Are You Ready For A Change In Your Life--But Too Scared To Make It Happen?: What You Can Learn From The Great Artists Like Monet, Picasso, and Matisse
Fred Mandell, Ph.D. and Kathleen Jordan, authors of "Becoming A Life Change Artist: 7 Creative Skills To Reinvent Yourself At Any Stage of Life" discuss what the great masters of art can teach us about taking risks and becoming who we were meant to be.
Fred Mandell, Ph.D., author of "Becoming A Life Change Artist: 7 Creative Skills To Reinvent Yourself At Any Stage of Life" talks with Commitmentnow.com about how taking a sculpture class changed his life and led him to see the connection between the creative process of changing one's life and the creative process of the great masters.
Commitmentnow.com: How did you come upon the idea of writing a book about the connection between how famous artists, such as Picasso and Monet, created their masterpieces and how ordinary people can make major life transitions?
Fred Mandell, Ph.D.: Becoming is an outgrowth of my personal journey. In the mid 1990's I enrolled in a sculpture workshop. I had not taken an art class since the seventh grade but I loved the creative process of giving form to my imagination. In 2001 I decided to step away from the corporate world to pursue my art work more seriously. At the same time I began to seriously read about the lives and creative process of the great masters.
That's when it hit me that the creative process of change I was personally going through paralleled the creative process of the great masters. It really provided me inspiration and insight to think about my journey in those terms.
As I reflected on the parallels I began to jot down the specific ways those parallels manifested themselves. Then I began to interview others who were going through major changes in their lives and that connection between art and life and the creative process just jumped out at me even more.
That's when I met my co-author Kathleen Jordan and she was instrumental in helping to crystalize these idea even further.
Commitmentnow.com: What are the seven creative skills needed to transform and reinvent one's life--such as changing careers, moving to a new location or pursuing a dream?
Dr. Mandell: One of the things I've come to a conclusion about is that the seven creative we identify in the book are actually life and leadership skills as well as creative skills. I say this having been in significant leadership roles. So I think in terms of two broad categories of skills.
The first are basic or threshhold skills, that is, the specific competencies one needs to perform the tasks of one's profession. If you're a financial person you need to be able to analyze balance sheets, if you're a teacher you need to know how to put together a lesson plan, if you're a carpenter you need to know how to use the right tool the right way.
But then there is this second category of skills--I call them differentiating skills, that is, those skills that will help differentiate you over time and that is where the creative skills come in because they help you deal with the sometimes intangible, sometimes concrete situations that get thrown at you such as CHANGE, OR JOB LOSS OR COMPETITIVE CHALLENGES OR GLOBALIZATION, ETC.
By developing the seven creative skills you are able to respond to these larger challenges and come out in good shape.
The seven creative skills are:
Preparation: Deliberately engaging in activities which prepare our brains for creative work
Seeing: The ability to discern new connections, gain fresh perspective, and stay alive to new possibilities
Using Context: Understanding the environments in which we work and live and using that knowledge to make changes in our lives
Embracing Uncertainty: Acting on the opportunities, sometimes hidden, presented by change and uncertainty
Taking Risks: Acting without certainty of outcome
Discipline: Acting consistently whether or not one feels motivated
Collaboration: Engaging with others to help us make desired changes
Commitmentnow.com: You wrote, "Many of us yearn for the safety of that distant shore--whether in our work or in our personal lives. But that shore is a mirage." What is this distant shore we all long for? Can we ever get there? If so, how?
Dr. Mandell: I believe that distant shore is a sense of stability, a sense that we are in control, a sense of a world that is knowable and unchanging--at least for a period of time.
I believe we can arrive at unchanging and affirmative principles of life but I am not sure we can ever get to world that is unchanging.
If that is so then one of our consummate tasks is to learn how to navigate change and not simply hope that change will not happen.
Commitmentnow.com: Let's talk a bit about some of the artists in the book and what we can learn from them. What can the following artists teach us about implementing successful change in our lives? What lessons do these artist have for those of us living our lives, trying for changes that can overwhelm us at times?
Dr. Mandell: I would answer your question in two parts: First, what the great artists can teach us as a group and then what they can teach us individually.
As a group they teach us that we are more creative than we think we are--some of these masters were not talented when they started out but they dedicated them to their craft and lifted themselves to mastery.
And they teach us that the creative skills are learnable. Genius is not required!
Individually, here is something each can teach us:
• Henry Matisse: We cannot grow without taking risks.
• Picasso: Relearning how to see like a child helps us see things with a fresh perspective and opens up possibilities we may have otherwise missed.
• Monet: It's never too late to change--his revolutionary water lily paintings were undertaken when he was in his eighties
• Frieda Kahlo: Sometimes when our intended future is denied us new directions open up if we are open to them. Kahlo had intended to become a doctor until a trolley accident forced her to make a change--then she discovered art!
• Berthe Morisot: The journey of change is never done.
Commitmentnow.com: What are some creative ways to cope when a person may long for and want a change, and see the need for it, but is consumed by worries and fears about what possible challenges the change will bring? What is your best advice for someone who wants a change in their life, but is very afraid of change?
Dr. Mandell: Change does not have to happen all at once. No one needs to step off a cliff. I advise someone to begin with very small manageable steps to gain experience, gain confidence and then take another small step. Before you know it many small steps add up to a big change.
I would also suggest that a person who has some fear or anxiety about change to talk to someone (or two) who has gone through significant change. Ask that person to break it down. Ask him or her how they managed both the anxiety and risk. We can often be inspired by our peers.
Commitmentnow.com: What are some signs that a person needs a change in their lives? What are some justifiable reasons for change--and what are some good reasons to avoid change?
Dr. Mandell: I encourage people to step back from the canvas of their life--take a few hours and spend them with yourself in a place conducive to reflection, perhaps someplace by the water, or in the woods or in a park.
Bring along a notebook or journal or sketchpad and ask yourself basic questions: What is it I really want in my life? How do I really want to be in my life? Are there things inside of me that want to get out that I am not letting out?
Then listen to your thoughts and feelings as you reflect on these questions. They can guide you to a recognition of whether change is necessary or not. But the truth is there is no avoiding change. We each have a choice in terms of whether we want to choose change or have change choose us and thereby change us in ways we may not like.
Commitmentnow.com: You write, "We may overestimate the magnitude of risk we might take in changing our lives, and underestimate our personal ability to successfully navigate such a change." Can you explain this a bit?
Dr. Mandell: We have a tendency to awfulize risk. We tend to think of the biggest part of the risk and all the things that can go wrong. The truth is we can make risk more bite sizable by chunking it down into smaller, less intimidating tasks.
One of the things I learned from the many people I interviewed for the book is the remarkable resilience we do have which allows us to bounce back and persist and get through situations.
Commitmentnow.com: What are three important lessons for "life change artists" who are ready for exploration and discovery as a way to resolve their creative dilemmas?
Dr. Mandell:
1. Like the creative process itself, life change can be messy, so be kind to yourself.
2. You will experience a wide range of feelings as you move through exploration and discovery, feeling that range from excitement and eurphoria to frustration and self doubt. Understand that these feelings are NORMAL.
3. There will always be another creative dilemma waiting for you. Creative Dilemmas do not come to an end--you know, that illusory distant shore--so pay attention to the creative skills because you will always need them as your travel guides.
Commitmentnow.com: What are some questions we can ask ourselves when are are ready to explore?
Dr. Mandell: Exploration is about learning. It is about possibilities. It is open ended. So we do not want to bring harsh judgements into the exploration process. Allow yourself to explore new things.
One way to do this is to ask the basic questions such as What are my core values and to what degree is what I am currently doing aligned with those core values? What do I care about the most? What are my gifts and talents and am I fully using them? These questions will suggest directions to explore.
Commitmentnow.com: How do we become more of who we were meant to be? What are some clues that we have untapped parts of ourselves crying to come out?
Dr. Mandell: Before we can become more of what we were meant to be we need to reconnect with that "meant to be" part of ourselves. Sometimes, who we are meant to be has been tamped down but is just below the surface. Sometimes it is buried from years of neglect and fear of judgement. But it is there. The clues are there. They make physiological form.
In other words we begin to show physical symptoms like low energy or anxiety attacks. Sometimes they take the form of low motivation or a general sense of dissatisfaction with the way our lives are. We need to be honest with ourselves. That honesty requires we recognize the tension we feel between the current state of our lives and a sense that things can be different or better.
We call that the Creative Dilemma.
We feel the tension. We recognize it. The dilemma part relates to what we choose to do about it.
Commitmentnow.com: How can a person get to the point that they are ready for change? What steps can be taken that can propel a person to the point that they are ready to "jump"?
Dr. Mandell: The French have a wonderful saying: "The appetite comes while eating." In other words, you do not need to be hungry to START eating. The appetite wil follow once you begin. If we wait until we are FULLY ready to embark on a journey of change then we will never begin. And there is no need to "jump."
Begin with a small bite, small step into exploration without commitment, just to explore and the appetite for more exploration will come.
Commitmentnow.com: How can we break out of the status quo? What can some of the artists in your book teach us about breaking the status quo?
Dr. Mandell: The status quo is really a habit. It is not a condition. That means it is within our ability to change our behaviors and therefore change the status quo.
The key for the great artists is that they were great experimenters. They played with their art. They took risks on the canvas.
As one artist put it: Creativity is about making mistakes. Art is about deciding which ones to keep. I think this attitude also applies to life.
The way to break through the status quo is to think of life as a large studio in which you give yourself permission to experiment. After all, that is just another definition for learning. It is the road to wisdom and a vibrant life.
Commitmentnow.com: Your chapter on "Embracing Uncertainty" was absolutely brilliant. Why is facing uncertainty so difficult and what can a person do to cope with uncertainty in a way that it doesn't stop progress and change?
Dr. Mandell: Uncertainty is difficult because it is all about living in the unknown. We have a need for clarity. And we have a need to put structure and meaning around things. After all, science and philosophy and even art were created for exactly that purpose. So we are uncomfortable in living under those conditions which do not provide clarity and structure.
Yet, the great artists such as the Impressionists also lived during times of change and uncertainty--the industrial revolution. They viewed those conditions as opportunities to learn, to explore, to experiment, to try new things and to offer new ways of seeing the world around us.
As a result they didn't simply paint differently they showed us how to see differently. I believe if we adopt the same outlook as the great artists then new possiblities will open up for us as well.
To Purchase "Becoming A Life Change Artist" click here.
About the Authors: Dr. Fred Mandell has earned a reputation as a highly innovative business leader, author, widely collected sculptor and painter and catalyst for personal change.
He has helped thousands of individuals and their organizations internationally to develop their creative skills and enhance their personal and professional growth.
During his 21 year career at American Express Financial Advisors, Fred built a sales division that topped all 175 offices, going on to become the first sales leader in the 100-year history of the firm to run an investment company, which grew to over $3.5 billion under management, posting consecutive years of record earnings on his watch.
Fred’s success led to a position spearheading marketing strategy for the national network of 10,000 financial advisors where his scope of responsibility included several businesses within the company. In addition, Fred was involved in developing the global “advice strategy” for the company including the evaluation and negotiation of international acquisitions.
A highly regarded speaker and teacher, Fred’s insights have moved thousands to view their lives and work in new ways. As a result of his coaching, mentoring and consulting he has been called "a great compass" and "life changer". His keynotes have included: "Leonardo da Vinci’s Secret: What the Great Masters of Art Can Teach Us Business Folks about Innovation, Leadership and the Bottom Line", "Can an Organization Have a Soul?", "Leadership Is Like Beauty: You Can’t Define It But You Know It When You See It.” The Financial Planning Association subsequently invited Fred to record his “Leonardo da Vinci’s Secret” presentation for distribution to its 25,000+ membership.
Fred’s life and work has been featured in the Public Television Series “Boomers; Redefining Life After 50.” In addition he has been featured or quoted in numerous national newspapers, magazine and TV media related to leadership, change and creativity, including Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, The Conference Board, Money Magazine, Boomer Media Properties, WGBH TV, Journal of Financial Planning, and publications of the Center for Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship. In recent years Fred has taken on an active role in several organizations prominent in helping midlife adults make successful transitions in their lives. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of both the Life Planning Network and Discovering What’s Next. He has been asked to advise the national conference on “Increasing the Utilization of Workers Age 55+” in Washington, DC and has helped establish the Center for Productive Longevity.
As an artist Fred has been featured in the national publication Gallery Guide. He has had one person shows at: Ford Center Gallery, Minneapolis, Imagine Fine Art Gallery, Rhode Island, Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA, Martins Gallery, South Africa., and has participated in numerous juried shows. His sculptures, paintings and drawings are in private and corporate collections. Most recently his bronze self portrait has been commissioned to be featured on the poster for the international conference on “The Self/Le Soi” co-sponsored by the University of Chicago and the Sorbonne. He is also author of a novel, The Mourning Road (Micah Publications, 1978) and numerous published short stories and poems.
Fred holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago and an Ed.M. in psychology from Boston University. He has three grown children and lives in Needham, Massachusetts with his wife Karen, a writer and teacher.
Dr. Kathy Jordan coaches midlife women in the creative skills required to make fulfilling transitions to a new phase of life. She is also a corporate consultant highly regarded for her inventive and practical approaches to managing strategic change and enhancing bottom-line performance. And she provides writing and editorial guidance to help individuals and businesses craft compelling messages true to their voice and vision. Kathy divides her time between St. Augustine, Florida, Boston, and Colorado Springs, where her daughter, Erin, son-in-law Doug, and granddaughter Mackenzie make their home. One of her biggest challenges is carving out personal time for art journaling, birdwatching, and kayaking.
