As we approach Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year, we naturally crave coziness and warmth. The literal and figurative space for reflection and vision-casting as we look to the year ahead.
For me this always means reaching for a hand-made quilt and while I like all quilts, I particularly LOVE patchwork ones.
With the rich textures of velvets, satins, linens, and loose weave cottons, endless palette of colors combinations, patterns and shapes all tied together and sometimes embellished with beautiful embroidered stitchery…
Patchwork is always a unique, textured and luxurious celebration of paradox. Pieces of cast-offs re-envisioned and re-stitched into splendid beauty.
Whether quilts, clothing or decorative fabrics, including the beautiful Baye Fall traditions from West Africa, the beautiful diversity of color, texture, character and most of all their uniqueness are inspiring.
But then again, I must confess, I come from a family of quilter-makers.
A lineage of making-do (and making-beauty too). The tradition of patchwork re-purposes scraps of material and thread and re-creates something new out of what was.
Patchwork is a rather intuitive quilt-making form, unlike many of the geometric designs that start with a plan, measurements, straight lines and uniformity.
Cozying up with my favorite velvety patchwork the other night got me thinking about how Arc Benders whether- branding visionaries, playwrights, yoga teachers, somatic healers, Ayurvedic professionals, Vegan whole-food chefs, dreamers, do-ers, entrepreneurs, artists, and change-makers of all kinds- employ a similar energy, artistry and skill in their work as patchwork artisans.
Arc Benders create new solutions, programs and products out of what once was.
Arc Benders are the epitome of think outside “the box” people. (Well, that’s not entirely true, they may think about the box if they are considering taking it apart, to re-create or reuse it in service of their vision!)
Arc Benders deploy vision + drive mixed with intuition + persistence to see and create something unique, useful and beautiful.
Many Arc Benders who teach eventually find themselves at a crossroads between honoring the beautiful work they do (and how they have done it) and the need to expand their capacities and structure to make a even bigger impact.
This move from working in intuitive flow to designing support for your expanding vision can be a challenge (sometimes, a monumental one) for the flow-style Arc Benders creating Signature Programs.
Getting what is intuitive in you, out and onto the paper in earthly form so that it can be clearly communicated is often the place where you get stilted, stifled and stalled (especially when you are by yourself).
Maybe you have noticed, or experienced this, too?
Because although you probably have so much material generated; you have lists, resources, and activities and have taught this in some form before (maybe many times!), this mass of material does not represent what your clients need to experience your expertise in the most effective and optimal way.
This is the point at which purposeful design can clarify your vision, align your actions and add rocket fuel to actually creating that which you have dreamed of.
If you are creating a program, start by clarifying your Program Promise(s) and aligning all the elements of your program for congruence with those pillars.
This means creating a supreme mix of purposeful design and flow to support your expanding vision.
So, while there may be very little that is authentically new- whether information, trends, fashion, solutions, thoughts, classes- Arc Benders, like patchwork quilt-makers, vision and create with ingenuity, persistence and beauty so that we can experience the familiar and the novel in a fresh way.
Arc Bender, it is your intuition about what is needed, your vision about how you and your business can serve that has propelled you this far. Keep going!
The world needs your brilliance.
If you need support to find your flow in content creation, check out this post on some concrete techniques and get in the groove!
Happy Solstice!
and may you feel cozy and bright.