The Makearoo Thing No. 2: You get to decide. from Makearoo on Vimeo.
I created this Makearoo Thing in response to viewer mail from my friend John, who wrote asking for advice about leaving a safe-but-joyless gig to pursue creative dreams when you’re the primary breadwinner in your home. I asked viewers who had taken creative leaps of faith to post about their experiences, and my friend Katrina wrote this comment on Vimeo:
I left my soul-sucking job a year ago. Then I went on a six-month trip to Europe to visit my ancestral lands. It was the greatest decision of my life. Now I’m back in the US, have been here for six months, and I told myself I *could not* go back to another soul-sucking job.
So. I’m working on building a business, one in which I can work with people and help them find their true voice, their path, their inner wisdom. I’ve started booking paid clients for dreamwork and nature-supported healings. I put out a free Dream Divination Deck that’s gotten rave reviews. I’m launching a dream group and an online class next.
But, I’m running out of money. I’m so near the edge it’s terrifying. I do have help from my best friend and partner who is supporting me 100% and I’m grateful for that.
And every time I think I’m going to run back into soul-sucking work (and I’ve gone on interviews, people, it’s gone that far) things don’t happen. I don’t get the job. Or I don’t even get the interview. And I believe this is a sign that I’m so close to making this work that I absolutely can’t give up.
And even though it is scary, and hard, and I cry (a lot) it is absolutely worth it.
Thanks for this thing, Toni.
You’re welcome, Katrina! Thanks to both you and John for sharing your experiences.
Here’s what I noticed in Katrina’s response: “It was the greatest decision of my life.” and “. . . even though it is scary, and hard, and I cry (a lot) it is absolutely worth it.” No regrets. Walking in faith to pursue creative dreams and to become who you know deep down who you were meant to be and what you were meant to do takes immense courage and faith. But those of us who do these things tend to not regret it. Even our failures bring lessons and help us correct course–again, with no regrets.
Here’s something I’ve also noticed in Katrina’s response: she has support–and asking for and accepting support takes great courage, too. None of us is in this alone, so let’s all stop pretending that we must suffer in silence and solitude to get shit done. Makearoo is a one-woman shop (for now), but it’s not. My husband Daniel is my biggest cheerleader and he’s going to be my AV and IT guy at Camp Makearoo (thanks, honey!). My coach is a close second. My friends and family are there, asking how things are going, how they can help, handing out flyers, offering to help create fun things for Camp Makearoo. Even our kids have helped us post flyers locally and are offering to run a Camp Makearoo experience for kids who attend with their parents one day. This sort of energy is contagious–which I absolutely love. A creative ripple effect. We’re not meant to work alone, nor should we have to. So even though John is the sole breadwinner right now, whatever moves he makes, he won’t make them alone. And if you follow along and take a similar leap into the great unknown, you won’t be alone, either.
I’m not the primary breadwinner in our household, but I do need to work (student loans, credit cards and soon, braces will need funding). Makearoo isn’t a hobby business; I’ve always worked and to tell you the truth, I love working and solving problems and making cool stuff. Am I scared sometimes? Sure. Do I regret doing this instead of job hunting after I quit freelancing? Not once. Not one single time. That lack of regret, despite not knowing the exact outcome of my creative dream, is a huge sign for me that I’m on the right path.
I got another viewer response that’s not posted anywhere but that got me the most excited out of all of them. My husband told me that after he watched this video, he realized that I didn’t just make this for John, but for him, too. He’s right. It’s for anyone thinking about charting a different course for themselves. And now, for the first time, my husband is starting to step into his creative dreams and see what that feels like. I don’t know where that’s going to lead or when he might take a leap of his own, but I’m less attached to that outcome than I am positively thrilled that he’s seeing possibilities for himself that he didn’t see before. Because that’s where it all begins: Seeing yourself in a new light. Then comes some planning, but always action, action, action.
We’re ready. Are you?