In the Studio
Featured in the ARTELLAGRAM
2-9-13
An Interview with Jill Badonsky
Our interview this month is with Jill Badonsky, author of the amazing new book, The Muse is In: An Owner’s Manual to Your Creativity.
Jill Badonsky
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A Little Note from Marney: Jill is one of my very favorite creative people on this planet!
Here we are, a couple of
years ago, when Jill was visiting Dallas for "Infinite Possibilities", a event hosted by our friend Jill Allison Bryan:
Of course I was really look forward to receiving my copy of her new book, The Muse is In, and when it arrived I squealed out loud! I feel like calling it “The Museum is In” because it really is like a portable museum of Jill's whimsical, prolific body of work. Yet it’s clear that her message is really all about us, the reader, and helping us see what we can uncover through all kinds of marvelous and miraculous creative tools.
The book offers fantastic value; it really feels like two books in one. First, we have the comprehensive, delightful and deeply helpful owner’s manual, and then there is a fabulous through-the year “maintenance guide” with daily prompts to keep creativity moving, following in the tradition of her perennial-seller, The Awe-manac: A Daily Dose of Wonder. Jill's humor and vast experience in creativity coaching really shine here, and there was rarely a page where I didn’t think, “I’ve never heard that before” to myself, which is rare in a collection of creative prompts, especially when it's an author's third bird! "The Muse is In" strikes a great balance between honoring her signature style while providing a wealth of new content. I loved it, and I think long-time fans as well as new readers will be delighted.
Enjoy this interview with Jill!
Artella: What is your connection with Artella?
Jill: I connected with Marney back in 2004 when I was key-note at her first retreat. We have conspired together on several projects to wondrous result. Marney is definitely an inspiration to all who encounter her including me. Her energy, productivity and endless cleverness despite the health challenges she and her son experience is awe-inspiring. When I encounter challenges I sometimes simply think of Marney to get over what is in my way. I aspire to just a fraction of her prolific nature.
Artella: You have now published three books, first The Nine Modern-Day Muses (And a Bodyguard), then The AWE-Manac: A Daily Dose of Wonder, and now The Muse is In: An Owner’s Manual to Your Creativity. What was your inspiration for writing The Muse Is In?
Jill: I feel passionate that so many people are holding themselves back from a blessedly enriched life because they allow creative blocks to flummox them. So I wanted to playfully package in the simplest, most practical form possible the tools I see work for so many clients and students. Due to our waning attention spans, a book these days will be more helpful if it is concise, playful, visually enticing AND genuinely practical all at the same time.
Artella: One thing that makes The Muse Is In so engaging is its whimsical, childlike spontaneity and heart. What were you like when you were a child? Can you see your childhood self in your writing and art today, or is your creative essence today different from your childhood energy?
Jill: I lived almost entirely in a fantasy world when I was a kid, constantly inventing new roles for myself and escaping from an unfriendly family - which was a blessing in many ways.
My child-like self is now responsible for most of what I create which is why it sometimes looks or sounds like a kid did it.
I don't think I really WANT to grow up so I stay young where I can, which means in art, writing, and workshops. My ritual approach to my work is to ask the question, "How can I make this fun?" My first draft may be dry and adult-like, but when my kid-like spirit gets a hold of it, my last draft is filled with irreverence, humor, or something more creative.
I believe that enlisting our inner child makes creativity richer and easier.
Artella: What was the hardest part about writing this book?
Jill: It was a journey of irony because I was experiencing the very blocks I was writing about. Because of a relatively short deadline, a lot of resistance came up AND I’ve fallen into the same challenge that so many people have; a fleeting attention span making focusing on something for more than five minutes a challenge.
Additionally, after sending the first draft in, my editor sent it back telling me I needed to reduce it by two thirds because it's an owner's manual and is supposed to be concise. The preface used to be three pages of why creativity was important to me, how I used my pathology to be creative, hardships I went through, yadda, yadda.. just like many prefaces I had read before. When I thought about cutting things out I became rebelliously delighted about how different my preface would be from all those other ones I had read. How liberating it was to just throw all that writing out and leave the most important line.
The rest of the book was not so easy to cut back, but using the advice of the self-talk section of the book and “DO IT ANYWAY,” kept me moving forward.
Artella: If someone were to read only one page from The Muse is In book, which page would you want them to read, and why?
Jill: Probably the introduction because it invites everyone to engage in their creativity, it expresses the spirit of the book, and I'm pretty sure people would want to read more after they read it. I think this is important:
"If you operate on Muse control, you may discover you’re a playwright, a sculptor, a kitchen-table comedian, a beacon of creative kindness, or a person who chooses grace over ego and contentment over greed. And in that choice you will create a world of joy within yourself, you’ll truly be an artist of being alive."
 You can get The Muse Is In here, and learn more about Jill and her wonderful offerings at www.themuseisin.com
 Make art, play games, and laugh lots in this new Free Artella teleclass about making money with your creativity…and try out Marney's inspiring sunny new tool, the Sol Spinner! Get info about the Free "Sun Money Smoothies" teleclass on Feb 18…
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