By now, you've probably read countless articles starting with phrases like "these are unprecedented times" or "in these times of upheaval." But let's start differently: You are doing a good job. YOU are a success!
You, dear creative change agent, awakening leader, are enough. If you find yourself thinking about what you didn't accomplish, or if you’re downplaying your achievements with words like "only" or "just," let me stop you right there—
You are enough as you are.
In these times of compounding racial, ecological, health, and political crises, it's easy to fall into a mindset where nothing ever feels like enough. Don’t get me wrong—there is a place for strategic crisis response. Some of the horrors we face today propel us into action because there is a lot that demands our response. And yes, we are responding.
As creators, change-makers, leaders, coaches, entrepreneurs, and activists, our communities look to us to show the way forward. They rely on us to demonstrate strength, wisdom, and the steps needed to navigate these challenging times. They look to us to remind them that even in adversity, liberatory change can be born.
Sometimes that means leaning on each other for support. Sometimes it means accepting our limits and celebrating what we have done. And sometimes, it means resting—doing nothing at all but simply being.
As I sit here, sipping elderflower and goldenrod tea—medicinal herbs I harvested from the lands of the Chickasaw, Osage, Cherokee, and Iroquois people south of St. Louis, Missouri—I am reminded that the path to liberation is long. The ancestors of the labor and liberation movements struggled for ages; now, it’s our turn. Along this journey, we must remember that we are of the earth, and at our core, we are enough.
Our daily labor, our survival, and our love for our community are successes worth acknowledging, and if you’re living through 2020, you are a survivor.
The messages of extractive, white supremacist capitalism may suggest that if you didn’t generate a certain amount of wealth, achieve, excel, grind, or "crush it," then you haven’t succeeded. But that’s simply not true.
As a change creator, you are abundant in spirit, bountiful in soul, and rich in dreams for the world we are birthing.
So let’s take a moment to celebrate the fruits of our labor, whatever they may be. Maybe you’ve reached a personal goal, prioritized self-care, or brought a long-term project to fruition. Whatever it is, take a moment to acknowledge the person responsible for that success—you. And if others were part of your journey, thank them too.
I, Liberty, the owner and organizer of Awakening Creatives, am celebrating the fruits of my labor. For the past six years, I’ve run my coaching company quietly, under the radar—small, safe, and mild. But that’s not who I am. As a genderqueer person, I’ve often tried to fit into molds that didn’t accommodate the fullness of my soul and expression.
I was afraid to fully come out and say who I am, fearing rejection or worse. But no more.
I expect some "unsubscribes" after this article, and that’s okay. No one should live their life small or in fear of their true, authentic expression. My intention for Awakening Creatives is to empower individuals and communities to be confident in their expression and to embody liberation within their truest creative essence.
2020 is a year of revitalized truth. The realities of racism, fascism, colonialism, queerphobia, climate change, and other perils have been re-exposed—not because they were hidden, but because 2020 made space for them to be heard by change creators like you.
Together, we are creating space for voices of truth and liberation to enter the dominant narrative.
I have been deeply inspired by my colleagues, co-conspirators, coaches, and co-creators. So, I am recommitting to showing up with my gifts, my medicines, and my offerings as a coach and facilitator. I am continuing my studies in the Ph.D. program for Community Liberation Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.
I am here to be in community with you all and to embrace my role as the unapologetically queer leader and change creator I was always meant to be.
Let us continue to harvest and celebrate the fruits of our labor, knowing that we are enough.
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