Editor’s note: I recorded this for the Productive Flourishing podcast long after I originally published this post. I hope you enjoy it, and if you’d like to hear more episodes of the Productive Flourishing podcast, you’ll find them in the Show’s archives.
Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure … than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt
Have you spent a lifetime being frustrated by people telling you that you should do just one thing rather than explore all of the different interests and talents you have?
Or perhaps you tire of people wondering why you prefer to stay home and read or work on something that matters rather than go out to clubs, bars, or the sports event du jour.
Or deep down, you have problems committing to doing something because you know you could do just about anything but are scared that you’re going to pick the wrong thing.
If so, you’re not alone. You’re probably a Creative Giant.
Creative Giants are naturally compassionate, creative people who have the vision to see how the world might be, the courage to take action, and the capability to actually change the world. These people aren’t just the black-beret-wearing artists that we might typically think of when we hear the word “creative”; they’re engineers, doctors, programmers, and scientists, as well as painters, musicians, designers, and writers. Actually, because they’re Renaissance people, they’re often both engineers AND musicians.
In fact, one of the distinguishing features is that they are AND people who get tired of trying to present themselves to a very limiting EITHER/OR world. It’s not that they’re trying to be difficult; it’s that they just don’t see the world that way or show up with an easy EITHER/OR label. They always need a few extra circles for whatever Venn diagrams people try to use to categorize them.
The aforementioned exasperation came from some questions that interviewers who weren’t Creative Giants would ask about you. “So, they’re people who are wanting to be more creative?”
Uhm, no. Being more creative is never a pain point for Creative Giants. Every breath comes with a new idea or two to figure out what to do with. Figuring out where to put the ideas and which ones to pursue is the challenge.
While not all Creative Giants are entrepreneurs — and there’s no need to buy into the pressure to be entrepreneurs — they’re almost always entrepreneurial because they’re always seeking ways to better use what’s in front of them to create more value. In organizations that employ them, they’re the intrapreneurs, linchpins, trust agents, or whatever term trends next year to describe the same thing.
Lastly, Creative Giants are usually reluctant and accidental leaders. They didn’t set out to be leaders but fell into it. Because they don’t see themselves as fitting “the leader archetype,” they discount the fact that a) they’re leading, b) there are many ways to be an effective leader, and c) most of the principles of leadership are learnable and practicable. I know, because I’ve been mentoring reluctant and accidental leaders for a little over 25 years. (I had an early start through youth leadership programs and continued in Boy Scouts and military training.)
The Creative Giant’s Challenges
In my mind, the best way to understand who Creative Giants are is to talk about their challenges and the way their creativity, intelligence, compassion, and personal power generate tensions and polarities. I’ll list the major challenges, which will help me explain where the “Giant” part comes from later on:
- They can do just about anything they set their minds to. They’re scared they’re going to pick the wrong thing.
- They chronically overcommit because people turn to them for a lot of help or to see projects through and because most things are easy for them to do. They forget the cumulative costs of small commitments, and they often forget that everything takes longer than they think it will.
- They half-finish projects because they’ve worked out the puzzles or adventures before finishing them. The projects have thus lost their appeal, and Creative Giants have other commitments to attend to. (See #2 above.)
- Their compassion gets in the way of their personal power. They suck at receiving, they undervalue themselves so that others can afford them or don’t feel small, they can’t “win” because that means other people lose, they can’t “move on” because they’d have to leave someone behind, etc. They spend an inordinate amount of time either hiding their power or throttling it so that they can play nicely with others.
- They learn and grow quickly, so relationships are hard for them to maintain. Even when they have the patience for people who aren’t continually expanding, they still don’t understand why people wouldn’t want to grow.
- Because they are socially adaptable, they often struggle with keeping to their core. They adopt worldviews quickly and sometimes forget that someone else’s worldview isn’t their own.
- Success is an ever-evolving thing for them. They accomplish things that other people could only dream of, but it’s not enough for them because they know they could do more or they know what they could’ve done better if they’d had more time. They’re great builders of never-ending ladders.
- They crave simplicity at the same time that they reject it. Their native creativity and intelligence thrive on the tension of complexity and novelty, oftentimes obscuring their experiential knowledge (wisdom) that simplicity, structure, flow, and sufficiency form the broad, plain path that enables them to thrive.
- They’ve created conceptual tension between strategy and compassion and often don’t see that being better in the world means that they can better serve and lead others.
- Busy, accomplished people always get more responsibility than everyone else, so it’s easy for them to be overwhelmed. An evergreen problem is that they have more demands on them than they have the capacity to meet, and every time they satisfy one more demand, another one or two are placed on them.
- They have a chronic problem with over-delivering. Good enough is never good enough, especially if someone has paid them to do something.
- Cultivating their physical health has to be an intentional practice that they remain vigilant about because they work with their minds. Because they often get pulled into travel, extended projects, or caregiver roles that disrupt their routines, they easily fall off the exercise wagon.
If you’re reading that list and thinking that everyone has those problems, I have two things to tell you: a) you’re wrong and b) you’re a Creative Giant. Welcome to the club. Coffee is in the back, the bathroom is down the hall, and we’ve been meaning to get equipment in the fitness center for a few years now.
Why “Giant”?
I recognize my limits but when I look around I realise I am not living exactly in a world of giants. – Giulio Andreotti
Now, about the “Giant” part. That really comes from items 4 and 5 above, and the term addresses a recurring pattern I’ve seen for years in conversations with my clients, colleagues, friends, co-mentors, and mentors. In private conversations and in workshops, I talk a lot about superheroes because the metaphor provides such a rich and clear lens for the stories we can tell ourselves, AND the superhero is a concept that female Creative Giants have had a harder time getting into, so I started looking for more accessible language.
What so many of my conversation partners were describing was the feeling of having to tiptoe around people lest they end up triggering, hurting, or enchanting them. It’s as if they were giants having to pretend to be normal people so that they didn’t step on others, scare them, or awe them. Additionally, Creative Giants are just as often introverts as they are extroverts, so while they might not actively smallify themselves, their gianthood is still not readily apparent. Until you get them talking. (I’m thinking of Chris Garrett here, who’s a known Creative Giant and one of those guys I can never hear enough from.)
To add further insult to a long life of injuries, Creative Giants who show up to events and conferences that put on a big show often find themselves sorely disappointed but unable to really talk about it. While everyone else is having a great time and/or having their minds blown, the Creative Giants are trying to figure out a) how not to show their internal discomfort, b) what’s wrong with them that they’re not getting it, c) whether to cut their losses and leave or hold out for that “one idea” that may be a game-changer for them, and d) how to find other Creative Giants so the trip isn’t a bust. Yes, they’re doing that all at once. (It’s for this reason that I tell Creative Giants to decide whether the conference or event is worth it if all they do is meet a handful or two of people they click with or want to finally meet; if not, pass.)
The other reason that they’re giants, though, is that they really are powerful. As I mentioned in Foundations Are to Be Built Upon, Not to Be Flown Over, this is also a perennial downfall for them: they can do so much without trying hard that they simply don’t cultivate self-mastery skills.
I’ll pause here, though, because the story about your personal power is the story you want to and like to hear. The story you don’t want to hear and be held accountable to is the one that says you’re scared of being the best version of you and that you should dial it back so you don’t have to deal with the social fallout of revealing your gianthood. Mediocrity is safe for you because your mediocre level of results and performance is at the level of very good for other people. Let’s move past those easy A-minuses.
Marianne Williamson said it best:
Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure about you.
Standing Tall
I used the term “Giants” behind the scenes for years before I used it publicly. I didn’t want to share it because I was afraid you’d hate the name. I got it, Team PF got it, everyone I’ve talked to about it got it, but still, there was a fear that it’d be yet another name or concept that wouldn’t stick.
I’ll also not sidestep the truth that showing you who you are also means showing you who I am. Those 12 challenges I listed above? I struggle with them, too. I’m a lot better with some than with others, but I’m here in the trenches with you.
I’ve been bolstered by the reception you’ve given the ideas I’ve been writing about for the last few months, though. More of you have been sending me personal notes about how much you’ve appreciated what I’ve been doing. I’ve also gotten a few “I’m glad you wrote that but I’m a little mad at you for pointing it out” notes. I’ll take a little bit of groaning from you if the end result is your standing a little taller and feeling truly seen. I’ll tell you the same thing I told my troops: you may not always like me, but we will succeed and I will do my best to take care of you.
It’s the tension of “doing my best to take care of you” that compelled me to share this and that continues to get me up in the morning. I know there’s a part of you that won’t like the “Giant” bit. I know why that part is there: the superficial elitism of the label, your self-criticism, your seeing that you’re not the “expert” or authority, and so on. I could dance around the idea for the next few years. I could dance around your gianthood indefinitely without ever directly holding up the mirror so that you see what I see and what the world would see.
But I don’t think that’s the best I can do to take care of you. I can’t encourage you to move past that A- if I’m not going to do it myself. I can’t really encourage you to Stand Tall if I’m not doing it myself.
As part of that process of doing the best I can to take care of you, I’ve been focusing a lot on self-mastery foundations for the last year or so and will continue to do so. I don’t want you to get by just on your raw power and I don’t want you to excel at a game that doesn’t tap into the best of who you are and what you can truly do when you play the game that fits you.
I want you to stand taller so you can step bigger. (Click here to share this. Thank you!)
And as I said above, I intend on standing taller with you. My goal is to prototype and ship sooner and faster than I have in the past. Rather than spend a year figuring it out on my own, I’m showing more rough sketches, prototypes, and outlines to the people I’m building them for and doing this three or four months earlier than I have in the past. It’s awkward to not have it all figured out, but, anymore, it’s more uncomfortable to leave the people I care about hanging. I’m leaning into the former discomfort, which means that some things might not work. I’m okay with that — I trust that you’d rather have roughs that work sooner rather than later and that the cream will rise to the top.
Let’s stand tall, together.
Brilliant post Charlie. A masterclass in understanding your audience at a deep, genuinely insightful level.
Also reminds me of the track ‘I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller”, which is my personal anthem.
Thanks, Milo. I just wish you would stand tall as you are. 🙂
Apologies in advance for the crudeness, but SHIT, DUDE.
Charlie, this post is the perfect example of how Not Stepping In Your Giant Shoes doesn’t serve your people.That list of challenges….let’s just say that I felt nailed to the wall and understood more thoroughly than I think I ever have been. I started reading it and was checking off the list and it Just Kept On Going.
Here’s another one: We often feel along because we have a hard time identifying each other. We aren’t putting out the Work that fully expresses us so others don’t recognize us… leaving us feeling kinda alone.
Now that you’ve posted this and have shared your own challenges with embracing it, I look back and see that I’ve had a little trouble “hooking in” from a sense of slipperiness–does that makes sense? Reading this gave a strong feeling of solidity in its place.
XO and thank you.
No need to apologize, Shawn. Stand up, speak up. 🙂
Well, you know me well enough to know that actually seeing people and holding the space for them makes me supremely happy. Thanks for sharing the gift with me.
It does, and you’re seeing correctly. I’m glad to have the anchor for us to see each other.
“We often feel along [alone?] because we have a hard time identifying each other.” This, YES!! And how much of that is because we have “throttled back”? How would we identify each other if we are not operating within and from our Creative Giantness? To quote you: SHIT DUDE!
<3
Finding fellow seekers is difficult because each is on their own path. Each person has their own path, but we could all be in the same woods or field. We could get together is Giants in the field with great respect for each being on a different path.
Now the Giants in the field need to relate. To not obstruct others and to nurture others will take some thinking as to how to do it. I am open to suggestions and ideas. I only have a starting point.
That could start by each exactly defining their path. This defining is not an easy task. The definition needs to consolidate into two medium size sentences. Anything rambling means you have not defined your path. Your scattered and will not get anywhere. This defining will take a lot of work and time. This process is where wise counsel is helpful.
I welcome your help. I need it. We all need it. Being a scattered Gemini is not working well for me.
Goosebumps.
Gulp. This is exactly the medicine I needed, even if I am resisting it…
Okay, the truth is that I’m tired of resisting it and that it’s been too damn long. I know it’s time to step up and put my giant shoes on.
Thanks for this one bro. You know this phrase landed really well with me when you first told me (at the Green Dragon), and it still does. I think this one will stick.
Thanks for showing up for me, bro! As you know, our hikes have been good catalysts for me. And we’ve got SOO many more that we get to do.
Since we’re both tired of the resistance and not doing it, how about we take the governors off and let loose?
We’ve got this. Together. Like the good old days when we got started.
Man, this is precisely what I needed when I needed it. I am stoked to see what comes out of PF this year, and feel genuinely honored to watch it all unfold.
As for me, after reading this I know I’ve got some work to do…
Tall standing,
e
You know what I’m excited about? There’s so much we’ll do that I can’t see and it’s fantastic.
As I keep saying, let’s do our work together. I’m thinking of doing your new program and seeing if I can make a firm commitment.
This is meaty stuff Charlie and I resonate with it so much. I do think this is a title that will stick!
The spiritual message in the middle about not playing small is so important and I’m glad it was a part of the overall message.
Thanks for being so brave.
Thanks for being here to receive it, Linda. I could’ve just left the second and third parts off, but it wouldn’t have rung as true for me. We’re all in this together and it’s important to show that.
Definitely resonating. Thank you, Charlie.
Thank you, Shelley. 🙂
The challenge I have is not playing small. I find that my personality often overwhelms people. The feedback I often get is that I’m too intense or too serious, and people don’t know how to interact with me.
Over the years I have learned to rein it in a little, but this is a consistent through line for me.
So, I guess my challenge is how do I embrace my giant-ness without feeling like I’m going to completely smash the world?
I’d disagree, Cory. You do constrain your gianthood and thus play smaller; you show an introvert but you’re actually one of the most extroverted people I know.
I love that about you.
Here’s the deal: you can’t smash other Creative Giants. You being you will allow them to be them.
So, make friends with more Creative Giants. We’ve got much to talk about, bud, and I hope you like hiking. 🙂
That’s funny you say that Cory. I’ve gotten similar feedback over the years: too intense, too serious, too overwhelming…so I’ve toned it down to fit in. Turns out I’m trying to fit in with the wrong people…
Wow, I have never read anything that so accurately described my life. I just… I don’t even have words which basically never happens to me.
This especially: “They half-finish things because they understand it before they finish it. It’s thus lost its appeal and they have other commitments to attend to. (See #2 above.)” This is my biggest stumbling block with anything not client-driven. It’s an interesting switch to consider it this way, and not just see it as a personal failing.
However, I still need to FINISH SOME THINGS so trying to sort out the best way to make that happen.
Oh wait, turns out I did have some words after all. 🙂
Thank you!
I’m glad you shared those words, too! I totally get where you’re coming from, which is why I keep hitting the “Start Finishing” chord and want to write the book on it. To keep finishing, we Creative Giants have to make it a daily practice to start finishing rather than just keep starting. 🙂
I’m making myself a “Start Finishing” poster for my wall. Right after I… oh damn. 😉
Wow. Just wow.
I had never commented here but I just had to. Very timely for me as I have been thinking about this for a couple of days, and you managed to describe my life more eloquently than I ever could.
Thank you!
Thanks for leaving the speaking up, Emmanuelle! I’m so happy to have “seen” you and hope it helps you stand taller.
Ugh. I hate you for writing this post! Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
But I love you for doing it. For putting it out there like a homing beacon for all other Creative Giants to pay heed to and find comfort in.
Thank you for standing tall. You’ve eloquently expressed what I’ve feeling + thinking on the inside.
Anyways, I hope you’re happy with yourself, sir! Now my instincts are stirring and I feel like I can take on TEN armies of Mordor.
I’ll take the love/hate, Aliza! My sincere hope was to do exactly as you’ve said – to let all the other Creative Giants know that they have a home and community to return to that embraces their gianthood.
Let’s take on those armies, but not forget that our biggest enemy is ourselves.
I’m sharing this post with everyone I know or suspect is a creative giant (even if they’re not online business owners).
Also, just wanted to let you know that I really do heart you for writing this post. You changed my perspective and have caused me to reflect on pivotal moments where I avoided standing tall. For this great gift Charlie…I will now grant you three wishes. 😉
Huh. Add me to the list of folks reading this post and just shaking my head in awe… You mean I’m not the only one who thinks/feels those things!?
You had me 100% at #1: I can do pretty much anything I set my mind to… and I’m TERRIFIED of choosing the wrong thing. (And I’m so easily overwhelmed and distracted by the sheer possibility of a day… how could I choose just a few things? Which leads to not doing anything which leads to self flagellation and doubt… hrm, yeah, not good.)
Some part of me knows these things I think/feel/see/know can be a strength. But it seems so often the world beats them down… it becomes harder and harder to believe they are real, valid and valuable.
I envision hanging out around this site a good bit more often… I suspect I need you people.
Smiles,
Laura
Hi Laura! I’m so glad this post resonated with you.
You might want to check out our earlier post, “Why Strategic Planning is So Hard for Creative People.” It’s especially true for Creative Giants.
We need each other, so I hope to see you, too. 🙂
Wow, wow, and wow. You stepped on this “creative giant’s” toes, but I am glad you spelled it out. Very thought-provoking. I’m going to chew on this one a little bit. It explains a lot. Thank you.
Hey, if stepping on your toes gets you to actually move those feet, I’ll do it everyday. Thanks for joining the conversation, Shelly. 🙂
Wow. I am so glad I came across a link to this post on twitter! I was recently telling a coworker that my problem isn’t that I say yes to everything–I do say no now and then–my problem is that I say yes to what I am passionate about and have a Wonder Woman complex that makes me think I can do it all. And I’ve been successful in finding ways to do a lot. I love the term Creative Giant, and the list of challenges resonated with me for sure. Thank you.
Hi Allison! Thanks for letting me know you loved the term Creative Giants – as I mentioned, I was worried it wouldn’t land.
You can do it all – just not all at once. Let’s work on that, okay?
Wow. Thank you for this. I am sitting here a bit afraid adn blown away- like someone just read me- and it is a bit disorientating. Don’t quite know what to do with it… but I think I’ve come to the right place.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sam. You’re not the only person disoriented, it seems. You’re also not the only person who came to the right place. Welcome. 🙂
You’re right, I’m not exactly crazy about the name “Creative Giant”, but as I read through the lists, you’re description of me was uncanny. Especially the “tip-toe around people lest they trigger, hurt or enchant them. You’re scared of being the best version of yourself and you should dial it back so you don’t have to deal with the social fall-out of your giant-hood.” This post gives me hope, though Charlie, because now I feel like I’m not alone, I am understood and I have people to go through this challenge with. Thanks for reaching out to take care of all of us who need someone who understands us and our special challenges.
Hi, Pam. Is your lack of affinity of the name for the reasons I mentioned? If so, then, yep, it fits. We Creative Giants have taken humility to its excess and it’s thus become a vice. (Read my post on Virtue to see more about this excess/deficiency business.) We’ll be addressing this as we go along, so I hope you’ll be open to it.
Thanks for joining us. 🙂
So now I know what it feels like to get caught naked in public. Upon seeing the title of this post, I did not expect to have a mirror shoved in my face, with unflattering lighting to boot. Normally, I would not thank someone for doing something like that but I have nothing but gratitude for receiving this particular message – spot on and timely. Well done, Charlie. And thanks.
Hi Emily!
I snuck this one in on you, eh? A far “better” title would have been “Are You A Creative Giant?,” but I opted not to use that one for reason I’ll not explain here. 🙂
You see unflattering light, I just see a beautiful Creative Giant. I’m glad it landed and spoke to you.
The first thing that struck me was #5. I’m a fiction writer,and for a while, I worked with a cowriter. But I ran into problems because there was a period where I made huge leaps in growth and cowriter didn’t. It created a lot of friction, and I was frustrated because I kept having to hold myself back. It’s made worse because with fiction writers, you’re generally viewed as a beginner until you’re professionally published, and even then, you may still be regarded as a beginner — and yet, I’m none of the above. I’ve gotten myself into trouble because I come across like an expert (I’ve paid attention and learned), and then they see that I haven’t been able to get professionally published yet, and it’s “What do you know?!”
I see you, Linda! One of the challenges of being a Creative Giant is how indirect ego issues come up. A colleague of ours gets triggered but doesn’t say anything directly, despite how good of a communicator they otherwise are. And then our work is so personal, too.
It’s a wiry fankle, as Jen Louden might say.
But, either way, it’s not just you. 🙂
It’s interesting that you mention Jen Louden. After browsing around Productive Flourishing the other day (and reading your post about why planning is so hard for us) my next stop was Jen’s site as she always seems to have the right guidance when I feel things are just “out of whack” or not flowing right. I’d been really frustrated with how I was spending time recently (as mentioned in my comment above). After browsing around Jen’s site awhile I landed on focusing on intuitive choices rather than to-do lists. Turns out it’s what I needed. I’d been living in my to-do list to much, and my creative self was starting to rebel – big time!
Intuitive focus today – and it’s been a MUCH better day.
that is wonderful to hear Laura!!
I read this and immediately saw myself and felt seen in it. By the time I got to the end, I was picturing myself as a cranky toddler, running away arms swinging yelling “But I don’t wanna!” That’s how I had felt in the entire week leading up to this gem being dropped in my lap. I couldn’t figure out why I felt so overwhelmed. This tied it all up in a nice little bow. I was resisting this call to “Stand tall” even before I read it.
And I, like some of the others here, kinda hate you for saying it. Now, I can’t un-know all these things about myself. I can’t pretend to be confused by these seemingly unrelated traits anymore. I have to act. Stand tall. Stop shooting for the easy A, and aim for A+ according to MY standards. Thanks for that push!
I see you, Raven. If this post compels you to take the steps we both know you can, my work is done. You have your work to do, of course, and you have what you need.
Get to it. 🙂
p.s. How’s not doing it working for ya?
Thanks for sharing.. I resonate with number 5, 10, 12. Some of this stem from a young age having a single mother who worked 3 jobs and I had to take on more responsibilities. This then led to me growing up faster and to other things.
#5 stuck with me because I honestly don’t understand why most folks are becoming more lazy, less motivated, and don’t believe in self-improvement.
Awesome post!
Hi, Siedah. I did a lot of growing up faster, too, as my mom was single and got breast cancer when I was 8.
Do you, and let everyone else do what they’re up to. I don’t get why people don’t want to cultivate their excellence, as well, and I know that too much thought about it is a distraction.
Wow. Shawn Tuttle shared this post with me, and I got all paranoid and freaked out that you’d been spying on my life for years.
I keep trying to solve the problem of not being able to stick to just one thing, which I’ve tried for years before, and now maybe I can work on embracing it? This sets up the panic of not exactly “being small,” but rather being spread too thin… which sometimes results in smallness.
Is it possible to balance this seeming push/pull? Or should I fight the desire to over-commit? Or simply choose commitments more wisely?
Then there’s the issue of branding… in general I hide behind 1 thing, afraid that people will be confused by the variety of things I do (even though there are some unifying factors)… or worse yet, intimidated and overwhelmed. I’ve been left in the dust before by people who thought I was being competitive and braggy, which only cause me to hide and retract and become more introverted. I’m started to realize that it’s not me, it’s them… and me, just being on different playing fields.
Anyway, thanks for the thought-provoking post.
We share a lot of struggles, Kathy, which is why it may feel like I’ve been spying on you; I’ve just been watching myself and those around me, though.
Precisely and well-put. In some ways, this is why I keep stressing the mantra of “start finishing.” Chronic starting and not-finishing is what generally gets us spread too thin, as opposed to finishing a fewer things, even if they’re unrelated. Consider that we know Leonardo Da Vinci by all of the in-world creation he did, up to and including his sketchbooks. He did a lot of things, but wasn’t spread to thin.
(You just thought, “yeah, that was Da Vinci, though.” Yes, he was brilliant and talented – so are you.)
So, let’s not talk about what other people are doing. What’s the most daring thing you can do to stand tall this week? Go do that and let the rest work itself out. #UnsolicitedAdvice 🙂
Story of my life.
Thank you for writing this, posting this, and sharing this. Good to know that, despite the many pitfalls, there are many of us out there to support one another! <3
We are legion, Shannon. Just unorganized. I’m working on that last one, and glad to have found you. 🙂
Charlie, I feel like you wrote that just for me. Particularly the conference stuf! Then to know you experience these things and all of these readers, well, it’s powerful. I’m going to print that list and keep it in my sketchbook. So many of the things you said in our last session make so much more sense now. Thank you for making this post my homework! 🙂
Thanks for doing the homework, J! And I’m glad that it struck home, too.
Also, spend more time in that bigger area of the map. We’ve got this.
Exactly and double Exactly, with a ‘well of course’.. thrown in – because it’s the brilliant Charlie Gilkey.
It’s the weekend & finally a chance to scan for writing that matters.
Your words explode in my head showering me with delight that somewhere across the ocean someone is WAY further ahead in this book than me.
It’s not that I need you to beat a path through the jungle for me or tell me the whole story.
Just -the reassurance of words that sing so perfectly at this point in time, fill me with energy, gratitude and promise that I can keep going. Knowing there are others out there from the same tribe with gifts like this for moments when the going gets tough – priceless!
Hi Siita! I’m always happy to see you when you pop up. You being an ocean away only means it may be awhile before I can hug you, but it doesn’t mean I don’t see you. Thanks for letting me know this one spoke to you. 🙂
OMG Charlie! Thank you. How did you know? No one else (except) maybe my sister sees through my exterior. But, even she has a problem ‘getting me’ sometimes. We are opposites and her strengths complement mine in our new business venture. (Her 1st venture, my 6th, 7th can’t remember). :-s
#1 definitely resonated. #3 sliced to the bone, but I put a band aid on it to stop the bleeding. #7 because it dug deeply (my heart stopped) and #10 was a bit hard to read through the tears. Other than that, you nailed it! It’s ME. TIME has been a constant issue for me; too many commitments.
So that’s what’s wrong with me (others say)…no wait that’s what’s different about me. I may sometimes have my head in the clouds, but I think I get the new ME now.
I’ve printed your article to show my sister. Our strengths are balanced (thank heaven) and I firmly believe that our new venture has hit the mark. Not too shabby for two gals in their 60s, (see, we told you baby boomers won’t grow old).
Your website has been a godsend and I’m a newbie here, but so glad to have found you. You actually get all of us who already accepted we were procrastinators, flighty or dreamers.
Thank you Charlie, and thanks to all the folks comments here, I’ve read all of them and feel like I know these people personally!
BTW, My Planners are Wonderful for keeping me on track. Some of my best work happens at 3am. Who knew?
Hi Cecilia,
Precisely.
It’s just because you’re so dang tall.
Welcome! I’m glad you found us, too. 🙂
OMG Charlie! You just described my life to a T! My family’s probably wondering why I am screaming at the computer… lol… I had just journalled about hiding my light, crouching in a cage when I should be standing tall…so I am having a moment. I am that Physician-musician-writer-philanthropist-dancer-traveler-mother… I am a 3rd Cultured Renaissance Woman… You are my soul brother! You have no idea how joyful I feel right now! Thank you for writing this. To have someone articulate my experience so clearly – I could just weep right now. I am going to stand tall and step out into the light. Which includes gathering the courage to make my website public. Thank you. 🙂
i love this article and the inspiration and soul-searching it prompts, so very much – thank you!
This was really awesome and inspiring. Thank you for sharing this beautifully written piece!
Thanks, No Se. I’m glad it landed. 🙂
Wow. It’s eerie how many of your points describe me (and I never would have used the word creative to describe me in any way). Even on the points where I thought “that’s not me,” there was a little voice whispering, “but what if it IS you.” I’m going to have to chew on this one a while.
Hi Tammy. I’d listen to that little voice. It may be as meek as a kitten know, but the more you listen, the more it becomes a roaring lion. And you can’t do what you’re doing at Craving Fitness without being creative … nay, a Creative Giant. 🙂
I’m SO a Creative Giant. Just never had it explained in such dynamic…and accurate detail before. Thanks, Charlie!
I’m glad it resonated, Kat. Welcome! And thanks for sharing the post on Twitter, too. 🙂
thanks for describing who I am so clearly and the confusion that comes with being a Creative Giant
Welcome to the community, Anna! Thanks for letting me know this one rang for you.
Hi Charlie, I read this and almost just plain gasped out loud. I cannot believe that you articulated how I feel on a regular basis. I read your list and went, ‘yep.yep.yep and yep again.’ Whaaaaatt! I only discovered your blog about a week ago and have read just a few posts. But this one totally stopped me in my tracks.I’ve heard the term ‘renaissance soul’ bandied about, but haven’t read the book (knew it pointed to me but didn’t really want to go there….). Great to know there are many others like me 🙂 and great to feel understood.
OMGosh!! I was just thinking, “…that everyone has those problems..” when you say, “…I have two things to tell you: a) you’re wrong and b) you’re a Creative Giant. Welcome to the club. Coffee is in the back, the bathroom is down the hall, and we’ve been meaning to get equipment in the fitness center for a few years now.” (Love the ending by the way!) We could use jackets too! LOL
Welcome, Willa! That cracks me up.
And we’ll get jackets on the list, too. I promise! 🙂
I remember how this post blew my socks off when I first read it, and I’m glad I re-read it again just now. I still feel deeply seen and profoundly challenged by it, and by you, Charlie. Looking forward to an epic year of FINISHING in 2016, and looking forward to sharing the process with you. <3
Thanks, Julica! I’ve had enough people ask me when I’m going to develop it into something longer of late that I think I just might after the New Year. 🙂
Wow. This is just right to the heart of it, and I can honestly say I have never seen or heard anyone so clearly and completely “get” these struggles that people like us face. To see it laid out in black and white like that is so… Refreshing. I’m hooked, time to go read ALL THE THINGS here now 🙂 It was such a great treat to hear your presentation at QPS Summit, and I am just so glad to be here, now. Thanks for the good stuff 🙂
Hi Tamara! I’m glad this rang true for you. It was a treat to present at QPS Summit and I appreciate you for coming over. 🙂
Thanks for this post, Charlie. I’ve been going through an existential crisis for a little over a year now, and there’s little I’ve found that’s truly been a help to me (or even that I felt I could fully relate to). Your article brought me to tears though. You wrote a lot about what I’ve felt in my heart – more than just the “generalist vs. specialist” issue, more than the renaissance soul/multipotentialite/etc./etc. persona, more than the self-worth struggles and the constant lack of confidence – you tackled it all and wrapped it up in a neat little package. And you addressed something I’ve know and wrestled with for awhile now: I am not living up to my potential. The “how” is the hard part, and it’s part of the journey I’m on. In the meantime, I wanted to at least leave a note – some breadcrumbs to let you know that your words had impact on at least 1 person (and many more, judging from the other comments!). Thank you.
I’m so glad this resonated and really appreciate your leaving a note. The “how” is both the hard part and the simple part: it requires really showing up and having the courage to let go of what’s inside of you that wants out. We want to see that, Carly. 🙂
Thank you so much for this, Charlie. I’m just getting started with all this after so many years of telling myself “nobody cares what you have to say” & of constantly putting that book I crave to write on hold because it just “might not be good enough even though I’ve been told very good things about my writing in the past.” I’ve just started my own blog to try to build a base for my freelancing career & writing this post struck such a nerve. Points 1 & 4 really resonate with me. Being afraid of picking the wrong thing is the 1st wall I always run into & then 4 kicks in & I tell myself I was right to hold back because I don’t want to hurt or undermine anyone else around me. These are by no means the only two I struggle with but they were the 1st ones to leap out at me. Thank you so much for this post. For understanding us & most importantly, for encouraging us to step up, stand up & get on with growing.
I’m so glad you found us, Jericho. And great work on getting your blog started — remember to use it as writing lab, not Yet Another Tool to beat yourself up over. 🙂
Thanks for this post Charlie. It’s as hard to post here and admit that I too am a giant, as my inner critic screams at me to remain quiet and be humble, just as you spoke about not wanting to use the word “giant” to describe us. As tempting as it is to continue to “lie” to myself, by pretending to be just like everyone else, my spirit is exhausted from spending so many years trying to be just like everyone else in an effort to make those close to me not feel uncomfortable. At this point my spirit is almost dead and everyone, including myself is uncomfortable. You have come along just in time to help breathe the life back into me. Thank you so much for that Charlie. My debt to you will someday be repaid.
Hi Brenna, so glad you found some inspiration <3 good luck on your endeavors and keep believing in yourself!
If you stand tall and speak your mind in open others will easily say you’re faking to look different because if they admit your ideas they have to move their butt and do something therefore they prefer to blame you and keep distance
Whatever you call us, I’m just really glad to find someone else who recognizes these issues.
#1 and #3 are really applicable to me. I’ve wasted so much time trying to choose the “right” thing among all the possibilities, and I do lose interest once I’ve got it figured out. I start a ton of things and never finish.
To attack those, I’ve decided to shrink the scope of projects to things I can do in a month or so. After I’ve lost interest, I can still push myself to finish the month out. And I’m not so worried about choosing the wrong thing, as I can do the “right” thing next month.
Already this approach is showing promise.
Wow! Just wow! Had no idea a Facebook ad would lead me here! Was looking for something on productivity / project planners and followed the first link in the sign up email as I was intrigued.
You just described me and everything I went through in my old company where I was for 10 years!! Doing great things but only to A- level to not upset colleagues / alienate myself; finding other projects outside of work to jump into to satisfy the need to do more, help more, make more of a difference.
Now in week 4 of a new job and struggling with the learning curve as I want to be achieving already, alongside not wanting to be seen as a ‘show off’ to new colleagues, or seen to be rocking the boat with all my ideas and enthusiasm! Plus with all the shiny new projects to get stuck into I’ve been worrying about having the focus to finish them and doing them to A+ level that I want to and know I can do.
Amazing to find that it’s not just me!! That there’s a whole tribe of Creative Giants waiting for me to step up and join them!
Thank you for this amazing post! 🙂
Hi Charlie,
I found your website just yesterday. I literally just realized 2 days ago that I do not cope with a fear of failure. Failure I can handle, easily. But I am more afraid of success and what it would mean for me. That is how I came across your blog ‘What If You’re Not An Underdog?’ and, just like this article, I was blown away. I had no idea it was possible to list all the traits that I see as my most valuable and I also struggle the most with. You really hit the spot.
I am going to check out all materials, guides and planners. Because yes! I can use some help with structuring this buzzing mind of mine to stay on track and reach my greater potential. Thank you.
This article blew my mind! With everything I was like “check, check, check”. You really nailed it! I’ve definitely experienced the setback of overcommitments and then losing interest in projects once I’ve figured out the puzzle.
I love term “creative giants” and all that it entails. It empowers me to step up and to be better!
I’m in a creative academy right now – The Maestro Conservatory – that’s helped me tackle a lot of these struggles. It has me hopeful and excited for this new year and my new business.
Here is a link: http://bit.ly/maestroprogram
Thanks again for the great and mind-blowing article!
LOVE this idea of being a creative giant – that it’s okay to have many interests and to explore them all! You just gave word to what I’ve been experiencing for the past couple of years.
Thanks for the article Charlie, it resonated so much.
You had me at “#1…They can do just about anything they set their minds to. They’re scared they’re going to pick the wrong thing.” To paraphrase a previous comment – it’s like being more seen and understood that I ever have in my life. So happy to be a part of this community!
We’re glad to have you, Maghan!
Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your world! I am every bit of your whole list. You could not have said it better.
Where have you been all my 65 years of life?
You got me. I’m a Creative Giant. Musician, author, sewist, embroiderer, failed blogger (I have 10 abandoned sites in 10 years of “retirement”). Also, I’m really good at STARTING exercise programs.
Thank you for your insights. Dare I hope I can begin and sustain a profitable blog?