On change, adult Learning, and living a creative life

Yesterday my partner and I were cooking curry together while chatting about self expression, learning, and the way we bring our “art” into the world and I think we were really onto something, so I wanted to clue you in.  

My partner, someone who is an incredibly talented artist, plays multiple instruments, sings, and is a poet. 

I, on the other hand, have learned instruments since I was a kid, however music was never my home in expressing myself. 

(I still identify as an artist with my work being the ways I show and express love for the people and communities I radiate within. This is expressed through intentional relationships, a sense of social justice, and creating dynamic solutions to big problems.)

Yet the traditional “art world” never fully clicked for me.

You see growing up, my introduction to art was through scales, music theory, and technical composition

And I, the imperfect yet determined to not disappoint my parents, student always worked hard to master these concepts

Now at first I had fun too! It felt more tactile then other subjects I was learning

But the older I got the more it became comparison, perfection, and performance over a connection to what I was creating

My partner had the exact opposite experience and therefore perspective. They were taught by learning their favorite songs and THEN the theory, structure, and technical stuff behind the art. 

The older they got, the more they sought out collaboration, new insights, and deeper expression through their music

They lamented because while this approach helped them find a passion in music, it didn’t lend themselves to creatively express their own unique artistry through a mastery of the instrument(s). 

They longed for the structure I found tiresome where I longed for the connection to the craft beyond rote memorization 

So what path is the correct path?

As children, our brains are like sponges and the best approach is one where we can make a game out of learning through pulling theoretical concepts with age appropriate challenges to lead to results,  and of course, time to just f*ck around with the instrument and find out what sounds good, interesting, and cool

Adults need this too. 

But because we live in a society where someone could look at childhood me and say 

“maybe you’re not meant to be really good at music” 

We lean away from treating our lives like art work and different activities as channels of expression for a complex human experience

But because we aren’t taught how to learn well 

We end up throwing ourselves into new levels of responsibility expect perfection in our outputs and shame ourselves when things don’t  immediately go our way

But because our work lacks meaning and connection 

We find ourselves in the comparison, perfection, and pleasing others frame of mind.  

I held these perspectives with music for a while over authentic expression and collaboration that my partner brings to the same discipline

And then we wonder why that business idea didn’t turn out, that promotion was more stress than joy, etc. etc. 

When I work with clients in having professional paths that are truly expressive I see this often. This disconnect between creating and churning is what burns people out. 

As adults we need permission to experiment and play with different areas of our lives and we also need to understand how we can learn to support ourselves through challenge and change.

When I work with clients through these shifts we pull in concepts of adult learning

Now if I had to summarize adult learning it basically acknowledges this: 

We already have A TON of inputs that make up our world view and as adults it is our job to seek out experiences that can change our existing perception through taking action WHILE STILL guiding ourselves through processes of accountability to make sense of what happened when things did not go our way to shift course into something different and better. 

If you want to go deeper into Adult Learning, check out this framework by my mentor Nico Chin at Up With Community - she looks at how to leverage Adult Learning principles to create equity in mid sized organizations and is overall an incredible human 

The reason why I see people struggle with imposter syndrome, self sabotage, and just getting in our own way is because we usually do not slow down enough to make the learning process a conscious and intentional journey in ALL areas of our life.

Like my partner and I with our musical journeys, this means that you could connect to your deepest artistic expression by happenstance, but the magic doesn’t happen until you combine technical knowledge with YOU-ness. 

Which means experimentation, playfulness, curiosity, and the ability to learn from your own mistakes. 

As an adult, I have begun to reclaim creative expression through music, poetry, drawing, and writing and it has given me a deeper insight into who I am as a creative. It has taught me about how creative processes can be applied to all areas of my life, ESPECIALLY in building a successful business that gives me creativity, freedom, and a lifestyle I absolutely love. 

Now if you want a mentor and guide to work through this process of change as you integrate more joy, desire, your values, passion, and more into your professional path, I’m accepting applications for you to start your own REBEL year. 

A year of not asking for permission, stepping into playful power, exploring your edges, and rewriting the script of this chapter of your life all while building a values aligned income stream that brings you $25k+++ in profits so you can fund your dreams/movements/etc. 

With the BEST community of unique artists, activists, change makers, and innovators who understand that stepping into their strongest expression of self has a ripple effect on their communities. 

The sooner you apply, the sooner you lock in some INCREDIBLE bonuses. You also get to ensure your spot (this is a super small group of less than 25 people). You can learn about it more here. And skip to the application here.

Still on the fence? Just know that if you’re even CURIOUS about this, your liberated career path is inevitable AND check out this free workshop I’m hosting on radical intentional career design December 5th! It’s going to be a magical experience where we dive into UNCHARTED territory professionally. Bring a notebook, your full attention, and show up live - you’re not going to want to miss a second.