Against the creative wall? Feeling like you aren’t getting anywhere and nobody is noticing? Everyone around you talks like they are against your idea? Scared?
You aren’t alone.
If that’s not bad enough, there are those negative thoughts that are constantly running through your head like a never ending horror movie. In fact, most people have self doubts at one point or another. Am I good enough? Am I making the right choices? Do I have what it takes?
The answer isn’t just a yes, but a Hell Yes.
You are good enough. You do have what it takes. You can build on your creative idea and do something special. In short, you are a badass.
All you need to do is find your tribe.
A tribe is a group of like-minded people that will give you the support and advice you need to succeed. They are out there floating around, just waiting to hear from you. There are tribes for any interest or vocation too.
The natural place to find them is on social media. There are public and private Facebook or LinkedIn groups, and lists of Google hangouts. You can participate with a Periscope live-streaming discussion. You can listen to thousands of podcasts, or watch blog videos on any topic. There are also great online forums and even blog articles on any subject matter under the sun. Find your tribe easily on Twitter or Instagram in seconds with the search field because they’ve been linked with a hashtag by someone. (Yep, that’s what those #’s are for…) Just type in a keyword.
There are more professional tribes too. These are called trade associations. Do you belong to any? Their sole purpose is to make you better and see you succeed. Have you joined one or two, or are you that Scrooge that sees them as a “waste of money”?
With any tribe though, you only get what you put into it.
Are you a lurker? You know, the quiet one in the corner. Never opening up, with the willingness to expose your weakness to the world. It’s funny, but if you are in a group but never post, the tribe probably has forgotten all about you. How else can there be 3,849 people in the group but you only see comments or questions by about three dozen people? What are the rest of the people doing?
Not growing if you ask me.
Maybe they are in the wrong tribe. Or maybe they are in so many tribes that they can’t keep up. It’s not like there are any limits.
They are missing the point though. Participation in the group is the value of belonging. Asking a question. Answering a question. Engaging and befriending people. Cultivating relationships. Solving each other’s problems is the reward. That’s the value of the community.
Your greatness doesn’t need permission to post, just the courage to be active.
Take pictures or videos of what you’ve been up to. Share your dreams or your fears. Write down your problem and post it to the tribe for help. Ask, “What’s the best way?”.
Although some in the tribe might say, “Holy crap, he/she doesn’t know that?”…most people will think to themselves, “Hey, I’ve driven down that road before…” A few people will actually give you good instructions and help smooth out the speed-bumps and even show you the way. In any tribe, those people are the rockstars of the group. You know who they are. You might even be one.
Get Off Your Butt. Please.
We need more though. More people posting questions. More people answering. More people commenting. More courage. More effort. More sharing. More mentoring. More people willing to be human.
That’s how we all get better. That’s how we win.
We just have to work on the more part.
“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” – Albert Camus
“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Butler Yeats
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” – Audrey Hepburn
