During January, I undertook a week of self-directed study, a kind of sabbatical, to help refine the course of my creative practice. It was fantastic and something I highly recommend everyone does, whether regularly, annually or when the need arises.
The catalyst for this was a conversation I had late last year with Kevin Finn, branding strategist and design thinker from TheSumOf. We talked about why we enjoy certain projects more than others, what drives us to keep working in our respective practices and most importantly, what really fuels the fire in our bellies. We distilled this down to the sincere desire to make everything we do meaningful. To seek out and accept projects that, for us, are meaningful because of their intention and timing. To foster and nurture meaningful relationships that are deep, long lasting and collaborative. And, to undertake work that has meaning and usefulness for the wider community.
I used several tools to help unpack this question of ‘what is meaningful to me?’, reflecting on my practice and how to take it from where it currently is, to where I want it to go. This process helped renew my motivation to move forward, to continue challenging myself and to aim higher. And, by thinking deeply about why I do what I do, I was able to finally define my purpose: To use my creativity and empathy to help others feel connected and inspired to create a better world.
Defining this has given me the authority to do the projects that really matter to me, the projects I believe will have the most genuine and positive impact. My purpose is at the core of what I do and why I am here and articulates it with a deeply considered voice. It’s as though the road I am now going down is more direct, like a runway…