The Creative Living Jive

Dancing with the Stars, a local dance face-off between the Mayor and media personalities (paired up with local dance instructors)raises funds for Arts Education at the Kravis Performing Arts Center. Being a believer in the role of the arts in human development, expression and fulfillment, I wholeheartedly support this program. 
Then there’s the whole other side to the magnificence and engagement of the evening…the willingness of public figures to put themselves on the line in an area of performance they are not proficient at in the beginning. Over about a 3 month period, the contenders fit in hours of grueling practice in already overly busy schedules. There are ups, downs, flare-ups, personality clashes, moments of victory- just like you may have seen on the TV show of the same name. Then comes the one night of make or break;

paying crowds cheering and jeering, cameras rolling- these are media people, after all- and nerves running high. And, for the most part, all the practice has paid off. The dances are gorgeous, outfits stunning, judges’ commentary witty- even to the point of reminding everyone, “You gotta understand, the mayor’s mother lives in my building” and “I think anyone out here who is over 40 gets an automatic extra half point.”
I know from my work with companies that visibility and transparency foster accountability. Just knowing that their performances will be televised ad infinitum after the event is huge incentive to show up for practice. Knowing there is a definite deadline for shaping their act, about 3 months, gives a reasonable window of time to achieve decent outcomes. And the focus is single- one dance lasting a few minutes for one grand performance. It’s doable, and they deliver. And boy, did they! In the process, they tend to get more than they bargained for.
Not just one dance and the chance to take home a dazzling mirror-ball trophy, but new discoveries about themselves- how they think, move, operate and present themselves  in the world. They gain new confidence in their ability to succeed at new endeavors and pick up new friends in new circles of influence along the way. Not bad for a 3 month investment.
And guess what, we can all experience these kinds of successes if we make sure to include the relevant factors- a clear outcome and reasonable plan to get there in an amount of time feasible for the task at hand, for starters. Consideration of other possible constraints- availability of time, necessary resources and budget issues, support structures to hold the space and fill in gaps created by changes, access to expertise and so on. The plan has to include expert input, time on task to actually work with the new knowledge inputs  and  appropriate feedback along the way to overcome bottlenecks or misconceptions. And then there’s the visibility for accountability factor. This is most helpful in a forum providing a safe environment to reveal what we are still in the process of learning. Too much judgment too soon will nip any new endeavor in the bud.
Wishing you the courage and inspiration to take up your expression of creative living in a new arena, or its development to a new level where you are already performing.