Last week I talked about small daily acts, how they are such a cornerstone of my message, of what I do, and of how I’ve accomplished every creative project worth noting in my life.
Sometimes, of course, small daily acts combine with large daily acts, or large acts of some other time interval.
(For example, right now my husband and I are in the midst of planning a lowish-budget kitchen remodel, and it feels like I’m pouring lifetimes every day into scouring the internet for right-drain sinks that will fit a 30″ cabinet, or cheap backsplash ideas, or low-maintenance alternatives to concrete countertops, or creative drawer pulls, getting bids from cabinet installers, and on and on. Because that’s what I do. I specialize in obsessing on creative projects.)
But, of course, we don’t always have the luxury of a big creative project to dive into. It starts with small daily acts.
And even with small daily acts here’s the thing that no-one ever seems to tell you:
It’s hard to keep it up alone.
We feel like it should be easy. Small daily acts are small, after all. How hard can it be?
Everyone else seems to be creating. We scroll through our Facebook feed, our Instagram feed, and everyone else seems to have no trouble cranking out their small daily acts.
So what is wrong with US?
We automatically assume the problem is with us. That we are somehow flawed.
Everyone else can do this with no problem (we think). We are the problem (we think).
This causes a terrible downward spiral.
If we can’t even do this small daily act (we think), we must be an abject failure.
Shame. Despair. Hopelessness. Giving up.
Why bother?
That does not lead to a full-color life of creative joy!
No.
Going it alone is hard work, and not for the faint of heart. And going it alone is not what we were wired to do!
We need each other!
We need each other to remind us that we’re not alone.
We need each other to understand our struggles.
We need each other so we have an audience to share our creations with, where there’s no judgment, and total acceptance.
We need each other to give us a sense of purpose, so we’re not just shouting into the wind.
We need each other to encourage us when we’re feeling low and discouraged.
We need each other to celebrate our wins and successes with us.
We need each other to turn to when we have questions and need resources.
We need each other to inspire each other and to fill our creative wells with new ideas when we run dry.
We need each other to give us reminders, when the world is beating us down, that our creative lives are essential to our humanity.
We Need Community
Community is the life blood of creators.
When we have a supportive, safe, non-judgmental community of kindreds who understand our struggles, who truly appreciate what goes into our creations, we create more, we share more, we can expand into our full selves, and the world opens up for us.
This is huge.
So where do you find community?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t get that in my day-to-day, 3D world. So I created the Creative Sandbox community.
We think we should be able to go it alone. After all, most of us do our creating in isolation. It shouldn’t be that hard, right?
But it is that hard.
We are swimming in a soup of confusing messages and artist oppression. It’s like constantly being “gaslighted.”
We need community to ground us in reality.
When you are encircled by a powerful, loving, supportive, creative tribe, here’s what happens:
I’ve gotten a huge boost in confidence, both in myself and in my creative soul/the things I create. I’m so lucky to have stumbled upon this amazing community you’ve started and built with the help of these amazing individuals, Melissa.
-Jessica Catania
Love you Melissa Dinwiddie! you have no idea the amazing impact you have made in so many aspects of my life. The supportive, encouraging environment, which not only allows me creative freedom, but extends into many aspects of my life. Thank you Melissa.
-Laura Richards
In the course of a month, I’ve had three people contact me about illustration for books and a series of stickers. I swing from excited to scared to avoidance to telling myself, “Hey, you got the chops, you can do it.”
What a roller coaster, but I tell you what… the courage to keep moving forward regardless to those voices, I owe to the Creative Sandbox Community. And, embracing the evolution of my art and my voice and whatever creativity is still waiting to be released.
My need for creative outlets is becoming palpable as the creativity continues to release and my voice/vision/etc. evolves. And the Creative Sandbox is allowing it to evolve and come forth in a way that I feel alive again. Happy. Laughing more.
Thank you again, Melissa and this group for a safe and enouraging space to reflect and grow.
-Carla Olson
These are just a few examples. Next week we’ll dive deeper with some case studies of the kinds of transformation that small daily acts plus the right kind of community can create.
Meanwhile, save the date!
Erase the Chaos Day-Long Intensive
Let’s Start off 2017 Right! On Saturday, January 14th I’m offering a special day-long intensive workshop, to help you Erase the Chaos in your life.
Spend a day with me to hone in on the specific causes of YOUR time-crunch chaos, and we’ll use the time during our day together to clear your plate to make space for creative joy.
You’ll discover:
- The truth about your mile-long to-do list
- 3 quick “erasers” to create more white space TODAY
- The truth nobody tells you about time-management (hint: it’s a lie!)
- How to hone in on what’s most important, so you can let go of the rest
- The ONE tool that has the power to change everything in your life for the better
- …and a lot more
And yes, we will CLEAR YOUR TIME-CRUNCH CHAOS during the workshop.
You name the price for this life-changing day. I ask that you pay enough that you’ve got some “skin in the game,” so you take this day SERIOUSLY.
What is it worth to you to transform your relationship to time?
What is it worth to find time to pursue your real passion?
Is it worth a year’s worth of lattes? A weekend at the spa? A three-month membership at a yoga studio?
YOU decide what dollar amount your time is worth to you, and relieving your time-crunch chaos is worth to you. Just go to melissadinwiddie.com/intensive, enter the dollar amount you decide on in the field to register, and *bam*, you’re in!
See you there!
