Word of the Year: Creative
This year I committed to a Word of the Year, mine is CREATIVE.
After 5 months of using my word of the year, I can honestly say it's been a game changer.
I'm excited to share how having this single word as my guiding star has transformed my experience and opened up new possibilities
At the Intersection of Creativity & Business is my word of the year - CREATIVE
Here is my daily reminder in the form of a bracelet I wear everyday.
Let’s back up a minute, shall we?
Why did I choose the word CREATIVE as my WOTY?
As an eCommerce and Mindset coach, I’ve been seeing a lot of stress and overwhelm in my clients and their magical sparks of creativity and energy are constantly pushed down or drained by the stresses of following marketing trends and chasing sales.
I realized by seeing in it others that the same has been happening to me. I was seeing success in business and leaning into systems, numbers and business growth but my creative side was being ignored. I realized it was going to be up to nurture and give priority to my creative side.
That realization led me to start exploring how Creativity and Business intersect in my life and how it looks for others. I'm finding a path that I didn't expect is opening up in front of me.
Something I've always known, but am now validating is that when we lean into our creativity new and unexpected things happen in our business. I am getting so much joy from my discoveries and want to find the best way to share this with others.
The no rules rule for my WOTY
Once I committed to this word I decided it would mean that I would give my creative, out-of -the-box ideas full freedom to be explored.
This translated to setting no success measures or hard deadlines on my projects.
No rules or following the “right way” to do things.
I can do something that is both fun, creative and for the business with no measurable ROI, I am doing it just for the joy it brings me.
I also leaned into this word in my day to day life. That meant going back to spending time baking and cooking, watercolor, writing and exploring things for fun. Not for learning or some measure of outside validation and success.
If Creative is Your WOTY - My Reading Recommendation
If CREATIVE or a similar word is your WOTY, I recommend you read or re-read “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I found that having a book related to the theme and meaning of my word helped me in my year. Big Magic is all about the creative process, how we hold ourselves back and the exploration of doing things just for the joy of them, with the amazing side product of getting further than we ever expected.
I highly recommend this book! For more books I love visit this blog post.
My first creation: Private Podcast
The first “creation” to arise from my Word of the Year is my Private Podcast on Mindset.
Shortly after I choose my word of the year, I subscribed to a private podcast that blew me away! They were breaking all the rules:
It was Private - you had to subscribe and be in the community to get access
It was only open for a limited time, to encourage listening now
It had no intro music or sales pitches
It was a bit messy and real - all interviews done over Voxer the walkie talkie app
The guests were the best in their field. They didn’t introduce themselves, or even pitch something. It was just pure value and authentic.
While listening to this podcast I realized I wanted to create my own version of this experiment - no real measurable outcome was required. It would be my first true manifestation of my CREATIVE idea.
It took me about 4 months to realize the entire project, but I learned so much along the way and really let myself be creative with it. I got feedback that some of my audience thought it was confusing to sign-up, they didn’t understand the Voxer format, etc…but it didn’t matter.
This was my project done my way. It was done for my creative needs, not for others.
If you are curious about my Podcast experiment you can come check it out here:
I’ve been interviewing women I admire and respect in my fields of eCommerce and coaching and am sharing those honest and enlightening conversations with you!
My second creation: Tiny Course
My next dream was to create an assortment of Tiny Courses, online classes, or workshops that can be completed in 1-2 hours.
This was another place where I wanted to lead with creativity and not the pure business point of view. I had ideas of how I would ‘break the rules’ with my courses.
My vision for tiny courses
- Short and easy to watch or listen to
- Fun and unexpected content and ideas
- Creativity first, business second
- No spreadsheets or numbers
- Simple and calming ideas that bring you joy
- Grounded in sustainable business concepts
Each tiny course dives into an interesting topic that helps us shift our mindset, think more openly, and bring creative solutions and new ideas to our business and life. Each idea and concept brings you a little step in helping you fulfill your dream of the greater WHY for your business and brings some joy, calm, and fun back into your day.
Visit my tiny course library here
I’m thrilled to say that my first Tiny Course: Pinterest for Product Sellers is now live! I don’t think it would be out in the world if it wasn’t for the guiding of my word CREATIVE.
I do feel about 9 months in that I am now in need of a new WOTY. I’m doing the work to find that next word and will share it as soon as it is determined.
Ready to find your personal Word of the Year?
Try my guided workbook, that includes guided prompts and over 100 Words chosen for their alignment with the needs of small business owners.
