Read time: 9 minutes
MCC #68 – 11 Aug 2023
Welcome to My Creative Calling!
I am continuing my storytelling experiments. Again I am challenging myself to create a compelling story and life lesson out of everyday life.
To show you don’t need to use ChatGPT for your content, you have everything you need within you! And it is your key to standing out from the sea of generic content.
A serendipitous encounter
Serendipity: the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance.
Cambridge Dictionary
I turned and walked briskly toward the gate, trying not to rouse suspicion.
“Feather”
“Feather”
“FEATHER!”
I called from under my breath at first, before getting progressively louder.
“Come on.”
I was ready to give up.
Next minute, Feather joyfully trotted over toward me.
Now was the real challenge. She always plays hard to get. Here she was, bouncing around in front of me.
I go for the grab.
Missed!
She ducked her head and then looped around me.
Time was running out.
I lunged in faster this time as she came back around.
Got her!
But it was too late. The other dog came rumbling in like a rocket ship and was here!
If you haven’t worked out by now, Feather is my dog.
We’d been out on my lunchtime break, where I always go for a long walk.
But today was different. And in more ways than one.
The perfect day
The first?
Well, for starters, it was the most perfect day.
You wouldn’t believe how perfect, especially given we’re still in winter. It felt like a Hollywood movie set. Crystal clear blue skies, no wind, you could hear the honeyeaters chirping and the galahs screeching from miles away.
I paused and sucked in that crisp smell of freshly cut grass. And best of all, I could feel that warm sun on my calves. I’m one of those guys who loves wearing shorts. And I would wear them all the time if I could. But we’re still in winter down under. It’s been cold and wet for months.
But today was an exception. It felt like a glorious Spring day.
You know how you get the first sunny day out of winter, and it feels like magic?
Such a gift.
It reminds me of my time living in London:
Sometimes we would go weeks without any sunshine during the day. But as soon as there was a hint of summer, everyone flocked to the parks. Crack a beer, rip your shirt off, dust off your BBQs, and make the most of that sunshine!
So what else was different here?
I decided to skip my lunch despite my belly rumbling with hunger. Not something I usually do. As it always costs you later on.
But today was too good to miss.
I didn’t want to chance a sudden change of weather. I’d learned my lesson from being burned one too many times. You delay the walk to do one more email, one more call, one more… And next you know — the sun is gone! Devastating.
No, today, I was not missing out. Even if I go hungry!
I set off with my trusty companion, Feather. She’s a white labradoodle with a short wavy coat and honey-log eyes.
Now, I better give you some warnings about Feather.
She’s a beautiful soul, and I love her dearly. But she’s a little bit… Let’s just call her excitable.
She goes crazy with anticipation when other dogs come by and wants to chase them around.
And most annoyingly, for me, she has a terrible habit of stealing other dogs’ balls and refusing to give them back. She does have her own ball, but those other balls are strangely 100x more appealing!
Now this probably says more about me as a dog trainer than Feather.
I feel like I am doing my best. But in reality, I know I am not disciplined enough with her. And now she has a mind of her own regarding the freedoms of the dog park.
It’s now easier for me to avoid the dog park than deal with the ball stealing.
But here’s the thing about that park, it’s busy in the morning and evening but dead in the middle of the day.
And so this brings us back to the intro of today’s letter.
While out on my walk, I noticed the dog park was empty.
A-ha! Fantastic.
Here’s an excellent chance to let Feather roam free while I record some “walk and talk” videos.
And so I got down to business, walking up and down, talking with my eyes glued to that green dot on my iPhone camera.
Suddenly I sensed something was off.
I was caught off guard!
Someone else had entered the dog park without my knowing.
And a dog was now charging towards Feather.
And before I knew it, I was scrambling to grab Feather and get the hell out of there.
I wasn’t in the mood for another “ball stealing” case ruining my perfect afternoon.
You might think this sounds overblown if you don’t have a dog. But trust me, some dogs and owners take ball stealing very seriously. It can quickly escalate and get ugly.
Now I don’t want another dog mauling poor little Feather.
And so the dog was upon us.
But I slowed down and relaxed once I realised it was a sweet little brown spoodle.
They locked eyes. Tails wagged.
Ok, I thought. And so I let Feather off the leash.
Zoom! They were off like racehorses out the blocks.
Round and round, up and down. It was only about a minute of intensity before they both came grounding to a halt.
The owner of the other dog came strolling over.
We exchanged hello’s and kept the small talk going, like how beautiful the day was.
I always find it easy to talk to people at the dog park. It’s incredible how that shared interest in our canine pals breaks down barriers. We instantly find common ground.
She commented on walking out during the middle of the day, and I replied:
“Yeah, since I work from home, I can go for dog walks during the best parts of the day.”
“Same.”
Then she asked:
The dreaded question
“What do you do for work?”
Gulp…
My mind was racing. Which story do I tell?
The accountant?
The writer?
The coach?
The poet?
The creator?
The father?
It made me realise how I am spread all over the place right now—no consistent and clear direction.
So why do I get negative vibes around this question?
Cause I have faced so much friction, resistance, and confusion. Mostly from well-intentioned work colleagues and family members. It doesn’t land so well when I tell them about my creative calling and the new direction I am embarking on:
“You’re leaving accounting? Why the bloody hell would you want to do that? Accounting’s a good career. Pay’s well. Safe”
Yeah, thanks, buddy. But I was bloody miserable.
And I know I can have a greater impact on the world than punching out spreadsheets for the rest of my life.
“Creator? What the hell are you on about? Have you lost it?”
People who aren’t in this space or creatively minded simply do not get it. They cannot see the opportunity and possibility that you can.
So really, their opinion is worthless.
Don’t let them squash your dreams.
Back to the dog park.
And so here I was, internally debating for what seemed like an eternity. But it was really only a few seconds:
Which story do I go with?
I have found it easier with some people to pretend I am still doing accounting.
That shuts them up.
Start talking about accounting if you’re at a party and want to clear the room. The conversation will go down like a lead balloon.
Most people get instantly bored and switch off when they hear “accounting”. Or they make some cheesy tax joke which makes me cringe.
“Ohhh, bet you’re busy this time of the year! Got that shoebox of receipts sorted!”
Meanwhile, I am dying inside.
But that often feels much easier than explaining to people the truth:
I feel that creative calling and can see an opportunity. And I am now taking a leap into the unknown, betting on myself, and having faith that I can figure things out.
Otherwise, they do think I am flat-out crazy.
They cannot seem to grasp the idea of taking a pay cut to go all-in on a dream they are obsessed with.
Those people have steady, stable careers and have never taken risks. They’re used to being told what to do. They get rewarded for certainty, not uncertainty. So it gives them the heebie-jeebies.
Why?
Don’t ignore your passions
Cause they have never seriously devoted time and energy to their passions. They are unaware of the pleasure and meaning found in diving deep into an obsession.
They are too busy doing the mind-numbing work that kills dreams:
- Writing monthly reports no one reads
- Endless meetings about nothing
- Drowning in pointless emails
I was in that trap for many years.
Hell, I remember one time it was my last day on a job. But I felt so bad I had not finished one “important” report. So I stayed back, finishing it to the point that I was late for my own farewell drinks.
Isn’t that ridiculous?
I sure felt like a loser.
Pretty sure no one cared about that report.
But we make up all these rules of importance in our heads.
And it distracts us from what is really important.
Time for a change in perspective
Like maybe building our own thing in work that we actually care about. Or perhaps cultivating a life where we spend more quality time with loved ones. Or making time for those long-lost hobbies which bring us fulfilment.
Life can become a rigid bore of endless responsibility if you’re not mindful. And one day, you wake up and realise you “hate” the life you have built for yourself. You never have any fun. But there is no apparent way out.
While I dwell in my confused limbo, debating what to tell this person in the dog park what my career is, I want to pose a bigger question to you
Why does it feel embarrassing to say we are pursuing meaningful work?
Why doesn’t it feel ok to admit we are transitioning and haven’t quite figured everything out yet?
And we feel ashamed for chasing fulfilment.
Yuk.
There is something seriously wrong with the culture. Cause it should be the other way around.
Pursuing meaningful work should be encouraged.
Wait, more than that. It should receive a standing ovation.
Celebrated!
Human nature has been sold short…
[Humans have] a higher nature which… includes the need for meaningful work, for responsibility, for creativeness, for being fair and just, for doing what is worthwhile and for preferring to do it well.
Abraham Maslow
I get excited by the possibility of a world where people wake up thrilled to be building things they care about.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have fewer people suffering through something they hate and counting down the minutes to the weekend?
An unexpected friend
So I blurted out some weird response to my new friend in the dog park:
“I’m an accountant, but I’ve taken some time away from that since becoming a father for the first time.
Now I am on this creative odyssey, trying to build a creator business where I get paid for the value I create through content and coaching.”
I continued:
“I’m trying lots of new things that were once scary to me, writing, coaching, video and poetry.
The best way I can describe it is I am following my creative calling.”
Then I summed it up:
“And you know what?
I feel fully engaged and alive for the first time in a long, long time!
I’m growing in ways I never knew possible.”
Now I nervously waited for some kind of response.
Expecting confusion. Maybe even scaring her away.
But you know what I got?
Excitement! A little cheer of enthusiasm.
“That’s fantastic! Wow, amazing!”
It turns out my new friend was also creative at heart and had long worked in the Arts industry.
She knew exactly how I felt.
I was ecstatic to be proven wrong in my assumptions that nobody cares or gets me and my journey.
She had several examples of peers who were struggling with their own meaning crises.
We all know those colleagues who feel trapped and unfulfilled in their corporate misery. Their lack of motivation and energy stands out like a sore thumb. The overlords had strangled out any sense of creativity until all that was left was a wrinkly, dry sponge.
We had a wonderful conversation and connected on social media.
Amazing. See, talking to people in the real world aint so bad!
We get so caught up in the online hustle that we forget the old-school human way of doing things. Remember getting out and talking to people? There is a wonder in being open to serendipitous opportunities.
Ah, the power of serendipity! How fantastic a chance encounter can be.
This reminds me again of that time in London:
My wife would often say let’s just be flâneurs today as we set off on foot exploring the city on a Saturday morning with no plans.
Flâneur: someone who walks around not doing anything in particular but watching people and society.
Cambridge Dictionary
This way of operating in the world can break you from your rigid routines and bring some unexpected joy. And plenty of ideas for your creative work!
And so I left the dog park with a hop and a skip. I was bouncing along with an enlightened joy and optimism, relishing that warm sunshine on my skin.
Can this day get any better?
Reflection
There is joy, wonder, and inspiration in breaking out of your rigid routines and embracing serendipity.
My little exploration led to making a new friend and refuelling my enthusiasm and confidence in what I am doing here.
That achieved more for me and my mission on that day than any “productivity” could have done.
It unlocked new levels of thinking.
So be open to exploring.
Follow your intuition.
Obviously, we can’t do this all the time. But I challenge you to start small.
How about next Saturday morning?
Be a flaneur.
Go on a long walk in the city with no plans. Embrace any opportunities that arise.
It could reignite the spark you are missing.
A quote to ponder
Sometimes life drops blessings in your lap without your lifting a finger. Serendipity, they call it.
Charlton Heston
What happened this week
Poetry & Purpose
Max The Dog
It’s a sad one this week.
“Though he was suffering,
it was I who couldn’t stand the pain.
He tried to comfort me
in a way
only dogs
know how.”
Final thoughts
Today’s writing background music playlist was Motown on Spotify.
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend.
It would be great to have you on board!
Cheers!
Matt K. Head
When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
Coaching
- Find more meaning and fulfilment in your work
- Gain clarity and start taking action on your creative journey