On Purpose

Someone asked me recently: ‘how do you manage to be so energetic and joyful ALL the time?! Your pace is bonkers!’

And it set me to pondering if this is a question many of you might have about me.

My answer: I don’t.

I don’t manage to be all of those things, all of the time.

I’m not always joyful and excitable and energetic.

I’m a riddling mix of a human with the full spectrum of emotions/experiences - just as we all are.

I get sad. I get tired. I get overwhelmed. I get grumpy. And all the rest.

What you see through this lens here is definitely all authentic me.

I am a clown. I am daft. I am obsessed with colour. I am playful. I am wordy. I am pedantic. I do love larking around. I do always have a million creative ideas/projects jostling for precedence and high levels of excitability about sharing those.

But it’s not all of me.

I’m also wading blindfold through the blizzard of adulting - just as we all are. I’m also winging it.

However. And this is key:

I may be blindfold and staggering about when it comes to ‘adulting’, but I’m VERY clear-sighted about my purpose and direction when it comes to my work.

My purpose through my work is quite simple: to make light. And to shed light. And to share light.

Through play. With spirit. And humour. And colour.

Why?

Because I want to.

Because I feel driven to.

Because this feels like what I’m supposed to be doing.

And because I don’t see any greater value in me, with my particular skill-set and circumstance, doing anything else.

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But let me contextualise this:

I’ve had some very dark times in my life.

I’ve been brought to my knees, in a corner - more times than I can count.

So through necessity, I’ve been forced to reacquaint myself with the things that bring me joy. In a bid to survive and cope, I’ve made it my business to make my own fun, my own entertainment, be my own source of humour and flip my perspective.

So through my work, what I’m trying to do is share that light-source with you.

And perhaps - gently flip your perspective.

And pay-forward that handrail, if you like - the one that has been offered to me when I’ve been on my knees and really needed it.