Each week I get to be the "celebrity cartoonist" at our local school district.  It started as a friendly invite by my good friend Edward Biagiotti, the Inclusion Specialist for the Culver City Unified School District, to just drop by one afternoon I wasn't busy at work and share some encouragement and drawing tips with his lunch bunch.  That was two years ago.  My weekly visits to Mr. Bee-Og-Gee-Ot-Tee's lunch bunch is like a trip to the land of the misfit toys, I fit right in.  During the lunch periods groups of kids, considered having special needs, get together with Ed for some therapeutic time away from the general population, each group proudly calls themselves the "Lunch Bunch."

As far as what we'll be doing each week I let divine inspiration be the guide.  Recently, while cleaning up my home art studio, I was about to toss out a pile of pamphlets I've accumulated when I realized how simply they are put together.  "This is great!" I thought, "It's simple, to make a pamphlet.  Wait a minute.  We can make our own comic books.  Real comic books." 

This idea of creating something of value struck a cord with even the most disruptive of groups.  Matter of fact, one student who just weeks prior was considered troubling to his teachers just got a glowing review.  This little guy's enthusiasm to start his own comic book empire has spilled over and brought enthusiasm to every area of his scholastic life.

The creative process is an exercise in faith.  Being human, all of us are creative by nature and developing enough faith to trust our intuition is what the creative process is all about.  And that’s why even the simplest art assignments are a lesson in successful living.  By paying attention to what I go through during the creative process I’ve realized there seems to be nine phases from start to finish.  I’ve illustrated them as “The Nine Phases of the Creative Process” as a way to help me from losing faith whenever I feel frustrated.

I’m convinced that once inspiration strikes; the conscious mind believes it has to takeover to get the job done.  The problem with the conscious mind however, is that it bases its entire ability to solve problems on past experience.  Since it can find no reference for something that hasn’t been created before, the conscious mind begins to see it as something that can’t be done.  That’s when we begin to become full of self-doubt.   The next mistake is to try to overcome our feelings of self-doubt with self-will and determination.  This only brings frustration, which leads to a crucial jumping off point.  Do we continue to push harder or do we take a break and relax?

It’s a choice between fear (continue to push harder) and faith (relax and take it easy).  Trying to push through will only bring more frustration.  Once you understand that frustration is an indicator that you’ve been choking out your spirit with self-will it’s easier to decide to take a break.  I hope that my illustration of “The Nine Phases of the Creative Process,” helps you relax when you mistakenly feel the urge to push harder.  Reassuring yourself with the truth that by relaxing and letting go intuitive guidance will become clear and you will be re-inspired.  Have faith in your intuition; it’s divine guidance, your super-consciousness.  During the creative process your job is not to figure out how to make it happen.  Your job is to simply trust and allow intuition to be your guide.  Above all DO NOT BE AFRAID OF SILLY IDEAS.  They are the divine guidance of angels and directions to a better than expected outcome.

NOTE TO SELF: Don't be discouraged.  It's time for a break. 
Great things are happening, even when I feel stuck and think nothing's happening.