Kia ora,

Today’s issue was inspired by a lovely friend who I attended an Arts Hui with last weekend.

As you’ll read today, the Hui made me realise how much I underestimated how creative I actually am, which lead me to think about all the other narratives we carry with us which can be outdated or flat out untrue.

As always, thank you for carving out the time in your day to read my little corner of content. 💕

And let me know if there are any lingering stories or narratives you’re throwing in the bin after reading this!

Estimated Read time: 4 minutes 42 seconds

The Deep Dive: I'm an Artist?? Redefining the Stories We Tell Ourselves

I've been giving myself a hard time lately that I've lost my creativity because I don't have proper creative hobbies outside of work anymore.

When I was younger, I was constantly making things. I played flute to Grade 8, went to painting classes, spent weekends card-making, crocheting, knitting—you name it. 

These days? My flute hasn't been touched in years, there are balls of wool and crochet hooks gathering dust in my room, and despite repeatedly telling myself I'll sign up for pottery or dancing classes, I'm doing precisely none of those things.

So naturally, I concluded I'd given up on creativity. Case closed, right? ❌

Then over the weekend, I attended an Arts Hui put on by the Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network, where I heard from heaps of different arts practitioners. It was fascinating hearing about the business of art, but also the role art plays in our lives, politics, and how it can change the trajectory of a culture or even a nation's identity.

But my other key takeaway was that whilst I'd love to get back into painting, crochet, pottery, and working with my hands again, I'm actually scratching the creative itch constantly in the work I do. 💡

Every single day at work, I'm using my creative brain heavily—whether it's developing a campaign with its creative vision, writing copy, designing user experiences for marketing flows, or figuring out how to make it all technically possible. And then there's this newsletter, which absolutely feels creative too. ✍️

The truth is, in this current life phase with lots going on, I'm already prioritising creativity through my work and writing. That's why I don't feel the urgent need to pick up those paintbrushes right now — but that doesn't mean I'm someone who's given up on creativity.

This got me thinking about the stories we tell ourselves—and how untrue they can sometimes be. 🤔

Take another story I love telling myself: "I'm bad at maths and not very technical."

Sure, maths isn't my strength. I don't love spreadsheets, and I'm not passionate about coding. But at the same time, I manage ad campaigns that spend over $20k a month, set up complex email automations, and regularly analyse advertising data to understand what it's telling me. When I look at that evidence, it doesn't exactly scream "bad at maths and technical stuff," does it?

I think it's fair to say these aren't my strongest areas or where I'm most comfortable. But that doesn't mean I need to introduce myself as someone who's "hopeless with numbers" or avoid opportunities that involve these skills.

Here's another favourite: "I'm not a process-oriented person." 📋

Yes, I'm definitely more of a creative brain, and I find it incredibly hard to follow my own processes (ironic, I know). But I've built processes that have been hugely helpful for the people who use them. I effectively manage a team. I meal prep each week and pack my bag and lay out my gym gear the night before. Again, not exactly the hallmarks of a disorganised person.

So what's the problem with these kinds of stories? 

We hold ourselves to such impossibly high standards that if we're not hitting our own interpretation of perfection at a certain task, we decide we're "bad" at it.

And so, as if to insulate ourselves from the feelings of inadequacy that come when we're not "perfect" at something, we lean on stories of not being creative/bad at X/not a morning person/disorganised/bad with numbers/bad with money etc.

These stories can prevent us from taking on opportunities, applying for jobs or promotions, starting businesses or hobbies or trying something new. In short, our default stories can hold us back. 🔒

You can't be amazing at everything or strive for perfection in every opportunity. But instead of avoiding anything that falls within our perceived areas of weakness, we have the power to redefine our stories and give ourselves permission to imperfectly participate.

Action of the Week:

What stories do you have on repeat?

Have a think about some of the stories you tell about yourself. Where might they be holding you back?

Is there a belief you've held for ages? Something self-deprecating you find yourself telling people? An excuse you automatically reach for when explaining a less-than-perfect performance?

Write down the story, then answer these questions:

• Is it true? 

• What evidence do you have that supports it? 

• And what evidence suggests it might not be accurate at all?

• What would life look like if you didn’t hold this belief?

You might be surprised by what you discover.

Inspo & Recommendations:

LinkedIn post: “What I learned from Warren Buffet to micro-retire by 39” by Upasna Gautam

Podcast ep: Masculinity Debate: Are Dating Apps Creating a Generation of Incels? by Diary of a CEO (this is a different kind of rec. but honestly this really opened my eyes to what is quite a pressing issue that I had no idea about).

Learning: Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network enrolments are open! If you’re aged 20 - 30 based in Aotearoa I encourage you to check it out!

Money: Z Energy App. Z have released an app for their loyalty system, and if you join up now you get 20c off 3x fills and a free hot drink — pretty generous in this economy.

Love from your business-minded friend,

Elise

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