How Do I Value Myself as a Creative Professional Early in my Career?
Most of us, at the beginning of our careers, enter into the tacit agreement that we must “pay our dues” — that one must work hard, often for little to no compensation, or even take jobs we may not necessarily like in exchange for experience. The hope then, is that all this hard work and experience…
Read MoreInto the Great Wide Open
Why do we think that we know what’s going to happen most days? Because our routines sustain the fantasy that we know the future of our own little worlds. I know where I’m going to go get coffee today; I know most of the people that I’m going to spend my time with this week—these…
Read MoreThe Tortured Artist
This is arguably one of the most enduring myths of our time: the belief that suffering and emotional turmoil are equivalent to making meaningful art. Stereotypes carry harmful biases that can have negative effects, and this one can be especially dangerous for creatives, especially when it interferes with seeking help for emotional distress. The idea…
Read MoreThe Power of No
Why Is It So Hard For Us To Say No Sometimes? Often we fear that saying no to a request will be interpreted as a personal rejection, causing unnecessary friction in our relationship. It’s a very common issue that everyone can relate to: Sometimes it is just easier to not rock the boat. The Wall…
Read MoreTaking Risks: Showing Your True Self
“It’s not okay to show who I really am right now.” Is this something you’ve ever told yourself? When you first began to say it, maybe you had good reason to. Perhaps you started to believe that you are “too much” — too emotional, too sensitive, too needy, too anything. Once this type of thinking…
Read MoreDo You Show Yourself Your Softer Side?
The Pain Of Perfection I work in counseling with a lot of successful people who hold themselves to very high standards and who care deeply about their significant others, friends, and families. What I have noticed is that when we push ourselves really hard to try to be successful, sometimes we do not wind up…
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