This weekend, I revisited the
Passion Paradox
by Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg, which says, "You don’t define yourself by any single moment in time; you define yourself by an entire body of work in service of ongoing growth and development."
When I first read their book, I was using the word "balance" as I worked to prioritize the many pieces of my life, as if each component would be able to take up the same amount of space. They provide a contrast between balance (think of a scale with everything of equal weight as the goal), and harmony - things hold different weight, which may evolve over time, and collectively = 100%. In essence, find the healthiest relationship - harmony - of these things to each other. They said, "harmonious passion [is] associated with enhanced long-term performance, vitality, health, and overall life satisfaction."
Over the past few weeks, as each of us has been required to adapt our work, evolve our relationship to time, and each other, I've thought a lot about what and how we achieve harmony. Saturday, I realized I hadn't taken a day off from creating some kind of video content for weeks - whether it was the video podcast, Instagram, or Marco Polo with friends. So, my fiancé Theo and I spent the day making art, eating cookies, and watching movies. It was time to assess and reconsider what harmony meant in times like this.
Finding harmony in our personal lives is one thing, finding it as a leader, as an artist, is another.
At IDEAS xLab, we've worked simultaneously to evolve and keep initiatives moving forward (Our Emotional Wellbeing, Universal Art, etc.), while adapting and creating offerings designed for the times we currently face - like virtual workshops (including Showing up 100), keynote presentations, and strategic storytelling engagements like our collaboration with
Derby Diversity & Business Summit
.
As Kristina Newman-Scott, CEO of BRIC in Brooklyn, NY said during last week's
Uncovering video podcast
, the agitation of COVID-19 has made us ask "How might we reimagine serving the community.... using technology in a new way that is more than just this moment, but sustainable in the long-term? BRIC has been forever changed."
Her words ring true. We are all forever changed. Now is the time to focus on what will carry forward, what will be sustainable, what allows us to find harmony and contribute to creating a more healthy, just, and hopeful society. And, we're here to help channel the power of community creativity and culture to make that world a reality.
With gratitude,
Josh Miller and the IDEAS xLab team and Board
Photo: (Left) Artists Shawn Wade and Jazzy J lead Wednesday's Our Emotional Wellbeing IG Live with students from Meyzeek and young people from Louisville Youth Group. (Right) Participant feedback from our inclusion-focused offerings.
