Why do we want to be rock star creatives?
Because they’re the ones who spark revolutions, change paradigms, and leave their thumbprint on humanity.
It may be on a global scale, it may be through a tiny boutique company, but the rock star creatives are the trendsetters dropping masterpieces that reach through the screen and grab your heart, eyeballs, and yes, even your wallet.
It’s why we put down our money, time, and energy for curated brands and experiences that give us a place to belong, a crew to rock with, and a mission to live by.
Rock star creatives know their Zones of Genius and keep going deeper into their expertise to deliver the twists and turns of original ideas only they can come up with.
Becoming a rock star creative is about knowing what moves you deeply, what makes you want to leap up on stage with a megaphone in hand and a message in your heart, what you’ll willingly stay up at night to express and refine and ship.
What’s that for you?
I find myself focusing on creativity, joy, and wellbeing because I’m at my best when I’m creative, enthused about my life and work, and happy in my spirit.
I’m discovering it’s important to nurture my creativity because it nurtures my joy, which nurtures my wellbeing, which sets my life on fire.
And when my life is on fire, I’m more present and connected to my relationships, my work, and my environment.
I feel inspired to show up fully, to do my part and contribute to the world around me.
I sow my seeds in preparation of harvest, and I set up positive practices that see me through tough times.
It’s a dynamic, ever-evolving process, and when I neglect it, I end up in stasis for weeks or months at a time, drifting aimlessly through each day and letting my precious time slip away from me.
When I stick to what works for me, I find my own rocket fuel specially blended to blast me into the stratosphere and keep me on top of my game.
It’s up to me to seek it out, to show up every day ready to do my best work and surge forward even if I’m not brimming with spit-fire enthusiam and inspiration.
Waiting to be inspired breeds inconsistency, but putting in the practice breeds a strong work ethic that fosters inspiration and lets you make new connections between the disparate elements in your mind and in the minds of the people you come in contact with.
The more you polish your ideas and the process to act on them, the more connections you make to create something or a series of somethings infused with your rock star energy, wit, and brilliance.
The masters are the unmistakable ones, and becoming unmistakable is stamping your excellence and personality on everything you do.
The deeper you go into your personal brand of communication and creativity, the clearer and brighter your work becomes, and the more fulfilled you feel because you’re working in your sweet spot and dominating that space.
I know you know this, but I’ll say it anyway:
Consistent practice is the only way to grow and excel.
Yes you know it, but do you practise it?
If you don’t, then there’s a disconnect between what you know and what you believe.
The tension you feel is from the disconnect; bridge the gap and surge forward. You can’t plug your leaky holes if you don’t know what or where they are!
Take a good look at what is and isn’t working so you can tweak your processes and cut the fat.
You can’t do your best work with junk weighing you down.
Ever seen a rock star creative without a watertight routine that yields explosive results?
Yeah, me neither.
Excellence requires discipline, you guys!
Why don’t we want to be straggler creatives?
They’re the inconsistent souls who never tap their full potential because they’re waiting for thunderbolts of inspiration to hit before they get to work.
I’m speaking as a reformed straggler so I know what I’m talking about!
All you have to do is scroll through my archives to see how spotty my writing has been for way too long, and you’ll see that there hasn’t been much growth because I haven’t shown up enough, you guys.
There’ve been reasons for that, but going forward, I’m deciding on something different.
And that’s the major difference between rock stars and stragglers:
The rock star shows up no matter what, and the straggler is swayed by moods, circumstances, and whatever else gets in the way of their stellar work.
I’ll be the first to admit that every day can’t be the same and productivity levels do fluctuate, but at the same time, each new day is the chance to create something to bring you closer to your next masterpiece, breakthrough, or zenith.
Do you really want to sacrifice that opportunity for greatness because of how you feel in the moment or what’s going on in your life?
This isn’t about making yourself feel bad for what you haven’t done or comparing your life and work to anyone else’s.
It’s simply getting honest about what’s holding you back from being a rock star creative right now, and what tiny, sustainable actions you can take to switch it up.
Why tiny, sustainable actions?
Because you can’t rush true growth and you have to pace yourself.
Lay a solid foundation brick by brick so you’re grounded and have a launchpad for greatness you can use at will.
Be gentle with yourself; overwhelm is real, and when it comes, it simply means you’re trying to do too much too fast.
Slow down and absorb your life lessons so you can truly apply them and witness the difference they make.
Choose your starting point and move forward every day with an action plan that meets your needs, not a to-do list that keeps you busy but doesn’t actually propel you or help you grow.
If you feel stuck in the muck, maybe you’re trying to do too many things at the same time.
Jeff Goins wrote about his writing struggles and how breaking up his process into 3 simple steps lit his fire, established a productive workflow, and got him out of his own way.
When you simplify your process so you can truly focus on each step, you embark on the journey from straggler to rock star, and if you stay focused, you grow into the rock star creative slumbering deep within you.
Isn’t it time to meet her?
This post is as much a call to action for me as it is for you.
I realised I didn’t want to keep struggling as a straggler, and I didn’t want to wake up months from today and still be in the same place I’m in right now.
Believe me when I say it’s disheartening!
If you’re reading this and you know you need to change your creativity practice, take heart and know you’re not alone.
Focus on one thing at a time and commit to stepping your game up.
As long as you’re breathing, there’s room to grow and excel.
Make this moment count and keep making each moment count.
It doesn’t matter whether you crawl, walk, run, leap, or soar as long as you keep moving. Keep moving no matter what.
Momentum comes with daily practice, not thinking about it or wishing you could do it.
Why is it imperative you change?
Write it down and put it where you can see it every day.
Let it propel you forward when you’re discouraged, distracted, or facing down a brick wall.
There is no finish line, only your journey deeper into your sweet spot and the calling(s) awaiting you there.
The rock stars gird their loins and surge forth undaunted, and the stragglers fall off the wagon so much they never make any real progress.
Makes the latter rather unattractive, doesn’t it?
Will you be the rock star creative or the straggler?
I choose to be a rock star creative today and every day.
Who’s with me?
Image credit: Pixabay
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