How can I be of service?
This is a question that has been turning over and over in mind lately. I first heard it from Dr. James R. Doty on the Chase Jarvis Live podcast a couple of months ago, and in recent days it’s become top of mind for me as I figure out my way forward. See, I don’t know how to make my way forward right now. I’m a bit stuck, but this question of how can I be of service helps point the way.
I am a teacher at heart. Yes, I’m a visual artist, but I think that more than anything I am a teacher, and I am always looking to share what I’ve learned, what I’ve figured out, and what I do. It’s my way of connecting, and it goes back to high school when I would tutor some of my friends in study hall, especially with math since it seemed to just make sense to me just like art made sense.
Since those high school days of helping friends survive math class, I’ve been sharing and teaching for 28 years now. It’s who I am, and at the heart of that is this notion of service. How can I be of service?
It’s why I’m writing these words, and why I’ve tried my hand at blogging and podcasting. It’s why I have a YouTube Channel and why I’ve co-written a couple of books—to share some of the things that I know, that I do, that I’ve figured out. It’s my way of being of service, and I am trying to find a way—a deeper way to do that. I just don’t know what that is right now.
But I’ll keep sharing, and I’ll keep trying to be of service in whatever direction life may take me.
The last time that I felt stuck like this was a few years ago, and at that time I turned to YouTube and podcasts and I started to listen to interviews with a wide range of individuals—some who were doing something like what I want to do—some that were leaders in business and entrepreneurship—and some who were just creatives making their way in the world. I took a look at what they did and listened to what they had to say, and it helped me move forward. Now that I’m feeling stuck again, maybe revisiting some of these isn’t such a bad idea.
Austin Kleon was one of those people, and I watched a number of his interviews. In my last post, I mentioned Kleon and his books, but he has been so helpful on my journey, so I thought that I’d share one of the interviews Chase Jarvis did with Him.
Although the video is more than ten years old and I had read his books, I still took away a lot from the interview and created the two-page journal spread that’s at the top.
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck. Are there people, resources, or ideas that you like to revisit that help you move forward? Share them in the comments so others can check them out.
Thanks so much for sharing this journey!
Happy Creating!
Eric