A few months ago I was chatting with my friend, Jean Marie DiGiovanna, who is a brilliant and successful speaker, but also happens to create unique jewelry on the side. I asked if she had any new pieces, and she directed me to her Etsy page. I went the next day and found a bracelet that took my breath away. It was brass and stamped with the expression, “It is safe to stand in your power.” That was a message I needed to hear. So I bought it.
Month’s later, I decided to call Jean and ask her about the bracelet. Why did she choose that saying? “You know,” she said, “I tend to create work that I personally need, and then I just trust that maybe someone else needs it too. I was heading into a new direction with my work and feeling a lack of confidence, and that phrase just came to me. ‘It is safe to stand in my power.’ So I made the bracelet for myself and then decided to sell a few too.”
And I’m so glad she did. It’s been on my wrist since the day it arrived. Wearing the same bracelet over and over is not something I typically do, but it is serving as a constant reminder for me right now to trust in my own power.
Jean’s comments about creativity are important too. While it’s true that sometimes we artists have to do projects we don’t want to do, it’s also true that most of our best work comes from a place of passion, excitement, joy, and release. Our greatest work usually stems from a bit of self-exploration. But this can feel self-indulgent at times. Who else gets to spend their day doing exactly what makes their heart soar? Well . . . hopefully everyone. I hope accountants love running those numbers and truckers love driving those long hauls and mail carriers enjoy stuffing those boxes. And if they don’t, I hope they find something else to do.
We need to trust, as Jean did, that when we follow our passion and look deep inside, we will create art that is authentic and inspiring. It may not resonate with everyone, but it doesn’t have to. It only has to speak to the people who need it most. And there will always be so many more of those people than you will ever know. Trust that too!
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