(Images via christinemasonmiller.com)
Way back when – in the fall of 1995 – I started a business called Swirly with no earthly idea what I was doing. The internet was just beginning to come into its own, but had yet to become the now-indispensible tool it is for creative entrepreneurs. There were no e-courses with step-by-step instructions on setting up a business, there was no Etsy, and it was not possible to instantly spread the word about my work to a global audience the way I can today with Twitter. I took one adult education course on the basics of the wholesale gift industry, and marched onward from there with no long-term plan, no start-up money, and no experience. In other words, I had to figure it out on my own, make it up as I went along, and pick myself up again and again after all of the slips, stumbles, and missteps that were impossible to avoid.
All I had was an idea I was wildly passionate about, and the belief that I could make it real.
That is all anyone who has pursued their creative passions and built a meaningful life ever started with – an idea. Whether the idea is to create a close-knit family, learn how to bake the perfect cupcake, open a ceramics studio, master the art of juggling, travel across the country, re-unite with a long-lost friend, or get back on a bicycle after a bad accident, it is the ideas that make our hearts sparkle (you know the ideas I’m talking about) that have the potential to transform our lives, and, in turn, the world. The ideas don’t have to be “big”, and they don’t have to involve international travel, Fortune 500 goals, or New York Times bestseller lists. They don’t need to go farther than one’s own backyard. If they are sincere, and made real with integrity, their light will travel beyond those boundaries without our having to do a thing. That is the funny thing about our creative passions – they are capable of traveling at the speed of light all on their own.
I think it is extraordinary how much information, guidance, encouragement, and practical support is available here in 2011. No matter what the dream or passion, it is possible to find and/or create a community for that passion, to promote and/or share it, and to learn how to integrate those ideas that make our hearts sparkle into our day-to-day lives. The availability of resources is truly endless. But beyond all the opportunities we now have to plan, prepare, educate ourselves, and organize our lives, it is important to remember that there is also value in the stumbles and gifts in the mistakes. There is something to be said for learning, researching, and prioritizing, but even more for the commitment to getting up each day and doing the work our passions require. My ability to create a passionate, meaningful life has absolutely been supported and furthered by classes I’ve taken, mentors I’ve trusted, and advisors I’ve hired, but if all I did was look outside myself for the answers I was seeking and the direction I felt like I was missing, I wouldn’t have gotten far.
Sixteen years ago, I secured a business license on the foundation of an idea, and the idea was to inspire others. Ever since then, this deep desire has taken me down dirt roads, to dead ends, across oceans, up winding staircases, and in hot air balloons. It has carried me, held me, thrown up roadblocks, and provided me with gifts that were far greater than I had ever imagined. Through it all, I have learned to trust my dreams, and to let them lead the way. And it is the day-to-day experiences of this journey, rather than any final goal, that have provided me with the ongoing inspiration to keep doing the work I am doing – the most important work of my life, my most meaningful work in the world.
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Christine Mason Miller is a Santa Monica-based artist, writer, and explorer. Her next book – Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World – is now available at bookstores everywhere and Amazon.com.. Follow her adventures on www.christinemasonmiller.com
