Bringing Creativity Back into Business

I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity, and how my love for all things creative led me to my career as a stylist.

Let’s pull up the definition of creative, shall we?

Creative: the ability to use imagination or original thought to produce something new, solve problems, or express ideas.

The ability to use “imagination or original thought” ...

The longer I stay in business for myself, the more I notice how imagination and original thought get placed on the back burner.

They aren’t gone, but they aren’t always leading the pack. Strategy, the algorithm, “Will I succeed?,” and “I’ve got bills to pay” are.

Respectfully, f*ck that!

One of the reasons I chose styling as a career is that using my creativity through style changed my life.

When I was a little girl, my Grandma would bring what my Dad called a “bag of rags.” Fabric scraps she used to teach me how to sew. I made clothes for my Barbies and for myself.

In middle school, I took a pair of low-rise flares (it was the 90s), punched holes at the bottom, and tied on some curly ribbon. I was shy and awkward growing up, a weirdo introvert through and through. I wasn’t a total nerd, but I never quite found my place or a strong friend group.

Those curly ribbon jeans were like a social cheat code. People wanted to talk to me, and the jeans (aka my creativity) opened the door.

I was sold on style in the moment, and went after it. I was determined to make a career out of it, and I did.

I got a degree in Fashion Design. I worked at boutiques and department stores. I became a celebrity stylist, and then a personal stylist. I’ve written multiple books on style. And I’ve been on TV as a style expert countless times.

I made it, but did my creativity make it for the entire ride? Yes, and no.

I’ve been coaching and training stylists and creatives for almost two decades, so I’ve observed a thing or two. I see aspiring stylists come to me ready to turn their love of style into a money-making career.

That creative spark has already blown out the second money enters the equation. And more often than not, they’ve already tried to make a living doing what they love.

Here’s how it usually goes ...

They love style.

Everyone compliments them on their style.

They know styling is an actual career.

They see what everyone else is doing because … the internet.

They come up with the same old stuff every other stylist does.

Because they must know something they don’t.

They pound the digital pavement trying to sell their services.

And then crickets.

Desperation and being crazy hard on themselves enter the chat. So they double down on strategy. There must be some missing link they aren’t finding.

What if the missing link was the exact thing that brought you here? Creativity. Play.

That’s your gift!

The most successful times in my career happened when I stopped doing what everyone else was doing and started playing. When I tapped into my intuition, when I spoke to spirit, and trusted that voice over the digital noise, over the “guru” on the internet.

Spend less time scrolling and wondering what you’re doing wrong, and spend more time picking up a coloring book and a pack of crayons. Reconnect to what brought you here. Have some fun, do things differently, and see what kind of magic you can really create in your career.

June 1st, I’m hosting a workshop/training called Package Play. It’s a Coach Week exclusive. Grab your ticket to Coach Week here, or grab a Lurker Pass to observe the coaching and attend Package Play.