Welcome to Dear Creator

‘Dear Creator’a newsletter series

My new year legit started on 1st March. I’ve never been one to really hit the ground running in January, preferring to saunter in, finding my groove by feeling and then readying myself to start as the season begins to change. 

 

This year has been like no other and navigating personal life shifts (and shit) whilst still wanting to do the most has been interesting. 

 

A gentle, slower pace is being called upon and what I’m discovering is that it isn't any less impactful. 

 

I’m into making commitments and setting intentions vs making plans and setting goals. I know this is semantics for some but language is powerful and has the ability to motivate or divert from the overall vision and mission. 

 

The intentions cover what I ‘intend’ to call in, achieve and experience and the commitments are the soulful strategy for getting me there. In essence, a commitment to myself of how I want to show-up for and in myself. 

 

One of them is this newsletter which will be the main way I intentionally connect and share. 

 

The branding geek that resides within me seeks to brand any-and-everything and the title ‘Dear Creator’ keeps coming up. 

 

So here it is…welcome to the ‘Dear Creator’ newsletter series. Here I will muse and share on all things imperfection, creativity, heart & soul leadership, seasonal living and wholehearted working. 

 

Giving voice to the experience of being a big-hearted creator who is doing the ever-evolving blend of life and work. A creative human who leads from the heart if not always allowing it with ease. A big-thinker and deep-feeler who is craving doing things at their own pace rather than being swept along other people's (and entities) timelines. A multi-passionate person who has all the ideas but is often plagued by the pursuit of perfection and see’s needs, gaps and voids they want to fill with their work whilst not forsaking what they themselves need and want. 

 

If this sounds about right for you, then you are in the right place. 

 

Welcome. 

 

Warm candle glow vs a beam of light

What's your energy saying right now?

 

This came through in a client session last week as she described where she is now and how she's showing-up as a ‘warm candle glow vs a beam of light’. 

 

This resonated so deeply. 

 

Its the vibe I’m walking into the ‘new year’ with. 

 

A warm candle glow rather than the beam of light. 

 

Both are shining just in different ways, with a different texture and ultimately requiring a different energy.  

 

For me this beautifully speaks to what I believe is the sweet spot of where what works for you and what works for your work intersect. That place between what is true and honest for you, the creator and what your work is seeking to do in the world and the heartbeats it's here to help. 

 

Whether it be the warm glow, the beam of light or another iteration that feels resonant to you, it is indeed driven internally by how you feel, what is on your heart, what is motivating you AND its about how you might like to be received by the people around you, the brief at hand and the need you are meeting/problem you are solving/joy you are bringing. 

 

The inner meeting the outer. 

 

It's the attention given to this space that makes way for a wholehearted approach. 
 

This is why I love to have conversations about energy instead of time as this leads to a far more expansive and whole picture of how you are and how you want to be.

 

It's where the what you are doing meets the how you want to do it. Creating another invitation to tune into the season you are in and act accordingly. 

 

Taking away feelings you might have of being wrong or not enough and instead putting you in alignment with what is the most important thing to be in alignment with…yourself. 

 

There’s so much in life that can make us feel not enough, let's not increase this by working against ourselves rather than with ourselves. 

 

And ultimately thats a lot of what my work is about. Helping you to work with yourself rather than opting for the uphill task of pushing against. That's self-compassion, right. 

 

One of the ways I’m choosing to do this is with my chosen ‘not-word-of -the-year’ but statement. 

 

Did you create a word of the year this year? 

If so, now is a great opportunity to dust it off and see how it's revealing itself to you at this moment. And if you didn’t choose one then it's not too late. 

 

Mine is an extension of my 2021 word which was ‘nourish’ and it has become ‘Nourishment as a way of life’. 

 

Now there is the nourishing which comes easy because it is pleasurable and then there's the other side. Nourishing means it doesn’t always taste the best, its not want we want to do or hear in the moment and it often lacks the instant gratification dopamine hit and/or tingling thrill of excitement but what it does offer is 

 

 

So whatever your word is (or is not), I’m offering this to you too. An invitation to nourish yourself and your energy, imperfectly. 

 

And that part about doing it imperfectly is important. 

 

Often with perfection we are doing a whole lot of self-judgement and comparing ourselves with ourselves. Judging and comparing with the perceived perfection of the past, the perfect idea of how things should be in the present and the projection of how perfect things will be in the future. 
 

You might have an idea of what the perfect way to nourish yourself is and I invite you to explore what that is and then remember that you are human and imperfect does not mean lesser. And so nourishing yourself, imperfectly, takes the pressure off and allows your humanity and heart in.  

 

We’re going into all this in more depth as the theme of Root & Rise this month is ‘Allowing Imperfection In’. If you want to join us, sign-up for the wait list. 
 

What I've been up to…

Creating… an exciting project with Allbright which I will share with you soon. Simplifying, stripping back and Strength training (not all together but I love a bit of alliteration ; ) . Journalling a plenty. Preparing + devouring copious amounts of roasted cauliflower (my new fave way of cooking my new fave vegetable). Making ‘Voxer Day’ magic with the members of Root & Rise. 

 

Watching… Inventing Anna (I’m obsessed!) and Kanye’s documentary on Netflix, Modern Love on Amazon Prime and Bel Air on Now TV. 

 

Reading… I have too many books to mention on the go right now but the one on the top of my bedside pile is Bernadine Evaristo’s Manifesto. This article with Shonda Rhimes talking about creating Inventing Anna cos yeah I'm obsessed. 

 

Listening… to Londrelle on repeat. 

 

Experiencing… I’m went here for my besties birthday and it was lush (its been voted the prettiest cafe in London and its black-owned #winwin). I went roller disco-ing with my daughter last weekend (so.much.fun!). 

 

Wishing you a nourishing week ahead. 

 

Sending love,

P.S - Doors to Root & Rise are going to be open this week for a few days. The theme for this month is ‘Allowing Imperfection In’, you’ll get access to fortnightly Voxer days with moi as well a host of other things including a co-creation day, monthly journaling gatherings and more. This coaching subscription has been intentionally designed to help you live and work well and to enhance your experience of that with personalised help rather than filling up your diary with loads of calls to attend and workbooks to complete. We build gently and live wholeheartedly in Root & Rise. Join the waiting list here. 

 

P.P.S - I’m opening up a limited number of spots to work with me 121 in my Pure Coaching + Creative Strategy Experience. Pop me an email if you're interested. 

 

P.P.P.S - If you’re thinking about embarking on becoming an ICF Certified Coach then head this way. I have something to help with that. You'll get to try before you buy with a free coaching experience week. 

 

Thanks for being here!

I'm Nicola Rae-Wickham and I coach, write and teach for a living. My approach is values-led and compassion-centered and I coach the whole person rather than the problem. My body of work inspires, guides and supports big-hearted creatives and purpose-driven humans to let go of perfection and performing so they can speak-up and show-up with heart. I believe coaching should be for the many and not the few and my work spans the spectrum of working with individuals and organisations united by social mission.