Today I’m sharing 3 simple lessons to experience more ease and joy in your creative business. I recently learned these lessons when I broke down on a recent road trip in the middle of nowhere Texas.

See, a couple of weeks ago, I drove to Oklahoma City to run a half-marathon that I’d been dreaming of running for 2 years! It was a huge dream come true, and more importantly, it was one of the most meaningful races I’ve ever been part of. The OKC Memorial Race exists to honor the lives that were lost in the OKC bombing in 1995. It is a race to celebrate life and to honor the gift that it is to be here – with all of its highs and lows. Joining 13,000 other people with the intention to honor and celebrate life itself was incredibly moving and such a reminder to the beauty and gift of this journey.

After the race, on the drive back to New Mexico from OKC, my car broke down in the middle of nowhere Texas. I’m talking coolant everywhere. It was like my car’s water broke. 

After 1.5 hours of tow trucks, three nights in Texas waiting for my car to get fixed, and another 4 hour drive back to NM, I have a few (of many) lessons to share with ya here for your creative business.

1. Things don’t have to be “perfect” for you to do good work

The first of the lessons for your creative business: you can show up, serve, and make great impact even when things are imperfect.

This breakdown really opened my eyes to the fact that I’ve been holding onto an underlying belief that I, and my surroundings, need to be “perfect” in order to do any work that’s of value (which LOL – perfection is FAKE and doesn’t exist).

Amidst this breakdown, I still had a Skillshare class to publish, as well as clients to serve. I was able to show up for alllll of this while dealing with the car issues and still deliver good work and good value. This was AWESOME to break me out of “waiting” or “forcing” perfection and lean into the imperfect gifts we each get to offer right now. 

How can you let go of waiting to have the perfect situation to start serving the world with your creative gifts today?

2. Accept support when it’s available

The second of the lessons for your creative business: accept and receive support when it’s available.

I know it can feel hard or difficult to ask for, and receive, help on the creative journey. That has certainly been the case for me over the years as I’ve believed the myth that I have to “go it alone.” When my car broke down, I didn’t only have to accept the help from tow truck drivers (yes, multiple), and the Subaru shop, but also from my dad.

Fortunately, my car broke down 4 hours from OKC so he drove out to help – and I am so glad he did. I tried to tell him it was “no big deal,” because I didn’t want him to have the hassle of coming out (and I didn’t think it was going to be a big car issue), but I am so glad he came out anyway.

Even though I “could have” done it alone – why? Why do we make ourselves “go it alone” when people are there, ready to help? It makes it easier – and gives you someone to laugh with along the way. 

How can you ask for, welcome in, and receive support on your creative journey today?

3. Trust the spirit of your creative biz

The third of the lessons for your creative business: trust the spirit of your biz.

The spirit and soul of your creative biz is a concept I’ve been LOVING and leaning into soooo much this year thanks to Simone Seol and Meagan Vigil. It has been the biggest game-changer. From the moment I started my biz in 2017, it has asked to be fully mobile. But I sort of put that on the back-burner and tried a lot of non-mobile things in the first few years. 

Everything led me back to my biz asking to be totally location-independent. In the past year, I’ve gone totally mobile in my biz and this breakdown was such a HUGE example of why my biz has been asking for this!

Being able to show up, serve, and be with my clients and my biz while this was happening (not in a grind/hustle way, in a service with joy way) was like my biz winking at me and saying, “Told ya 😉 .”

How can you listen to, trust, and honor the spirit of your creative biz today?

So, those are just a few (of many) lessons from the road.

Which lesson resonates the most with you, and how can you incorporate it into your creative business this week? 

If you’re looking for more tips, tricks, and lessons for the highs and lows of your creative biz journey, join me in the Creative Wilderness right here: