Part V - Curiosity, Creativity and Community: A Mini Blog Series
We've come a long way together. From being lost and spinning, to digging deep to create this beautiful roadmap to living a life of purpose - to better understanding what it means to life courageously and gratuitously to cultivate an abundant life - it's been a wild ride.
I hope you've enjoyed the journey - as we come to the final part of my Dharma - or life purpose - to live a life of curiosity, creativity and community. Of all of the things in the world I could have picked to be a part of my life vision - why these three?
What makes these special?
Allow me to explain:
The Power of Curiosity
If you've been following this series - I've mentioned curiosity - a LOT.
To me - curiosity is power in many ways:
1. Reframes Challenge Statements to Opportunities for Exploration.
First - exercising curiosity allows me to reframe just about any situation or mindset. Using questions to be playful allows for a courageous power to go from "I can't" or "I will" to "what would happen if I did this?" "What could it look like if I accomplished that?"
2. Reduces Rigid Expectations and Worry by Allowing for Adventurous Attitudes
It also allows us to set fluid expectations - reducing disappointment and panic when things don't fit into the rigid picture we often paint for ourselves. (Speaking from personal experience here.)
During my Envision Transformation 200 YTT – I spent a lot of time processing what my future life could look like – and then sitting with it to evaluate how authentic or true it felt to me. What was the motivation behind this future? Are these visions a product of my true passions or something fancy I saw on Instagram?
Instead of planning my life, I simply allowed myself to be curious for the first time since childhood.
3. Allows the Mind to Play without Over-committing
I'm a big picture, big ideas kind of woman. While I love the abundance of creativity and larger-than-life mindset - my biggest struggle to date comes from wanting to give each of these big ideas the chance they deserve to become real. The problem comes when I then abandon my current project (or projects) to start on the new ideas. As a result – I am often left frustrated, overwhelmed and unaccomplished, which isn’t fair to me or my ideas. Because some of them are really good.
In order to give myself the space and clarity to acknowledge these ideas and to process which ones I will pursue, I can reframe using curiosity. For example, instead of saying "I have this idea - I'm going to do it," I begin to ask myself a series of questions such as:
“What would happen if I did this? Why do I want to do this? What will it take to get there? What does the process look like? Is that something I have time/energy/headspace for right now? Can it wait? What does it look like if I simply acknowledge the idea and then let it go?”
By doing this - I can stay focused on one thing at a time, and thereby creating more depth in the work I do choose to pursue because it's intentional versus haphazardly thrown at the wall.
I've been currently working on a community photojournalism project called 16 Stories - and in one of the interviews this quote emerged,
"It takes courage to let your ideas go for the sake of accomplishing a single goal... a lot of courage."
So, in order to combat idea overload - I carry an ideas journal with me – where I allow myself to acknowledge and document ideas, I have for things such as:
Books and characters
Business ventures
Trips and travels
New skills I want to learn
Movies and documentaries I want to film
That new diet or trend I want to try
By documenting them, I respect the ideas as they are, and then I can exercise curiosity to determine what happens to them.
It is through curiosity I can reframe challenge statements as playful opportunities, reduce disappointment through creating fluid expectations, and by creating authentic and meaningful work by prioritizing ideas and dreams.
It takes a lot of courage to let ideas go to pursue a single goal, but that’s why courage and curiosity are so critical and have been rooted into my vision statement. They allow for the creation of deep and meaningful ideas and experiences – not just quick, shallow flashy vanity pieces.
the power of Creativity
If curiosity is the peanut butter, then creativity is the jam.
As a kid - I was always doing 'creative' things - writing stories, painting murals on my wall, composing music. But as I've gotten older - I've recognized that creativity has evolved and looks a bit different in my life. Creativity isn't synonymous to 'artistic' - though I've found this is a common association. To me - creativity is the ability to see things differently; it's solving problems and finding unique solutions.
Artists create solutions to emotional expression. Electrical engineers create solutions for energy sustainability. Philanthropists create solutions for socioethnographic challenges.
So how does one become creative? Just like everything else - practice. It's not an inherent gift (apart from a small handful) - it's a skill that requires daily practice and nurturing, and it' a skill that can be improved with time and effort.
Here are some basic ways I keep myself in a creative mindset:
1. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
Creativity comes from a place of being uncomfortable, but not unsafe. So, throwing myself in new environments - seeing new places, meeting new people. It comes from thinking differently and challenging the status quo. So naturally - creative work will turn heads and elicit reactions, either good or bad. It's in our nature as humans to blend in, but when we think differently, we stand out. It's only natural to feel uncomfortable. But if we're turning heads - that means we're doing something right.
2. Stay Inspired
I particularly feel inspired while watching someone talk about or execute a craft they feel strongly about. Sharing passionate energy is by far the most inspiring - so I do my best to surround myself with those who are absolutely jazzed about they do - even if it's something I don't have a ton of interest in. Even if it's just watching a documentary - or a show like Chef's Table - seeing how honestly and enthusiastically these artisans pour themselves into their craft raises the bar and makes me want to work hard and be more authentic with my own work.
3. Vulnerability is key
Creating is one thing - but sharing with the world? That takes a lot of courage and risk. But it is this vulnerability that makes creativity and art so powerful - we take the filter off and share an authentic voice to the wild. We are thinking differently and expecting a status quo world to critique solutions and perspectives they've ever seen before. The secret to vulnerability? Having a strong community around you to support your while you throw yourself out to the wider world. It's that safe space and that trust that really allows us to exercise our best and most creative selves - which is why community is the final pillar in my life's vision statement.
the power of Community
I've always been a bit of a wanderer. Though I've grown up in the same town - I was never able to find my niche group of people - my tribe. I had this preconceived notion that in order to feel supported or safe - I had to belong to a large group of people and they needed to be glamorous and now how to have a great party.
Fast-forward several years and a maturity growth spurt, I've concluded that having a community doesn't mean having a big group of people you're involved with. In act - size has very little to do with community.
It's all about finding people we can connect with in one way or another, and you can share different pieces of yourself to grow connections, build trust and feel safe enough to be vulnerable. One's community should inspire courage and creativity by cultivating security - and that comes from meaningful connection and relationship building over time. Communities are intentional investments.
When we were younger - we didn't really get to choose our communities - they were chosen for us by our parents and circumstances. But was we get older - we get the power to choose the kind of energies we want to be surrounded by and then have the responsibility to seek it out and grow it.
We can have different communities for different parts of our lives - and it's through this differentiation that allows us to grow a dynamic and multi-dimensional human. But what ties us all together is vulnerability and making authentic connections to create an environment for evolution and growth. This brings me back to the quote from my first post (if you missed it - check it out here!):
"You cannot evolve if you are consistently in survival mode."
Community creates the environment ideal for creativity, curiosity and courage - and therefore creates the opportunity for living out our best selves.
As an introvert – I've struggled with connecting with others. However, a strong community is something I've always craved but always felt was out of my reach. Now, realizing I am in control of who I choose to spend my time with, I get to exercise curiosity while I learn how to be uncomfortable in the early stages of creating meaningful connections. Through art, yoga and a variety of other interests, I am slowly beginning to find ways to make those meaningful connections one awkward conversation at a time - and in return, I'm able to see the communities, as green as they are, come together in some beautiful and very unexpected ways.
Living my Dharma
So what does a life of curiosity, creativity and community look like? Here are just a few examples of ways I've been living my Dharma since returning home from my 200 YTT with the Kula Collective:
1. Embarked on a multi-media photojournalism project called 16 Stories to better understand and create meaningful connections with the female community. The project involved interviewing and photographing over 30+ women across North America, discussing challenges, narratives and purpose in an age of uncertainty. I had to be curious, courageous and creative as I reached out and began to shape the stories they all so confidently entrusted me with. The project is expected to be published on multiple platforms on October 24th, 2019. (Check it out here!)
2. Instead of taking off to a new location - I put down some roots in Northeast Ohio to better grow my own community. Shortly after deciding to stay still after years of bouncing from town to town, I joined a yoga studio designed around building a meaningful community for women in the area. I have begun to build meaningful and supportive relationships with the women I teach with and continue to grow my practice feeling supported to embark on new initiatives.
3. I have begun to explore new career alternatives, courageously embarking on an entrepreneurial endeavor after years working a corporate job. I am courageously and creatively
4. Through curiosity and courage - and with the help of my community - I have finally finished writing my first book, Snack on That: Bite Sized Insights for Surviving, Thriving and Good-timing as a Modern Working Woman. This had been a goal of mine for the longest time - and after writing and re-writing at least 4 different times - I've been able to cultivate enough time and energy to get it done.
There are so many more ways I've been able to apply my vision statement - and I wish I could share them all with you (next book idea?). But for now, I hope you're beginning to see the power of having a vision and purpose for the life you want to live.
Here's to Evolutions, not Conclusions.
Was the Kula Collective Envision Transformation transformational? I don’t know if I can say my true Self changed. I was the same person when I left as I was when I got there. I wasn’t broken. I wasn’t in need of healing. But I needed a space free from the modern noise to allow for the pieces I have spent years creating – to fall into place. The time I spent to the Kula Collective allowed for focus and clarity to uncover my true under the existing narratives I had created for myself.
Because without focus – we don’t need to hold ourselves accountable for the way in which we live your life. We can do whatever, have whatever habits, change from one thing to another – but without focus – without that home base – it’s easy to get lost within one’s self and be busy without moving forward.
With the gentle guidance of the Kula Collective, the Personal Flow Design– and the beautiful women who surrounded me on my journey – I have been able to create a path for myself to lead a wholesome and authentic life without strict to-do lists. I have a north star – for the unknown road ahead of me and I will walk along my path with the utmost confidence that my most authentic Self is in control.
Now, does this mean I have solved all my inefficiencies? Insecurities? Problems?
Nope.
I will still be awful at following up to your e-mail and will continue to suck at planning ahead or buying groceries. I will still be terrified at the notion of asking the cute barista at the counter for her number. But I will be able to confidently say I am living my most authentic life and when I’m unsure – I can always come back to my vision and explore my Dharma.
And I do look forward to the day when it begins to shift and evolve with me. But until then, I will continue to live courageously and gratuitously, cultivating an abundant life of curiosity creativity and community.
And that is a life worth living.
Cheers,
Kate
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Learn to cultivate more curiosity, creativity and community in your life in one of our upcoming trainings!
About Kate:
Kate Powell is an experience strategist and people researcher by day and a multi-media storyteller by night and weekend. She thrives in creative environments while studying human behavior and motivational theory to shine light on authentic connection across communities.
Her preferred mediums are blogs, photography and film, and is currently working on a handful of projects exploring the causes of mental, emotional and social strains across the modern age. Her goal is to empower solutions in ways that don't bore people to tears. In her free time, she teaches yoga at her community wellness studio and is finalizing the manuscript for her first book, Snack on That.
You can check out her work/stalk her here.