This past weekend I flew to Phoenix for an event called Power Boost Live! hosted by one of the most brilliant and generous people I know, Pam Slim (author of Escape From Cubicle Nation and the lovely lady standing next to me in the pic to the left).
Over the course of two days I met a ton of similarly brilliant and generous entrepreneurs, each working on their personal passion projects, each looking to learn, grow, and share, each bringing their unique vision with them. It was pretty damn amazing.
When I first decided to attend, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. But my gut said “Hell to the yes!” about signing up, so I listened. My plan was to bring my favorite Jill Bliss notebook, my ideal pen, a few mix and match outfits, and an open mind. So that’s what I did.
And what I was powerfully reminded of was this:
The world needs what we (you, me, everyone) has to offer when we share our gifts.
Connecting with others is at the heart of why we’re here.
Hiding and playing it safe isn’t an option.
Everyone fails along the way.
Creating is a learning process.
That last one is a biggie. It’s something that people who haven’t spent time building and creating something – a piece of art, a book, a business – might not get.
Creating isn’t simply about having a vision, executing it, and moving on. Inherent in the process is a continual cycle of excitement + doubt + flow + output + more doubt + progress + failure + breakthroughs, in no particular order.
Creating is about being open. It’s about not knowing necessarily how or when or where the resources, inspiration, and success will emerge, but showing up anyway.
Showing up — really truly putting yourself out there, taking those risks, and being willing to suck at whatever it is you’re doing — is the key to anything worth creating.
Scary? Sometimes. But when we all show up together, the risks don’t seem as big and the payoff is oh so worth it.
Wonderful post, Deborah! And so resonant with my experience of PBL as well… thank you for putting it into words here. I look forward to following your work and connecting again, both online and in person!
Thanks Maia! So glad we connected too, and look forward to staying in touch 🙂
Wow, Debbie, you helped me to understand “Creating is a learning process” in a new way.
When I was conducting choirs & orchestras and even still when I’m doing classical choral or solo work, I always feel a little let-down after a performance, no matter how well it went. I think it’s because part of me is sad to leave the work, because I know I still have more to learn from it.
Looking forward to using this metaphor as I create, learn from, and recreate my business.
How beautifully written Debbie! I’ve had slippery times thinking/believing that the world no longer needs or wants to see-hear-experience what I may still have to offer. Fortunately, I never fully bought into that notion. Lucky for me, my life is full of brilliant younger women – and men – who delight in wholehearted *showing up*, creating in ways that talk about you and *mentoring up* to me with that lively, continual cycle! Thank you, thank you!
Thanks Florence… I’m glad that concept came across…it was the idea that was at the core of my post when I first started writing it. It’s all about the journey, baby!
Thanks for your note, Elizabeth! So grateful that you have “shown up” in my life to be a part of the cycle for me!