Creating With Purpose, Innovation & Perseverance
This morning I met with my artist group.
Every time I sit with them, I’m reminded why I do the work I do. The conversation lit something up inside of me. A deep knowing that life is too short to walk the dull, predictable paths that drain us, even if those paths come with a steady income.
For people like us. The ones that crave depth, connection, and colour, “more” doesn’t mean more money.
It means more truth.
More beauty.
More community.
More mornings when we wake up alive and ready to create something that matters.
Later, I went for a walk in nature. The sun was out, the air crisp, and then… I started noticing them.
Empty bottles and cans scattered along the roadside.
Each one a quiet story of harm. Harm to the person who was drink driving, harm to the land littered, and harm to the person who will eventually have the task of picking up the trash.
It was a jarring reminder that purpose matters.
When we drift without it, we can lose our care for ourselves, for others, for the world we share.
I think about this a lot when it comes to my son. He wants to be a footballer. And I see it as my role to not only believe in him but to ask the questions that bring his vision into focus.
How do you see yourself getting there?
What steps do you want to take now?
What would make you feel supported?
As a mother, I see my role as helping to unlock possible resources, and where we’re limited, to get creative. To look at what is already around us. To leverage his dad’s knowledge, my network, and promote the discipline of consistent effort.
Purpose doesn’t require everything to be lined up from the start.
It’s about having an idea of where you are going and choosing, day after day, to move toward it with innovation when the path isn’t traditional, and perseverance when it’s hard.
A Practice to Uncover Your Purpose
Reflect – When have you felt most alive in the past year? Write down three moments and what they had in common.
Enquire – Ask yourself (or your child, partner, or friend) what they would love to create or experience in the next 12 months.
Map – Break it down: what resources, skills, or people could help make this happen?
Innovate – Where resources are missing, how could you think differently about finding them?
Commit – Choose one small, immediate step you can take this week.
Journal Prompts
What does a “rich” life look and feel like for me?
Where am I walking a dull, draining path, and why?
What three things matter most to me right now?
How could I show more care for myself, my people, and my environment this month?
If I could change one thing about my current work or creative life, what would it be?
What is one step I can take today toward my bigger vision?
