I’ve been on a week long break from my creative production and that ends today with this newsletter. For the past six months, I have been pushing my creativity out into the world. Most of my creative projects are centered around Authentic Personal Development. You can find my creative output in the form of blog posts and videos here at this newsletter, on Instagram, or on YouTube.
So why the break? I just felt out of gas. I normally write or publish videos on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. In between my creative projects, I work a full-time job as a Home Inspector. (Depending on how you look at it, you could say that in between my job I work on my creative output.)
There’s only so much pushing that can happen until you reach a ceiling. Sometimes it’s good to push through that ceiling—especially if you’re new in business. Because above the ceiling is the nice reward of creative flow and output. It’s easy to mistake discomfort with burnout and overwhelm when your new. With consistency, calibration, and gentle pushing, however, you will soon learn the difference.
In my case, I was exhausted. So I put the pen down and informed my Muse that I needed a break. I didn’t check any social media or participate in FB group chats. I didn’t capture any ideas or think about my next blog posts or income producing projects. I totally detached from this work and decided to pick it back up in a week or so. If my creative work was more of a business, which it’s not yet, I would have planned for a break so that the business could have ran smoothly while I took time off.
Yesterday, on my last day off, I spent some time in reflection. There are a couple of insights and valuable lessons that I learned from six months of consistent creative output.
1. Consistency leads to quality.
A lot of newbies—including myself—get this one backwards and go for quality over quantity. We invest weeks or months trying to create a great piece of art or the ultimate blog post and then one or two things happen: 1) we don’t finish, or 2) no one views or reads our work.
Your goal is to publish and to publish a lot. You will learn so much more with consistent publishing. Because when your new, you just don’t know what will resonate with your audience. It’s better to be consistent and a bit sloppy rather than inconsistent and thorough. Get on a schedule and stick with it. Take a creative break, like what I did, when needed.
2. Be lenient about the results
You can’t control the results. It’s elegant to think that way, but truth-be-told any result is completely out of your control. Let go of trying to get results and focus on refining your process. Work on what you can control—your skills, your commitment, your consistency, etc.—and let the results naturally occur. Your results will improve with consistent creative production. Be strict about showing up and lenient about the results.
When you practice consistency and leniency, your creative Muse will appreciate it and you’ll enjoy the results that come from your creative output.
I trust that you enjoyed this newsletter and received value from it. Feel free to reach out with any questions or let me know what you think. You can reply to the email or leave a comment.
My best posts from the month…
1. Just Do the Damn Thing
Many opportunities and potential love, happiness, and adventure are lost to indecision. Just do the damn thing.
2. What is Authentic Personal Development?
I have been engaged in personal development for over 15 years. There is a ton of bullshit in this field, but I have found legit wisdom and care, too—it’s just a bit harder to find. One thing that I have realized is that our personal development journey can’t be entirely “personal.” It’s so much more than fulfilling our desires. So here’s what I think is authentic and needed in this field.
Read the “cut sheet” on Instagram
3. The Three Rings of Desire
How to thoughtfully align your desires to receive fulfillment and contribute to life.
Read the slideshow on Instagram
What do you want to learn more of?
What personal development topics are you interested in learning more about? My intention with this community and my body of work is for it to be a co-creative experience. I want to create content that’s in alignment with your interests. This is what makes it enjoyable :)
Comment on this post or reply via email and let me know what you’re interested in. If you have a nagging issue that you want solved, let me know what the problem is and maybe I can help.
Cheers!