Wandering Isn’t Wasted

Notes From a Creative Pivot

There’s a certain sort of vulnerability in admitting you’ve been wandering...

For months, I’ve felt unmoored, creatively scattered, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d between old ideas, existing professional identities and flashes of new inspirations that haven’t yet taken hold.

At times, it’s been... Disorienting. And I’ve felt... Lost... Confused... Doubtful...

Wondering if my creative wandering is even worth it.

But in hindsight, I know it’s been a vital step on my creative/professional path.

And indeed, “not ALL who wander are lost”.

So, I’ve been bouncing around, exploring new projects, ideas, and directions.

I was sketching intimate zines one day, mapping new creative services the next, soft launching a new creativity camp, getting lost in the contemplative process of crafting poster designs that say some of the things I struggle to put into words.

Throwing ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks.

Through the fog of these creative explorations, a few, KEY questions kept popping up for me. Things like:

Should I still be doing (ANY?! of) this?
What’s next??
HOW WILL I PAY BILLS?!
Maybe I just quit everything and apply at Starbucks?

I realized all the uncertainty wasn’t just about my inability to commit to a new idea or offering. It wasn’t even my ADHD or (classic) tendencies towards distraction. 😄

It WAS a necessary unraveling. An UNFOLDING, if you will, of what was real and true for me in my creative work.

Before I could find or focus on a new creative/professional direction, I had to figure out how (and why) to let go of some of the long-standing labels that had defined me (and my work).

I had to make space for something MORE...

I know, clarity doesn’t always come by thinking longer and harder about the thing, but it DOES, often, arrive once we allow ourselves to simply, sit in the mess, discomfort, and uncertainty of not-knowing “what’s next”...

Steps That Have Helped Me Reorient

I’d say, there are three practices that have been helping me find my creative/professional footing again.

They’re not fancy, but I do think they’re honest (if sometimes a little uncomfortable to actually DO)...

Here’s what’s been most helpful for me:

1. I Took Some Idea Inventory
I made a list of every creative offering I’ve made over the past few years—everything from the practical to the experimental. Then I circled only the ones that ignited a full-body “YES.” None of the hesitant, “maybe this could work,” things. Only those that sparked a feeling of YESSS! that made my chest pound from my ears to my toes. The rest, I put into piles labeled: pause it or let it GOOO. This wasn’t about being more efficient IN my work. It was about getting super honest with myself ABOUT my work.

2. I Found a Common Thread
When I zoom out, I can see a hazy pattern through the fog. Everything I’ve made or created that felt most alive shared one main purpose: helping others reconnect with their creativity/creative truth. Not in a polished shiny, Instagram-able way. But definitely in some messy, uncertain, transformative ways. I started to see that what I do isn’t just about designing or creating new things from scratch. I also make space for others to remember who they are, creatively speaking.

3. I Redefined Success for Myself (Again)
I started asking myself: What feels real and true about what I do? The answer was never about outlining a new creative service or product. It was about listening to my heart and creating from a place that doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. I found that it’s never been about the final launch or product. For me, (creative) success is a way of being in the world: following my curiosity, honoring my unique process, letting go of proving my worth. My creative joy comes from the PROCESS, itself, not from the final product.

The Shift

A new sense of clarity (FINALLY!) arrived with a lot of relief... And a bit of grief...

I realized, I would have to let go some of my old, favorite, and super comfortable, creative services in order to make space for the new offers and ideas that are desperately wanting to take root and grow.

Specifically, I knew that I would need to stop (or slow) graphic design, photography, and branding as stand-alone services.

They’ve been such a big part of my professional identity—and income—over the years. But they don’t quite align with the new creative work I want to do more of—and share more of—in/for the world.

So, I’m leaning into this new chapter of creative work that feels alive and real and true to me right now. Things like:
• 1:1 Creative Identity Sessions
• Process-centered experiences like Making Magic
• Sharing my creative and transformative reflections, through Unfolding

I’m moving from making things for people to supporting people as they make things for themselves.

From solving to guiding. From crafting to exploring.

And YEAH, it’s (FOR SURE!) super scary to let go of things (and offers and services and jobs) that have worked (and paid my bills) in the past. But if we never let go of where we’ve been—how can we ever reach for more or arrive somewhere new and improved?

For My Fellow Travelers in the Creative Fog

If you’re also finding yourself in a new season of creative, personal, professional uncertainty or transition, I hope you know that you’re not broken or LOST.

What looks like confusion may actually be creative compost... The process of breaking down something old, so something new and better might take root and grow.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll be sharing more about my new creative direction and the tools that have emerged from this season of professional growth and change.

For now, I’ll leave you with a question for your own contemplation:

What are you ready to let go of and release from your creative practice or professional work, so that something MORE TRUE for you might take root?

Much love, more soon,
Aaron

P.S.
If this resonates and you’re curious about my new Creative Identity Sessions please reach out—or subscribe to Unfolding for more of my ongoing and deepening creative reflections, insights, and tools.