Multi-faceted Jerilyn: Recreating Identity Perfection

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about someone you thought you knew recently?

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve unveiled about yourself?

Think of people you know: from work, a social group, church or synagogue, or family. How well do you know them? Or as Charlotte in TV’s “Sex in the City” asked: “How well do we really know anyone..?”

According to John Godfrey Saxe’s (1816 – 1887) version of the famous Indian legend, getting to know people takes exploration. My favorite reminder is the

Sufi tale of the Elephant and the Blind Men. If you don’t it, read it for great analagies to so many life situations

Sufi tale of the blind men and the elephant.

www.noogenesis.com/pineapple/blind_men_elephant.html

There’s more to a person’s identity than meets the eye, as ‘seen’ by these six explorers.

Let’s face it’s easy to apply generalizations to someone, even if our belief is flattering. Take my friend and colleague: Jerilyn WillinL  Speaker/Writer/Adventurous Fiction, Inspiring Self Help

You can learn better business practices in one of her leadership development classes, achieve your goals as her coaching client, or listen and be inspired by one her speaker presentations.  She comes across as what I describe as “all business”.   You may think you know her.   Think again.

To start: Dig deep. In fact deep, deeper and deeper still!  Jerilyn’s  co-written journal  journey for people to explore professional and personal life potential and focus. (Sign up for her email prompt for deep thought and conversation: www.jwillinconsulting.com .  New quotes and deep digging questions are sent weekly and will spark your creative juices.)

Digging deep and  listening beneath the surface reveals glimmers not captured by  the boardroom or office cubicle.  Identity, afterall,  is about sharpening and polishing personal facets at the surface and below.  Some of those facets are easily recognized and  ready to be unearthed and exhibited.  Others take lots more elbow grease to unveil identity perfection.

Ever notice how people sparkle when their identity is polished.  It’s more than charisma – it’s magic!  Without a doubt, identity is ROMANCE.

How do you get find the romance in management consulting? (No federal workplace laws are violated here!)

 I looked to Jerilyn for direction.  Digging deep, she summoned her inner romance, by sharpening another facet of her identity.   Practicing Thomas Edison’s: “Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” a brilliant romance e-book  was uncovered.

  “Unless a Love be Free”   is available through Amazon at www.Amazoncom.

This is such a perfect summer – or year-round subway read!

This is a read you won’t forget – or regret!  (There’s a reason romance novels are popular – they really are about power and freedom which you’ll see when you read this. )

Think your identity doesn’t include reading a romance novel?

If so, that’s the perfect reason to read ‘outside of the box’.  I’ve found reading new genre’s  polishs my facets and even improves my ability to solve problems, communicate and daydream.   Laugh about daydreaming, but it’s key to polishing  new facets of  identity.

So read “Unless a Love be Free” and daydream.   Especially if this is your first romance share how this book revealed new ideas for you!

Another plug for great authorship and ingenious selling modes: Garrett Robinson was in NYC’s Bryant Park selling his self-published books including Zoe, a fictional account of his identity quest through travel. Sounds captivating and is available through Amazon.com. How to sell your wares???

Debora’s Naked Identity: Rated ‘G’

Keep your pants on:  there is no nudity in this post!

This says it all. Thanks to http://www.topix.com

Would you veer from success?   Change an aspect of yourself, one that others label as your identity, an identity that earns you money and fame?

I guess it's up to each of us to make use of all the colors in our palettes. Hard to do in a world that worships black

Can an artist’s expression journey seamlessly through mediums touching all the senses?  Can art successfully fossilized on penthouse walls evolve and breathe new life into distant space?

If an artist’s identity

is  her mode of expression in

paint AND lush felt AND thoughtful painted word,

how will others define her artistic identity?

And THE biggest question of all:

 WHY veer from success???

For more on the origins of this quote: http://dar-al-masnavi.blogspot.com/2009/05/dar-al-masnavi-re-appear-as-you-are_1721.html

I say if you want to know what an artist would do, ask the artist herself.  Debora personifies Rumi’s quote:  ‘Either appear as you be or be as you appear’ and veering is part of her identity!  Tall, slender, with  hair radiating exuberance we chatted over Turkish coffee.

Fascinated, my imagination turned Debora’s words to rich images as she shared her body of work, describing colorful canvas, lush felt

Like 'A Sweeter Stride' on Facebook to hasten its publication! (And nibble on excerpts!)

roses, installations of sound and word, and her most recent offering: a memoir.  ‘A Sweeter Stride’ unveils her captivating journey through ( occasional) colliding worlds of art and love in NYC over the last two decades and promises to be a fascinating ride.

Like it on Facebook:  ‘A Sweeter Stride’ to hasten its pilgrimage to print.

http://www.pubslush.com/book/view/179

Our discussion turned to her evolving

I think it's important to remember that art is participatory. Each of us creates beauty in what we see, make, and do.

artistic identity and colleagues’ fear and trepidation.  Others question how she will be ‘found’ post-art form migration.

Debora’s artistic metamorphosis is identity evolution.  New creative expression in naturally selected new niches.

My conversational journey exploring Jewish Identity unveiled identity evolution as  ‘Naked Identity’.  Surely there is more to that than meets the eye.

Can ‘Naked Identity’ be shielded from prying eyes by donning the latest fad

Something to keep in mind as we go spring clothes shopping.Image from library.sc.edu

and like the Emperor recreating himself with a new suit of clothes?

Or like Debora (and the owners of stories heard on my journey – see previous posts), fling off the trappings of others’ perceptions and flaunt that nakedness.

The Emperor wasn’t the only one who discovered, less is more when it comes to  ‘Naked Identity’.  Naked, a mid-winter tree stripped and bare, shows

'Naked Identity': Birch trees in winter. Without adornment of rich green leaves, fragrant flowers or succulent fruit, deciduous trees bare their souls so to speak in the heart of winter, taking care of themselves, not caring to entertain or enthrall or support others. Naked, the heart, soul and true identity of a tree is the reason for each new spring creation and display of beauty, taken down each winter. (thanks Wikipedia for the picture)

the tree’s true essence:  thin, gangly  limbs awkwardly – no ridiculously – jutting out from its scarred,  bulbous trunk.

Against a grey winter sky, urging the donning of warm woolens, the tree bares its branches taunting us to love it or leave it.

Trees remind us ‘Naked Identity’ is devoid of lush green finery  and shots of color and is  about the tree doing for, and being about, the tree.

Naked, the tree is still herself – her true self,  just without care of what others think and need.  Naked, she is able to build internal resources, building strength to branch out in new directions, seeking new opportunities (for sunlight) while being firmly rooted in where and who she is (physically and metaphorically).

True beauty is found in ‘Naked Identity’.

 Deborah’s art, like the tree, branches out, seeking glimmers of opportunity,  while firmly  rooted to her artistic core. Beauty drawn from internal resources.

‘Hidden’ Eastern European Jews, shared their identity evolution to Naked Identity is rooted in Judaism.  (see previous posts about my conversational journey – identity5772)

We are all artists, of a sort.  Our challenge is to get naked and bare our soul to uncover our core identity.   And as we know, getting naked is the easy part. 

Looking inward, nourishing our roots,  silent and uncaring of expectations and needs of others, we can discover our gangly, bulbous perfections before going out on a limb to sell new creations.    As the days get longer, my dreams ache to branch out, seeking new opportunities, hoping my roots are strong and deep enough.

  What feeds the root of your creations?

 As spring beckons, where will you branch out to uncover and celebrate your ‘Naked Identity?

Best wishes for a lushful spring!