In this season of thanksgiving, as I spend time with my family, I feel compelled to reflect on some of the gifts I’ve received in my journey toward a fuller expression of my creative life. Some of things that I’m most thankful for don’t always feel like gifts. Life’s funny that way. But I’ve learned to pay better attention. Sometimes, over time, these things reveal themselves for what they truly are.
Restlessness. It’s so easy to stagnate. Falling into routines that imperceptibly, over time, become so engrained that when the need for change becomes clear, it seems impossible to climb out. Being stuck can affect any of us. For me, it was the rut of comfort I had carved over the past decade. Thankfully, I felt the need for a change, and was able to overcome my own biases toward staying exactly where I was. Be thankful for the blessings of a searching spirit. Especially when it tells you that the life your leading isn’t the only one available to you. Then step out on faith, you’ll be okay. Encouragement. For the literal cost of nothing, receiving even a little bit of encouragement in regards to what I’m trying to do, from people that matter to me, has been hugely important. It’s like the difference between cycling with the wind at your back versus fighting a headwind. Be thankful for the people that help make your journey even a little bit easier. Listen to these voices, for they are the choir singing your song. The gift of giving. Between mustn’t miss Black Friday deals that have managed to consume the better part of a month or more, infomercials, data mining operations masquerading as social networks, and so on, we are constantly being sold, or sold to. As creatives in business, we’re instructed to get to monitization of ourselves as quickly, and through as many means, as possible. Now, I want to earn my living from my creativity. I won’t try to confuse anyone about that. I want the same for you. But somewhere in all this, let’s not forget how to simply give of ourselves. One way I try to do this is through this blog. I’ve my experiences, and if through reading about them they help someone else, we’ll then, that’s good enough for me. You do whatever works best for you. Just do something though. It’s more important than we’ll ever we know. Be thankful, in a world of sell, sell, sell, to simply commit to being a gift to someone else.
Well, that’s all for now. I’ve got a gingerbread house to build.
Take care of yourself.
