Are you waiting or creating?
How to get out of the ultimate quandary / Issue 1,168
Oh, hi friends!
Are you waiting or creating?
Gatekeepers and green lights aren't the answer—you have to save yourself.
Instead of creating, we wait. Instead of declaring, we wait. Instead of adapting, we wait. Because of some small, far-away chance that we might be chosen—maybe that client calls or that assignment is approved or that HR manager remembers you exist—we keep a wide-open calendar.
Hey everyone, we say. Can't you see I'm completely available?
But there’s another way to work.
I wrote about three steps to spark your creating again in a new essay for Lens.
Here’s a cheat sheet to stop the waiting (but I would love it if you had a moment to read the piece):
1. You Must Believe You're in Charge of Filling Your Days
2. You're No Longer Allowed to Make Leaps of Logic
3. You Must Replace Refreshing With Building
Because in the words of filmmaker Mark Duplass, "the cavalry isn't coming."
And the gatekeepers are probably napping.
And the promised land you hoped to find—the one full of stability, praise, and instant success—isn't a place you arrive.
The promised land is the place you already are, the one brimming with endless potential, the one where you're in charge.
So DO NOT DELAY.
Start CREATING.
As soon as you possibly can.
(She says, in a soothing tone of voice…)
Because there is so much to do and see.
I agree. This a great reminder to keep going no matter what expectations or goals you have set for yourself in this moment. As long as you put in the persistent practice, opportunities will arrive almost effortlessly. And if they don’t, well, at least you can say that you are really really good at your craft!
So much goodness here again, Kara. The timing of your words has been impeccable, and they are reasonating and motivating me deeply. For example, I have been waiting for that HR manager to remember I exist and offer me a position for 6+ months now. So I am energetically moving on and starting to make moves...and trying to reframe icky tasks like resume-building as creative. :) Thank you so much for the inspiration, again!
I also adored this poignant reminder - "And the promised land you hoped to find—the one full of stability, praise, and instant success—isn't a place you arrive. The promised land is the place you already are, the one brimming with endless potential, the one where you're in charge."
♥ ♥ ♥