Cultivate Your Curiously Reflective Creative Life
That harmonious balance between your artistic genius and personal growth, explored in 7 curious thoughts
Creative fulfillment takes talent on one hand and professional knack on another hand. If you're lucky, you'll have more than two hands, but I hear that's pretty rare.
So I've got a collection of seven curious thoughts for you that may seem random, but are connected.
The key here is... Balance.
No need to overindex one way or another; instead, find a sweet spot that brings both you and your audience what's needed.
I’m always learning, constantly working at that balance, and trying to make a conscious difference where it counts. The ongoing journey with Ongoing!
Time to get stuck in.
For any thoughts that particularly resonate with you, I'll offer a couple of follow-up actions for your own curious exploration.
1. Balancing Creativity and Audience Expectations
Where are you bringing joy and value to others in your writing/art? How much is for you, how much is for the audience you're looking for, how much is for the audience you think you should be speaking to, how much is for the voices in your head, how much is for...?
Many directions, many voices, many considerations. How many are swirling around in your mind and in your priorities?
Where are those priorities, and are they where you want those priorities to be?
Want to think about this more deeply?
⦁ Think about your 'why' behind your creative work.
⦁ Analyse your current audience, seek feedback, and brainstorm what your perfect audience might look like.
Worth a look:
https://austinkleon.com/show-your-work/
2. Creative Tools and Dependence
Balance reliance on the best tools with your best work. Sway too far one way or the other, and things could tip over.
Want to think about this more deeply?
⦁ Unless the aim is consistent and reliably similar, use tools to enhance, not dictate, your work.
⦁ Consider what tools and techniques your work is dependent on. What if you used something else, what if you removed them completely, or you made a total pivot?
Worth a look:
Craft Talk - How Do You Make Your Time Your Own?
https://aliabdaal.com/book-notes/the-magic-of-thinking-big/
3. Evolving Narratives
Messages and narratives shift depending on where you're at in your role as a creator. Acknowledge that shift as you engage with your community.
And plan out what your narrative looks like before it happens, study it while it's happening, and amend it when necessary.
Want to think about this more deeply?
⦁ Will you consider shifting your narrative if the needs/tastes of your audience change? If so, why? If not, why?
⦁ When you plan your narrative, is it based on where you are now or where you wish to be in the future?
Worth a look:
https://seths.blog/thepractice/
https://aliabdaal.com/book-notes/storyworthy-matthew-dicks-summary-and-notes/
4. Paths and Plans
Plans and strategies, visions and values, goals and ambitions... There's no single path or one right answer. Choices have to be made, detours accepted, and roadblocks tackled (maybe climbed directly over, you rebel you!).
Pick one path or several, knowing you can pivot if you need. No need to regret choices based on unplayed narratives. Who knows what would have happened in alternative histories? Learn from the actual past, consider your present, and use them to guide your future accordingly.
Fictions are not real, so you can make them as ideal or awful as you like. Considering the "What if..." only works up to a point. Too many variables and too many external factors.
Want to think about this more deeply?
⦁ Where are you most flexible in your grand plans? And what must stay rigidly the same?
⦁ Work on actionable insights rather than past regrets.
Worth a look:
Strategize Your Career - How To Plan Your Growth
Values Based Decision Making [PDF]
5. Minimalism and Stuff
You streamline, you get systems down to a fine art. And yet... stuff gets in the way.
Be on the lookout for stuff. Decide what stuff stays and what stuff goes. Stuff rarely stays the same.
Unless you're my late grandparents. They did what they did for decades. Their stuff worked and that was that.
But 99.99% of us aren't like my late grandparents. They had all sorts of challenges, but they didn't have STUFF to think about beyond the necessary challenges.
Most of us tend to have STUFFFFFFFFF stuffed all over the place. Never mind, there's still room to conquer so the stuff helps more than hinders.
Want to think about this more deeply?
⦁ Minimal and functional are different. How could you find a happy mix of both?
⦁ Does your stuff revolve more around needs or wants?
Worth a look:
https://www.thesimplicityhabit.com/why-i-focus-on-simplicity-not-minimalism/
https://theinscapist.substack.com/p/a-journey-into-minimalism - “Since that October day in 2019, they have had two little boys now ages three and two. They had to give up the little red house on wheels, but life in that house gave them a few lessons on living in a minimal way which they grew to love and they sought now to incorporate those lessons into apartment living.”
6. Go Big and Small
It's easy to get caught up sorting the short-term in favour of the long-term. It's easy to fantasise about the long-term in favour of the pressing matters in the short term. The details and the big picture both have their place. Make peace and friendship with each of them separately and in coming together. There is much to learn in that messy, yet rewarding, middle.
Want to think about this more deeply?
⦁ Take your daily/weekly schedules and consider how well they'll help your quarterly/annual schedules. Use a monthly schedule to keep these aligned.
⦁ Look at a big picture situation and think of it from a perspective as if it's a small detail. What's the even bigger picture as you step out of it? On the flipside, look at a small detail and think of it from a perspective as if it's the big picture. What minute details have you not yet considered that make an impact?
Worth a look:
https://davidepstein.com/range/
7. Two Versions of You
Your personal growth versus your professional ambition. Where are they closely related, where are they distant cousins, and where are they total strangers?
Want to think about this more deeply?
⦁ What elements of your personal and professional fit together? What elements cause trouble for each other? Brainstorm how to lean into the former and how to improve or remove the latter.
⦁ How much of your time and energy do you spend on personal growth versus professional ambition? Is it working for you? And is it sustainable in the medium to long term?
Worth a look:
Lots of stuff that
has written about over at Culture Study will resonate.https://kadavy.net/love-mondays/energy-journal-prompt/ - “When did my energy match my task? When did it not?”
Which thought got you thinking most? Let me know in the comments. And please do share any of your own thoughts on striking that masterful balance. From weaving your way through personal and professional differences, your art and your business coming together, and finding what works in growing your own voice with your audience's needs, I'd love to hear what's on your mind.
I love the way you’ve written this. I really enjoy the “want to think about this more deeply” area within each section. What a great way to help your readers dive more into the parts they’re most impacted by!