BLOG #6 - How connection with creatives stimulates your growth

When you don’t engage with creative people, you miss out on opportunities for growth.

One of my participants explained to me how she was not surrounded by other visual practitioners or people who clearly used creative skills in their work. Her environment did not stimulate her much in expressing herself visually and in creating and using visual tools in her work. She felt much alone in her desire to support processes visually – which is what she believes in and enjoys doing. 

This was exactly why she felt so delighted about being among like-minded people also interested in practicing and developing their visual skills for some days. The time together evoked a lot of inspiration and creative energy.

With lots of connection to creative people, your are likely to be more stimulated in the development of your visual skills.

But how do you know if you miss out on connection with creative people – and as a result, the benefits of spending time together?

The 3 causes you miss out on connection with visual practitioners:

CAUSE 1 - YOU ARE TOO BUSY WITH YOUR OWN WORK TO ENGAGE WITH OTHER VISUAL PRACTITIONER:

TIP: The schedule of a visual practitioner tends to be filled with facilitating different kinds of sessions & meetings, workshops, trainings, graphic recording gigs, but a long with that executional work their is lots of time spend on preparation, traveling, meetings, calls, administration, reports and the after match of a closing a project or gig. When to find time to connect with peers and build relationships with them? Yet doing so is incredibly valuable for your work as a visual practitioner. Not only because exchanging on experiences with other visual practitioners broadens your understanding and creative mind, it also can inspire you, help you grow your clientele, and you might even grow a regular feedback practice that helps you develop your visual skills. An easy way to connect with a peer is to find a buddy, perhaps someone you enjoyed spending time with in a visual skill building training or festival you attend. Depending on the intensity of your schedule, connect with them on a regular basis to exchange, ask and give support and feedback on your work.

CAUSE 2 - MOST OF YOUR COLLEAGUES AREN’T CREATIVE OR AREN’T A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR YOU

TIP: When you are (pretty much) the only visual practitioner at work or in your field, you can feel lonely at times. You also miss out on being stimulated by the work of other visual practitioners. Yet, I like to invite you to have another look at your environment. Creativity shows up and is leveraged in many different forms. Observe your colleagues. How do they tackle obstacles? How do they respond or or anticipate when they face a challenge? Inspiration can evolve from appreciating their resourcefulness. Besides, you can think of ways you can support their process visually and propose to try it out. The nice side effect is that you might start to connect and build relationships with colleagues you were not so close with, maybe they will eventually get inspired by you and become a visual practitioner.

CAUSE 3 - YOU CONNECT ONLY ONLINE WITH VISUAL PRACTITIONERS

TIP: Though ‘meeting’ online with visual peers has many benefits and nurtures your need for connection, inspiration, learning, creativity and meaning, it lacks the energy stimulated when we physically spend time with people. Spending time with other visual practitioners in a live setting for a couple of days, creates momentum in that energy. Given that there is an emotionally safe container established to express yourself visually and fully, I find such time spend together extremely meaningful because they have the potential to help us become more vulnerable in our (visual) expression. And that being daring is in my view, a very valuable aspect to stimulate the growth of a visual practitioner.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Inquisitive questions > Answer yourself these questions ...

QUESTION 1 ?? Am I too busy to engage with other visual practitioners?

QUESTION 2 ?? How do my colleagues respond and anticipate on challenges? 

QUESTION 3 ?? How can I support their processes visually?

QUESTION 4 ?? How does my connection with other visual practitioners, online or offline help me be more vulnerable in my visual expression?

What comes up for you reading this post?

Please share in the comments a reflection on your questions.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Creating a safe container for people to explore, experiment and grow is very dear to me. As a visual catalyst I love to see people thrive using their visual skills and create any tool possible for the purpose of being understood. 

To come up fast with ideas and leverage your creative energy constantly, it is very helpful to be able to tap into different sources of inspiration.

The 2nd Visual Skills & Tools Retreat in Novo Mesto, Slovenia is a place where we build such a safe container, recharge our creative batteries and learn to look at the world in an inspiring way.

From July 23-27, 2019, you are welcome in this international, all-inclusive, unparalleled retreat. You get also get nourished in 4,5 days with Slovene cuisine, wines, trips in pristine nature.

Check out the Visual Skills & Tools Retreat HERE.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

My name is Mireille van Bremen and I work internationally as a visual catalyst.

Everything I do as a graphic recorder, visual mediator, visual facilitator, trainer, facilitator and coach, stems from an intention to invigorate creative energy in others so they can express themselves visually.

Over the past years I trained hundreds of trainers, facilitators, coaches, educators and leaders from all over the world in becoming resourceful in their communication and their approach to have the impact they envision.

The programs I design and offer live and in the Online Visual Skills Academy which I founded, help people to develop visual communication skills that lead to greater understanding, stimulate confidence, empathic leadership, connection, engagement, creativity and increase the impact of trainings, seminars, workshops, presentations, meetings or conferences.