Module One: your working creed

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Hopefully you’ve just done your brain dump in the workbook.
Now, won’t you be brave and share with us your working creed?
As the workbook mentioned, one great way to begin working out your creed is by imagining that you yourself are a book. That’s right, a book – on a shelf, digital, or in a library.
If I were to pick you up, what would your title be? Mine would be The World Isn’t Finished. Seth Godin’s might be The System is Broken. Try and make it concise, using as few words as possible. Remember, this can be tweaked, but you must get something on the page!
P.S. Be sure to click subscribe at the bottom of the thread so you can continue to participate in the conversation.

  • New to this, so I’m taking a stab at it, I’m on day one. On a personal journey here of finding my significance. As a filmmaker, musician, brand consultant, creative director, and video editor (cant you tell how extremely focused I am) I find myself representing things on behalf of others, everyday. Pulling them out of their own limitations and presenting the best version of themselves to the world through mainly the medium of film. (Now mind you, I dont exactly know whats inside of me yet, but again, I’m trying to find that). My possible creeds/statements: “inspire greatness inside of others” “we can do better” “be understood” “there has to be more.” Maybe I like most “We havent seen everything yet.” Maybe thats my problem with the world. We havent seen everything yet. How can we judge the current state of any one industry when we dont “know all the facts” Its naive I’m sure, but I have to believe that we havent arrived yet…we havent recognized everything within ourselves nor everything in the world. If new discoveries are happening every day in science, religion, politics, technologies…then we havent seen it all. If God’s mercies are new everyday then we havent discovered all of God either.

    “Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action.
    Do it or don’t do it.
    It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself,. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet. You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God.
    Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.”
    ― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art:

    Im looking for my creative gift. I dont want to cheat the world of my contribution to it. I want to give the world what I have. My creed represents my heart to not only help me, but other’s to give the world what they have…to contribute the very thing that they were set here on Earth to do.

    “We haven’t seen everything yet.”

    • Robert Felker

      I agree with you here…There is so much to discover. And I think being on the quest is what’s important. I know for myself, I’ve gotten stuck in complacency, or a comfort zone of laziness and inactivity, but I truly feel alive and inspired when I’m actively looking, when I’m curious. Look forward to seeing how you evolve this.

    • Jason Mogle

      Drew, I could really relate to how you can represent/pull things out of others, or help them present their best selves, while not really being sure of what that would look like for yourself. In a sermon I listened to recently, the pastor suggested that the reason we can help others while we ourselves struggle is that when we help others, we have perspective that comes with some distance to the problem…but when we go to help ourselves, we can’t have that perspective because we’re too involved. Thanks for sharing the passage from The War of Art–that is encouraging. Here’s to the adventure of discovery.

      • thanks jason, really encouraging. trying to learn the balance of taking care of others AND myself. Hoping to find some hope in that area here in the course. Trying to find you in the introduction forum. Did you write on there?

        • Jason Mogle

          I did. It was about 4 days ago from when I’m posting this.

  • Jeremy Cooper

    I’ve never really spent time looking in depth at the question of why I do what I do. I have always stood by the statement “Love What You Do” and vice-versa “Do What You Love,” but now I’m asking why love what you do and do what you love? We are all telling stories through the work that we do, the art that we create, and the beliefs that we hold. After considering those thoughts, I immediately came up with the draft “Love Creates Story.” I found this particular creed very interesting because it will work both ways with “Story Creates Love.”
    Why love what you do? Because love creates story. If we love the art we create, that art will tell a clear story. But if our art is created without passion or drive, a story may not be found.

    Why do what you love? Because what we do creates a story, and story creates love. If we love what we’re doing, we’re going to tell a story that inspires, breaks boundaries, and creates a passions within us to always create.

    Creed Draft One – Love Creates Story

    • Robert Felker

      I think this creed has a lot of possibilities and works as a mirror image of itself. I think there are infinite forms and expressions of love, so the potential is endless. I also feel that love is an expression of the heart & soul and whatever is created from there will be good. So, my take on it is that your tapping into a limitless source — coming from a person who doesn’t know you, or how to interact yet in this forum, I would like to hear more specifically what your idea of love is.

  • I’ve always found myself drawn to the concept of story and the way that to plays out in all of our lives. So, when I think about what my creed should be the phrase “Our Stories Matter” comes to mind. I like the idea that everything tells a story and that only when we take the time to share our stories with others do we really have a power to change others. I want to create Art that somehow conveys stories so that people are impacted in a meaningful way. I’m not sure if the creed fully encompasses what my thoughts are but It is a good place to start.

    • Joshua, I really like that idea. Feels like it has the ability to draw people together. Feels more corporate than “your stories matter”. I like that it inspires you that you have a story. I feel alot of people dont realize that they have a story, much less one that is worth telling. I’d love to see how you plan on using that in the rest of the course (though I have no idea whats about to happen!). If you really like that idea of sharing then maybe, “sharing stories matters”. Seems like you’ve got something good wrapped up in that!

      • Drew, thanks for the ideas. “Sharing Stories Matters” does seem closer to what I want to say. It encompases more of what I’m going for. I have a feeling that I’m going to be refining this creed a lot through the course of this course.

  • Nadine Heise

    I have spent most of my life trying to fit in, but I don’t. I work with students who can’t fit in, but try so hard to be accepted by peers and adults alike. My creed for now is “being unique is a blessing”

    • Robert Felker

      I commented on this on the FB page, but I’ll share it here as well, with some tweaks:

      I like this! I think being unique is something to embrace and appreciate in ourselves and others. Fitting in is overrated and has its own pressures, although I’ve never done it very well either. We are all unique and have our own individual experiences of life. On the flipped I also believe we share a lot more than we openly recognize and that could be a blessing too.

  • Robert Felker

    The creed I’ve come up with is, “Choose Courage. Have Hope.” It feels a bit sappy, or grandiose even, but I need to create a fundamental shift in my attitude, my perception, my priorities. Here’s how it surfaced: Thinking back, coming out of high school, I got a full scholarship to a prestigious art school, enjoyed praise and commendation as a student and had early success as a freelance illustrator in the NY market. Opportunities seemed to be falling into my lap and it appeared I was “on my way.” Suddenly, the opportunities dried up and I realized I had to hustle if I was to continue. But I wasn’t prepared. I had not experienced much failure or rejection. And when it came, I didn’t have the stomach for it. I gradually began to “avoid” my life through booze and other exploits. I tried a few geographical cures, then finally ended up in the graphic design field, first print and now web. After 15 years in the corporate world, I find myself still searching for purpose and meaning in my life. I’m 46 and I have a wife and two kids and life looks amazing on paper. And in many ways it IS amazing, but I still find myself feeling overwhelmed; pressured to sustain, or advance salary/career, etc.; feeling unfulfilled and suspicious that I’m on the wrong path; and a pull on my heart to do something relevant and meaningful. I’ve experienced the throws of addiction, anxiety and depression, and used those maladies as excuses to perpetuate my unhappiness and lack of hope… However, I’ve also experienced moments of profound freedom, peace, inspiration and connectedness. I believe it takes courage to stay positive and hopeful to contribute something meaningful to this world. So, here I am, to give it a shot!

    • Jean Hammershaimb

      Yes to courage – I need so much more of it too! I believe courage breeds hope.

    • Hi Robert. Been meaning to reply to your post today as I found your creed inspirational and the reasoning behind it so honest and open, thank you for sharing. I totally identified with you saying that you’re “feeling unfulfilled and suspicious that I’m on the wrong path;” as I have that feeling all the time, and know many other friends who have said the same, so sadly it feels all too common for many people.

      • Robert Felker

        Thank you for saying that, Louise. I agree with you, I’m sure it’s more prevalent than lots of people would admit. But I also see people living what seem like happy, fulfilled lives and I wonder if it’s really true for them, or do they just do it more gracefully than I do :). It’s probably a bit of both…… When I’m feeling stuck, or like I’m not on the right track, it can contaminate all areas of my life. It’s not there all the time, but when it is, it takes up so much space/energy. I’m coming to believe, however, that this discontent is really a lie/delusion I choose to believe and the more I allow it to dominate my thinking, the more it expands. My hope is that I can learn to recognize it for what it is and like you say, “let go” of it and keep on truckin’

    • Jason Mogle

      Robert, your story is remarkably similar to mine, although your a lot more artistic–I can really appreciate how early success in life may not build the character that comes through trials, and prepares us for later struggles. Thank you for being so open and honest about your journey.

      • Robert Felker

        Thank you for the feedback and it’s good to know that others can identify and are also looking for ways to improve their outlook. I hope by sharing openly, we can challenge each other to improve our lives!

  • So I spent this afternoon looking through the parts of module one, and initially struggling to sum up what I want my creed to be. I then read through Seth Godin’s blog and the part of the answer was right there in front of me in his post titled ‘Reckless abandon(is neither).’ He said “It’s not reckless, because when we leap, when we dive in, when we begin, only begin, we bring our true nature to the project, we make it personal and urgent”. After reading that it became as clear as day to me “Let go, and dive in”. This sums up my fears, hopes and dreams on so many levels, it will be interesting to
    see if it evolves over the duration of the course.

    • Robert Felker

      Nice, Louise. I like it because it is rooted in action — in doing! Also encouragement. I’ve certainly been guilty of over-thinking things, or procrastinating something until I talk myself out of following through. This has potential application for my world :)

      • Thank you Robert. It’s definitely about action, but also about letting go of fears that can hold you back on your path to fulfil hopes and dreams. I’m also an avid diver and ocean lover, so I managed to get that in there too 😉

    • Jean Hammershaimb

      Wow, Louise you hit the nail on the head. I have been retired for several years and have always lived a conservative, safe life, but I think God is nudging me to trust Him and follow where He leads me and so begin experiencing the abundant life of letting go too. Thanks! Excited where this journey leads.

      • Hi Jean. Thank you for your kind comments. Letting go of fears is such a big thing for me; fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of getting it wrong, fear of losing etc, etc, but most of all it’s fear of making the wrong decision and wasting time going in the wrong direction. I’m hoping this course will help me to realise which path will make me happy, and learn to let go and just go for it :)

  • Jean Hammershaimb

    I so appreciate all the creeds that are posted and they are stretching me already. One of my goals is to live looking less inward and more outward. Opening my vision to the wonder and beauty of God’s creation and finding new opportunities each day and being willing to jump in. To live more spontaneously. I would like to live in the present moment less regretting the past or being fearful of the future. One of my passions is food. I love searching for the freshest, organic ingredients, exploring new recipes, planning meals, preparing meals and sharing food and fellowship around the table. So combining my goal with my passion, I think my creed might look something like – create beautiful opportunities around the table to share food and fellowship, to open my table to new friendships and prepare foods that are pleasing to the eye as well as the body and soul. I guess I would like to create more opportunities to share what I love with others and using our table as the vehicle to make that happen.

    • I love this, always challenged by the idea of connection and community and food..I think its because of my hope for a real sense of what “communion” really means. I wonder if it reads clearer (or more ambiguous I guess too) “beautiful opportunities around the the table”

      • Jean Hammershaimb

        Drew, I really appreciate your input. Yes, I think “beautiful opportunities around the table” does clarify what I am saying and thinking and is a much clearer statement. This course is already such a gift in my life. I am so blessed to be part of this community.

        • Jean…I can’t wait for you to get to one of the later modules where we talk a LOT about what it means to be present (not living too much in the past or the future). In the meantime, thank you for sharing. I’d love to hear more about what draws you to food and to the table. Keep going!

  • Jason Mogle

    I share Jean’s sentiments; it’s remarkable how I find elements of my own life and journey in the different comments everyone’s shared…which just makes me appreciate this community that much more. As I went through different creed drafts (“You’re not alone”, “There is a home”, “God’s with you”) and sorted through the content of module one, I kept seeing themes of relationships and home emerge. This made sense because we moved around a lot growing up, so I leaned on my family as the only “permanent” structure. When my parents divorced and the family fell apart in my late high school/early college years, that sent me down a difficult road of having outward success but lots of restlessness, depression, selfishness, and doubts inwardly because I lived with a “survival” mentality and took short-cuts in the name of “efficiency” when I could. I heard it put recently, “success without roots means your talent can take you where your character can’t keep you”–that was me. So, I am looking forward to putting some roots down by growing through this course so I can be more fully present where I’m at, starting with this creed draft. After considering everything, I’ve settled on “Because God loves us”. I really enjoy using creativity to help people see how God is already present in their lives and loves them–particularly when there can be that eye-opening, “aha!”-type moment that grips our heart and changes our feelings, captures our mind and changes our thinking, and gives energy and rest to the soul and changes the way we engage daily life. I chose “us” instead of “you” or “me” because I wanted to emphasize the community that God’s love naturally tends to bring.

    • Robert Felker

      I really love that quote! Unfortunately, it still rings pretty true for me today. I’m interested to see how you develop this creed and apply it. You already sound like a very generous person that helps a lot of people. I suppose there is always more we can do to improve and grow.

  • Being succinct is NOT a strength of mine! So coming up with a creed using as few words as possible has been a little intimidating for me. But I’ve been in the midst of really clarifying my purpose, so it’s good timing. I just quit a great job in order to focus more on my work with dancers (psycho-education I guess you’d call it, but if I were a book, I certainly wouldn’t call myself that!!!). Where I’m at right now, the closest I can come to a creed is simply: Because we need to break free. I like it. I don’t know I have the courage to own it. But we’ll see what the rest of this course brings….

    • I like “because we need to break free!” I also really appreciate your vulnerability in sharing whether or not you have the courage to own it. Simply speaking it means that there’s a sense that you do :-)

      Curious to hear more about your dance work.

      • Thank you. I’m already feeling more like I can own the break free thing! It’s (unsurprisingly) quite freeing! 😉
        I used to be a professional ballet dancer, now I’m a counsellor working with dancers to help them cope with the pressures of the industry, dance at their best and generally believe in themselves and like themselves more. I’m just starting to use the internet to run classes as well as one-on-one stuff. It’s fun. But interesting that although dance is “creative” a lot of dancers (at least ballet dancers) are not awfully in touch with their creativity and also needing to “break free” a bit more. So grateful for this course right now. It’s just what I need. Thank you!

        • What awesome work you’re doing! We’re so grateful to have you in the course!

    • I love this idea of breaking free. Say more about it…what do you want to break free from? Is this a theme for you in your own story?

  • I’m way behind schedule, but here’s a bit from my creed process.

    I’m still pretty stuck on this phrase hanging in my office, “makers gonna make.” There’s this “I can’t help it” nature to a lot of my creation. Another angle I toyed with was “let’s try it!” I love testing new techniques, or using tools in ways they weren’t designed for (I went ‘all in’ using my iPad as a creation tool).

    I struggled as none of these statements applied to other areas of my life, such as what I try to create in my children. In the end, I went back to my core, and the spiritual lessons I’m continually learning. It’s in the small things that transformation happens. Heaven comes to earth in our small interactions. My children feel loved by the little gestures (like a bedtime snuggle). The work I’ve created that has been the most transformative for others has always been small. It’s the blog post I wrote after a rough week, the sketch notes I made during the weekly sermon, the quick hand lettering of a lyric that resonated with me.

    That led me to this creed: small things matter.

    We’ll see how it evolves.

  • Esteban Rueda

    Mine would be something like “See the bigger picture. Find the hidden truth.” When I think about creating art and trying to help others with it, I think “I think can do that by showing my own perspective on issues!” And throughout my life I’ve learned to try and see a bigger picture of my life to make sense out of things. I’d like to do the same for others. Show a full reality. Expand horizons. Still a work in progress, of course.

    • I really like the mystery behind this. It compels me!