Sandbox: Debriefing Goethe

If you're coming from the WomanTalk Live article, WELCOME! Just scroll down for the debrief questions.

Last week, I introduced the Sandbox Challenge and invited you to take part. If you didn’t have the chance to play in the first Sandbox, it’s never too late. Just visit the Editing Goethe post. And, of course, check out the comments sections to read the contributions.

For those who did play, or almost played, or even thought for a mere second about playing, or just checked it out: A BIG THANK YOU and KUDOS. Let’s complete this Sandbox with a little self-reflection and celebration.

In short, let’s debrief! 

Whether you’re working on building your creative confidence, or have already claimed your inherent magnificence, a simple debrief can catapult you to the next level much faster than, well, remaining unconscious.

Most importantly, reflection gives us all the chance to discover and name what we want to celebrate about who we are and who we were being in the experience.

This alone is worth the price of admission. After all, how often do we ask: What am I celebrating about me today?

Because no matter who we were or what the outcome, there is always something to be learned, celebrated, remembered. All we have to do is become aware: To simply notice – without judgment and with great love and compassion for the beautiful being living within our skin.

Sandbox Debrief: What were YOUR deeds and sufferings of Editing Goethe?

SYNOPSIZED FROM THE WIKI: Experiential trainer and researcher, Ernesto Yturralde, defines the debrief in this way: The debriefing is a semi-structured process that occurs after a certain activity is accomplished in which the facilitator asks a series of progressive questions that invite participants to reflect on what happened and share important insights with the goal of linking the challenge to the future.

In other words, reflection in service of growth - of determining what was learned and applying that self knowledge to "next time."

Here are your debrief questions - I invite you to spend a little time reflecting on each:

What did you notice about your first reaction to the Sandbox Challenge?

What did you notice when you found out what the specific challenge was?

What/which internal saboteurs showed up initially (if any)? What did they say to you?

Once you made the decision to play or not play with the Goethe quote, what happened? Emotionally? Behaviorally? In your body?

Once you began to create, what did you notice? (If you chose not to play at all, but perhaps read the reminders about the challenge, what came up for you?)

What worked and what didn't work in navigating your internal saboteurs during the Sandbox experience?

What do you want to honor or acknowledge about the way you participated in the Sandbox?

What new knowledge do you have about yourself and your creativity?

Who were you being during the Sandbox exercise?

What do you want to remember from your Sandbox experience?

Based on this Sandbox experience, what will be different next time?

What commitments will you make to yourself? 

What are you celebrating about yourself and your creativity?

Thanks again to everyone - here's to paying attention,

 Susan B. 

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s.

Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

 

Comments

[Jeshaas]

That's a lot of debriefing!

I was really excited to take the challenge at first, and it looked easy enough...but once I tried I felt inept. The Goethe quote has so much depth and it true on many levels: literally, metaphorically, causally...it's just beautiful.

& I am so literal. I really wanted to find something that held that same relationship that was as lovely. And then, I quit.

I came back to it later and just tried to form words around the things that are most important to me, that related both positively and negatively to something else. When I changed the rules a little and allowed myself to play with the process, I found a few ideas that could represent the concept. I don't think any of them were prolific, but I participated and that felt good! It definitely stretched my creativity!

[Susan (Olson) Bishop of Unlocked Box]

You crack me up. That IS a lot of debriefing - feeling like I could have said "pick a few!" To the topic at hand: Thanks so much for sharing your process. You are so right - the depth of that quote and trying to make it work on all the levels was amazingly challenging and pushed my inept button, too. But what really struck me about your debrief is this - you wrote: "When I changed the rules a little and allowed myself to play the process, I found a few ideas that could represent the concept." That loosening up and the willingness to break the rules, I feel, is such an ah-ha moment in growing creative confidence. I remember the first time I realized that there was no BIG EDITOR IN THE SKY - that my fingers were not going to fall off if I did things my way - I felt so FREE. And, per what you wrote, it's a freedom I have to remember to reclaim again and again. Just as you remembered in the midst of this Sandbox. Actually, I would love to hear about your first creatively freeing moment some point soon. Perhaps in an Idea Tango interview????