Wild Woman of Queens: Notes on Urban Creativity from Across the East River

Glittery Man by Sandra Lee Schubert @2009




Glittery Man 


Are you holding on to an old and outdated vision of who you are? 


I had several disappointments this week. The person who has been my creative muse for years disappointed me in an unexpected way. I was surprised. She inspired to take on a creative persona that has framed how I have lived my life. The disappointment became the catalyst to question whether the creative persona I had inhabited was still valid. The next day someone questioned the very same persona. He said there was a cognitive dissonance - my words and images were not in sync. Was the universe trying to get my attention or what? 


We want to be authentic and we want to put forth that which has the most meaning for us.  But what if you have taken on a image that does not represent who you are?    


I went to two business expos at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. One was a small business expo and the other was for event planning and design. The small business expo was fine. There were good seminars and the exhibits were interesting. The information was good and solid for the small business owner.


But the event planning and design expo was very exciting. Besides floor to ceiling silvery dangles the glittery man greeted the attendees with his body flashing light all over the entrance. There were full out party rooms done in all gold, crystal and white. A Tiki bar was on hand and a drag Queen wore a table full of chocolate. The music was infectious and loud. There were beauiuful exhibts and beatuful people throughout the hall. I was immediately sold. I wanted to host an event somewhere, anywhere. If I wanted a real life example of a brand living up to expectations this was it. 


The event planning expo was the frame I have carried, but I have been living like the Business expo. One is solid, but has little energy, the other married excitement and business. I have tons of information. I have a billion ideas. I can be very creative but I live in a box. At the end of the day I am not that exciting. 


Creativity asks us to live differently. We can't do the same thing as everyone else and expect a different result. We may have to shake things up and throw out the very way we have been living. I was all shook up this week. Two people I admired made me question what I have been doing. It sucks. But, I think it is a good thing. My creative life has been ho-hum. My business has stalled big time. It took a glittery man and some friends to point out I have not been living up to my potential. Do I know what is next? No. But I am willing to leave the old persona behind and craft a better one. Is your persona in need of a makeover?  

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Sandra's e-course leads people to be their creative best through telling their stories and talking to interesting people on her online radio show-
Wild Woman Network: Radio for Creative Vagabonds, Thinkers and Innovators..
She is a creative vagabond, a poet, and a writer who co-facilitates the Wild Angels Poets and Writers Group at the historic Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.
Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own Visit her blog. Email her Sandraleeschubert(at)gmail.com or @writing4life via twitter.