Business buzz words can inhibit the creative process.
Getting under the word into story and meaning liberates it. This came up again this morning in a coaching session around marketing with one of my prolific clients who is a coach and consultant. Her amazing creative offerings - the things she's naturally designed to do and offer - were buried under business buzz words and it flattened out her message, and make her sound interchangeable with others coaches, instead of highlighting her unique approach and focus.
We used storytelling, improv, movement, and some other creative "magic" to move beyond the buzz words into what she really wanted to say...and what flowed out of her was a workshop description that is both creative with her own voice, and grounded in what her clients value. She added the business descriptions later to frame the functionality of what she offers. It was a Both-And.
Storytelling expands how you perceive something - it gives it a larger framework of meaning, and possibility. By using storytelling to cultivate what you want to do and how, you get a deeper connection to your calling...and those who you;re designed to serve with what you offer, can feel a deeper connection to what that is...and recognize themselves as wanting it.
When making choices with your soul based-business, move away from business buzz words while generating ideas (Divergence), and into more organic natural ways of saying what you want to say. Use more STORYTELLING and other whole-brain techniques for deeper understanding, unfolding, and expanding the context of your mission. Then bring them back later to ground the offering (Convergence).
There are infinite ways to use storytelling for creative cultivation. Telling your own stories of aliveness, meaning, discovery, what you've learned, how you've helped others...they all can lead to new insights and awareness' and directions. Also, try telling future stories, or "what happens next" stories of what wants to emerge next. In doing that, you start to see possibilities that might not have been available to you.
Then, after you know the meaning and the essence of what you offer, come back and add in (sparingly) whatever business words may help contain what you offer and fit in with your marketing. Buzz words don't carry resonance for those who needs your services. Your authentic language does. But some business words can offer a container to make it accessible. Diverge first without business words, then converge with the ones that work for you.
Creative Emergence work focuses on grounding your soul's calling in the world as business (you get paid for it) offerings, and a few business words can help you do that AFTER you have tapped into the essence of your soul offerings that emerge from your creative source - the source of your creativity and your soul's unique offerings to the world.
Now is a worthwhile time on this planet to mine your unique creative riches to cultivate your offerings the world needs...with heart, soul, and aliveness...because people have huge needs right now. If ever you thought about doing something that can really help others, this is a great time, whether you do it as a business or a volunteer service (depending on your situation). Both ways help others when you are doing whats yours to do. Just keep it real. #creativeemergence #beyondbuzzwords #weneedwhatyougot
Michelle James ©2020
Comments