It Goes Around
Two and a half years ago I was laid off from the company I’d been working at for over 22 years. It was time. I was ready to go, to take a break from the office, the culture, the work, from myself as a full-time corporate worker.
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At first I thought I was diving straight into building a business - my first time as self-employed. But what I was really focused on for 6 months was figuring out who I was and what I wanted away from what the pre-defined corporate culture had made me into. I wanted joy and creativity and magic in my everyday life. And I found it, I created it, I integrated it. It became easier to recognize who I was and to say out loud what I wanted.
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I spent time with people of my choosing. I lived a daily schedule that allowed me to sleep, to spend time with myself every morning, to carve out large chunks for making many different forms of art, to explore magic and ritual and spend time in nature. And slowly a desire to start building a business, to offer my services and my gifts to others started growing inside me.
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And so I offered some free coaching. Michelle and I offered Creative Connection Practice workshops. I joined a community of business owners learning about creating systems and rhythms in my business. We talked about opportunities, we worked on a business plan, we followed our hearts and let our businesses develop organically.
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As Michelle and I learned more about what we wanted to offer and do, how we wanted to use our gifts in the world, we both decided it was time to pull our individual businesses in under the umbrella of Creative Pathways Studio. We could focus more on growing that business and still run individual initiatives through this one enterprise if needed. Pieces that had felt like separate businesses were starting to move together. We focused on developing our approach and all the ways we could help potential clients.
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This year we have both turned our biggest energy outputs to finding full-time employment. We’ve had to come to terms with what that means for our business and for our dreams and goals. The dream is still there! But realities have to be accepted. And we’re using our creative outlets and approach to do that processing, to make that transition, to help us define ourselves as we search for work. We’re better able to talk about ourselves, what gifts we offer, and how we approach work. And we know that we may land full-time jobs, but we’re still artists, musicians, creatives who want to help others find deeper connections to themselves and the world around them.
Life and creativity are always moving, always turning, always going around. Take a few moments to consider how your own life, your own creativity has gone around over the past month, year, or several years.