“The constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. December 2005 / January 2006 Happy New Year , and welcome back to The Artful Professional , a free newsletter for people who wish to bring greater creativity and meaning to their work. As always, the goal of this issue is to share creative practices and an insight or two, and to generally encourage the Artful Professional in you. This holiday issue encourages you to “catch” – or create – happiness in your life . Enjoy! Sue Lebeck, M.S.,M.A. Visualizing Happiness in the New Year A much-cited quotation, attributable to Allan K. Chalmers , offers this guidance on how to This evocative statement leaves us each with three key questions:
Excellent questions to spend time with as we approach the New Year! We invite you to do just that: First – we invite you to take some time to explore these questions verbally: Begin with the answers that come quickly. Then, allow your thoughts to move deeper. What are the things that you really Do (remembering that this does not need to refer to a job)? What do you really Love? What do you really Hope for? You may choose to discuss your thoughts with a friend, speak them to your self aloud on your commute, or journal them. Next – we invite you to explore these questions visually: Tell a friend what you discovered. Or tell your self in a letter or a poem – so that you may encounter your happiness again (and again). May you “catch” – or create – much happiness in the New Year. Happy 2006! A New Year's Gift for Your Self – Artful Inspiration Surrounding ourselves with stimulating images is one way that we can catch-create happiness for ourselves. Kimiko Sakuma – friend, colleague, and founder of Work Art World (www.workartworld.com) – offers these thoughts to the Artful Professional: Many people work long hours in an office setting. If you are one of these people, you know how adding personal touches to your work space can positively affect your well-being. For some, it is placing pictures of loved ones on your desk or hanging scenery of beautiful places on your wall. For others, it may be including a favorite rock, quote, or book. What all of these have in common is the act of individualizing one's work environment. This is empowering because it is an opportunity for self expression in an otherwise standard setting. I created Work Art World as a resource for professionals to creatively individualize their work space. Work Art World offers affordable hand made Art for the desk and office space. The Art and novelties range in size, price, and theme. I believe that professionals have the freedom to choose Art that fits their style, personality, or mood. My goal is to enhance the work environment by adding vibrant colors and emotions, which can reduce stress and increase creativity. According to author Steven Pressfield, “ The instinct that pulls us toward Art is the impulse to evolve, to learn, to heighten and elevate our consciousness. ” I hope that my Art will spark personal connections and act as a catalyst for conversations between colleagues. I believe that Art will inspire people and remind them of their own creativity.
At Working-Arts, we support Kimiko's views, and encourage our clients, colleagues and friends to notice their personal and workspace environments, in the spirit of The Artful Professional . Does your environment feed and inspire you? Create an environment which does! Consider creating an art-full workspace for your self -- a gift that will feed and inspire you in your New Year. For more information on Work Art World , see www.workartworld.com , or write Kimiko at info@workartworld.com. Write Us Share with us your artful insights. We'd love to read them and learn from you. To write us, email sue@working-arts.com . Pass it On Share this newsletter freely to encourage the Artful Professional who lives within your friends and colleagues. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or ask a question, email info@working-arts.com . Working-Arts® Services Working-Arts offers a range of artful professional services for you or your organization. Applications range from leadership support, visioning and team-building to problem-solving, decision-making, and product and service design. Or, let us help you or your organization weave artful perspectives into whatever challenge you are facing. For more information, go to www.working-arts.com and click on The Artful Professional . Working-Arts offers free public workshops from 6:30-8:00 pm on the first Wednesday of each month at The Blue Room Gallery ( www.blueroomgallery.org ). Called Ask Art , these workshops invite you to consult fine art for insights into your important questions. As a recent participant describes it, Ask Art is “Somewhere between a party game and an interactive Zen experience… It had the effect of drawing the participants out of themselves." To plan an artful offsite for your professional team at a gallery of your choice, e-mail sue@working-arts.com.
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