the best new creative business tactic

Guys, I have a groundbreaking discovery to share with you this week.

Especially if you’re in a place where you feel like you’re trying really hard to get your passions going but are still hitting a wall, or you’re working many many hours and left feeling exhausted and drained.

This one’s for you.

I’ve been there and have worked so hard trying to get certain business things going until I practically was banging my head against a wall.

I’ve been at my laptop til all hours of the night “working” on stuff, feeling like it’s ok since it’s work that I actually love. (But it’s left me feeling too tired to go dance class or do something as simple as food shopping. Not a sustainable model!)

I’ve experienced the shame and stress of having no one sign up for a program that I had put my heart and soul into creating.

And after all that, here’s the new business tactic I discovered that’s really doing the trick:

It’s the “F*CK IT, HAVE MORE FUN” method.

“Oh, you mean, I can actually go out dancing and socialize with people instead of sitting behind my laptop plotting my next program?”

Yup.

“Oh, you mean, I really deserve to enjoy myself and have fun, even if I don’t feel super successful with my business at the moment?”

Yes indeed.

“Oh, you’re saying that when I open up to having fun and say f*ck it to the work-more, do-more, push-it model, I actually have a better flow of ideas and income?”

Abso-f*cking-lutely.

There it is.

Close your laptop.

Stop trying to figure it out.

Grab your dancing partner or find one on Tinder, and go have fun.

I bet you’ll be shocked at what opens up after.

I know I was.

Stay tuned for more on what has opened up - because it might be helpful to you! - but for now, I’m peacing out because the world of fun is calling my name.

handing you your permission slip for fun,

Jess Grippo

p.s. One of the things that’s lighting me up right now in my business is getting to coach the 7 members of the Take Your Passion, Make It Happen program, currently in progress. Rockstar-status breakthroughs are in process.

If you missed that boat, but sense my kind of guidance is the boost you’re needing in your life, check out my self-guided online program, Find Your Rhythm. 

things change, but does the essence stay the same?

In honor of the 4-year anniversary of Creative Fridays, today’s post features a throwback post, one that I originally wrote on February 17th of 2012.

[4 years of jazz hands]

It’s fascinating to me that I’ve been writing this blog weekly, consistently, for the past 4 years. Especially since there had been multiple other blogs and ideas that I started before it, but never quite kept going.

It’s also fascinating that the essence of what I wrote about then is still the same as what I’m writing about today. So much has changed, but yet the core of it has remained. (Including jazz hands.)

Think about where you were 4 years ago.

Perhaps your life circumstances were completely different. Perhaps they were similar to now.

No matter what the outside circumstances were like, what was the inner constant? What was that essence for you? The thing you ached for. The dream you tended to. The part of you that felt compelled to keep going.

Do you recognize an inner constant, too?

Share in the comments below - I’m curious to know how this lands for you :)

And here goes that post from 2012:

Do you have a dream?

You know, the kind of dream that might feel a little far off from where you are now, the kind of dream that whispers to you “anything is possible,” even if your rational mind shushes it up all too soon.

Do I know exactly what my dream is? Not really. I have ideas (and many of them involve being on stage with Lady Gaga or traveling the world making dance videos), but I’m starting to think that the uncertainty, the curiosity, the questions, are where the real juice is.

Isn’t that what pulls us forward into our dreams in ways that are even better than we could’ve imagined?

I used to get down on myself for not having a more traditional path, for not committing at a very young age to a single art form or trade. But now I’m beginning to cherish the many outlets I’ve explored and passions I’ve pursued. And in the process I’ve become so grateful for the circuitous path I travel upon.

I have a hunch that you have a dream (or multiple dreams), too. Even if they seem cloudy or completely out of sight, they are there within you. And they matter. And they are precious and need to be tended to if you ever want to discover what they really are and what they could become.

My hunch also tells me that you don’t have to abandon your life as you know it in order to pursue a dream. Of course sometimes we do feel compelled to quit our jobs, leave our primary relationships, move across the country, etc, etc, but for some of us who aren’t ready for that much of a leap, you can start small.

Start with one impulse, one picture, one dance class.

Start with Fridays and declare it your day to put more focus on your creative spirit.

Commit to nothing but yourself.

Learn from little kids and senior citizens.

Be curious.

Write down what you dream of at night.

Don’t wait for permission or a degree or certificate. You’re already an artist (or an athlete or an alchemist or a ….)

“Live the questions now,” as Rilke tells us.

I dare you to.

with love through the changes,

Jess

you don’t have to pick just one creative passion.

--> If you have multiple interests and creative inclinations...

--> If you cringe when people ask you, “What do you do?” because the real answer is a mile-long...

--> If you don’t want to box yourself into Just. One. Thing…..

This article is for you.

My short answer is: You don’t have to pick just one thing.

And here’s the longer answer of why that is:

Let’s use the example of basic human biology.

Women aren’t born with one single egg in their ovaries. They are born with thousands. Each month hundreds of them grow until one (or sometimes 2 or 3) gets big enough to be hatched into ovulation and released from its sac.

That egg has the potential to be fertilized and create new life. If it’s not fertilized, it’s released and the whole process starts again.

Nature makes sure we don’t put all our eggs in one basket. It gives us cycles so that the multitude of eggs contained within us have chances to be hatched at different times.

Why would your creativity be any different?

Give your multiple creative eggs time to marinate. There’s nothing wrong with having many of them in your basket. In fact, it’s basic biology and smart survival to do so.

Take turns tending to each of them. You’ll know when the time is ripe to fertilize one, and that will guide you naturally into spending more focused time on one of your growing creative babies. (for 9 months? or more? Who knows. You’ll know when you get there.)

Instead of feeling ashamed for not being more focused, get excited and proud of all the potential creative life that’s inside you!

Comment below and tell me:

What are YOUR multiple passions?

Are any of them calling for your attention right now?

Say it outloud and we’ll all feel less alone in our multi-passionate pursuits.

loving all your creative eggies,

Jess

p.s. Have a desire to start fertilizing one or two of your creative passions more fully? In keeping with the metaphor, I’d love to act as your creative midwife and help you fully give birth.

In my 6-week self-guided online program, I will take you through powerful and effective dance-based practices, writing tools, resources, and coaching lessons, that will help you manifest your creative project, business idea, and/or your unique voice into this world.

Check it out here.

why am I working SO much, but not making any headway?

Why am I not making any headway?

Why do I feel like a failure?

What am I supposed to be doing with my life?!

Questions like these can plague you for weeks at a time - or even longer.

What I’ve learned is that when you keep the questions in your head, they just stay there.

When you dance through them, you begin to embody answers.

Quick example of this from my own life:

I was feeling frustrated yesterday morning because I woke up late, launched right into work, and didn't do my morning dance. I was tired of doing so much "outreach" in my search for more dance teaching gigs, as well as filling my current group coaching program.

The question was: “Why does it feel like I’m not making any headway but I’m working SO much?!”

So I remembered my own advice and took an emergency dance break.

In an empty studio at the YMCA, I danced it out hard.

And then it was like magic happened - within an hour after dancing:

• someone signed up online for my group coaching program

• someone signed on to work with me as a copywriting client

• someone called me back from a nearby dance studio that opened up a huge door for my teaching.

Bam.

Dance IS the answer.

It got me out of my head and the cycle of trying to "figure everything out" and it made me more receptive to these opportunities.

Call it manifestation, call it the law of attraction, call it whatever you want, but in my book it's simply DANCE.

So remember next time you hit a wall, feel frustrated, or ask the same question over and over again….

Stop everything and take a dance break.

(Here’s a video prompt for my dance-based exercise to access your truth and get you unstuck!)

Magic happens if you simply decide to move your body.

So! That brings me to a special invitation for you -

If you could use more of THAT kind of magic in your life, listen up -

Did you Find Your Rhythm yet?

In this 6-week self-guided online program, I will take you through powerful and effective dance-based practices, writing tools, resources, and coaching lessons, that will help you manifest your creative project, business idea, and/or your unique voice into this world.

Check it out here.

dancing into the answers,

Jess

ask me a question. i'm the magic 8-ball of dance answers.

http://jessgrippo.com/danceanswer/

During next week's live online video event you will:

• literally get up and dance
• learn movement tools for activating your body’s wisdom
• break mental patterns that have been keeping you stuck or frustrated
• have a chance to get your question answered LIVE through interpretive dance, in the style of a human magic 8-ball
• leave the experience feeling clear and focused, with new opportunities for connection, community, and support

All you have to do is click here to sign up.

And please comment below with your questions - a few lucky askers will have their questions interpretively dance-answered by me, live on video next week!

why my program launch failed

So, here’s some honesty:

I’ve been planning to start my Thriving Artist’s Program in February with a goal of having 10 people join. You might have seen my emails last week that invited you to apply.

Despite doing everything “right” - i.e. writing and sending passion-filled emails, making calls, posting on social media, consulting with my coach, etc, - I had not one person sign up for the program.

Zero takers.

And honestly, I’m not totally surprised by this outcome.

I thought it would be valuable to share with you why the launch “failed,” since I have a feeling it might help you with whatever you might create or contemplate creating this year.

(side note: Why did I put “failed” in quotes? Because if I measure success by money or the exact numbers in my goals, it certainly was a failure. But if I look at it through the lens of what I learned from it and how it will shape my future programs and projects, it’s a win. It took me a few days to get past my ego being crushed to come to this conclusion, but it’s true.)

Why my program launch failed (and why yours might, too):

We could blame it on the seasonal timing - “people are too tapped out after the holidays!”

Or we could blame it on Mercury Retrograde - “you’re not supposed to start anything new in Merc Retro!”

But regardless of those factors, here’s the bottom line for me:

My head wanted it more than my heart.

Now, I’m NOT saying that my heart doesn’t love the work I do - because believe me, I wouldn’t be consistently doing it for the last 4 years if that wasn’t the case. It’s just that my heart, my body, and my soul, have all been sending me messages that it’s time to slow down, make a shift and change things up. (If you remember my post from a few weeks ago about throwing out all my 2016 plans, you’ll know what I mean!)

My head, though, was like: “Yea, I hear you, but the December Showcase was such a success! You’ve been doing this program for years and it’s already planned so just go with it.”

I was fearful that if I didn’t do it, I wouldn’t know what else to do in its place, or that I wouldn’t have another way of bringing in income.

Meanwhile, the process felt a bit rushed to me, and when I didn’t get the response I expected, it confirmed that something was out of alignment.

So here’s what I learned:

1. Don’t be afraid to be in the darkness for awhile. Or a while longer. Sometimes clarity can only come from that empty space, and if you force something too soon, things will break down. (And that breakdown includes your body. Not a coincidence that I came down with a nasty cough and cold the day after coming to this realization.)

2. It’s best to take action when you feel in full alignment with the timing and the cause. Your efforts will be so much more successful if you are 100% committed and in it.

3. And, despite knowing all that, sometimes you gotta mess up anyway. It’s ok if something “fails” because there’s always something new to learn and a new direction you can take.

What I’m doing about it (and how you can partake):

I’ve decided to put the Thriving Artist’s Program on hold for now. In the meantime, I’m creating shorter, more bite-sized experiences that will allow me to continue to be of service, and also give me spaciousness in the process of reinventing myself and what I’m creating.

It’s a win-win!

If you can relate or are just digging all this honesty, let’s keep the conversation going!

I invite you to join me for this bite-sized experience of big-time impact:

On February 3rd at 7:30pm EST, I’m hosting a free “dance-inar” (not a webinar) called,

DANCE INTO THE ANSWERS.

I’m sensing many of you are also in a place of questioning aspects of your lives.

This online event is about saying YES to that part of yourself that craves a paradigm shift, that knows there’s something else out there for you, even if you’re scared or uncertain about the future. I don’t know the exact answers, but I do know that we can create possibilities together.

I’ll guide you through some dancing, inner reflection, and a body-based process for accessing your truth.

Join here.

It’s hosted via video, so you can join from wherever.

It’s recorded in case you can’t make it live.

It gives you an opportunity to dance, do some soul searching, and receive guidance, clarity, and support.

[button link="http://eepurl.com/bNKlWP" color="aqua" window="yes"]Sign up here.[/button]

I’m really excited to connect with you in new ways this year and I hope you’ll join me for this!

Remember:

When all else fails, dance it out.

wishing you peace, trust, and power,

Jess

p.s. for all you NYC locals, I also just started up a dance group on Meetup.com! Click here to join the dance meetup and stay updated on the dance-related events I’ll be hosting this year.