i totally get this feeling! leaving yourself open to what you have the energy for is the way forward; and taking joy in the process as it's own reward. i also wear many hats throughout a week, i'm starting to draw the line at wearing them in the same day as i just physically do not have the energy any longer to work a full day and play a show! getting out of your own way sounds like great advice, and remember that YOU get to decide how you define yourself, in every context, because YOU are the one in charge! thank you for this installment, and congrats on all of your projects!
I’ve written a lot of books. The world would call me an author, but that’s not the identity I’ve claimed. I’m a storyteller. Usually that eventually takes book form, but not always. Sometimes I need to spin or read or do handstands or play my violin, because to be a storyteller is to feel story moving through me.
I will add that we have a lot of overlap in our hobbies 😆, and if we do in our writing, yo might try ignoring the organizational features of Scrivener and just writing. I’m really good at outlines, but my storyteller just doesn’t follow them. There is always more than one way to connect the dots, and I find mine in flow. That might not resonate for you at all, but I can confirm actual books can be finished that way, despite the conventional wisdom ☺️
If I may, I definitely see you as an artist who is highly creative at many things. I believe your work is good (and good enough) because you show up for it. To me that is the best kind of artist. Thank you for sharing your many works with us.
One of my stumbing blocks is wondering whether I can call myself a "creative" at all. I'm not an artist or musician, though I do sew a bit and I make salve - just one kind now because it's all the energy I have. My creative work is in groups, collaborating to get things done, to go from vision to results. Yes, I am driven by results, and by deadlines too. Do deadlines include or exclude is something I struggle with. More importantly, did we / I finish that task or accomplish somewhere close to a goal we set. Somewhere close is important - the "good enough" that can be so freeing.
If I was asked to give you a title, Artist would feel like the right fit. Maybe more than anything. The fact that you're using many "languages" in terms of the disciplines available to you doesn't (in my mind) diminish the narrative arc that is ultimately your life's work. I think you're going to find a whole lot of supportive and affirming words from a number of people in your sphere. I'm one of those. I too struggle with identity around writing and music, and even my professional work with trees that I regard as an art as well. I wonder if a wiser person than me might say that the credibility people like us seek is actually in the process... curiosity, intuition, intention... than in the products? As a product driven person, that's tough to reconcile, but there might be a grain of truth in it. Regardless, I'm always looking forward to, and excited to see your work. And that dish towel gets a ton of use, just so you know.
i totally get this feeling! leaving yourself open to what you have the energy for is the way forward; and taking joy in the process as it's own reward. i also wear many hats throughout a week, i'm starting to draw the line at wearing them in the same day as i just physically do not have the energy any longer to work a full day and play a show! getting out of your own way sounds like great advice, and remember that YOU get to decide how you define yourself, in every context, because YOU are the one in charge! thank you for this installment, and congrats on all of your projects!
I’ve written a lot of books. The world would call me an author, but that’s not the identity I’ve claimed. I’m a storyteller. Usually that eventually takes book form, but not always. Sometimes I need to spin or read or do handstands or play my violin, because to be a storyteller is to feel story moving through me.
I will add that we have a lot of overlap in our hobbies 😆, and if we do in our writing, yo might try ignoring the organizational features of Scrivener and just writing. I’m really good at outlines, but my storyteller just doesn’t follow them. There is always more than one way to connect the dots, and I find mine in flow. That might not resonate for you at all, but I can confirm actual books can be finished that way, despite the conventional wisdom ☺️
I just wrote a long comment and then inadvertently deleted it 😭. I don't have the heart to restart now... I'll try later!
If I may, I definitely see you as an artist who is highly creative at many things. I believe your work is good (and good enough) because you show up for it. To me that is the best kind of artist. Thank you for sharing your many works with us.
One of my stumbing blocks is wondering whether I can call myself a "creative" at all. I'm not an artist or musician, though I do sew a bit and I make salve - just one kind now because it's all the energy I have. My creative work is in groups, collaborating to get things done, to go from vision to results. Yes, I am driven by results, and by deadlines too. Do deadlines include or exclude is something I struggle with. More importantly, did we / I finish that task or accomplish somewhere close to a goal we set. Somewhere close is important - the "good enough" that can be so freeing.
If I was asked to give you a title, Artist would feel like the right fit. Maybe more than anything. The fact that you're using many "languages" in terms of the disciplines available to you doesn't (in my mind) diminish the narrative arc that is ultimately your life's work. I think you're going to find a whole lot of supportive and affirming words from a number of people in your sphere. I'm one of those. I too struggle with identity around writing and music, and even my professional work with trees that I regard as an art as well. I wonder if a wiser person than me might say that the credibility people like us seek is actually in the process... curiosity, intuition, intention... than in the products? As a product driven person, that's tough to reconcile, but there might be a grain of truth in it. Regardless, I'm always looking forward to, and excited to see your work. And that dish towel gets a ton of use, just so you know.