Katherine Scott is a creative change artist and songwriter, author and coach, who is on a mission to inspire people to liberate their creativity and express their essence in every part of their lives.
For a recent interview for http://www.culturalcreativesblog.com Katherine answered these questions.
1. What are your passions?
My passions are writing and songwriting, being an artist for creative change, learning, walking meditation in Pacific Spirit Park, interesting conversations with friends, feeling free to choose how I create each day, knowing I can make a difference in the world.
2. You recently contributed to a book called Audacious Creativity. How did that come about?
Stephanie Gunning, the author and book project leader, is on my Voice Tips mailing list. She emailed me one day to ask if I was interested in contributing. Well, YES! Easy answer.
3. Share three interesting or crazy things about yourself.
I frequently wake and receive guidance at 4:44 am, I can manifest free books that are on my must read list, and I volunteer at Ten Thousand Villages, a chain of fair trade stores.
4. What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? A 35-foot fire walk.
5. Name your top five books or movies.
My top five movies are Room with a View, the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice, Amelie, Shirley Valentine, and Field of Dreams.
6. The term ‘cultural creative’ was coined by sociologist Paul H. Ray. He said, “Cultural Creatives are people who are deeply spiritual without being dogmatically religious, and who enjoy technology and economic prosperity but not at the cost of the environment or community. They understand the world holistically and are deeply committed to non-ideological politics that emphasize practical solutions.”
Based upon the description of a cultural creative, do you feel you are one? If so, why?
Yes, I do feel I’m a cultural creative. When I first heard the term a few years ago, some deep part of me said, “Aha, that’s what I am!” I had never heard it so clearly defined before. I also believe that everyone is in some way a cultural creative. Perhaps some have lost touch with that side of themselves.
7. Does spirituality play an important role in the creative process for you? If so, how?
I perceive no separation between the two. Creativity is spirit speaking directly through me and the essential me is more present in those moments than at any other time. The word spiritus actually means breath and it seems fitting that songwriting is one call of spirit for me because singing is supported by breath.
In my own experience there is a difference between religion and spirituality. I grew up in a religious home but our church never quite fit me. In the midst of an awakening experience in 1999 I realized I’d been living someone else’s experience of God. I was called to know my own personal spiritual experience and discovered in the moments of creation I am the closest I can be to pure spirit.
8. What three words best describe the feeling you get when your creativity is flowing? Timeless, connected, mystical.
9. Putting your vision into the world can be scary. Many of us wonder if we’re good enough. How do you respond to negative self-talk? What tools do you use to help work beyond your self-doubt?
I do meditation and visualization. I keep a journal with a form of writing called childspeak which a friend introduced me to. I sometimes do drawings with my non-dominant hand and then write about them.
I have several vision boards and a vision book which I review frequently. At the beginning of every year, I look back to the previous year to see what I’ve created, what I’ve changed my mind about, what is less or more important than it was the previous year, what I’m still not open to receiving.
Recently I’m learning to do spiritual mind treatment based on the teachings of Ernest Holmes. Michael Beckwith humourously sums it up with these words. “There is only one. I’m it. Let it rip!”
10. Are there any archetypes (hero, warrior, goddess, messenger, trickster, fool, savior, wanderer, magician etc.) that you resonate with which you feel have helped guide you on your creative journey? Does someone or something sometimes act as your muse?
I resonate with the hero archetype because my own creative life has been a hero’s journey; the goddess because I’ve written a song about the return of the goddess energy; and my trickster who definitely lurks about and makes an appearance whenever I’m fearful of the speed of change in my life!
In answer to the question about a muse, I find it everywhere… a thought, a sentence in a book, an overheard comment….anything can trigger an inspiration. My job is to pay attention.
11. Are there any recurring motifs in your sleeping dreams, and if so, what do you think they symbolize? Is there a bigger message for you? Do your nighttime dreams ever spark your creativity?
I’ve kept a dream journal for years. Frequently my dreams will spark a new song and dreams are also very much a part of a book I’m writing.
Before I go to sleep I’ll often ask for an answer in a dream to a question that’s puzzling me.
I’ll sometimes wake up with a new song in my head, (occasionally at a most inconvenient hour when I’d rather still be sleeping!) and I’ll have to get up and transcribe it. But when the inspirations are particularly insistent, I have to manifest them or lose them.
12. In what ways do you promote your work?
I perform house concerts and I’m just starting to connect with New Thought churches. I’m on Twitter and Facebook and have a blog on creativity and another coming soon called Voice of Destiny Music. I have several other websites for various things. Don’t want to be bored!
13. What’s your favorite Internet tool either for promotion or enhancing your creativity?
My most recent creative discovery is Animoto. It’s so much fun! I’m making videos of some of my songs.
14. Cultural Creatives tend to want their work to impact society in a positive way. Is changing or improving the world with your work part of your goal? If yes, please elaborate a bit on your vision.
Yes, that definitely is a huge part of my vision -in the area of music especially for two reasons. First I believe that the biggest gift I can give the world is to live my own best creative life because I’m happy and I’m creating a bridge for each individual to do the same. Secondly, the reason that music is so powerful is because it skips right through internal filters preventing us from becoming more self-aware and goes right into the heart and the right brain. We are then more open to insights about our own life experience through the song.
15. Lots of creative people get more ideas than they can manifest. How do you decide which creative ideas to pursue?
I have a set of filtering questions I use to make choices. It’s important to me that it is a clear choice and not a reaction to certain circumstances so when I’m thinking about any idea, I want to have yes answers to all three questions.
1. Does it align with my mission?
2. Does it move me forward toward my vision?
3. Does it make my heart sing?
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