About

I love the human zoo

When I was about five, my dad took me to the circus. We sat up in the stands with all the other spectators. When the elephants were brought in, my dad exclaimed ”Look at the elephants, Tatyana!” I wasn’t interested in the silly elephants. I was  busy staring at all the people. 

And guess what? Nothing has changed. People — and  all the strange behaviors, desires, conflicts, paradoxes and creative styles associated with being human — continue to fascinate and consume me.

Where was the fun, the love, at work?

Years later, as the human zoo moved into the work place and I traveled through various jobs, I noticed a reoccuring theme: A lot of people seemed to be having a pretty unpleasant time at work — and accepting it!  ”It’s called work for a reason,” some like to say. “Live for the weekends.” Really, is that how you want to live? More people are daring to ask more from their working lives these days.

A couple thoughts on work life and habits:

• Why not give yourself a working life that uses your natural gifts and talents so you can spend as much time as possible going through life  having the absolute best and most satisfying experience possible?
• It’s easy to get caught up in a culture of complaint about our work when sometimes it’s actually great. What if you refraimed the complaining and gave it a new beautiful story? Live in the solution, not the problem.

It occurred to me that people were not expressing themselves fully and creatively in their jobs, and that was one of the big reasons for work dissatisfaction. A boss or job description was squelching them — and in many cases they were holding themselves back by accepting some idea that jobs are prisons to endure. Imagine if you could free yourself from I-hate-my-job-but-there’s-nothing-else-to-do thinking? 

Manifesto

I think there are boundless opportunities for  work-life satisfaction and fulfillment once you give yourself the green light to go for it.

I believe we’re all innately creative. If you have a heartbeat, you’re creative.

It’s in our nature to be creative — whether it’s  through painting, dog walking or crunching numbers. Remember, “creative” is about creating — a complex spreadsheet, a new life, a laugh among friends, a business, you name it. Creative expression gives life purpose, meaning and joy.

I believe everyone has a rich imagination that’s as unique as a thumb print — and infinitely resourceful. If you can breathe, you can create and imagine. The muscle just may be underworked. Or the psyche is stuck. Gremlins!

I believe that accessing the fertile soil of your imagination can get you unstuck and moving forward into brilliant new territory. Your imagination helps you be your genius true self, doing the work you love, feeling fulfilled and having a damn good time in the process.

Getting from the stuck place to that brilliant space can seem impossible — but that’s why we have creative natures, to reinvent stories, bash away at old beliefs and do some rewriting to forge ahead.

I want people to believe: I Can Do It. Whatever the end-goal of your personal “it” is.

I love Keate’s claim: “I am certain of nothing but the Holiness of the Heart’s affections and the Truth of the Imagination.”

With an addition: Take action.

I am a doer. I like to help people do what it takes to live the lives they want, and have the best time in the process of getting there. Amen. The end.

This is just a note to say: Yes, I’ve had my ass kicked from here to kingdom come in the search for fulfillment, the Right Career, my True Self, my calling, life purpose — all that crap. It’s good crap though. Hard, confusing, frustrating, sob-inducing, curious, awe-inspiring, surprising. It’s a rich adventure. What I’ve learned is this: stay with it, work with it, use your imagination to help you though and you’ll come out the other end knowing yourself, being yourself, doing the work you love, being able to transition and change more gracefully the next time you hit the crossroads (because you will) — and the best part: feeling more free, having more fun and doing the kind of work you love, in the way you most love.

In a nutshell

Writer, swimmer, trail runner, skier, water baby, dreamer, dahlia-petter, over-thinker, free-spirit, fretter, duck-lover, arts appreciator, moon-worshipper, kid-lover, gesticulator, people-watcher,  lover of blue sky and white space, half Russian, half Irish.

Street cred

• MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles
• Certified Professional Coach, Erickson International College
• International Coaching Federation Certified Coach
• Company work includes: Young & Rubicam, ELLE magazine, Corbis, Microsoft and a number of start ups and boutique Web companies.

Wow, if you read all the way to here I ought to give you a prize. How’s this?

Free 30-minute strategic creativity session

Call me or email me to set up a free session. Experience how working together might help you move toward your goals and desires.

Thank you!

Tatyana, Coach
Everyday Creative

Email: tatyana@everydaycreative.net

Phone: (206) 406-6196