ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to allow creatives to connect with what matters most to them at a meta level. An awareness of one’s unique set of personal values, captured in an Essence List, serves as a powerful compass for accessing inspiration, motivation, and even healing. Coaches might want to transfer the words to a recipe card and pin it to their wall or tuck it in their purse or wallet. If a client is having a hard time sticking to a project, or accessing enough energy to finish it, seeing their work through the lens of the essence list can be reinvigorating and motivating. Many writers struggle to create enough authentic conflict and motivation for their characters, and they can be encouraged to create an Essence List for one or more of their characters. It can be a powerful resource for character development and a compass for identifying relevant conflicts.
