I have a painter friend whose art sells for $10,000 a painting. She routinely paints over pieces that are for sale in her gallery. It could have been better, she says.

I’ve gotten standing ovations for speaking gigs. “Meh, I give myself a B. Coulda been better.”

Here’s the confession: I always feel like I’m failing. And succeeding. And failing. And succeeding. And failing.

I’m not masochistic. My glass is not ‘half full’, it is oceanic. I feel sturdy and ripe. But The Subtle & Abiding Sense of Failure Thing…. it’s as steady as the green of my eyes.

If you’re committed to the sacred strive, The Subtle & Abiding Sense of Failure Thing will always be along for the ride.

… In your speech, your craft, your work. Pleasing your lover, planting your garden, dispensing your accumulated knowledge. You can make masterpieces. Daily. You can please some people, get a raise, fire up your kundalini, you can hit it out of the park and sleep like a satiated baby that night. And then in she glides, to sit in the chair in the corner of your room: The Subtle & Abiding Sense of Failure Thing.

She’s an angel, I tell you. An angel.
You are not insecure, neurotic, defective, obsessive, or unappreciative.
(Well, maybe you are, but not because you experience The Subtle & Abiding Sense of Failure Angel.)
Coexisting with The Subtle & Abiding Sense of Failure Angel is part of making art.
She is as reliable as your creative impulses.
She comes bearing invitations. To more.

The Subtle & Abiding Sense of Failure Angel is able to enter because you left your heart open.
Leave it open.
You have to.
To make more stuff.
To make it better, so that we evolve and bring one another along for the ride.
Where demons get to be angels if you look at them the right way.

An even greater feat of creative swiftness, Geldolf pulled LIVE AID together in about seven months. It was one of the largest-scale broadcasts of all time, with a global audience of nearly 2 billion. In terms of production planning, it happened at the speed of light.

One of the greatest portrait painters alive, Francesco Clemente, says that if he can’t finish a painting in a day, he’s not that interested in it. Jack Kerouac believed that his uncorrected spontaneous prose, “visionary tics shivering in the chest,” were the most artful.

Fast can make something that lasts.

HOW TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS QUICKLY

1. Let yourself be moved. Swept up. Spurred. Taken.
Geldof saw a report on Ethiopian famine on the nightly news and sketched out the LIVE AID plan that night. Don’t hold yourself back. Do not censor your passion. Fuck being practical. Do not be logical. You do not have to know how you’re going to pull it off. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. Think of all the greatness-makers who have said, “If I knew what this was going to take, I wouldn’t have started.” Just be seized. Go with it. This wave of “I gotta do this!” will lead you to a strategy.

WhiteHot backup, read: On Bright Faith And Why Falling In Love Is Totally Uncool

2. Simply believe that you CAN — and will — do incredible things in a very short amount of time. Not all the time, of course. But more often than not. Creativity doesn’t need to be a process that is drawn out — contrary to what a lot of perfectionists and self-sabatogers think. Hell, sometimes it doesn’t even need to be thought out well. You just need to get it out. This requires that you…

3. Trust. Trust hard and trust strong.

WhiteHot backup, read: Open up anyway.

4. Be on the watch for for synchronicities.
When you fully commit to pull something amazing off in short order, angels hear the alarm and slide down the cosmic fire pole to give you earthly assistance. Trust that people will be placed on your path and they will get you where you need to go faster than you could get there by yourself. Think of crazy deadlines as compressed magic time.

5. Set seemingly impossible deadlines. I did it for The Spark Kit. I wrote/filmed it in 11 weeks, it lead to a book deal, which we sealed in a few days time. And Your Big Beautiful Book Plan — which is massive. We pulled a team together to launch in 8 weeks. In both cases, I announced the launch date before I’d started on the projects. Mo.ti.vat.ing.

WhiteHot backup, read: Time Kills Deals and 7 Other Points on Making It Happen

6. Focus like your life depends on it.
The faster you drive, the more you have to focus.

WhiteHot backup, read: Super Hero Syndrome + The Practical Response To Crazy Ambition

7. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT DEVALUE SOMETHING YOU MAKE BECAUSE YOU MADE IT QUICKLY AND EASILY. This is the most nasty killer of unfurled greatness. We think that because it came so swift and easy, it mustn’t be as valuable. Hogwash. When you’re operating from a place of your True Strengths — it’s easy. You’re more productive, happy, and…faster.

WhiteHot backup, read: The Manifesto of Encouragement (I wrote it in 10 minutes. It’s been shared 7000 times.)

So, no kidding: I’m just about to hit “publish” on this post, and I get this email from my creative compatriot, Alexandra Franzen: “In a bout of mania, I made a mini-product this morning: FIVE SCRIPTS TO FILL YOUR CLIENT DOCKET. It’s fun. It’s $15. And hopefully, it’s hella useful. Here’s a copy for YOU. ‘Cause, ya!. Today’s theme is: getting shit done, lightning fast.” See.

And now, here’s a copy for YOU to get manic with.

Believe in the possible, the swift, the power of lickety split.

. . . . . .

Reviews are streaming in for YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN, which we launched last week. They are thrilling, we are thrilled, and I predict that a whole lotta people will be spending this holiday mapping out a strategy for their creatives empires. Please check it out.

And I think to myself: Never, never, ever. I have no concept of what that natural ability feels like.

And then came dessert.

A sixtroopled layered meringue masterpiece. Layers of cakey meringue propped up with gorgeous goopy lemon curd and fluffy whipped white goodness whispering out of the tiers of scrumptiousness. Blessed with raspberries. And mint leaves. Placed on a heavy ceramic white rectangular platter. Sprinkled with edible fairy dust. I thought the co-hostess was joking when she said that she made it herself. I swear to the Gods of confectionery pleasure, this is what went through my head: It would be easier for me to build a bridge then to bake that mother. I was mystified.

And I think to myself: Never, never, ever. I have no concept of what that natural ability feels like.

Then the conversation turned to writing. And the dinner guests say kind things about what I do, how I string words together. And without being smug (one of my least favorite human dispositions), I softly say that, Ya, it comes easily to me. Pure delight. And someone says something like, “I could never write as easily as you. Nope. Never.”

And it occurs to me that we each have our delicious natural joys and our Never, never, evers.

And how beautiful that is.

Think you’re starting from scratch? You’re not.
Your life is your content.

Here’s a sneak peak from YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN, Part 3: Creativity. Launching next week! Monday, November 28 at 1:51pm PST (Because the stars are seriously aligned for success. Seriously.)

. . .

The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air. All I must do is find it, and copy it.

- Jules Renard, “Diary” February 1895

Nothing is matter-of-fact for a writer. Everything is a matter of life.

Live like a writer, like an active author, an artist, an observer of the human condition, a reporter of faith, a poet of utility, a slammer of futility! Make a story out of everything. Your life is one teachable moment after the next. Preach it.

Capture your everyday, lifetime, take-it-for-granted experiences and turn them into insight, humor, education, and information — a book:

: Calling your friend to wail about your divorce? Record it. Transcribe it. That’s platinum for your forthcoming memoir, or a great segment in a speaking gig.
: Rummaging through old blog posts for a Best Of Year in review? Hold up. THAT’s the makings of your book outline sitting right there.
: Read through old client testimonials. There in is your raison d’etre. Your market. The problem that your writing will solve for people.
: Aha moments in therapy? Turn them into a how-to list.
: Those ten clients, with ten different situations, are ten unique chapters.
: That mentoring you’ve been giving so freely? Recapitulate the wisdom you’ve been dispensing into a manifesto, a guide, a set of cases studies and success stories.
: That survey you conducted last quarter? Package the results with supporting interviews and you’ve got yourself the beginning of a chapter summary.

Your message dwells within. One thing I learned from a public speaking coach I worked with, Gail Larsen, is that we have our creative process backwards. Whether we’re writing a speech or a thesis, what we tend to do is think of our message first, and then think of stories that will support and illustrate our message. When really, we should first pay attention to the stories that are living in our psyche — the tales we’ve never forgotten, the images that left a deep impression. And then we should look for the message that is inside of those stories. There’s a reason the stories stuck with us: they point to our core theory and teaching.

Your book (your speech, your product) has already been written — it’s hidden in plain sight, in your client session audio files, blog interviews, scandalous email chains, coffee shop convos, that one post that went viral, your teenage journal, your vision boards, your workshop materials. It’s all there. Capture and conquer!

CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE VIDEO IF IT DOESN’T SHOW UP BELOW: http://vimeo.com/32470281 Sumpthin’s funky with Vimeo today.

YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN launches Monday, Nov. 28th at 1:51pm PST.

Enter your name + email for launch levitation.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN

“For two years I’ve put off writing my book proposal. For two years I’ve came up with every excuse imaginable to put off sitting down and focusing on what I know I needed to do. After 30 minutes of digging into YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN I was outlining. I was writing, planning, and plotting. I finally had the inspiration AND the framework I needed. The result? My first rough book proposal. There’s a lot of polishing to do, but two years of procrastination was just obliterated. If you’ve been putting off the writing the book you know you should be writing, this is the kick in the pants you’ve been waiting for.”
–Adam Baker | Creator, ManVsDebt.com

“Working with Linda & Danielle is the difference between signing with Random House or not. The difference between a great book deal and no book deal.”
–Chrisanna Northrup | CEO of You Got Challenged! Inc. & author of The Normal Bar (Random House, summer 2012)

“You know you have a story in you…if you only knew how to get it published. After diving into Danielle & Linda’s book love fest, I am astounded with the top-shelf knowledge and talent shared. I could not look away. And now I am starting my second book – with a proposal this time.”
–Susan Hyatt | Master Coach and Author of Create Your Own Luck, 7 Steps to get Your Lucky On

Writing a book could direct the course of your career. It could lead to infinitely important connections, multiple revenue streams, spin off products, breakthrough ideas, international relations. It could send more business your way, pay for a trip to Tahiti, or just pay the rent. It could change one person’s life for the better. It could start a revolution. You need a plan.

Enter…

YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN is a digital program for people who want to get their word into the world — where it belongs. My peerless collaborator Linda Sivertsen and I have done this over and over, for ourselves and others. We’ve helped hundreds of writers devote themselves to DONE. We’re talking life’s work, in print and pixels. Decade-long dreams, on the shelf and on screen. The big Why, poured into words. We love this stuff. And you’re going to feel the love.

YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN is coming soon. November 28th, to be exact.

Be first in line. Enter your name + email for YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK PLAN pre-order special invitations + launch levitation. Your destiny awaits. And we’ve got a map to help you get there.

The gem of this comes at the end of the clip and it’s easy to miss. I had to watch this twice to catch it. SPOILER ALERT: When Rachel gets four thumbs UP from the judges (ya!) and there are wild applause and cheers, she says something so important:

“Thank you. I won’t let you down.“

Thank you. I won’t let you down.

This is the most humble and courageous phrase you can speak when life opens the door wide for you — which it does everyday.

You’re up for it. You’re grateful. You see the gift and you realize you can’t do it alone.

With this: Thank you. I won’t let you down, you rise to the occasion.

There are so many people believing in you. Backing you up, saying prayers, taking your call, saying yes.

Dream realizing is reciprocal. Sometimes, when someone believes in you, you are honor bound to go for it.

Say it. Believe it. Hear it (from my heart to yours:)

Thank you. I won’t let you down.

relentlessly search for the why behind the what

“So why did you go bankrupt?” I asked my mentor-man.
“Because I was a drunk. But really, because I was greedy. I equated power with speed. I should have done half as much, twice as good.”

Note to self: Slow down, your time is coming.

“Why did you partner with her?” I asked the mega-firm CEO.
“Because every time I brought an idea to her, she made it better without losing the spirit of my reasoning. She consistently inspired me to be impeccable.”

Note to self: Partner with people who make you feel more like yourself. Seek the excellent ones.

I’ve got a guest post over at Charlie Gilkey’s place, Productive Flourishing.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COMPLETE POST

ask (for) more.
xo

Jonathan’s thesis on innovation can be boiled down to this:

a) Uncertainty is not just useful in creation and innovation, it’s mandatory.

b) Certainty is a dream-killer because it stops us from exploring the possibility that we don’t know everything, and that we might be able to create something better.

So of course I, and dozens of journalists are asking him this: If ambiguity and uncertainty get us to our creative crux, then how can we lean into those states? His answer:

Optimize your workflow. Most of us work in ways that are actually fairly destructive to our ability to not only do great work, but feel great doing it. Simple changes to workflow, like pulsing and refueling, single-tasking and selective ritualizing can change not only how well you create, but how you feel along the way.
.

I knew a guy who worked from home and wore a tie. With his t-shirt and flip flops. Same necktie everyday. “My best ideas have come from this tie,” he told me. I asked if he also had magic underpants.

Twyla Tharp says her ritual of exercise and choreography begins when she gets in the taxi at 5am and tells the driver to take her to the gym.

I sit down to write. I close my day-timer. I light a candle. Every time. Sacred space. Ready to commence.

Your intention to innovate becomes more powerful when you declare it. And you can be certain of that.

What you can never, ever be fully certain of is how you’re going to get there. Or how you’re going to breakthrough. Or when your muse might decide to bless you with an awesome idea. Or what you’re actually going to produce in the end. This is unnerving and sometimes terrifying when you’ve got expectations, a budget, a deadline, and a big dream. And, this is the place where great things come from.

Back to Jonathan Fields…

Build daily “uncertainty-harnessing” personal practices. Beyond changes in workflow, there are daily personal practices you can add your uncertainty “scaffolding” that work on a deeper mindset-tuning level time, can have a profound effect not only on how you experience the creative process, but on how you experience life in a world where there is no new normal. Some of these include mindfulness, reframing, and high-intensity movement.

“Uncertainty harnessing” typically requires that we step away from what we’re so focused on. Can you relate to this?: you’re so engrossed in your project that it’s 2pm before you realize you haven’t eaten lunch. But you’re in the thick of it, on a roll. Get lunch or plow forward? Tomorrow is your deadline and your friend’s band is making their debut performance tonight. Front row seat or bail out? You’ve been working on your project for months and you’re aching to launch it. Work when you’re burnt, or take the weekend off, like, really take it off.

My vote: when you choose life, your work reaps the rewards. Lose focus. Intentionally. Just for a minute.

In my experience, when I’m thinking that I ‘have no choice but to crank on’, then it’s time to stop cranking. (And we ALWAYS have a choice.) And lo’ what happens, predictably even, is that in those break periods — chopping carrots for lunch, driving home from the concert, unplugging… my mind cools down and a new really, really good idea will come forward. It was just waiting for me to take a break so I could see it.

Uncertainty might push you to work harder. Lighten up.
Uncertainty might have you looking for answers. Ask more questions.

Uncertainty might have you demanding assurances.
Instead, welcome Mystery….and her sidekick will tag along.
He goes by the name of Innovation.

. . . . . .

Here’s how it happened: Last year I turned my life upside down. Took a break from marriage. Moved. Shelved numerous obligations to meet a writing deadline. Avoided said writing deadline for a long time. Slammed that writing deadline. Put my health significantly further up on the priority list. Chose yoga over blog posts. Hung with friends instead of wooing clients. Launched stuff at light speed. Killed projects. Stopped cooking dinner mid-boil to capture an idea. Talked on the phone with friends…in the middle of the day…for hours.

I lived more, because it was time for some things to die. I devoted myself more deeply to liberation because the longing to be free was the passion of my inner Christ. I had to arrive at thrive or I would get stuck in survival mode. In this dimension, nothing is predictable, and unbridled is the only way to go. It was not the time to “manage” my time.

Time management systems are tricky beasts. They may help us be more productive, but not necessarily less stressed, or more fulfilled, or more in touch with our true nature. We may look freer with our priorities all tidy, but too often, time remains the master and we get “given” time for obeying the system.

I’d rather be fulfilled than obedient. And it turns out that when I’m fulfilled, I’m…fulfilled — whether I’m productive or not. And that gives me plenty of energy to be more focused on what matters most, which makes me truly productive. It’s a beautiful thing. Here’s how I got there:

HOW TO PUT TIME MANAGEMENT IN ITS PLACE.
(BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT TO.)

1. Stop keeping a detailed to-do list. If it’s truly important, you’ll remember to do it. A few post it notes and texts to yourself should be all you need.
2. Say no, thank you to four things a day. My coach gave me this assignment. It changed my life.
3. Relentlessly focus on the one or two vocational desires that turn you on so much that envisioning doing JUST those things seems so fantastical that it borders on erotic pleasure (yep, I think it’s your birthright to feel that hot about your work in the world). Everything else that is not about fulfilling your most intense vocational desires is getting in the way of making your fantasy life a reality.
4. Work with talented and excellent human beings. Amateurs, posers and mediocrity-makers are time squatters. Move ‘em out.
5. Delegate the stuff that doesn’t light you up.
6. Have (only) 3 important things to accomplish every week. Make those three things happen and you’re closer to making your fantasy life a reality. Accomplish more than that and you’ll feel like a super hero (good esteem fuels fulfillment AND productivity.)
7. Batch n’ chunk. Pay all of your bills at the same time. Create a day just for errands. Make all of your calls before noon. This “while you’re at it” kind of momentum is incredibly efficient.
8. Ask yourself every morning what you really feel like doing. Not what’s most important. Not what’s expected of you. But what you’re most excited to do. Enthusiasm is the DNA of making things happen. Start there.

Flying without a to-do list made me worry. It was scary to let go of revenue streams and planned projects. Going to yoga when I had obligations actually took some moxie. Doing what I was truly stoked to do each day was unnerving, guilt-inducing and exhilarating all at once. And… it didn’t take long for this free forming time style to reveal my most lucrative, artistically satisfying, relationship-enhancing year ever.

Easy does it.

xo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You need a good photo. Party shots where your bud had their arm around you, but they’re cut out of the picture (we know, it’s like, the best shot of you, ever); or back yard snaps with the sun in your eyes; professional bios with a photo of you and your kids–is your toddler answering your email? It’s all a no go. Authors who’ve been using the same headshot for a decade? Really? And animals…don’t get me started about kitty cats. Furry friends should only be in photos with you if you’re a veterinarian or a dog groomer.

Photos are so incredibly important. They convey, attract, explain, inspire, magnetize. The expanse of your smile, the cut of your shirt, the love in your eyes–we want to see it. It’s a big deal. Go out of your way to capture the best you. Plan for a photo shoot like you’d plan to host an unforgettable party.

22 things I’ve learned about looking hot (and not) in a shot

1. If you’ve got the budget, hire a professional. Find the budget. Range: $200 up to $500 will get you some skill. Paying up to $1000 is not insane if you walk with a set of amazing shots that you can use. More often than not, you will get what you pay for. If you don’t have the funds, connect with a photography or art school, students are always looking to build their portfolios and usually have access to lighting gear.

2. Many photographers will want to shoot in outdoor natural light. The quality of light is fabulous and it’s low-tech. Personally, I don’t like being shot outdoors, purely because, I’m not an outdoorsy person–it doesn’t feel right and so it’s not in sync with my “brand”. I like indoors, preferably a studio, with white hot lights.

we scrapped this whole shoot, done at sunset, because i squinted for all 100+ photos. squinting = reluctant demon look. not good.

3. Good lighting is EVERYTHING. Good lighting accentuates the right stuff. It clears up skin, makes hair shine, and hugs hips.

4. The day before, get a good night’s sleep. Puffy eyes will ruin a whole shoot. If you’re beat, tea bags on your eyes and a cold cloth help a lot.
5. Two days before, drink lot’s of water. Dry skin makes for messy make up.
6. 5 days before, get a seriously exfoliating facial.

we shot this in my living room at night, with good lights. had my hair super straightened that morning. grabbed this feather that was on my mantle. never used this shot anywhere because I look like I'm about to pounce on my jungle prey. *Anastasia Chomlack

7. Wear make up. I don’t care if you never so much as powder your nose in everyday life. EVERYONE (including dudes) needs some make up for a professional shoot. It’s not about glamor, it’s about off-setting the harshness of a camera.
8. Do a trial run with your make up before a shoot. Typically, you can get your make up done for free at a MAC or Chanel counter if you purchase some product. Pro coverage starts at about $100. For super fancy magazine shoots, makeup artists will get paid around $300 and up, which is often a day rate.
9. Get your eyebrows threaded or waxed.

this became known as my Obi Wan Kanobi shot. the crew were in winter coats and I'm here freezing my noogies off in the desert. we did this for my last book, spent a few thousand on the day, and scrapped it because it was too cheesy dramatic.

10. EVERYTHING SHOWS ON CAMERA. EVERYTHING.

11. Clothing: Borrow, rent, invest. You might want to plan for a wardrobe change. Prop it. I did a fancy shoot in a poofy Vera Wang dress that a store let me borrow. I was spilling out of it (Vera doesn’t design for girls with big ta-ta’s.) Masking tape, safety pins and the right angle, et voila! Kinda Supermodel.

12. Bring your iPod and crank it. Music is better than wine.

13. Move your body! Ham it, sauce it, goof it up. I guarantee you the shots that comes right after you’ve laughed will be the winner.
14. If a photographer ever directs you to “rest your chin lightly on your hands an tilt your head,” high tail it out of there.
15. Tits up, back straight, chin slightly down.

16. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions to the photographer–they’re working for you. “Why don’t you get on that ladder and shoot me from above?” When you have a say, you look better.
17. Work with a photographer who makes you laugh and asks questions. Holly & Roger at UnionPhotographers are giggle-folk and, best of all, Holly laughs at my jokes. Anastasia Chomlack walks and talks with me so I get all broody and soft. It all shows up on film.

i'd just had a little cry before this was snapped–one of those days. i'm standing in a white box with a blanket 'round me (and holding my breath because the blankie was about to fall off.) freezing, again. after two hours, Gregory Crow got a winning shot, I was smiling by then.

18. Do a shoot before you think you “need” to, before your site launches, before the magazine calls, well before your Christmas gifts or Valentines Day’s boudoir prezzie. Less pressure, more fun.
19. My personal feelings about Photoshop: not a huge fan of it. While I’m not above Spanx or false eyelashes, I want people to get what they see. Lighting should be all the technology you employ.
20. If you don’t love the final results, say so. You can’t blame the photographer if you think you look hefty or mopey, but a great shoot is very much about team work. The photographer is there to put you in your best light and capture that. Re-shoots are part of the biz.
21. Since you’re looking foxy, film a video on the same day. (Seen my new sizzle reel?)

22. It takes 100 frames to get one good shot — all you need is that one to make history. Radiate.

the best shots come naturally. *Union Photographers

speaking of looking HOT…

…and feeling even hotter…the inimitable Regena Thomashauer (alias: Mama Gena) is a full-throttle force of nature — and if you’re not already drinking her sensual Kool-Aid, you oughta polish your favorite champagne glass, and fill yourself up to the brim. God, pussy, love, liberation — it’s all part of her latest creation, the Virtual Pleasure Boot Camp.

CLICK HERE TO PROWL AROUND MAMA GENA’S BOOT CAMP…

(caution: dangerous curves & Lady Gaga tunes, ahead…)