Lately, I’ve been considering my relationship to the word ‘success’. Dictionary definitions are a great place to start: according to Webster’s, to be ‘successful’ means that you’ve either ‘accomplished an aim or purpose’ or that you’ve achieved ‘popularity, profit, or distinction’.

Right away, I’m disoriented — this idea of ‘success’ seems to seesaw between doing something well and getting a favourable result (like when I fixed the zipper on my pants — success), and then this second more ephemeral quality of popularity (which is fleeting), and profit (which in a growth centered economy, is rarely satisfying for long), and distinction (which is transient).

So here’s a question I’ve been sitting with: How do you measure success?
How do you know whether you can use this word ‘successful’ to describe yourself, or your actions?

I taught a free one hour poetry writing workshop to the CreativeMornings community this week, and this is the opening question that I asked attendees.

Here were some of their answers:

I feel successful when I’ve remained curious during a challenging situation or interaction; success is a feeling of calm and joy; success is being proud of what I’ve done, on my terms, not on others expectations.

Their answers seem to stand apart from this definition we began with — they seem to highlight presence, as opposed to outward popularity and notice. I think this is wonderful.

Curious about your own relationship to success? I’d love to share the freewriting exercise I offered to the CreativeMornings community with you.

So, here it is…

Freewriting Exercise
Your Relationship to Success

First: Begin by setting a timer for 5-15 minutes, and offer yourself a mindfulness-based ritual that feels right to you. This will be your entrance into writing.

Then: Spend 3-5 minutes wandering within the following freewriting questions. Give yourself permission to move slowly. Rather than searching purposely for a specific kind of answer, wander around within the contents of your thoughts and imagination. Write down all the places your mind travels.

Freewriting Questions:

1. An experience of success I crave in my life is… (finish the thought as many times as you’d like).
   

2. What sort of terrain do you encounter as you move towards an experience of success?

3. To feel that “I am a success” would mean that… (finish the thought as many times as you’d like).
   

4. Celebrate yourself fully. Your achievements. Your dreams. Don’t hold back.
   
   

Where do you go from here? Try taking the material you’ve gathered from this freewrite and turn it into a poem, a letter, a story. Explore the process of making something out of your reflections.

ArtStarts in Schools has a wonderful practice where when facilitating a space for students to make creative things… students must throw out whatever they’ve made at the end of the exploration. By doing this, the emphasis changes from “I need to make something good” to a curiosity about process.

Try this yourself.

And If you enjoy this exercise, please feel free to send me a note! I’d love to hear where it has taken you.

COMING UP:
Write a Poem about your relationship to…
Longing and Ambition.

What endless distances do you look upon with longing?
I’ll be offering this 2 hour workshop TWICE: once in-person and once online.

IN-PERSON: Sunday, May 7th from 1-3pm PST
The Gallery at Artech, 336 E Ist Ave, Vancouver |$45 CAD | 8 participants max.

ONLINE: Tuesday, May 9th from 4-6pm PST
Online, over Zoom |$30 CAD | 15 participants max.

EARLY BIRD —> Use the code Refect2023 at the checkout for $8 off either workshop. Offer expires May 3rd.

More Workshops:

1. Embodied Poetry: 8-week Mindful Writing Intensive
   Details: Tuesdays, May 29th - July 10th | 12:45-3:15pm PST
   

2. Develop a Writing Ritual
   Join a writing group and set aside intentional space for creativity.

   Each class starts with a freewriting prompt related to a theme a lit magazine is currently accepting submissions for — so if inspired, you can submit the writing you do in class.

   Details: Twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays. Purchase a bundle of classes and come when you can (first class is free).

Questions? Email [email protected]

warmly,
Christine Bissonnette