Today's honoree for Women’s History Month is a recent addition to my life and a special kindred spirit.
(Photo provided by Alessandra White)
Alessandra’s formal education includes Architectural, Industrial, and Interior Design. She is a color forecaster (think Pantone Color of the Year). She successfully implements hypnotherapy skills and training to create the workspaces she offers, legitimizing her self-proclaimed title of Creative Sherpa. She implements her knowledge of hypnotherapy and the building a second brain process with the care and compassion that has solidified that title, and earned her inclusion in my list of those who inspire me.
(Free public domain image taken from Wikipedia)
We share traits that can disrupt both personal life and career. You see, my ADHD and other traits can result in becoming so worked up over stressful situations that my brain shuts down, and I become incapacitated. It’s like the Venturi Effect. Unless the pressure in a constricted path can be reduced, the fluid trying to pass through will simply back up, or clog, or burst the pathway it’s being constrained to. Developing coping mechanisms to move past such scenarios has been the key to my successes in life. I sense she has found a similar means of coping to become her best self.
Alessandra has found her stride as a creator and guide for others. That’s not something which translates well in this world of data mining and categorization. Humble confidence can be challenging, with self doubt lurking at the door. We both have taken on various means of income, some of which have connected with ambition, and some because they are bills to pay. Finding a passion that connects both can lead to the ultimate euphoria, and Alessandra is riding that energy wave as the owner and driving force behind Creative Work Hour, or CWH (https://creativeworkhour.com).
CWH is a space where creators of all forms come together as a community. Given how diverse creators and their interests and issues can be, it’s a remarkable achievement! Daily online sessions are held, where intentions are shared, a moment of meditation occurs, and then it's off for an hour before reconvening to self-assess our usage of this precious time. Some sessions are intended for all creators, while others skew toward special interests like musicians. Alessandra herself is a classically trained clarinetist who has recently returned to playing the instrument.
What makes her so special to me, and to everyone else in the space, is that this is her ongoing journey too. We are all living the experience, uniquely together, while sharing in the subtle joys that the creative process can bring. Some days, it’s good enough not to move backwards, while others contain micro-bursts of genius. People show up as they wish, and share as they wish. Some leave their audio and video on, some not. But it’s the strength of knowing that we are rowing through the sea of creativity together, and that if you need to stop paddling for a while, or even leave the boat for a bit, that’s fine. We carry each other. Hold space for each other when someone reaches out, or simply needs a place to chill.
Creative Work Hour and DreemPort cosponsored a three week writing event last month. For some, it was an invitation to slow down from daily blogs and quick hits to develop depth around something meaningful to them. The posts were amazing, the learning process satisfying, and the friends I made enriching to my world. Another win for my kindred spirit.
