I believe that work is…necessary, worthwhile, boring, time killer, inspirational.

When I think my current work I feel…ambivalent, one step removed.

And I wonder…why?

Do you ever wonder why? That work is a disconnect, that there could be more?

Around about 2000, I was first living in Vancouver and full of existential angst. I took the Life Path Workshop with Andrea Jacques, who more anyone opened the door to me to seek fulfillment in my (work) life.

Last week, looking through some papers, I discovered the notes from the workshop. The above is a sample of the sentences I wrote reflecting on my journey. How depressing was my experience of work and careers!

Could I see more? Of course,

In the future I see work as…freedom, connecting with who I am in the world.

but…

The reason I don’t have this is…I do not yet believe in myself to inform / let others share in my work.

Too right! I didn’t believe in myself because I didn’t know myself and my own genius. How would I describe this greater future…

Kinds of activities you will be involved in? Creative, installations, programmes, real lives

Fields of knowledge? Infotainment, art, convergence, media

Kinds of people? Small group of like-minded people, tight, progressive, trustworthy, questioning

Activities structured? Ideas, some organisation, writing, prep, action!

Woah! Suddenly, well 15 years later, everything is falling into place. The above sounds quite like my work situation (even though I work in a big corporation, not a start-up).

Values?

Characteristics you admire: consistency, honesty, trustworthy, open, trusting, simple

Don’t respect: insecure, vengeful, bitter

Want to be remembered for: happy/content; in the moment; made space for possibility

Enjoyable work: make a difference, fun, learning, creative, watching

Unenjoyable: the minutiae, close-minded, old fashioned, rules

Yep, this is really making sense, this describes my team dynamic and the work we are doing when we are doing our best work.

The final part of the workshop was the creation of a kind of mandate to guide my actions and behaviours. Well, what do you know?! I knew who I was 15 years ago. It has been a long and winding road from there to here.

Version 1:

I am a storyteller. I seek to empower people by validating their stories and allowing them to connect with community.

Version 2:

I connect community by empowering individuals to take creative ownership of their stories.

Fifteen years ago I was playing around with a digital camcorder and an early iMac with a firewire, nibbling at the edges of the creative arts, pondering how the hell I got there and what on earth I was supposed to do next. Just maybe, I was a few years ahead of the marketplace.

Here we are today, in the midst of a content marketing explosion, with the need for direct interpersonal storytelling to cut through the exponential information overload. Here we are today, with emergent communities and networks reformatting how we impact organizations, politics, cultures.

I was born ready. I was born for today.

←This Much We Know.→