Robert Belle - Blow the Lid Off: Reclaim Your Stolen Creativity, Increase Your Income, and Let Your Light Shine!

Dedication

I dedicate this book to all those people who have called me crazy and weird because of my ideas. You allowed me to realize that I just didnt fit with the norms, and in turn, this has led me to live an authentic, creative, and sometimes crazy life.

I also dedicate this book to you, the reader. May you realize the creativity that is there inside you and waiting to come out so you can manifest your brilliance, your uniqueness, and your offerings to the world. You motivated me to write this book! Now let your light shine!

Copyright 2019 Robert Belle

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ISBN: 978-9966-136-14-5 (print)

ISBN: 978-996-136-15-2(ebook)

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Part One

Chapter 1

The Crux of Creativity

The Engine Behind Transformation

Your time is limited, so dont waste it living someone elses life. Dont be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other peoples thinking. Dont let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Steve Jobs

Someone stole your creativity. Now is your chance to get it back.

At the perfect moment in a conversation or in a meeting, you held back your creative solution, instead making confessions and statements of regret, either to yourself or to others:

Im just not creative.

Im not sure if my idea is very good.

I was just thinking the exact same thing.

I thought of the same idea before, but I didnt think it would work.

I was thinking along those lines, but I didnt want to be asked to explain it to others.

When someone was requesting help, perhaps you were the only one who understood their dilemma. It was your moment to offer a solution, or the idea that would lead to a solution. While others seemed stuck, you could see the dots connecting. But you were uncertain, or shy, or doubting yourself.

What if there was a way that your creativity could somehow transition from ideas to implementation? Or that the fear of your ideas being judged or considered crazy or impossible could disappear? Are you ready to take back your gift of creativity and live your life creatively? Would you like to externalize your imaginative thoughts? Are you tired of hiding your creative brilliance, or always giving it away for free?

Creativity needs to be an intentional force in your life.

It needs to be expressed and manifested. Your unique value to the world will not be complete without the inclusion of your creative genius. No longer should you allow your creative ideas to scare you or cause you to retreat to the safety of conformity when those ideas pop into your mind. Of course, your creativity need not always be expressed in raw form; it can be crafted or refined or discussed. But be intentional about your creativity.

The Creative Journey

The manifestation of creativity is a liberating journey; it takes you from a state of conformity and acceptance of the status quo to a state of uniqueness and intention. This journey can be described using the transitions below, and these serve as themes or influences for the chapters in this book.

From: ..................................................... To:

Conformity ........................................... Consciousness

Terrified ............................................................ Terrific

Admonition ............................................... Affirmation

Ideas ................................................... Implementation

Ridiculous ........................................................ Reality

Enfeebled ................................................ Empowered

Tentative ......................................... Transformational

Vulnerable ................................................. Victorious

Implementation ......................... Intellectual Property

Yielding .............................................. Being Yourself

Conformity is when you are pushed into areas and places that arent right for you or arent the best for you. You accept things as they are and you accept where you areperhaps because of your academic performance on a test, your place of birth, your background or profession, and so many other factors. But its time to blow the lid off and get to a place of Consciousness where you are alert, aware of your unique identity, and willing to give your best to the endless opportunities around you. A place where the limitations on your creativity and imagination are removed, and you shift from self-editing to the full exploration and expression of your creative ideas. A place where you refuse to simply accept the limitations and barriers in front of you and lead your life creatively.

Terrified is how you may feel when thinking about expressing your ideas and your creativity, even when you have accepted the fact that you are creative but even more so when you are yet to come to that realization. We live in a performance-based society, and thus the fear of rejection, of failing, or of not being accepted due to divergent thinking, can lead to isolation. But when you blow the lid off and let your light shine brightly, you not only illuminate new possibilities for others, you also enter a new realm of your lifewhich is absolutely Terrific.

Admonition may have been the main response your creativity has received when you have stepped out of the box. Your divergent thoughts and actions may have been rebuffed because they didnt conform to the norm. And this has resulted in you burying your ideas. You will thus have to create a new environment that supports your creative endeavors. A place where you can receive Affirmation for your uniquenesssurrounded by people who will help you affirm that you are indeed different and special. Your Affirmation will occur when you let your light shine and allow others to be guided by your light. And this Affirmation must be preceded by action, the action of blowing the lid off.

Ideation to Implementation is the journey that you are on. Ignite the idea!. Light it up! Implement it!

Ridiculous is what conformists will use to describe your imaginative thoughts and ideas. It may also be your own self-declaration when you view your life with a conformist lens. But when you blow the lid off and let your light shine, you shift to a place where those ridiculous ideas become Reality . Not just a reality for you but for so many others who have been waiting. In the 50s, the idea to place a man on the moon was not just ridiculous but absolutely ridiculous. That idea became reality and ushered in a new era for mankind.