You are a powerful, unlimited and eternal soul who is here to enjoy the experience of creativity and contribute to humanity’s evolution.

 ~Timothy Leary

Do you ever find yourself getting distracted by things on the internet? Does your social media stream sometimes feel like a bottomless pit? Have you ever wondered why we seem to have less time than ever, even though we live in a world of time saving tools?

One thing that the social media psychologists and internet engineers at the big websites understand better than most of us is that your attention is the currency of the realm. “Eyeballs” are the oh-so-important metric that lure investors and lead to huge market caps, even without a shred of revenue on the horizon.

And like what most personal development and law-of-attraction gurus will tell you; “what you focus on expands.” By that logic, if we allow the shiny objects of social media and entertainment to fill our field of view, they will happily cooperate to give us a receding horizon of our distraction de jour, be it comedy, drama, fake news, or dank memes.

But this wasn’t always the promise of the “personal computer revolution.” Once upon a time PC’s were just a promise, the internet wasn’t a thing yet, and our parent’s generation was used to the one-way, top-down, flow of information and entertainment that flowed from the TV screen, typically from just a few big networks.

My dear departed friend Timothy Leary wrote a book back in the early 90’s called “Chaos and Cyberculture.” While much of it meanders in his trademark stream-of-consciousness way, one point he made strongly resonates today. The idea that prior to the PC, the television screen ‘pushed’ on us, and with the advent of software and input devices like the keyboard and mouse, we humans gained the ability to ‘push’ back.

It’s one of the crucial concepts I teach young people when I’m giving motivational talks, and one of the bedrock ideas that anyone who cares about personal creativity and time management should master.

Modern media and digital culture have given us a limitless level of connectivity, information overload, and entertainment. At the same time, digital tools have given us an almost superhuman ability to create. The MacBook I’m typing this on is the most high-powered amplifier of human creativity ever invented, (if only I can maintain the discipline to ‘push back’!)

I bring this up as a reminder that you are an artist too. Each and every one of us is blessed with a seat of creativity, (second chakra if you will), that thrives on being exercised by bringing forth form and meaning into the world. And if the term ‘artist’ feels like it doesn’t apply to you, then expand it to fit. Every home cooked meal or professional project can rise to the level of art when your attention is focused.

Whether you write, sculpt, paint, cook, dance, or draw — your creations make a difference. Some people knit or crochet, some folks hack or write code, some people design or build buildings — we’re all part of the tapestry of human co-creation.

This weekend was the Mini-Maker Faire in Oakland, an annual highlight for me and my daughter, and now Teresa and her son. That’s me in the photo above with twin Tiki’s made of tires, the work of artist Rebecca Anders. An outreach initiative of Make: magazine, the Maker Faire’s are a phenomenal outgrowth of the internet age celebrating every impulse and opportunity to ‘push back’ on our world.

The rise of these events are a reflection of our innate need to create. You can easily find one near you, currently over 190 independently-produced Mini Maker Faire’s plus over 30 large-scale Maker Faire’s take place around the world, including Tokyo, Rome, Shenzhen, Taipei, Seoul, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Detroit, New York, San Mateo, San Diego, Milwaukee, and Kansas City.

You don’t need a faire to flex your creative muscles, but carving out time to push back in your own unique way is essential. Remember that your own ideas deserve as much of your valuable attention as anything else in this world of wonders. It’s all part of modern life, and your dance with distraction is best balanced by amplifying your ideas.

Your creations will give you solace in years to come. Time spent being distracted or entertained, not so much. Give yourself permission to create, and be sure to define it for yourself. The world wants what only you can give!

Much love and heaps of encouragement until next week!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine

Dance First Member Spotlight – Dancing Freedom!

This week’s Dance First member spotlight is shining on Dancing Freedom! Founded by conscious dance impresario Samantha Sweetwater and now helmed by Australia-based Lydia Marolda, this dynamic movement modality continues to make waves around the world.

Renowned for their epic multi-week teacher-training retreats that take you and a community of like-minded dancers to the far corners of the world to immerse in their transformative practices, Dancing Freedomfacilitators form a network of shining lights of somatic spirit that span the globe.

Their next big training, the “Embodied Leadership Facilitator Training and Soul Initiation Retreat” is happening at The Yoga Forest at Lake Atitlán in the highlands of Guatemala next February 24 to March 19, 2018. There are a limited number of spaces for you to join in and make this life-changing journey so get in touch soon to learn more and make your plans.

Closer to home, in fact delivered to you in person online anywhere you may happen to be, is their Embodied Alchemy 6-Week Online Dance Immersion that starts tomorrow!

These six LIVE sessions will help you become an “elemental alchemist” each week exploring a different element — earth, water, fire, air, and ether — with the final session reserved for integration.

Led by Lydia Marolda and Caitlyn Wood, these group sessions are your opportunity to “dive deeper into the power of dance and discover how it is your greatest tool for transformation, personal and global healing, and your full-bodied expression in the world.”

Don’t sleep on this one, sign up today, because this journey startstomorrowTuesday, Oct 24th, at 5pm PST! It’s a great way to dive into the world of Dancing Freedom from the comfort of your own living room, and an excellent first step on your journey to Lake Atitlán next spring!

Dancing Freedom Website

Embodied Alchemy: A 6-Week Online Dance Immersion
Oct 24 – Nov 28, Online

Embodied Leadership Facilitator Training and Soul Initiation Retreat 
Feb 24 – March 19, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala