Are you dreaming too small?
Slay the dragon within
The ego holding you in
What you want
What you believe
What you can do
What you think you love
What you regard as the aim of your life …
… might be too small
Are you doing what the environment around you is telling you to do?
Listen to Joseph Campbell and “Follow Your Bliss”
Do from enjoyment
When you let go and neither push nor pull,
what do you find yourself doing?
Replies7
- @Josh Hester It's the most healing part for sure!Find your sweet spot, do your thing and remove any attachment or expectation towards it!For me, writing is one of my playgrounds as well, I understand that feeling. I have been writing for years but never really put my hands into writing. Last year I started writing my blog and my Substack letter and for me, it's the best training for a bigger book project. It's quite refreshing all the ideas and hunches I have for each issue but also projects for my studio shop.Just a thought what prevents you from creating your studio? Why dissociate your experimental endeavours from a studio of your own that will inhabit those values you are working on? I wonder what is your definition of ''owning a studio''?
- @Keva Epale really getting in touch with the part of me that writes all the time and writes about what I’ve been through. I have a goal in mind with it but I’m not focusing on it too much just want to write and see where it goes. And it’s been the most fulfilling thing so far, way more fulfilling than chasing this future fantasy hope of owning a studio. What about you?
- @Josh Hester I totally resonate. The letting go of our dear darlings (projects, dreams, situations etc...) is the hardest part. Sometimes we think we did the work but it's deeper. Creating from what we truly desire and want, aligning it towards balance in all areas of our lives is the true gift. As we gain confidence because we know more who we are, I guess it get's easier but not less difficult. Our dreams are also paved with a level of challenges we have to be able to cope with!What is your current aligned project you are working on?
- @Keva Epale very similar with what I dreamed of in the past years, started a magazine worked so hard to make it work and it became so much a part of my identity that when it came time to let it go it felt I was losing a part of myself, then without even realising I was working towards the goal of having my own studio because in my head I thought this would bring we the value and worth I craved and felt I didn’t have. But when I stopped and just asked myself why I wanted this I realised it was for external reasons and not what the person within actually needed. Letting go of all those desires helped so much and freed me of the guilt that I hadn’t achieved them. Now it’s open space in my life to just be who I am and work through the process of just creating what actually means something to me. Thank you.
- @Josh Hester Nice prompt and motivation for creatives!I believe creating following ease, play and intuition can lead to bliss.Creatives have a superpower, we can create from and create for. Actually, each dream can be segmented into progress pieces.Earl Nightingale stated ''Success is a progressive realization of a worthy ideal''.Do we dream too small? Maybe it's not the most mindful angle.Why not: do we dream enough and work towards making that dream tangible?Sometimes a dream can lead you to let go of that dream for a better one aligned with a new version of yourself.When I started as a designer years ago, I wanted to own my design studio and even younger have a magazine. Well, funny enough even with the challenges and obstacles I had to overcome on my path in a sense I achieved those. Today I am not focusing solely on design. The dream evolves and can get a sense of bigness due to a strong direction (intuition will guide you to that).Students can create their studios out of school. I have met people who did that and succeeded in creating successful agencies. You can read this ITW and be inspired: https://kevaepalestudio.webflow.io/blog/finding-who-you-truly-are-or-want-to-be-from-the-inside-will-make-your-positioning-adequateObviously, it is a lot of work and it trains you to position yourself, market yourself and have an offer.Whatever we have in mind as long as we take a step towards it can become our reality. Dreaming is the first thing! The most important task is to receive a vision. After that is to plan the vision and be flexible with the plan because it can change.Sometimes you can create your studio as a student and still work within an agency. Both can co-exist! Once you are financially and expertise-wise strong you can pursue building your vision solo. Finding balance is also part of the dream.These are thoughts I would have wanted to receive younger, but even today some resonate. The design field changes fast and the future of the designer is multiple. I believe it is also entrepreneurial.More and more people are in the field and that is a good thing, AI is also, even more, entering the creative process... all those urge us to redefine our dreams.So dream, believe and start taking steps. Especially if people don't get what you want to achieve. They don't need to. There is no small or big dream that is a personal insight, there is only a dream that can become tangible.
- @Paul Jays all i'd say is listen to that part in you more that can see the life you know you can have. be careful who you share your ambitions with. I did recently and it went from a realistic but ambitious dream to a slightly more and more 'realistic' dream and when I shared it I started to take on other peoples fears and dampen how big I wanted to go. Im not saying it will be easy coz i know it will not be at all. But if you can see the reality in your head that your future self can have it is possible but other people will tell you it isnt becuase they couldnt see themselves doing it. make a plan and stop at nothing to bring it into fruition. it will be nearly impossible hard work but thats why most wont do it. uni has a certain culture and belief of what is possible and thats ok but sometimes you have to see past it and do what you know inside you is right for you.
- Is it because we have to live in reality at this time and the dream jobs we want are not there in reality? If they are they are available to a select few and these positions are very limited in number too. We also have to look at the times we live in and how jobs within the creative bubble are being cheapened. Think fivver. People will make a font for £5.00.I know what your thinking and it is great. But most people who leave uni are not in the position to create their dream job or start their studios. Those that are should. There are studios that I would love to work at. One place I was told the owner was a total A-hole. This has made me want to work there more.At Uni I tried to start my studio but was put off by a tutor and others who would say that it was impossible hard work.Plus we have this fake culture war that says you can make money from creativity.
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