Carousel #2 - What counts as work?, making predictions and choosing indecision...
Hello loves,
This is the second Carousel newsletter, and the first official one on Tiny Letter. Thanks to everyone who responded last time with suggestions, ideas and what resonated - I absolutely loved reading them all.
For those of you who are new to this, Carousel is my word to describe a lifestyle where we thrive by having many projects on the go. It takes the pressure out of having to fit into one box, and allows more free-flow and exploration as we move through life... You can read more about Carousel here.
The big blog: What counts as work?
I have had so many conversations recently with freelance friends, who feel crippling guilt if they're not 'working' the whole time. When we take ourselves out of the 9-5, we create space to live more in line with our values and rhythms, but often end up recreating the very structures and expectations we chose to escape in the first place. In this medium post I explore how we can be kinder to ourselves about 'not-working', and be curious about what 'working' actually is.
What I've listened to and loved
I recently came across the fabulously human 'How to Fail' with Elizabeth Day. She interviews beautifully; it's like listening in on good friends having a long overdue cuppa. Thank you to my friend Abigail for sending me the interview with Cush Jumbo. Cush is an actor from South London who rose to fame on the Good Wife. She's talks about her depression, her struggle with toxic friendships and how she's sort of mates with Brene Brown(!)
My favourite story is that a few years ago she decided to give up acting altogether and got accepted on a Primary PGCE, to train to be a teacher. The summer before she started she bashed out a play 'to mark the end of her acting journey'. She performed it at Camden Fringe to 15 people and it ended up on Broadway. I love that in the very moment she didn't care any more, she allowed herself to fearlessly create. Moral of story: apply to be Primary School teacher and use all impending fear of training to teach in UK as fuel to write your bestseller. I'm joking. Please go and teach, if you have the energy to. They need you. Thank you, teacher friends. En serio.
A cool org you should know about
I first heard about 10Q back in 2015. Every Autumn they send you 10 questions about your year that's just passed (eg. what are you proud of, what went wrong) and your predictions for the year ahead. They then get locked in a vault and resent to you one year later.
The first year I totally screwed myself over by predicting such grandiose achievements like 'you'll probably be reading these sitting on a beach on an island having just written a best seller..'. When in actual fact, I read it drunk on a night bus. Sad times.
Although it's closed for this year, you can still see the questions and answer them for yourself, and sign up for 2020. I don't know about you but I find it incredibly intimidating to make predictions - I don't really want to tempt fate, ask for too much, or think I'm not being aspirational enough. I also notice that over the last 5 years the predictions have become less about achievements and more about how I want to feel day to day. Less do, more be. How do you feel about making predictions?
An event that got me feeling alive
I went to watch La Perla at Redon in Bethnal Green last Friday. They are an incredible all-female folk-fusion group from Colombia. The percussion was so intoxicating, I felt like a witch dancing around a campfire at a midnight ritual. Especially this track. The night was put on by my friend Callum at Movimientos. If you're into the Latin vibe, have a look at the other cool stuff they're doing - it's always incredible.
How to make a decision
I have my good friend Nerea staying with me at the moment and we have been talking lots about how to make decisions. Both of us swear by the binary 'Hell Yeah or No', but we realised there is a legitimate third option: 'I don't know.'
So often we force ourselves to accelerate the decision making process - I need to know NOW, I need to make a decision NOW. But if it's not a clear yes, or a clear no, and there is no rush, then try 'I don't know.' Choosing that as a state in itself, rather than seeing it as crippling indecision is really quite calming.
What's on my carousel right now?
My fortnightly moon ceremonies as Sarah Moany (join us if you're in London), Rye Laughs 5th Birthday party, gearing up to facilitate on some Executive Labs at Google, preparing to take my Driving Test (finally!), and planning my first Power of Uke workshop for the public in a long time - a cosy jam and dinner in London Fields.
Also recognising that I need to build in time to rest and recover from the busy start to the Autumn. I have created a lot, and creating really energises me, but I also need time to integrate and de-clutter - a constant dance between over-stimulation and under-stimulation.
So what's on your carousel? I'd love to hear what you're up to and what resonated from this month's email.
Lots of love and happy Carouselling,
Sarah x