Get out from your row of desks
The metaphor of being confined to a row of desks, still rules so many of our organizations. There are unwritten rules, norms, and cultures that limit our creativity and innovation- even when we are encouraged to break ground. And even though schools have long arranged desks in new ways to promote creativity and collaboration, we are still afraid to deviate from the form. Yes, there are parts of us that are still afraid of getting it wrong.
Why? Because if you get it wrong people might not like you, and then…there might be something wrong with you. Whether it is fear, a desire to belong or fit in, holding back (or staying in the row), perpetuates this feeling of powerlessness to shift our empires and cultures of repetition.
But there is one thing I know. The world is asking all of us to abandon our row of desks- whatever that might be for you.
Because our communities and ecosystems need your innovation that comes from a fearless spirit and new, maybe even artistic, ways of doing and seeing.
Trust your impulse to create
The grip of conformity that arrived with modernity is loosening. The age of the Internet, time-space compression, globalization, and the interconnectedness of beings through social media is fueling new conversations, activism, and multi-disciplinary projects that are sourced from an open heart, open mind, and open will.
Its everywhere- and yet we can be dull to the impulse of our own creation.
So where is this impulse in you to create something new? Something not yet seen or tried.
It could be a new way of organizing your community library, or a different way of engagement with the public you serve, or even a new healthy latte that is a mash up of wellness-consciousness and irrefutable kindness (shout out to @KindCafe Whitehorse!).
Or it’s your determination to follow your impulse to stand or sit alone with a sign because you believe so fervently that something has to change.
Feeling Vibrant and Terrified? Nice- you’ve got skin in the game
But so many of us hold back. Even say “I could get it wrong”. And “if I get it wrong, I risk everything”.
And that’s partially true. You could misread your public, your community needs, or what’s going to land with your socially conscious customer- but trusting the sensation of feeling both vibrant (powerfully alive) and terrified, means you’ve put just enough of yourself out there.
Having skin in the game is the indicator that you’re all in- despite the voice of fear, judgment or shame that could harness it all in and call it a night.
Because no-one who creates again and again- will only face closed doors. We are in the hallways of suspension, waiting and curiosity too, which drives and fuels our own exploratory paths of artistry and change. And in those hallways, we will inevitably meet new people and new centers of belonging that encourage us along despite our fumbling, uneasiness, self-doubt, and quiet self-criticism.
What the world is calling YOU for
Your courageous act of creation and experimenting is exactly what the world’s calling for. It needs every young voice, every old voice. It needs the richness of wisdom, foolery and farce. It needs all of us, no matter where we’re at in our development, political perspectives, or spiritual oneness.
Positive? Yes. Naïve? I don’t think so. Because once you’ve got skin in the game and you step fully into the act of creation- something new will be born.
Create before you Consume
I love this line: Create before you consume. It’s from Marie Forleo’s new book Everything is Figureoutable. It’s undercurrent is the call to create from wherever you are.
So let’s end there for today.
The act of creating before you consume, means you’ll less likely be repeating something else, by someone else. You’ll less likely share a tweet, but speak your truth first. You’ll be the first to delve deep into your own patience and stay with the frustration and confusion when you’re in territory you don’t recognize. And you’ll grow to appreciate the feeling of both vibrant and terrified when you put something out into the world.
The bold step of creation, with or without fear, is what we need to innovate and solve the most complex challenges of our times.
Tell us in the comments below- what is your impulse to create at this moment? What’s calling you and why does it matter to you?
I’d love to hear from you.
xo
Jennifer
PS. Like this- find it inspiring, challenging, or moderately distracting from your metaphorical desk rows? Share it with your friends and like-minded conscious leaders/makers/doers below!
