I'll get busy and let my favourite blogs stack up in Reeder but then I'll dive and and find that I am reenergized and rekindled by other people's experiences and ideas. Whether just news, a creative piece, photos of beautiful and artistic furniture or something related to my work, after reading just a couple I am full of energy and ready to do more and get creative. We must not let urgent actions constantly push the inspiration and time for rejuvenation on the back burner.
Working remotely in a small agricultural community my opportunities for having in-person conversations and discussions that expand beyond work are a precious few. Social media in general—especially those members of my social media "friends"—give me a beautiful part of that stimulation and provocation I need to survive and grow.
Thanks to anyone who has a blog, who has shared with me and to hope that more people, myself included will share their perspective in blogs, comments in their art but most importantly with someone else.
The next step is to reach out to some of the people that I read and who inspire me intellectually and creatively to let them know that what they are doing has a positive impact but more importantly to put the social into social media.
What or who inspires you to do better, do differently or continue on a creative endeavour? Do you actively seek out people with other perspectives or different ideas?
I am still digesting Steven Pressfield's the War of Art as I work to be a habit of creating and defeating "Resistance".
In "the War" he asserts that what you create is not yours but a gift from the gods (some higher power or inspiration), that it is external to us and that we are a medium for it to the earth. Where many people feel the sharing of work—be it art or an invention or new business— is the search for acceptance, reward or validation, he posits it is to fulfil the responsibility to bring it out of the ether and give it its rightful place in the world.
I don't necessarily agree that our creations—or the whisper of what becomes our creation, is from an external source but do know that it doesn't truly exist until it's reached beyond your own space and has been experienced by others. I do agree that to create something and not share is to not complete the process. Those who fear sharing their work to make it whole are still fighting "Resistance" and need to work through it and not fall victim to it's limiting force.
I've found in a short while, doing the work, becoming fearless of or ignoring resistance has freed me to create more and it has positively affected my professional work as a Marketer. The reward for me now is that accessing flow is less effort and I am getting more done. If that flow comes from the muse or an outside source so be it; but it comes to me and more easily each day so long as I do the act of the work.
In the last month I've been focused away from social media on work projects. While I never mind missing things, I do gain a lot of inspiration and new ideas from many of the people I follow and those they follow and share. On the relationship side, I think it's important to be there and share and exchange too. I built up a following of some cool people who obviously appreciate some of what I share but my absence and infrequency will certainly have them forget they followed me in the first place and then it appears I am just a random stranger rather than someone they like to hear from regularly and make a part of their daily or weekly life.
Like blogging or email marketing, the aim should be to groove into the habit to publish and allow people to make you part of their habit to read, consume or interact with. The familiarity being and having a social habit just might turn into a real relationship.
I constantly struggle with getting things done. For all sorts of reasons, I never even start and certainly don't finish. We all suffer the ebbs and flows of Resistance (as Pressfield refers to the evil force that stops us from moving forward) and once we are enveloped its undertow you're dragged down further until you can no longer breathe. I am up for air and I hope this video brings you up for air.
