Click on the picture below and it will open in YouTube.
Now it’s your turn…
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Evoenix:Edits
A Time for Firsts, Never Ends
It’s that time of year, for a mid-year review. And so far I have learned there is always a first time for everything.
2020 will now be forever referred to as – The Year of the FFT.
For followers of Brené brown, you’ll know about FFTs. It means F’ing First Time and comes into effect when you experience something for the first time, realise it’s a first for you and accept you might not have all the knowledge, skills and courage to get through it. It’s an awkward and messy moment of learning.
I started the year with my moving my grandmother into my home because she has dementia and was not coping on her own. I also started my first business and attended my first Vision Board class. It still sits on my desk and as I look at it I realise, for the first time I actually set my intensions for the year.
In setting those intensions, I began a multitude of workshops so that I could hone my skills and continue the learning. Attending the first Akimbo Real Skills online conference. The first The Long and The Short Of It online Learning Lab. The first Akimbo Creatives Workshop, that lead to the first Akimbo Writing in Community and my first time on the Story Skills Workshop. All because I am writing my first novel. I was gaining so much knowledge and clarity that I felt the confidence to publish my first vlog on YouTube and gave my first podcast interview for the Quarantine Phone Calls series.
For the first time I really… really , appreciated my Mum for all she does and has done for us.
For the first time I had to really stop to consider thoughts, feelings and actions: Why do we do what we do?
We needed to change the way we shopped for food at the supermarket. We had to stay home and were unable to make choices that we wanted to make about where we went and what we did for fun. We did not get to see our friends and family or go to concerts. For the first time, we did not get to choose.
For the first time we are reading books about racism and watching documentaries. Stopping to hear the voices and listen to their story.
For the first time, we are considering whether we are spending our time and energy on purposeful and meaningful activities. And reconsidering our political and economic choices. Even though there does not appear to be much to choose from, it is a choice nonetheless. And now we are asking – might there be another way, one we don’t know of, one we have not yet considered?
First are tough… really F’ing tough. They are a first for a reason and they are there to remind you – you do not have it all figured out and things can be better. Because if things were already better, you would have done it already.
So, rather than wait for the firsts to find us, how might we actively seek them out? Go in search of something new, a thought, an idea, a feeling, a place or a person. And if you are feeling stuck, might it be you are skirting round a first, because you fear the vulnerability of looking and feeling awkward and uncomfortable.
Now it’s your turn…
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Creative Calling No. 6 – Test Test Test
Here is this weeks video about trying new things and ways of working.
Now it’s your turn…
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Always be up to something…
I have been doing lots of writing and creating lately… I must have more time to spare!
And in doing so I have noticed, I am getting quicker at a few things. Typing. Reading. Conversation. Information recall. And what has been most surprising is that I am getting better at starting.
There is less procrastination and general dillydallying and faffing. You can think about doing something, and just go do it.
But why is that?
My theory is, that the more things you start, the better at starting you get. I have a few projects on the go right now. Not so much that I am overwhelmed, just enough to keep me interested. And those things are things I am passionate about. I get excited to start them and keep working at them. It is very fulfilling and the better I get, the more I want to do.
And by testing different ways of working, you’ll not be finding what works. No, it is to keep you in the discomfort zone.
And by getting comfortable with the discomfort zone, makes it easier to start.
Sure, that’s just the beginning and there will be other speed bumps along the way. And that’s ok, because at least you know you can start and that’s 20% of the battle.
Now it’s your turn…
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Creative Calling No.5 – Confessions
New game. Are you ass-ing enough?
What are you assuming? Based on your world view and what you think you know.
How might you assert? Put yourself in their shoes and consider other possibilities based on what you don’t know.
How assured are you?. Find out how correct or how wrong your assertions are to adjust course and bearing.
Your genuine interest and curiosity might be welcomed by someone who spends their life being misunderstood because of assumptions.
Now it’s your turn…
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There are two sides to every story, and then there is the truth.
The Media has always picked a side. Then we go and create social media and give every person on the plant a platform for their own personalised brand of journalism.
I am, more than ever before, becoming aware of the manipulations and limitations of the media – in all its forms. Because we never see the whole picture and the vital context might often be obscured.
Particularly the short posts. I would assert these have been created in haste and not fully researched. A quick post and a re-post can be done at warp speed and without consideration or intention.
But, it’s not all bad. Social Media has its merits and has been a force to create change and raise awareness. So, how might you allow social media to guide you to a place of enrichment and enlightenment? How might you find other sources of information?
May I offer this suggestion. Start by following the story through: find the beginning, engage with the middle and see the end change.
It’s all too easy to see a post, think it makes sense and adopt a posture of agreement.
It’s far more time consuming and takes emotional labour to see a post, make assertions, challenge those assertions, do the work of making a new discovery and then deciding if it something you can believe in and commit to standing beside.
In the long run, it might well be – time well spent. Because in the end, the voices once drowned out by mediocrity can be amplified. Many individual voices spoken in unison creates a thunderous ripple difficult to ignore.
#BlackLivesMatter
Anti-Racist Resource Guide I did not realise it was raining and I was soaked through, until I was handed this umbrella. Thank you.
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Creative Calling Ep3 – Love for Change
Non-Novel Writing Wednesday’s
Last week I decided Wednesday’s were not a good day for writing, I end up doing other mid-week activities, I am tired and the writing does not get done. So, as an experiment, and to avoid giving myself too much of a hard time, Wednesday’s would be a non-novel writing day.
And the first Wednesday I tested this out was no exception and proved the rule – It was manic today.
A few months ago at the start of all the covid-craziness, choices were not hard – If I said “yes” to a call, I was saying “no” to… well, nothingness. Simples.
In fact, so simples, that I ended up doing too many zoom calls because I was inadvertently filling the void lockdown had created.
“Action is the antidote to anxiety” (Scott Perry, Creative on Purpose). However, I learned very quickly it’s easy to mistake all that action for productivity. I would caveat the statement with – “Purposeful Action…”
And so my behaviour changed towards the actions I was taking. Before saying “yes” to something, I would ask myself, “What is the really for?”
If it was to merely fill a void – it was a no.
If it served to help me grow and interact with other people who needed my help – it was hell yeah!!!
But today was different because it was scuppered by circumstances outside of my control and I was unable to meet a promise I had made to attend a call.
Previously, a failure to attend some calls has been due to the loose / informal agreement to attend or I simply decided I did not want to go. But today I was unable to attend and it was not because I decided. Which has been a rare occurrence in recent months.
I might add, this is also the first day of the tentative lifting of the lockdown restrictions and already… old habits of running around like a headless chicken have returned with a vengeance, it seems.
I was sad about not making the call and missed the interaction with the group that has become somewhat of a good habit. My dog groomer was running late… which made me late. And I was faffing about getting the dogs while the call was happening and sent a quick message to let them know I would be absent.
Then I almost missed the next call I was booked to attend. This one had even more consequences, and not just for me. I had promised to attend the inaugural zoom for a new Nourishment Circle organised by a friend, I knew she was nervous and wanted me to be there. If I wasn’t, I would have let her down.
And even though the circumstance were outside of my control, I had to find a way.
As the call would be starting while I was driving. I considered, how could I still be there – to listen and talk, whilst maintaining safety?
My mother was a passenger and did the necessaries on the phone and my phone has CarPlay so would be handsfree with some basic zoom functions appearing on the dashboard screen (that was a new learning point as I did not realise it would do that). I also kept the video off so not to distract others and the mute on to prevent driving noise. They also knew I was driving which explained my lack of video.
Plan B – Had my mother not been with me, I could have dialled into the call before I started driving and been there ready for the start or pulled over in a safe place.
This also allowed me the time to get to my destination and finish the call with video and meet everyone properly.
The dilemma here was not whether I should attend the call or not.
It was whether the circumstance I had available to me would be enough for the group to still feel like I was present.
It was. The call was great and we are meeting again.
In recent weeks I have heard – “I / We can’t…”
And then a situation forces you to think of possible solutions. I had hoped this approach would stick…
And now the situation dictates, changes are once again afoot. And lots of sentences uttered have begun with those words – I can’t…, without the purposeful follow up.
Think of it like this:
I can’t do X…Y…Z… (the blockers)
But I can do A…B…C… (the enablers)
So I will then do 1…2…3… Let’s GoGoGo!!! (the actions)
As a side note. I can’t be cross, my groomer has only just reopened and she’s getting to grips with new ways of working and she’s back to working solo as there’s not enough space to have her assistant help her.
Sounds to me like a lady who has looked at her “can” options and is courageously testing her “will”.
And now my fur babies are all beautiful and trim.
Unlike their mummy, who is in desperate need of a cut and highlights and will happily wait that one out, until the time is right and safe.
Now it’s your turn…
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Abbie Pierce 