EXPLORE + EXPAND

Those two words have been on a post-it note on my desk for about a year and a half now.

I’ve been working on purpose and mission in the background for a bit, both in my work and for what’s most important to me. I’ve honed in on those two words. They’re aligned with who I am, how I want to show up, and what I want to inspire in others. What exactly does they mean to me?

• TO EXPLORE through discovery, study, experiences, and experiments
• TO EXPAND enables growth, progress, shifts, and wisdom

And holy wow, if those two words aren’t especially relevant to our current events and this year of 2020 inviting us to embrace what’s ahead–both collectively and individually.

The general sentiment is that 2020 has been a dumpster fire. A do over. Canceled. And yes in many ways, it’s been absolutely challenging and heartbreaking.

But this year also seems to be both whispering and screaming at us…
“It’s Time. To Start anew. To make change. To reach for more.”

The collective and macro asks for evolutionary change are obvious, and we all recognize them.

• The pandemic is (still) teaching me to slow down, take more time, and connect with myself and find truly what my soul needs. The world needs each of us.
• The economic aspect of it is teaching me to take a look at my work, my income sources, and how and where I work. We can all become more independent and creative in the ways to make a living in exchange for the value we provide.
• The current black lives matter movement is teaching me to see the accepted constructs and systems that need completely reassessed, and the work that we need to do to make this world equitable for all.

My outlook is optimistic. Though the world will continue to look (very) messy, especially this year, I’m hopeful with anticipation for the growth that’s coming. In the world and in my personal world, I look at the possibilities with fresh eyes, to start again, to consider what’s working and what’s not, with the challenge to build something that we truly want. I use that perspective and mindset to be encouraged and not discouraged. It’s a lot of work for sure, but the possibility are there for real lasting change—for the better.

With all that, some more changes also came along during this respite and time to sit more still. I wanted to ensure my work was uniquely mine, expressed in the value only my life perspective and experience could bring to others. I wanted to have more space and more places to experiment, to express and share those two values, to make and create more work centered around these themes.

9th House Studios is not just my consulting business, but it’s my house of projects, it’s my perspective, passions, and life experiences. These are the questions I want to ask more often in my work projects and in my own life:

• What can we EXPLORE through more experiences, more ideas, and more variety? What can we learn from the world and from each other?
• How does it help us EXPAND our sense of possibility and creativity? How can it change how we think, work, and interact?

So in this new space and the refresh of my website, I’ll be sharing more along these themes and questions. Stay tuned, and if this speaks to your values too, feel free to subscribe to the monthly newsletter to explore how this all comes to life here.