A lot of what I’ve spent the last 12 weeks working on has been my “why.” Which is just a fancy way of saying “What are your core values?” If you’ve ever gone through this kind of exercise you know how incredibly HARD it is. Especially if you tend to judge yourself more harshly than you judge others. Because why wouldn’t you apply the same values toward yourself as you do toward others?
To find our “why” in anything we do, we’re supposed to look back on our core values. Does it align with those? If we’re taking a step away from those, is it for a value we haven’t explored or will it cause emotional friction for us?
I swear I’ve done this exercise before buy I can’t find it. 😛
Qualities I value:
- Kindness
- Compassion
- Honesty
- Safety
- Quiet/Calm
- Hard work
- Creativity
- Patience
Just to name a few. I’m sure there’s more I haven’t dug into yet. But, there are smaller things we can value that might seem insignificant but can really change our experience with life if we ignore them.
Little things I value:
- “Fancy” coffee drinks
- Clean spaces
- Fresh sheets
- Wildflowers
- Veggie gardens
- Warm earth tones
- Pieces of art
- Talking about books (and reading them, but talking about them hits differently)
- Writing in coffee shops
- Dog walks, especially through parks with lots of trees
- Long chats with friends about nothing and everything
I could go on and on, but many of these things tie directly back to my “main” values…or my core values if you want to go all corporate. There is something very centering about working on your personal mission/vision statement. The statements were originally supposed to humanize companies so we knew what they stood for and what to expect. I think that works very well for creatives as well.
According to Indeed (yeah the job-finding site) the steps to creating a mission statement are:
- Determine your core values.
- Identify your passions.
- Know your talents.
- Consider how you can make a difference.
- Identify your goals.
- Write your mission statement.
The problem with this is we can often let it feel very corporate. I don’t want my passions and my efforts in life to simply be for making money. Wonderful if they do, but honestly I’m so over the hustle.
Core Values:
- Kindness
- Compassion
- Creativity
- Comfort
Passions:
- Stories (writing and reading)
- Cozy, quiet living
- Creativity
Talents:
- Story and scene structure
- Organization of information
- Writing dialogue
This is where I started to get stuck. What AM I good at? I think writers and creatives especially have difficulty tooting their own horn. I like to THINK I’m good at writing, story and scene structure, dialogue, etc. I’m really not sure though. It feels…boastful…to talk about things you’re good at. Like…I’m good at making mac and cheese from the box…does that count? I can follow written instructions well?
There’s a temptation, at least for me, to think about things I do “better” than others. But that’s not the question. The question is what are your talents. So I guess…we’ll go with what I’ve got and continue on.
How can you make a difference?
Oh gosh, this one I’m not sure either. I would love to be a writing coach or do something more focused on fictional writing. Ideally, I would write and publish my writing and live my best life that way. I also love helping others form their stories or pointing out things that might have been missed.
Roundtable nights are the highlights of my week usually, where I get to listen to so many types of writing, hear other people give suggestions, watch as ideas come across people’s minds, and hear the suggestions for my own writing. Those nights make me think harder about where I’m going with the story, and I think it improves my reading comprehension as well. I don’t read a lot of heavily curated literature in my day-to-day, so hearing short stories or reading chunks of people working on that type of thing is always a blast.
I would love to host something like that as well (Kim, I’m not coming for your job, don’t worry). I’ve been playing with the idea of hosting writing sessions for the 9-5 crowd. Just little get-togethers where we can focus on our work for a good 30 minutes. I need it at least. Maybe on Twitch? Or just starting with my Discord peeps? I don’t know.
I’ll accept any suggestions you guys have!
My Goals
- Traditionally publish at least one book
- Get a short story published
- Become somebody’s comfort read
- Make enough money from writing to go part-time with corporate life
- Get back into the visual arts
- Build a creative and inspired lifestyle
Mission Statement:
To bring comfort and entertainment to others through storytelling and build a comfortable life for myself through creative pursuits.
I’m not sure that that’s the final version, but that’s what I’ve got for now. It doesn’t…spark anything in me like I feel like a mission statement should. I also hate calling it a mission statement because ugh.
If you all have any suggestions for something better to solidify my “why” that would be awesome. Otherwise, I’m tempted to just put
I DO WHAT BRINGS ME JOY!
Which could be a slam dunk honestly. Alright, I’m getting unhinged now.
Have a wonderful week!
Rachel
Subtle Stories 