Anyone who has ever embarked upon entrepreneurial or creative endeavors knows firsthand how daunting breaking out of the box can be. One would think that the fuel of following our dream would give us the courage to blast through the walls of fear, sense of inadequacy and feelings of being overwhelmed, that is commonplace when venturing into uncharted waters.
There are certainly times in my box-shattering adventures when I hit a wall and the fear of failure hijacks my mind and ignites a blazing inferno that overtakes my creative fire. I’ve said it before, but I can’t emphasize enough the importance of collaborative creativity. Far too often people think of collaboration as something that occurs between businesses or nonprofits, failing to understand the significance and importance of collaboration on a one-on-one level.
If we are to succeed and push beyond the fear that naturally occurs when we are in a rut we must build our team of believers. Otherwise it’s far too easy to simply pack things up when doubt creeps in.
There is no price tag one can put on friends and colleagues willing to share their time and energy as we navigate the trepidation that often occurs when journeying into treacherous waters. And trust me! When we enter the vast sea of dream chasing we will inevitably find ourselves swimming with the sharks (the conformists) that would love to inflict a mortal flesh wound (delivering doubt when we are in a place of vulnerability) putting an end to our creative endeavor.
But why go at it alone? Why not re-define collaboration? When a friend is willing to give us the greatest gift we can ever receive (their time) to brainstorm, noodle or simply offer support of our unconventional path, we are operating in a state of creative collaboration. This to me represents the nature of collaborative friendship as we all strive to make a difference during our time exploring this big, wild world.
What is more fulfilling than contributing to positive work by helping the people we most believe in? When we build believers we strengthen our foundation. And when those believers give of themselves when doubt clouds the lens through which we see our audacious journey, we are reminded of the reason we started the endeavor to begin with: a life lived with meaning and purpose.
Collaborative creativity is more than a gesture; it is another powerful tool towards legacy work.
~Michael W. Leach