So… I’m going to speak to the elephant in the room first…
I’m sure you’ve noticed that there are stretches of time where I’m deeply inspired and writing and sharing and inviting regularly…
And then there are stretches of time where I’m really quiet and committing the cardinal sin of entrepreneurship: The Disappearing Act.
I cannot tell you how many hundreds of successful entrepreneurs I’ve heard say, “Stay consistent with your people, or else…”
It’s true…
The Disappearing Act can completely erode trust in relationships.
It’s worse when it’s someone really near and dear to us — someone we normally spend a great deal of time with — but I’m sure it does affect the way people think of me when I am not consistent with my emails (or posts on social media). Of course, when I’m really active, the opposite can be true and people jump off my list and complain, “Too many emails!”
Apparently, there is some sweet spot that I have never found and, if I’m honest, may never find for a few reasons:
1) I see myself as more of a Messenger than an Expert, which means that inspiration and creativity cannot be scheduled on my calendar. I know, I know. I could just make myself sit and write something, but I don’t want to write “somethings.” Writing for this messenger is a sacred practice, which means I have to…
– be inspired by something or someone or some experience.
– have a decent block of time to wrestle with my ideas.
– be in a quiet space where that’s possible.
2) I am way too much of a rebel to subscribe to someone else’s formula for success and force myself to do something that just doesn’t feel right… or timely… or inspired. It has been clear since I was a little girl that I am here to question the status quo and create new pathways. There are only a few essential universal truths that I don’t question, yet even those, I did question at one point. 🙂
3) I know, from experience, that when we try to fit ourselves into someone else’s formula, bad things happen. We stop listening to our own voice, desires, instincts, needs, and bodies. We lose touch with our own sacred code gifts and messages. We become mockingbirds and mimics. And eventually, if we are really good at helping other people, we even become resentful of them as they become truer versions of themselves while we continue to mimic someone else.
After almost 15 years of being a messenger and supporting hundreds of others, I have learned that the creative process is NOT something you want to f**k around with.
There are consequences for ignoring inspiration, but there are consequences for trying to drive and control the creative process, too.
Messengers who ignore those inspirations tend to get sick and tired and resentful of those who don’t.
Those who try to drive and control the creative process tend to get anxious (terrified is more like it), angry, and resentful when It doesn’t cooperate the way they think It should.
So, what are we supposed to do?
Well, I’m trying to learn how to move WITH the creative process.
That means that when it calls me, I dive in and listen and follow to the best of my abilities.
And when the inspiration runs dry or takes me on an unexpected detour (or a half-dozen!), I try to keep my tantrums to a minimum and pay attention because there is always some treasure gifted along the way.
Speaking of unexpected detours and treasures gained, check out what happened as a result of the insane creative process I agreed to and the disappearing act that ensued…
Expansion of Services and Offerings and Team Members
This year, I enlisted the support of family and friends to work on children’s books, oracle card decks, building online communities, bringing clients’ businesses into the 21st Century and getting them ready for more income, impact, and ease… and more.
My son, Aaron, is our technology solutions and systems master.
My sister, Alyssa, is bringing her design skills to book covers like the ones below, oracle decks, and the rebranding of websites, and she’s adding coaching skills to her mad writing skills as she’s supporting some our new books. Thanks to her, we’re saying YES to fiction. 🙂
Theddee and Lori, previous-clients-turned-friends who want to see others experience the transformation they’ve experienced in this community, have helped us make sure quality is never sacrificed for quantity with their content editing and culture coaching.
We’re growing, but we’re still delivering life-changing experiences and content to our clients. And I couldn’t do it without them!
Two Collaborative Books Launching in the Next 9 Months!
You Can’t Make This St*ry Up! is a collaboration with 19 of my clients. They are sharing their messy and magical journeys of writing books and launching message-based businesses, and I am sharing why each of their messages arrived in my life at the time that it did.
You really can’t make it up, and I’m excited to launch this book alongside my clients-turned-friends on my birthday, January 21, 2022!
A Religion of Story: Cultivate Character and Preserve Freedom in Your Children and Our Culture is a collaboration with my eighteen-year-old son, Aaron.
When he was born, I was in the middle of a spiritual crisis that had stripped me of my foundations, family, and physical health. All I had to offer him was an oath to protect his mind and heart from disempowering messages and teach him how to think and feel for himself. My efforts quickly led to stunning results, but it wasn’t fun until I realized Story could be our medium. My classical training had shown me how to engage stories and messages socratically, and I was able to use this pathway to keep my promise.
It took sixteen years for me to grasp the impact of this approach, but only a minute to realize we had to share it.
And a Podcast!
Sips of Story ‘n Sanity: The St*ries Behind the Stories is a new team adventure designed to inspire aspiring creatives and other story junkies like us to look at Story through a whole new lens.
In just a few weeks, we will invite you to tune in to hear these st*ries behind the stories and entertain with us the real possibility that, whether you are a “teller” or a “consumer,” Story is always offering, or leading us to, an answer.
Oh, and of course an out-of-state move!
In February of this year, we knew we had to move. Within a week of this decision, several YCMTSU conversations directed us to Arizona and connected us with the two angels who would help us make it happen. At the end of July, we drove from Oregon to Arizona to meet up with them and figure out where we should focus our search for a new home. Two weeks later, we found the home and were signing the lease. One month later, we pulled into our new driveway, grateful and ready to recover from a year full of non-stop creation and transition.
Why do I share all of this?
Because…
While I’m sorry that I did the disappearing act, the truth is…
If I would have stayed committed to other people’s formulas for success for me in my business and my personal life this year, I would have missed out on most of these treasures.
It is never easy to ride the waves of radical change, but it is always so much easier than resisting them!
My hope and prayer is that this inspires you to say YES to whatever that inspiration is that’s been niggling at you and to see what incredible gifts await you and others inside of your inspired creative process.
And hey, if you’re all tapped out, then I hope you’ll give yourself permission to binge-watch your favorite show and wait for that next inevitable spark.
Who knows — maybe one of these books or podcasts will spark something for you!
Stay tuned to find out.