most certainly the crowning jewel of our visit to Jacques' home-country. Londolozi game reserve has many qualities worthy of a blog post, but what I found most striking about the people there was their clarity of vision. Every person we encountered at this enigmatic game reserve knew not just what they wanted, but why they wanted it. In Londolozi, the staff are not working for the usual reasons people seek employment. It's clear, from the first handshake you receive upon arrival, that this is a way of life and a labour of love.

Why do you do what you do? Why do you want what you want? These are questions that constantly plague my mind, so when I meet someone who knows the answer, I listen carefully.

Our game driver, Guy, said, paraphrasing a well-known quote, "When you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."

I immediately exclaimed, "That's my life goal!"

Then, muttering as I gazed over the landscape in the setting sun, "I want to know what that's like." It was clear that both our game driver, and our tracker, Shadrach, loved their jobs.

The next day, Chris Goodman was talking with us about the vision of Londolozi's founders and staff. (To read/watch more about this, click here.) As he began to speak about preserving the land and protecting the wild life, his tone changed. His hands danced with his words as they spilled out of him. His eyes were clear and focused; locked in on the image within his mind that he was describing. This is what passion looks like, I thought. My heart quickened as he spoke of renewal, allowing, abundance... he was speaking of protecting the earth by letting nature take it's course, using words I've fallen in love with in the recent months leading up to this trip.

In excitement I told Chris that this was exactly what my passion is regarding health and wellness. Our bodies, like Mother Earth and her creatures, heal themselves when we give them the time, space and nourishment they need. The intuition of nature, like the power of our minds, is our greatest tool for survival. I believe that with the proper environment, we can not only survive, but thrive in abundance.

There are enough resources on this planet. Health and well-being are available to us. The only question is: are we allowing and facilitating our natural tendency to flourish, or are we trying to control, and therefore resist, the abundant life that is our birthright as living things?

The lessons that can be learned from observing the wildlife in Kruger National Park are ubiquitous. Spend more than a few minutes observing any two species, whether it be giraffe and zebra, lion and hyena, impala and oxpecker birds, and it's clear that life exists as it does because of these symbiotic relationships. We need to work together to succeed. Full stop.

There is an immense amount of pride and greed saturating the rat race that modern-day Western society is running. Independence, fame, and status are the jewels of the West. Conversely, in Londolozi, their values are freedom, harmony, dignity, trust, unity - just to name a few. Perhaps this is where that "Londolozi feeling" comes from. They respect those who have come before, appreciate the daily blessings they have (which they share with one another), and they look forward with eagerness to a brighter and more abundant future for the earth and everything living in it.

I'll admit, I am a little envious of such clarity. But who wouldn't want that kind of vision for their lives? Thank you, people and animals of Londolozi, for your inspiration.

Embrace It All

December 30th, 2017 marks 25 years since my father left his physical body to return to the fullness-of-who-he-is. Let that mean what it means to you, or feel free to disagree. Either way, that is not the point of this.

I don't feel sad. I wondered for awhile if I should feel sad. It could be easy to focus on all the things I believe he's "missed", but I don't see it that way. I don't think he's missed a single moment. In fact, I believe that not only has he been present for all of the wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) milestones a daughter wants her father to be a part of, but he has a more complete perspective than any of us still wandering around on the planet, stuck in these physical vessels. Yes, I used the word "stuck". I believe the man we know as Michael Lindemann is in fact more alive and more free than we can begin to imagine. As such, he has been an enormous influence and faithful guide to me all these 25 years.

So, on the eve of 2018 I am writing this post filled with gratitude... for all that my father has been to me over the years, and for how much closer I feel to him now than I ever did while our hands were still able to touch.

My father once wrote, "Right now, this moment, is life. Be a worthy steward of the gift: embrace it all."

I am very happy to say, that is exactly what I am doing. Rather than wasting energy lamenting the past and "what might have been", or sweating over New Years resolutions and "what will be", I am soaking up each beautiful moment as it comes, no matter what it brings with it. For moments are what make up our lives, and the greatest feelings of appreciation cannot be found in what has come before, or what will come later, but only in what is. Right. Now.

Thank you, Daddy, for who you are. You are amazing. I love you.

Diving deep: How it feels to launch a crowdfunding campaign

How does it feel to launch a crowdfunding campaign? In a word: terrifying. One could easily talk oneself out of this. Not only are you asking people for their financial support, but you are asking them to put faith in you and your creation.

In another word: vulnerability. You are exposing yourself and your art. You are revealing that which is sacred to you. You are letting people in – friends, family, and strangers. You are letting them see you.

So there you are, standing naked in front of the masses, forcing yourself to make direct eye-contact with the on-lookers, your trembling hands clenched at your sides, saying with as much confidence as you can muster: “My art is good enough.”

But what you are really saying is: I am good enough.

Enough.

That’s a loaded word, with a heavy meaning. Most of us, for some percentage of our lives, wonder or worry if we are good enough. Or enough in general. Enough for another person, for our job, for our art, for ourselves. Let’s suppose, for the sake of argument, that we are not enough. Is that really so bad? Will we implode? Will the world stop turning?

Maybe the real question is, then: “Enough” according to whom? Where or what or who has created this perfect, gold-standard that defines this heavily laden word? We all seem to hold ourselves up next to this shining example of everything-ness, yet we don’t even know where it comes from or what it even is.

How very silly.

What I do know (we’re diving deeper now, hang in there!), is that the subject of “enough” is the Ego’s terrain. It is the Ego that weighs and measures and compares. It is the Ego that accuses us and makes us feel less-than; makes us feel unworthy. Unworthy of love, belonging, and true connection. It is also the Ego that swells with pride upon receiving accolades, or cowers in shame when discredited. Why do we trust such a wayward, fickle thing?

The Soul, on the other hand, finds this whole subject matter entirely irrelevant. Our Soul (feel free to replace this word with something that fits into your personal worldview) knows that we are already enough. In fact, the Soul doesn’t even know that word. To question your worth and worthiness is something the Soul never does, because it knows you are already complete. There’s no benchmark to meet, value to obtain, or feat to accomplish that will change that. 

The goal of the Soul is to create and co-create as much as possible, and to do so with the utmost joy. Engaging with other souls in all of their enough-ness, with all they have to offer as they are, is co-creation at its best. This is, in my opinion, what it means to live joyfully.*

It is with this attitude that I pressed “Launch” on my Kickstarter campaign, knowing that this is but one phase in this exquisite experience of co-creation.

So, friends, let us create! Not to achieve anything (though that may be a natural by-product), but simply for the sheer JOY of it, knowing that no matter what: we are enough!

*Disclaimer: I write these words as fact, because it happens to be what I believe to be true. I recognize, however, that at the end of the day it is just one opinion among many. Opinions are like… well, you know the saying. ;)

#forthejoyofliving #cocreationatitsbest #elizabethgilbert #bigmagic #brenebrown #daringgreatly

The Story Behind the Story - Final Part

"Why haven't I accomplished this yet? Or this? Or that??" we ask ourselves regarding our personal goals, whether they be short-term or life-long. We beat upon our own backs, bemoaning our circumstances, shaking our fists at the gods, and looking around desperately for someone or something to blame. Anything. Lost in this shame spiral (that looks an awful lot like a cosmic black hole), we perpetuate this cycle of goal-struggle-blame, goal-struggle-blame. By inspecting the trees we've planted with a microscope, we miss the fact that there's an entire forest that we, ourselves, propagated, nurtured, & brought into being.

Another way of saying this is, we often don't know how far we've come until we pause for a moment in our self-flagellation to take a step back and consider where we were 10 years ago. Five years ago. Goodness, even one year ago. While I don't condone dwelling on the past (since it can often be a slippery slope into the Land of "If Only"; a stinking swamp full of self-induced guilt trips and potholes of regret), it is helpful to occasionally zoom out long enough to see that progress is, in fact, being made.

So if progress is being made through the struggle, almost in spite of ourselves, how much more progress could be made, and made joyfully, if we didn't struggle? What if we just... play?

Yes, that's right. Play. Enjoy. Take risks - for fun. Follow your curiosity. I mean, if you're going to progress either way, you may as well enjoy the process.

Two years ago, I had an un-edited draft of a manuscript. Just one. I had no website, no illustrator, no book designer, no idea what Mail Chimp was, and was blissfully ignorant on what it takes to self-publish a book. I now have a all of these things, a final draft of a manuscript (plus a few more in the works), and a smidgen less ignorance in the realm of self-publishing.

To my dismay, I admittedly struggled to obtain these things. It hasn't been all toil and hardship by any means, but has been far too much sweat and tears (thankfully no blood) for my liking.

I am happy to say that from this day forth, I am changing the game by making it exactly that: a game.

Thanks to heaps of inspiration from a number of sources, but most recently Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic, I have seen the light. Creativity is not about the outcome, and never will be. It's not about making a living, it's not about fame and fortune. Those things may never come to pass. They might... but they might not. Creativity is all about enjoyment, play and wonder. All of it. Making creativity outcome-dependent only invites suffering and scares your creativity away.

In short, if you're not enjoying it (whatever it is), then do something else.

The Angry T.V. and the Dumb Remote

Did you ever write ridiculous stories as a kid? It may come as no surprise that it was one of my favourite things to do as a child. I'm interrupting "The Story Behind the Story" to bring you this little recently-discovered gem, written by yours truly at the ripe ol' age of 10.

(This is entirely un-edited. I've maintained all original spelling, punctuation & unnecessary underlining - however inappropriate - for the sake of authenticity).

The Angry T.V. and the Dumb Remote

"Hey! I was having a really nice nap," said the sleepy t.v. as the remote switched him on.

"Oh shut up! I'm the one doing all the work. Beside's it's time for you to entertain," snapped the remote.

T.v. exclaimed, "If you're not careful, my circuits will short out, you unsophisticated remote!"

"Is that a compliment?," replied the remote, as he flipped through the channels.

"Stop! That was my favorite show on channel 10. It's called the 'T.V. Channel'."

"Boring! Lets watch 'Remote Watch' because they always show those cute little batteries in swimsuits."

T.v. switched off abruptly and the screen was blank. As soon as remote turned on, t.v. switched off. This went on for thirty minutes.

"Now look what you did! You made me miss 'Remote Watch', you big electric square!" yapped remote.

"How dare you call me that!", raged t.v. "Plus you made me miss the 'T.v. Channel'."

Remote was outraged and kept on calling t.v. names that didn't even make sense. Then t.v. came in.

"Well you skinny little plastic button pusher, you better stop calling me names or I'll jump off my stand and crush you," threatened t.v.

"You wouldn't! I'll keep calling you names and I doubt you'll crush me!"

He kept calling t.v. names, so t.v. did what he said he would do. Then his parents got another remote...


Well, there's plenty more stories and poems where this came from! In a way, I suppose this is part of the "The Story Behind the Story". Sometimes we have to look back a few years (or decades) in order to see how far we've come.

The Story Behind the Story - Part 5

I debated for awhile the subject of "Part 5". Do I write about the joys and challenges of moving across the world, and how that influenced the evolution of this book? Do I write about the roller coaster of collaborating with other artists in an effort to manifest my vision & my art? These topics may appear on this blog, but not today. I have landed, instead, upon a subject that we can all relate to.

I have been at home, sick with a virus, for a week now. I don't know about you, but illness often sends me into a time of self-reflection. Brooding, as it were. In between Netflix binges of course. In one particularly introspective moment today, I found myself wrestling with a familiar opponent known as Self-Doubt. Familiar to more than just me, I am certain. That is, do you know anyone that has not doubted themselves at some time or another?

This, for me, is often presents itself as a fear of failure. This fear has long since accompanied me on my journey as a writer. As I was pondering this concept (where it comes from, how to get rid of it, why is it such a pain in the ass, etc.), I realised that it was silly of me to fear failure when I have not first defined the antithesis of failure: success.

How does one define success? Do we listen to society's standards of such things? Is it about money? Recognition? In my musing I came across an old journal entry that, lucky me, contained a definition of success that I had penned down a while ago. It just so happened to touch on the very subject I had been wrestling with: that pesky Self-Doubt. So, I thought I would share it with you. It starts like many of my "ponderings" - with a question:

Who are the great successes? The one's who stay true to themselves. The one's who are not driven by market demands, only their Artist's demands. Even more difficult, the one's who do not doubt. I do not mean doubting one's abilities; such as your ability to rise up in society as a household name. (That, if it happens, is a by-product of your true success.) It is only natural to doubt your abilities from time to time. What the successful artists of this world do not doubt is their worth and worthiness. Their true selves. 

I do not mean staunch individualism that protests "Me against society! Me against the system!" The system and society are irrelevant in the face of artistry. Aligning with your vision, co-creating with other artists, following your excitement - here is where the relevance lies. Here is where my focus must be for true success. Success by the world's standards? That may or may not be part of my personal success. That is, again, irrelevant. 

If I have succeeded in staying true to myself, if I have not forsaken the integrity of the Artist within me, if I have sought excitement, love,  joy, & passion in every moment, circumstance and decision, then I believe I have honoured my father's legacy as a writer. Failure, in the light of following my joy, is not possible. If that is not the definition of success for Gretchen Lindemann, then I don't know what is. 

What's your personal definition of success?