Ambition in Creatives in a Time of Crisis

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First I would like to give a little background. It is no secret that this blog has had a few iterations. You only have to look at the archives to discover that. The primary consistency, though, has been the theme of creativity. Whether mine or yours or both is irrelevant.

What is relevant is that I am going to pivot again. I had narrowed down to talking only about crochet. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I do more than that. If you recall, I am also a writer. I am bringing that back to the blog. This would have happened if there wasn’t a global pandemic going on right now, though that did rush it along a bit.

To that end, I often read books about business and professional development, whether or not they relate directly to writing. This book is one of those.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087TUM54/ref=cm_sw_r_apI started reading a new book a few days ago. Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield. There’s an interesting passage that I think pretty well describes where I’ve been over the last few years. First the quote, then I’ll explain more.

“Ambition, I have come to believe, is the most primal and sacred fundament of our being. To feel ambition and to act upon it is to embrace the unique calling of our souls. Not to act upon that ambition is to turn our backs on ourselves and on the reason for our existence.”

Steven Pressfield, Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work

For the past few years in Wound Care (it will be six in July), I didn’t care. I was too intent on getting my leg(s) well. As I started to feel better, I started getting my ambition back, but I felt lost. And that’s when I saw an ad for The Planathon with Amber McCue. (This was in September/October 2018.)

Since then, I’ve developed plans to put that ambition in action. And I’ve learned what doesn’t work for me along the way. I feel like I’m finally in the right lane and actually driving the right car. So this year and next should start generating results.

Instead of focusing on just one seat (crochet), I’m focusing on the whole car (crochet, writing, and creativity).

The passage above spoke to me/called me out for several reasons.

I think sometimes ignoring our ambition isn’t necessarily a choice as it is a matter of survival. We often get bogged down and trapped in depression and anxiety during the process.

I’m not saying that we don’t deal with anxiety and depression if/when we follow our ambition. Goodness knows I have (and am). But we don’t stay trapped by it, necessarily.

That’s what I’m doing and what I’m encouraging you to do. Acknowledge your ambition and step out of the trap. I fully understand that sometimes it requires help to do that.

That’s okay. Just don’t deprive yourself of the life you want to live because you’re scared to do it or feel trapped for whatever reason.

If you want to continue the conversation, leave a comment below or send a message via the contact page. I’d like to hear from you.

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