The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. Gail McMeekin
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More Praise for The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women
“Gail McMeekin's The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women is an unrelentless barrage of good news. It's a thundershower of inspiration, a hailstorm of possibility, a lightning bolt of vitalizing energy. Every time I sit down with it, I'm lifted up and carried away. This book is a perfect rite of passage gift for any young woman. And it's a mirror to all of us, young and old—a bright, shining reflection of what's possible when we believe in ourselves and follow our hearts. Brava to Gail McMeekin for this powerful and creative compilation!”
—Jan Phillips, author of Marry Your Muse: Making a Lasting Commitment to Your Creativity, workshop director, and cofounder of Creative Edge, a consulting firm that brings creativity to the workplace
“Gail McMeekin believes, as I do, that it is through the power of the feminine that the wasteland will be healed. One day soon, as more and more women remember who they really are—the voices and vessels of Creative Beauty—the sacred marriage of male and female energies will replenish our culture with spirit, and joy will be the offspring. Blessings to Gail for being Creativity's midwife.”
—Jeanne Carbonetti, practicing artist, teacher, creative process consultant, and author of The Tao of Watercolor, The Zen of Creative Painting, and The Yoga of Drawing
“For every woman who has ever wished for an accomplished, wise mentor who would share her most valuable creative secrets, I have good news: Gail McMeekin's new book—The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women—makes that wish come true. Gail has gathered an amazing team of gutsy, smart, and innovative women who freely share their creative ups and downs, so that others may have the courage and inspiration to bring their own creative dreams to life.”
—Cheryl Richardson, author of Take Time for Your Life, first president of International Coach Federation
“McMeekin's book puts together the pieces of the creativity puzzle in a way that explains and inspires.”
—Joy Reed MacVane, M.Div., Ph.D., clinical psychologist
“Like a true synchronistic experience, Gail McMeekin's book came into my hands exactly at the moment I needed to read it. For those looking for a mentor, or for inspiration, this book is a treasure.”
—Dr. Jessika Satori, entrepreneur, Venture CatalystTM, and author of Synchronicity: The Entrepreneur's Edge
“Our years of research and training in the creative process have taught us that nearly everyone has a far greater potential for creativity than he or she uses. This book focuses with great clarity and persuasiveness on each of the internal blocks that keeps a person from using her or his potential. Anyone who wants to expand her or his capacity for creative achievement can profit from reading this excellent book.”
—Kathleen Logan-Prince and George M. Prince, co-authors of Mind-Free
“In this book, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, Gail McMeekin has interviewed women in a variety of creative endeavors—the arts, the media, publishing, as well as the world of commerce. What these women have in common is a sense of vision and purpose—a commitment to their unique form of creative expression that would not be silenced. A treasure trove of advice, exercises, and rich stories offers insight and practical tips. Read it, reread it, and be inspired again and again. The perfect companion for the ‘creative wannabe’ as she moves through her own creative process.”
—Deborah L. Knox, author of LifeWork Transitions.Com: Putting Your Spirit Online and Career Coach
“I loved everything about this book—it was complete and inspiring. I especially loved the women's and Gail's stories threaded through each chapter. With generosity and empathy, Gail shares her deep understanding of the creative process with its ups and downs. Her book is indeed a mentor for women (and men if they choose to read it).”
—Cheryl Gilman, author of Doing Work You Love
“This is much more than an ordinary ‘self-help book’—this book introduced me to women who are defining success for themselves and are willing to share their insights. I feel that I now have a whole new set of mentors who are full of heart, insight, and wit.”
—Barbara G. Stanbridge, CEO, CHANGE-HRD, and president of the National Association of Women Business Owners (2000–2001)
First published in 2000 by Conari Press, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, with offices at:
665 Third Street, Suite 400; San Francisco, CA 94107; www.redwheelweiser.com
Copyright © 2000, 2011 by Gail McMeekin. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
Considerable effort has been made to clear all reprint permissions necessary for this book. Each of the women interviewed for this book had the opportunity to review her quotes and biographical material. Some of the sources for the margin quotes are unknown, but every effort was made to ensure accuracy. If any required acknowledgments have been omitted, it is unintentional. If notified, the author will gladly submit those acknowledgments for further editions.
The author would like to gratefully thank the following for permission to excerpt from these works:
“Born Awake” © 1998 Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. All rights including but not limited to performance, derivative, adaptation, musical, audio, recording, illustrative, theatrical, film, pictorial, translation, reprint, and electronic, are reserved. Used by kind permission of Dr. Estés. Poem “Anorexia Bulimia Speaks from the Grave” from Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom by Marilou Awiakta, published by Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, Colorado, 1993. Reprinted by permission of the author and the publisher.
Book design by Suzanne Albertson
Cover design by Barbara Fisher / levanfisherdesign.com
Cover art © LittleLion Studio / Shutterstock
Author photo by Gretja Ferguson
ISBN: 978-1-57324-533-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request.
Printed in the United States of America
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This book is dedicated with love to my two nieces, Jenna Beth McMeekin, now in her teens, and Grace Sarah McMeekin, miraculously born in 1998. My wish is that Jenna and Grace, in community with the young women of their generation, will feel empowered by this book's guidance, as well as inspired by the stories and insights of the creative women who so generously contributed their wisdom. I hope these lessons stimulate the growth of their own creative voices and spark the self-confidence they will need to follow their fascinations, wherever they may lead.
The 12 Secrets highly creative women