It was not until I had a little child, did I realise how much in our world is grey.
I threw myself into motherhood, thinking I knew so much…18 months later, it is motherhood that is teaching me so much about myself.
I am learning. Ever learning.
That in itself is a blessing.
To learn.
To grow.
To stretch.
The most unpleasant of circumstance, but the most rewarding of substance.
This week I joined Linkdin a crazy exercise in humility. Writing about myself and seemingly promoting myself to a whole new audience, is not something that comes easily. It opens up a new space of vulnerability and opportunity at the same time.
Reflecting on past experiences in the workforce, looking at my life on a page and then creating new networks.
On one hand, exciting to see what people I haven’t seen in a long time are doing, also really confronting about what my now is truly about.
I am being distilled.
I am finding truly what my purpose is.
First and foremost I am a mother, a wife, a family maker.
To find purpose in this most noble career, is a delight and a sacrifice in one.
One that finds me ever learning.
My little Max, got his first proper bike today and it made me realise something so profound. He won’t always be mine.
In fact, he was never mine in the first place. He was God’s first. Before the earth was formed, God knew him, God created him, God designed his little nose, his munted shaped ear.
Ever Learning.
Those who don’t stop to reflect and process what they are ever learning, find an overwhelmed crowded heart appears and just don’t know what to do with it.
Take time dear friends, to process and acknowledge what you are ever learning.
I sat in the midst of our overgrown lawn today, enjoying the depth of its green chards. Spring is so close to being here and taking a moment to just be, helped me discover a moment of inspiration.
It is easy to produce perfection if you have a big budget and a staff of many.
There is much to be said, for the organic, the momentary, the raw, the urban and all that brews.
I sat reading my frankie magazine and its been a long time since I have bought one. Nappies and all things toddler have been a higher priority on my shopping list.
I decided I needed a little inspiration kick today, after a big month of giving out, I needed to refill again.
A magazine, a coffee and an appointment booked for this afternoon for a massage.
Not a normal day in the life of this novice mum, but one necessary if I am to continue to embrace the chaos of this new season.
I turned up a new playlist on my spotify account and I breathed deep.
What I discovered from Frankie this afternoon though, was that its lost its edge. Yes, it is inspiring…
Yes, it is filled with many things I love and I want…
but I found myself surprised that the first few pages were full of adverts and not ones that were organic, edgy and made me want to go and discover more.
Frankie has sold out.
I was discussing a project with a couple this week in a mentoring forum and I found myself saying ‘Don’t sell out to the corporate opportunities’.
A different way of describing it is ‘Stay wild’.
Creative people, stay wild.
Don’t allow the crowd to domesticate you.
One of my favourite books to read to my little man Maximus, is ‘Where the Wild Things are’.
Imagine if we remained wild in our thinking, our imagination and our pursuits.
Don’t sell out to the crowd, creative ones.
Find your song and sing it.
Refine your song and play it.
Find your place and own it.
Don’t let the big boys tell you how you should ride.
The greatest challenge in my change of season has been getting my head around who my creative posse is.
After working for over a decade with a group of people, who took massive risks together, created large and failed extravagantly, its a massive change in dynamic. I mostly work by myself and the with groups of people that I will be with for a small amount of time inputting creative direction, thoughts or moments, but its not an ongoing opportunity with the same group of people.
Discovering a team of people who I can create large with and trust with the vulnerability of the creative process is a huge journey.
That is what I miss most about being in a part of a team who work towards a common goal. Often its not until you loose something that you realise its value.
I’m naturally a people person and I really enjoy throwing ideas around and living a communal life of creativity.
In the charts of a personality type I land very close to the middle of introvert and extrovert.
(insert here this song; cracks me up! For those who watched X factor last year)
I’m not extreme in the extrovert graph scales, I like time to process and when my house is quiet and I walk the tiles by myself and something peaceful settles on top of me. It’s actually something sacred. The quiet, the space, the moment of reflection arrives.
I can’t stay in that place to long though. The walls start to crowd, the noises start to creak and I want to talk to someone, anyone or anything…
Yesterday I did a creative workshop with a group of radio presenters and one of my discussion points in the workshop was ‘Who is your creative posse?’
A posse, is a group of like minded people who have your back. A group that is travelling in the same direction, yet not the same, just a group that celebrates strengths, forgives weaknesses, doesn’t steal others ideas, takes time to honour each other and listen.
A group that travels the sacred path of creativity safely, knowing that the creative process is a vulnerable one.
People who have your back.
People who you don’t have to tread lightly over massive egos.
People who bring out the best in you, not your worst.
People who are loving and kind.
These kind of friends, or posse don’t come along everyday and often you don’t realise how special the posse is until they have disbanded.
How can you create a posse?
How can you keep a posse together?
How can you create well with other people?
I have found in my experiences, the thing that kills a posse quickest is arrogance and pride.
When people access creativity with humility, acknowledging that WE is more important than ME, something very unique occurs.
Humility doesn’t mean shrinking back though in the presentation of ones ideas, thoughts, or creative endeavours. It just means we hold our ideas lighter and realise that as we sharpen the reflection of the ideas as a team, we can bring something so much more solid, than the one perspective that you bring alone.
Nothing of value in the history of the world has been built by one person. It is always built by a posse of people working together for the greater good.
If you see someone who looks successful, famous or inspirational, there is always someone in the background who has sacrificed for that person to excel.
Always.
A mother.
A father.
A stylist.
A producer.
A teacher.
A husband.
A wife.
A child.
There is always a posse.
It’s just whether we value the input the posse brings or not.
Value and appreciate your posse today and if you don’t have one, humble yourself and begin to build.
I discovered something really fancy today whilst slouching around the internet. You can publish your books online and people can read them like a real book!
So if you don’t want to download it, but want to read it online you can do so by clicking here:
I’d love your feedback in regards to this book. I have started getting quotes to print it as a soft cover publication and my hope is to use it as a manual with young adults especially, helping them explore their purpose and passions.
‘There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story, you can never quite tell where they will take you… Mine took me here…’
Watching my son attempt to play the guitar.
