Yess, welcome aboard, Wade!! 🙌 What you said about a limited vision of yourself is spot-on. And I feel like it's hard to really know how we see ourselves and where we're limiting our growth until we start reeeally excavating. I'm curious what led to your realization?
I love your invitation to be “curious”, a nice reminder of what I like about the conversations on Substack.
I reflect on this story, one to be told in a longer form one day. Here’s a quick version:
Every 6-8 years I find myself in a deep pit where I am forced to face the difference between ideals and reality. The first two occasions were more introspective, and I got through with:
“What do I do differently so I don’t fall down like this again?”
I have found the latest occasion (of the valley of despair) showed me something much more fundamental, less functional and more personal and relational:
rather than “what do I do…” it is more
“Who am I (really)?”
What are the key factors?
My growing awareness of my tendencies and disappointments with time
Depth of my struggle and search for answers
Real experiences of deep unconditional love and acceptance
Others who have gone before in the faith community
Ah wow what a difference that shift in questioning can make. I'm sorry to hear the journey has been such a rough one. But it sounds like this is going to be your best chapter yet!
Thanks for sharing your story - I can certainly relate to the big existential crisis rolling around every few years like clockwork 😅
Love your comment about how we are all capable of being creative leaders. I'm here to shine a light on a minority path. Inspiring others to venture outside of ‘the matrix’ and to find a way that's more THEM than for others. ❤️
I love that!! We definitely need more examples of what that can look like - not to follow exactly but to awake us to the possibilities and inspire our own paths! 🙌
Thank you so much for the shoutout in this piece, it's so damn nice to hear that my words are having impact. I loved your post and your writing style too ❤️
A great post and a very provoking set of questions at the end I am going to have to take away and really give some thought to. Thank you for sharing (and inspiring)!
Thanks, Lauren!! Yeah, they're some tough questions, right? I'm going to take some time to ponder them myself. Writing this was just the first part of grappling with these big topics! Let me know if you come back with any good discoveries. 😊
Wow, Jess - thank you so much for mentioning me in this wonderful piece. I'm absolutely blown away by what you've written and I'm so happy to have made some impact. I was quite emotional reading that! 🥰
Aw! 💓💓 Thanks for giving it a read. I have been absolutely loving your podcast convos lately. And I remember you had written something about getting headshots done -- I feel like it's a big deal to actually see ourselves as the creative leaders we know we can be, right?!
Yes, I’ve had a couple of sets of ‘brand’ photos taken over the past 18 months and I truly believe it’s an act of self-care and an investment in yourself.
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the podcast. I’m recording a new episode tomorrow which I’m super excited about 🙌🏻
No but it takes so much energy, willpower, and time to do it all that I don’t see how it can workout without either some accountability partner or delegation of multiple tasks, which is hard to accept for a creative 🤷🏻♀️
Being a multipassionate is kind of a blessing and a curse at the same time 😉
Those last three!!! I hear you. Especially when our creative potential feels like a totally limitless thing, how can we practically "reach" it? That's some good food for thought! 🤔
You mentioned the accountability partner piece and I completely agree - I'm actually starting a creativity coaching practice because I think there are so many people in a similar boat! We can all go so much further with the right support.
But it's not easy to shift into that mode. It's definitely taken me and my highly independent spirit a while to accept the idea of asking for help haha 😅
Thanks so much for giving this a read and sharing your responses 💗💗💗
Yes! Resonates!
I have similar reflections and the underlying reason I found for me stem from a limited vision of who I am.
And to join a tribe of people braving it is a key ingredient in having the courage to be that person I am created to be.
Yess, welcome aboard, Wade!! 🙌 What you said about a limited vision of yourself is spot-on. And I feel like it's hard to really know how we see ourselves and where we're limiting our growth until we start reeeally excavating. I'm curious what led to your realization?
I love your invitation to be “curious”, a nice reminder of what I like about the conversations on Substack.
I reflect on this story, one to be told in a longer form one day. Here’s a quick version:
Every 6-8 years I find myself in a deep pit where I am forced to face the difference between ideals and reality. The first two occasions were more introspective, and I got through with:
“What do I do differently so I don’t fall down like this again?”
I have found the latest occasion (of the valley of despair) showed me something much more fundamental, less functional and more personal and relational:
rather than “what do I do…” it is more
“Who am I (really)?”
What are the key factors?
My growing awareness of my tendencies and disappointments with time
Depth of my struggle and search for answers
Real experiences of deep unconditional love and acceptance
Others who have gone before in the faith community
A realisation I can live with the truth
A decision to accept reality and grow from it
Thanks for asking! Does it help anyone here?
Ah wow what a difference that shift in questioning can make. I'm sorry to hear the journey has been such a rough one. But it sounds like this is going to be your best chapter yet!
Thanks for sharing your story - I can certainly relate to the big existential crisis rolling around every few years like clockwork 😅
I am thankful for you framing this convo Jess.
It was rough, yes, and so is every gym session that builds us up!
SO true!! 🏋️♀️
Love your comment about how we are all capable of being creative leaders. I'm here to shine a light on a minority path. Inspiring others to venture outside of ‘the matrix’ and to find a way that's more THEM than for others. ❤️
I love that!! We definitely need more examples of what that can look like - not to follow exactly but to awake us to the possibilities and inspire our own paths! 🙌
Exactly, just an example of someone doing it differently ❤️ to hopefully inspire others to think outside the box
Thank you so much for the shoutout in this piece, it's so damn nice to hear that my words are having impact. I loved your post and your writing style too ❤️
Thank you, Anna, that means a lot! You're absolutely crushing it so please keep the inspiring work coming! 🙏💗
A great post and a very provoking set of questions at the end I am going to have to take away and really give some thought to. Thank you for sharing (and inspiring)!
Thanks, Lauren!! Yeah, they're some tough questions, right? I'm going to take some time to ponder them myself. Writing this was just the first part of grappling with these big topics! Let me know if you come back with any good discoveries. 😊
Wow, Jess - thank you so much for mentioning me in this wonderful piece. I'm absolutely blown away by what you've written and I'm so happy to have made some impact. I was quite emotional reading that! 🥰
Aw! 💓💓 Thanks for giving it a read. I have been absolutely loving your podcast convos lately. And I remember you had written something about getting headshots done -- I feel like it's a big deal to actually see ourselves as the creative leaders we know we can be, right?!
Anyway, thank you for the continued inspo!! 🥰
Yes, I’ve had a couple of sets of ‘brand’ photos taken over the past 18 months and I truly believe it’s an act of self-care and an investment in yourself.
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the podcast. I’m recording a new episode tomorrow which I’m super excited about 🙌🏻
100%! I have some plans to get a shoot together soon, but I want to try DIY-ing it to satisfy my photography-loving side. Tbd! 😅
Hope the recording sesh went well - can't wait to listen in!
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No but it takes so much energy, willpower, and time to do it all that I don’t see how it can workout without either some accountability partner or delegation of multiple tasks, which is hard to accept for a creative 🤷🏻♀️
Being a multipassionate is kind of a blessing and a curse at the same time 😉
Those last three!!! I hear you. Especially when our creative potential feels like a totally limitless thing, how can we practically "reach" it? That's some good food for thought! 🤔
You mentioned the accountability partner piece and I completely agree - I'm actually starting a creativity coaching practice because I think there are so many people in a similar boat! We can all go so much further with the right support.
But it's not easy to shift into that mode. It's definitely taken me and my highly independent spirit a while to accept the idea of asking for help haha 😅
Thanks so much for giving this a read and sharing your responses 💗💗💗
Exactly!