The Gyst Life

Last year I had an interesting journey with my professional career and with my relationship to creativity. In some ways I really felt lost, a bit defeated and unsure of myself or my abilities to make decisions. It had me start to question why I even bother pursuing this idea of living a creative life. Wondering often, what that even means. I needed a win, a reminder, a recalibration. Which I got. A book I was reading about creativity, along with a video I watched about taking an artistic approach to work, prompted a deep dive into answering a simple, yet profoundly complex question for myself... What's true for me? In an attempt to answer that question, I ended up deciding to produce a short film about my journey with creativity, because, apparently, that's what needed to happen. And why not? Seems doable, even though I've never done anything like that before. In full disclosure, I proudly identify as what you would call a 'Jack of all Trades'. I have no formal education in film, other than having been in the creative industry assuming various roles from design, production, communications, strategy and management. Let's just say I know enough about a few things to be dangerous and can easily find myself in way over my head, which I was. The Fog of War in the Battle for Creativity The fog of war is a metaphor that's been used as far back as the 1800's. It meant to capture the uncertainty of any outcome, like that of a war. In today's world it refers to the difficulty of making decisions in the midst of (insert conflict here). If you would indulge me on a tangent... This connected me to one of the biggest reasons why I love to play certain video games, the irony that comes from how I tend to feel about that same struggle in the real world and a shift of perspective this experience is unraveling for me. I've played video games for well over 35 years or so. I love playing video games, so much so, there is a space on my calendar dedicated to that activity alone. In the virtual world there is also a fog of war It's actually a primary mechanic in many games. It reveals what I've discovered on my journey and what i have yet to uncover. With every new discovery, comes a boost of confidence and courage to continue to venture forward into the unknown. And I do so, eagerly and with a virtual pep in my step. EXCITED by the prospect of what new thing I might discover along the way. Sometimes I'm ready for what's next, basking in the glory of a well deserved victory, other times I'm back at home base licking my wounds and preparing for the arduous journey to retrieve my stuff from a place I'm clearly not ready for. Yet... With this new clarity and perspective, I can return with a level of readiness and preparation that simply didn't exist up until that moment where the fog of war lifted and I was face to face with an unexpected adversary. I produced a short film. Now what? This is what I asked myself and again I am in way over my head. A few conversations with some inspiring people here in town how has me hosting a screening of my film at the end of this month. One of my characters (I talk about that in a previous podcast), can't help but shake his head in disbelief as he comments on me "doing it again". But here's the thing I am realizing... I have an interesting relationship with the growth and grind of leveling up in the virtual world, and by association to certain games I play in the real world too. I always enjoyed the game... Regardless of the grind, when it was the game I CHOSE to play. And even though there are some IRL games that I wished I didn't have to play, the simple truth is that fog of war that has been forever revealed is a good thing! It will always be a variable I must navigate, but there will be ways for me to go around because I know it exists. The Lesson? You might now know what you'll uncover in the creative game you're playing, but you can ALWAYS choose which game you WANT to play. So if you don't like the

Welcome!I have a new curiosity I am exploring, for the next little while I will be speaking about the often misunderstood world of rituals.This came about when I sat down and had a conversation with Tanya from Body Art Motion and Jai from Zephrym about the upcoming art and performance showcase they're hosting called Ritual Arts. It's a little ironic that I will be using my own ritual of exploration to explore the practice of rituals. There is a lens of which I've viewed that term, like all of us. Mine comes from how I was raised and the religious context I observed the world growing up. There were rituals that were deemed right and those definitively wrong. Regardless of where you find yourself, the world of rituals is a fantastically huge realm to explore. A worthwhile pursuit to decode the way in which our global collection of cultures describe, honor and display their deepest values and beliefs. These have been a cornerstone to our evolution and will continue to influence how we honor our individuality while attempting to coordinate with aligned purpose as a collective.

🎨 The Balancing Act: Control & Integrity 🌟 Humans seek freedom in their work, but often feel paralyzed. This stems from the interplay between control and integrity. 💡 Control: The Power to Influence Stability & Predictability Efficiency & Flexibility 🔍 Integrity: Honesty & Authenticity Authenticity & Connection Longevity & Meaning Finding balance can be challenging, as these forces sometimes clash. Embrace both control and integrity on your creative journey.

Some say we're spending about 82hrs per week consuming and collecting information. That's a staggering 69% of our waking hours. So many great ideas, yet so much missed meaning. So many really impactful moments I promised myself I would hold onto to be able to look back on, only to have it slip through my fingers. Not because it was no longer relevant but because I just can’t recall what it was or where I stored it. I desire to make sense of the world around me and find myself almost drowning it the magnitude of this venture. Let’s explore the practice of sense making and personal knowledge management.

As an artist, I think the biggest opportunity for you and for me is to learn how to tell our story. To reveal who we really areThe experiences we've gone throughThe struggles that have defined usand the awareness, or confusion that's brought. The seeds of doubt that have settled inThe influences that directed our focus, the deeper restlessness that continues to go unresolvedAnd the parallels between what's true and what's been manufactured. This is far from easy work though.

To live a finite life in an infinite world... Defining who we are, what we do and the contribution we seek to provide in a constantly shifting world is a hard question to get absolutely clarity on because we ourselves are constantly evolving and changing. New discoveries, new priorities and new curiosities leave yesterday’s clarifying moment a distant memory. That is the game of life. Just new levels to unlock.

How can the right leadership navigate the recent, and history repeated, events in order to continue moving forward? There really is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ leadership; just misled leaders. Leading and navigating with your team is a process that grows with the amount of obstacles you face and overcome. Trust in an organization and in the public, as we’ll hear in this episode, is an essential element that sprouts from experiences, struggles and the ability as a leader to relate with his people. It can feel like a hamonic dance yet a constant battle of dealing with problems and discovering solutions. In a big organization like the government, which is built to go slow and careful, can create a sense of disconnect and unrelatedness to the common people as the world moves faster and faster. Join me today as the youngest councillor for the city of Calgary, Evan Woolley, shares his insights and knowledge from a curtain many of us are not familiar with. Key Takeaways: have the audacity to challenge what was said to be “absolute” to say ‘no’ when it was always a yes. Do natural born leaders really have a better chance at being great leaders than those who learn the skills through experience and failure? What is the secret sauce to be heard? Is being trusting and authentic enough?

How can leaders make a bigger difference in their employees lives? Should leaders be quiet in the shadows and notice what is going on in order to empower whom they are leading? As Leaders, we need to lead by example. If your employees don’t see you living, breathing and acting on your vision; it is not effective, and it’s not empowering. It all revolves around building trust, and trust lives in the actions that you take. Join me today, as Brian Kroeker, President of Little Rock Printing, shares his insights on being relentless with expectations, the work needed to get where you need to go and his vision for providing the right opportunities for growth for his employees. Key Takeaways: How can we help our employees move up in their careers even if it’s not with us? The contrasting experiences of losing and winning shapes our trajectory Step back and let others find the way things work best for them. Follow Brian Kroeker on Linkedin Follow Little Rock Printing