My website for my blog launched this week! I've found the process to be really creatively rewarding (working with a coach, photographer, graphic designer and web developer). It got me thinking about the things we do (or don't do) outside of work that get our creative juices flowing.
My colleague Clarisse's personal story is the perfect example of doing something creative outside of work. Clarisse works in our administrative and workplace services team and part of her role involves speaking to many different people within the organization, often at very senior levels, as well as giving numerous talks and presentations. As Clarisse and our team were preparing for a professional women's development event we held last week on "Building and Portraying Confidence," Clarisse told us that she's struggled with a lack of confidence within the workplace. She said she often felt nervous speaking in front of a group and felt like she didn't have anything of interest to contribute to one-on-one conversations. This all changed when she decided to pursue a passion that had fallen by the wayside -- singing.
She started taking singing lessons and started a YouTube channel. You can see (and feel!) Clarisse's joy, sass and spark when she sings. And that flowed through to how she was at work -- she was happier and more vibrant -- she was herself! She found it easier to "network" because now she had something that she loved talking about and people wanted to hear more. She spoke up more often and took charge in presentations. Clarisse is now bursting with self-confidence -- and she found it by nurturing that little spark.
Melissa Cassera calls this the "Swirl Effect" -- that it's by bringing all of the best parts of yourself into your career -- your passions, your guilty pleasures and your professional skills -- that your personal brand shines through and people take notice. And all because you're being your authentic, sparky self.
As I've been reflecting on Clarisse's story I've realized there's so much more nurturing of my own inner sparks to be done. Here are 3 things I'm going to do to get my creative juices flowing:
- Write weekly "book reviews." I read voraciously (2-3 books per week) on a wide variety of topics both fiction and nonfiction. I often incorporate ideas from these books into blog posts, but I can also be lazy and instead of distilling my ideas to gain clarity once I've read something, I just move onto the next book and forget about those ideas. No more!
- Buy a piano -- and play it! I played piano for 9 years when I was a teenager and although I was never very good (I hated practicing all the classical music for exams, blergh) I play a mean "Can You Feel The Love Tonight." Disney songs, here I come!
- I'm starting an 8-week course next month to write and perform my own solo piece at The Marsh, a venue for solo performers in San Francisco. From a young age I was always making up plays, casting my sisters and the neighbor's kids in them, and of course, STARRING in them. I studied drama in high school but I haven't done any acting since. I won't lie -- stepping outside of my comfort zone and doing this stuff is really scary!
I'm sure that at some point you've experienced the igniting of a "spark" that makes you come alive. What can you do to reignite that spark and get back to your juicy self?