“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” ~ Thomas Merton

Who doesn’t wander into a quilt shop or go to a quilt show and not get tempted by the array of fat quarters or jelly rolls? I know they are hard to resist, as evidenced by my own stash. That was the impetus behind Smash Your Precut Stash by Kate Carlson Colleran and Elizabeth Veit Balderamma. Kate and Elizabeth knew many of us had a precut stash, just as they did. Offering a little bit of color theory and some nifty tips, Kate and Elizabeth have designed 11 patterns for you to smash that stash. Their designs could be called traditional with a twist, and I know you’ll find several you’ll want to make. I particularly liked “My Favorite Fat Quarter Runner” and “Plain Jane.” While the patterns are designed to use a specific type of precut, Kate and Elizabeth make suggestions on how to substitute other precuts. The book also includes a gallery with lots to inspire you to attack that stash!

You can look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here is the link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

You know that idea that comes to you from who knows where? What are you doing with it? Do you cast it aside? Do you mull it over? Do you write it down so you don’t lose it? Do you take action because of it?

Some years back I read The Attractor Factor by Joe Vitale, and he wrote about inspired action. He said it was “any action that you take based on an inside nudge.” In a sense, it is acting on your intuition or that little voice inside that is talking to you. We all have those experiences.

So where do you find these inspired ideas? One of my sisters says she gets hers on her daily run. Another finds her ideas when she is wandering around a museum. I often come up with ideas – great and not so great – during my morning walk or when I am sitting on the deck at our home on the Chesapeake Bay or when I walk to the mailbox and back. (It is a very long driveway!) You might find yours soaking in the tub after a long day or hiking in the woods or gardening, in other words, someplace that is not your office or studio. I think Julia Cameron’s artist date can do this for you, too. It takes you outside your normal surroundings.

That is one key, getting away from your normal, i.e., comfortable surroundings.

Another idea is to try some of the same, but from a different perspective. For example, if your ideas often come on a walk in the woods, try a different route. Or change up the time so you walk in the morning when you usually walk in the afternoon. You will open yourself up to looking at things differently, and new ideas will come.

A third tip to encourage inspired ideas is to be more mindful. Take time to notice and appreciate what is right in front of you. For me, a short meditation practice opens me up to being more present and that lets me see more ideas. It’s not surprising that if we pay more attention, we are open to more ideas. You never know, the inspired idea might just comes from a sign on a highway.

No matter where the inspiration comes from, if you are not in the position to take immediate action, you will need to keep a pad or a digital recorder handy. You might also use a notes app on your phone. I find I often need to make a quick note of the idea, in case I am distracted. I can’t count the numbers of great ideas that disappeared.

When I explained this idea to one of my clients, she asked how she could be more open to receiving opportunities for inspired action beyond the three tips? I said that you have to be clear on what your intentions are first, the clearer the better. Then when you get those nudges, pay attention, and look for coincidences.

When the idea comes to you, what do you do with it? Sometimes you just move forward, trusting it is the right the thing to do. Other times it is important to ask if the idea will move your toward your goal or vision or intention. If the answer is yes, then get to work – take inspired action.

As I said, we all have those “inside nudges” prompting us to take action. The problem is we can talk ourselves out of them – too little time, too little money, too little whatever. I call it self-sabotage. I think we need to learn to trust that inner voice a bit more.

When was the last time you took inspired action? Where did it come from? I would love to hear about your thoughts below or on the ICAP Facebook or Google+ pages.

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Procrastination. We all know what it is: putting obstacles in our own way by handling those low-priority tasks instead of taking action on the high-priority tasks. The Latin roots of the word mean “in favor of” and “tomorrow.”

Dr. Piers Steel, a researcher on the science of motivation and procrastination and the author of The Procrastination Equation, says that procrastination is pervasive, with at least 95% of us procrastinating on a occasional basis. Count me in that group, as I found several ways to extend writing this article.

And we pay a price for procrastination. We miss out on opportunities, we cause ourselves unnecessary suffering, and procrastination also has an economic price. Steel says that procrastination falls into three different categories:

1. Expectancy (i.e., we expect to fail)
2. Value (i.e., we do not value our work)
3. Time (i.e, we let momentary impulses rule us.)

So how do we get beyond procrastination? Here are six tips:

1. Eliminating procrastination is tied to goals. Be sure you have set, clear goals and that you know why you want to accomplish them. You have to know why – your “Big Why.” What value do you attribute to completing these goals? It can also help you to break your big goal into smaller doable goals. And, if you need an extra push, consider finding an accountability partner to work as an external deadline for yourself. I’ve found this to be effective for completing the small doable tasks with my goals.

2. Learn how to prioritize. When you look at your list of activities for the day, which are most important? And, of the most important, are any urgent? One source to consider here is Stephen Covey’s matrix for prioritizing work. He classifies your tasks as urgent and non-urgent and then as important or not important. The problem with procrastination is that we neglect the important but not urgent until they become the fires we need to put out, i.e., important and urgent. We do this by focusing too much time in the not important quadrants.

3. Reward yourself. You can create a system whereby you earn points for each task that is accomplished as you set out, or you can pick a reward for completing the task. This should help focus you on the goal.

4. If low expectancy is one of your problems, try replacing your language. Expect that you will achieve your goals. That in turn will lead to self-confidence and optimism.

5. If impulsivity is your problem, try a technique Dr. Steel calls the “unschedule.” He asks you to schedule play time into your calendar, being sure the amount of time is reasonable. He also suggests that “you should schedule an activity that represents the temptation you indulge in when you procrastinate.” For example, if you find that when you procrastinate, you surf the Internet, update your Facebook status or watch television, schedule time for that. Steel found that people that he worked with who “unscheduled” were better able to work on the task at hand.

6. Look for reminders that procrastination is a problem.

I found the following quote from Victor Kiam – you may remember him as the man who “liked the shaver so much, he bought the company” – that I read periodically to remind myself that I might miss out on something good.

“Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.”

“The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” ~Robert Henri

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” ~Kurt V0nnegut

My two-week vacation in Aruba  was ending and my husband and I were on the way to the airport. As I often do, I engaged in conversation with our cab driver. Frankie was a native Aruban and had lived in Aruba his entire life. He had been driving his cab for 27 years. He shared some stories about politics, how the island has changed over the years and his restaurant recommendations for our next visit.

My husband asked Frankie if he had met many “famous” people over the years. He told us about driving Rev. Jesse Jackson to the airport for a last minute flight from his cruise ship back to the States. He was Ice Cube’s personal driver during a weekend wedding a few summers back.

The passenger he was most excited about was boxer Evander Holyfield. Evander (we are obviously on a first name basis) had come to Aruba for the annual Soul Beach Music Festival. Frankie spent several days driving him and also watched the event with him.

How did that job come about? Frankie is a big boxing fan so he followed Evander. He also knew about the festival and that Evander would be coming. Frankie wrote to Evander, who lived in Atlanta, and offered his services. As they say, the rest is history.

I loved hearing Frankie share this story. He wanted something and he asked for it. That was a simple reminder of a powerful lesson from my cab driver. Ask and it is given.

What have you asked for lately? There is a saying, ask and you shall receive. I welcome your response below or on a ICAP Facebook or Google+ pages.

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Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.

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