Issue #011 | June 7, 2020  

THE SUNDAY CHECK-IN NEWSLETTER

This week I'm sharing a piece on how to keep doing creative work when no one is noticing, a stress busting breathing technique, knowing when to quit + more.

Keep Going When No One is Noticing

He loved the warm glow of sunshine, but often felt gloomy.

There was one thing that kept him going through the dark periods of his life, and that was his love of art. Paintings and drawings in particular.

Vincent van Gogh spent hours on his craft, creating piece, after piece. In ten years he'd painted just under 900 paintings.

Van Gogh only ever sold one of his masterpieces when he was alive, and for a measly sum at that. To him, it didn't matter whether anyone bought his work. What mattered was that he got to do the work he loved.

It was only when he died in 1890 that he became the famous artist we know now. Try buying an original Van Gogh today and expect to drop at least $100 mil.

One of the hardest things about doing creative work is surviving the tumbleweed phase. You know, that phase when no one is paying attention. When no one's sharing your work online or giving you likes or comments. When no one's buying your stuff, or signing up for your newsletter. It's demoralising. 

A couple of months ago, I replied to a thread in one of my community groups. It was about the challenges new creators face when building an audience. 

Here's what I wrote:

In the beginning no one cares who you are, or what you have to say, or what you're attempting to build. Everyone who has ever built a large audience went through the tumbleweed phase, at some point.

The business [and people] we think of as overnight successes weren’t. We just didn’t notice them until they were well baked

- Seth Godin

The best way to keep going until you become 'well baked' is to get comfortable with being unknown. There's a lot of noise out there. People's time and attention are valuable commodities. Learn to have patience.

Obscurity is your friend.

Whether we realise it or not the land of obscurity isn't such a bad place. Obscurity gives us the freedom to find our unique voice and figure out our style. Being an unknown entity in the early days grants you the space to:

  1. get good at your craft... so good they can't ignore you good.
  2. develop a level of consistency that has you showing up everyday.
  3. make your most embarrassing mistakes in relative anonymity.
  4. create something because you genuinely want to create it (bonus if what you're creating solves a problem for the masses).

Does that mean ignoring the task of building an audience when you're just starting out? Nah. It means not worrying about things happening slower than you anticipated.

Take pleasure in the process. Don't sweat the outcome. 

If you're not enjoying the climb up that hill with all it's twists and turns, that's a sign something's off. It's time to have an honest conversation with yourself - is what you're working on what you want?

Mena x

P.S. honest meditations for bulls*it problems 

Fuel for the Mind/Body

1. A quick breathing exercise to soothe stress:

A simple but effective tool for bringing more calm and focus to your mind.

Read here >> Mind Going a Million Miles a Minute? (Ted Ideas) 

2. Tips for when resistance strikes:

Understand why it feels like such a struggle-bus trying to get yourself to do something you don't want to do.

Read here >> Everything You Need to Know About Resistance and How to Overcome it (Wellbeing)

3. Knowing when to quit:

Sometimes quitting is the right thing to do, but how to you know when you should quit or when you should stick? 

Read here >> How to Know When to Give Up (Scott H Young)

This Week's Cool Find

I love what CobbleWorks (Esty seller) is creating - posters, cards, books and stickers that spread the message of love, kindness and compassion. 

If you get a chance, be sure to check out this creators work >> CobbleWorks*

(*this is an affiliate link. I get a small commission if you make a purchase here.)