10 Years As an Artist, 10 Things I Learned on Work & Leadership
I have been composing and writing songs (over 150 songs written) for about ten years, and have been writing essays, poems and short stories since childhood. I can say I have explored my creativity a lot. For years, I have also been passionate with leadership, what makes leaders clear-headed and convincing about their vision, and what allows a collective project to thrive instead of collapse in the first few years.
So here are some of the things I have learned so far about work and leadership, through the lens of artistic work and creativity.
1. It’s not about the craft itself. It’s about the sincerity you put in it. All you create is infused with your presence, your values, your sense of self. If that is unclear, your art will not speak to others. How would you describe your personality, and what is most important to you in the world?
2. You don’t have to do things perfectly. Ever. The perfection can be impressive, spectacular even. But what people will remember is the feeling. What kind of feeling do you want people to have when they connect with your work? Remember: any feeling can have value, what is touching you the most and how can you communicate it?
3. You are not the genius. Life is. Relationships and emotions are the glue that makes life take shape. Being connected to others, and forming raw, vulnerable bonds, even when they don’t last, will make you more connected to yourself and bring out your most powerful, interesting, creative self. It might feel scary at first, but letting life move through you brings you constant bursts of inspiration. How can you bring a little more connection in your day-to-day?
4. Don’t let others’ advice disturb you. You have a vision, and it’s yours. It is intimate, so let it be so. Only share your ideas with people who support and champion you. Oftentimes, when we look for advice on something it just shows that we are afraid to fail. But only failure can bring you some learnings and growth. You will also realise that your vision is greater than your pride. Doubts are normal, but they shouldn’t overpower your own discernment. How can you make it a daily practice to discern between helpful advice and the one that fuels doubt and fear?
5. Cherish your feelings. Emotions have messages for you, and often we stock them in the body because we feel ashamed of having them… A lot of working environments consider showing emotions as childish, immature and unprofessional. But remember that they are here for a reason. How can you be more in touch with them, and express them authentically in a way that is not threatening for others? How can you take the risk of vulnerability, while staying grounded and respectful? How can you use those emotions as fuel to communicate your vision and values?
6. Long hours won’t make you more productive. It is more about being present, consistent and relaxed, than about how much time you spend on work. The voice is an excellent example for that: if I sing for three hours, I will certainly hurt my voice at some point, except if my muscles and technique are those of Taylor Swift. But if I sing for one hour, with a clear focus and a relaxed body, I will get much better results in the long run. Especially if I make that practice a regular thing over the week. How could you concentrate your efforts on the thing you enjoy most and know how to do in a focused and relaxed manner?
7. Make it playful. If you are too attached to the outcome, you will get stressed, confused and frustrated. It has to always stay a discovery, a game and an adventure. The inner critic is the one telling you that you have to be in a bad mood to accomplish good work, ‘serious’ work. It is also the one that wants you to be ‘right’ before you even start. But control completely blocks your creativity. How can you find ways to bring play into your work? How can you be open to surprises, ideas and opportunities, without too much expectation?
8. Your intuition always wins. If you have a gut feeling, don’t ignore it, even if the ‘data’ seems against you. You can weigh out options, but always observe how your emotions are being involved. Oftentimes when we think we are making the rational choice, we are actually following the voice of fear and control, without opening up to a variety of options. If you are in a rush to make a decision, just take a breath and do something that will help regulate your nervous system. What signs does your body give you when something is off, and what signs does it give you when it’s a full yes?
9. Get your hands dirty before you ask others to work for you. You cannot expect other people to come and help you on something, you cannot expect them to respect and trust you, if you haven’t been putting in the work yourself. You have to be on the field, committed, sincere, you have to make research and efforts to get close to what is going on in their shoes, you have to try and understand them, before they are able to give any real value to you. How can your next project reflect how much you care about people?
10. Trust that your ideas are valuable and deserve to be put out into the world. Whatever your work is about, you will get challenged very often on your ideas, your values, your vision. But if you’re doing things wholeheartedly, then you should just follow that feeling as a North Star. You can be humble and be willing to learn, but don’t forget that you have the answers within you. How can you allow yourself to express yourself more at work?
Did those learnings make you reflect? We would love to hear your thoughts and to have a conversation: send a message at seamless.leaders@protonmail.com