In my best place, I know there is more than enough for everyone; the more I give the more will be given to me; and creativity is its own success no matter the result. I wish I were always in my best place.
In so many ways, it is just easier to worry and to think that I will not be able to make or do what I need to do to support myself, my family and my creative business. I can drive myself so crazy as to make the fear palpable, trying as hard as I can to kill my creative spirit. The reason I go here is because when I fail (as we all do more than we succeed), I can say to myself, “I told you so, it was a dumb idea anyway.” If I were my client, I would want to shake me until I saw how much harm I cause myself and everyone around me when I am in this place.
I only come back to myself when I remember just how much I love what I do. My life’s passion is to help people. Experience and dumb luck brought me to the creative community. And it all fits. I feel privileged to get to help artists be the best at what they do – to inspire them to be as brave and creative with their businesses as they are with their art. When I see the courage and determination of my clients to not only change what they have done in the past, but to think about and run their business in an entirely different way I am filled with gratitude and admiration. The work in and of itself gets me through my moments (well, days) of doubt and insecurity.
There will always be naysayers and haters. People who stay stuck to the fear of what the future might bring instead of its infinite possibility. If you listen, you will probably hear YOUR fear masked as their judgment of what you are trying to do. If you can have empathy for them and yourself, maybe you can get past their voice and let your own authentic expression of your art carry the day. Abundance does abound only if we choose to believe it does.
I am absolutely not saying that if you ignore the doubting voices and judgments (internal and external) you will be successful. Whether the time is right for your new idea/strategy or whether its execution effective, is largely a matter of fate. Apple certainly learned its lessons from the Newton before launching the iPhone, but that didn’t guarantee its success any more than iTunes guarantees Apple TV. What I am saying is, to paraphrase Seth Godin, shipping is its own reward. It IS incredibly scary to put yourself out there in a wholly new light. So actually doing it is remarkable in itself. Scarier still is the idea of staying true to your initiative and giving it the best chance to thrive when the inevitable roadblocks come your way. Just because the world wants and needs what you have to give does not mean it is going to make it easy for you to do it. My prayer for myself and for you is to do it (and keep doing it) anyway.
{ 14 comments }
What an inspiring way to start the week! Thanks! 🙂
Sean-Thanks for the inspiring and insiteful Blog! Good rainy day inspiration. Mich
Holy perfect post, Mr. Low. Couldn’t have come at a better time, or been better stated. Thanks for that nudge toward the light today. And every day 🙂
Amen! And…I’m so determined to be in that best place as much as possible, so when the FEAR starts to take the lead, I try and focus my mind and thoughts on coming up with creative ways to stay in the creative space (whether it’s visualizing the outcome of my abundance, or immersing myself in inspiration[aka…trips to abbot kinney, anthropologie, or wedding blogs]). That way…while I’m keeping myself busy, I slowly inch myself back into the creative/best place! Thanks for this amazing post, and amazing reminder!
Thank you, as always for such an inspirational post! Shipping is its own reward, but now I face the task of educating the masses. Like you had said – 2 years. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It grows brighter every day. 🙂
love this, thank you.
Perfect Sean! Thanks…
Thank you, give and it will be given unto you, pressed down,shaken together,running over!
Sean, very much needed to hear this. I’m so tired of worrying and being asked if Jen’s going back to work after the baby or if she’s joining the business full time when not with the baby. I’m starting to think it’s a leap we need to take – if not then, then when? Let the worrying end.
Sean: As inspiring as your wonderful 1 to 1 sessions. L+D
Well said Sean. The part about empathizing with clients instead of pushing them is dead-on. Too often in the creative services business, we view our clients as an impediment to creativity, projecting our own fears and insecurities onto them and then pouncing on any gesture or comment that reinforces those feelings. (“Ha! See, I told you they would react this way!”) But if we look at them instead as people who need support and encouragement to get over the proverbial hump of doubts and worries that plague them, then we can quickly come to understand that we are, in many ways, in the same boat, just rowing at slightly different speeds.
We need to help them to have vision, to have conviction and be brave. Thucydides said, “The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” How true.
Thanks for the word.
“Keep on keeping on.”
Sean,
Gosh, haven’t I found myself in the middle of the meaning of this post a million times.
It has been such a tumultuous year on so many levels but each day teaches me lessons, renews my faith in the new messages I am trying to follow in life and growing into my brand. It is a slow, deliberate process of discovery but I’m grateful that I am having the opportunity to have this insight and gain strength from it.
So true! Worry is wasteful! The compassion we feel, for ourselves and others, is the key, I think. I may not always succeed, but my effort, my faith, is priceless.