I read an interview with Dana Tanamachi (chalk artist extraordinaire) recently on the Great Discontent, and I really loved her comments on working in community. If you listened to my Creative Mornings talk (blog post about that coming soon), you know that we believe strongly in collaboration and community. These two quotes really hit the nail right on the head, so I’d like to share them with you.
“When someone sees something in you and they have the courage to speak it out, it changes everything. I learned the other month that the root of ‘encourage’ literally means to put courage into someone. That is what my community does. I’ve learned from them that if you see something special or unique in someone, don’t just think it—tell them. Our words hold a lot of power.”
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“Being known and knowing others is so important. To have people who know your story, know what you’re about, know your strengths and weaknesses, and can speak into your life is good. Like I mentioned, there is a current in NY and it’s easy to get swept away—having those people really grounds you. They can remind you of how you’ve changed and grown when you do get discouraged.”
Dana Tanamachi on the Great Discontent