073: Build Your Creator Compass
Wherein I show you how to never feel lost as an artist again...
Welcome to week 73 of the Draw or Die Newsletter for Visual Storytellers. This week I want to show you the CREATOR COMPASS and how it can really help you, as an artist and creator, bring your goals into focus, unpack your whys, avoid burnout, and ultimately set you on a course for success in your creative journey.
Sound good? Let’s go!
The Creator Compass looks like this…
I’ve been developing this concept for over a year now. It combines a few interesting methods to really get to the core of what drives you as an artist. And read to the end on why this is so important and how it kind of gives you a superpower as a creator.
Way back in week 5, “know thyself” ,I showed the personal pillars exercise. My quick sketch of my pillars looked like this…
What I always suggest doing, and what I do for myself, is revisit my pillars often and think about them. In the course of doing this, I see that maybe the first things I wrote down really are not the REAL thing. That when you begin to meditate on the subject and really ask your WHYs, you get to that real thing underneath the surface.
That’s some powerful stuff.
You see there my first pillar I wrote was “Creating Comics” - Which is clearly something I am passionate about, and something I’m good at, and I can actually make money with, BUT… was it the thing that I actually was passionate about?
When I would think about it more and more, I realized that it wasn’t the act of making comics that I truly loved. Especially when I’m working for on someone else’s projects. Sure, it brings some money which is nice, but deep down when I searched my feelings, it didn’t make me happy.
When I unpacked my own WHYS it turned out that at it’s core, the thing I really was passionate about was…drawing. More specifically the act of drawing every day. I liked how being in that zone made me feel.
Boiled down even more? It was the feeling that I could express myself through very simple images and tell stories, sometimes even with just a very simple sketch. I didn’t need 80 pages and 9 panel grids to get my idea across.
That was extremely eye opening for me. My “creating comics” pillar changed to “Visual Storytelling”. That’s what I’m truly passionate about in that pillar of myself.
How to fill out Your Creator Compass
The name section - I think it’s important for every creator to draw your own name first. You are the vessel of all the stuff we’re about to unpack. This compass is going to be a record of WHO YOU REALLY ARE and what matters most to you at this moment in your life.
The 4 main sections in the center of the compass represent my 4 top pillars.
This will differ for everyone.The lines shooting off to the left and right of the sections are WHY LINES.
This is where you ask yourself WHY over and over again. It helps you start to break down to the REAL thing. I find that asking yourself why about 4 times, really starts to uncover a bit more about yourself.
☀️ The left bottom scroll “alive time”:
After you’ve filled in your compass pillars, and your whys… now you can summarize how you’re feeling about all of that. You’re still HERE. You’re still alive. What does it all mean. What can you still do? For some this can form into your life purpose, or other times it may be just a quote, or motivating thought you have.🌙 The right bottom scroll “dead time”:
Now you picture yourself gone. Tomorrow is not promised. Someday we’ll all be gone from here. Very few of us will be remembered in 100 years. But, what might you hope that people might remember about you or your work when you’re long gone?
You may notice the plate on the compass says “Sapere Vedere”, or knowing how to see. And that’s exactly what this Creator Compass does. It helps us to take a step back and really think and see what’s most important to us at this moment in your life.
When your compass is complete, you can now use it as an ultimate guide and a super power of sorts, to point you in the right directions.
How to let the compass guide you…
Now you can use this compass anytime to help you make decisions, achieve your goals, strengthen your brand, and avoid burnout or feeling stuck.
EXAMPLES:
Your Inner Circle…
Do you have people in your life who don’t align with your compass? My suggestion is to get them out, or limit your time or involvement with anyone who doesn’t align.
Content Brainstorming…
What kind of content should you make and release? Does it align with your pillars and purpose?
Collabs, paid gigs or brand deals…
You’ll immediately know if it’s a right fit for you. Money and opportunities can be tempting, but can also totally throw you off your course, and lead to burnout.
Social Media Strategy…
What should you be posting online? If doesn’t align with your compass, don’t post it! Example: would commenting or engaging with a negative political post serve your pillars and growth? Would I suddenly post a picture of the sandwich I was excited to eat on my drawing club’s socials?
Your compass will help keep you on the right path!
This can take time… don’t rush it.
This exercise can take time. You might not know all 4 or your pillars. And as I’ve demonstrated, it’s okay that these change and evolve over time! That’s the process of growing in life. The things that are important to you now, may not be in 5 years, or 20.
The more important thing here is that you think about this. Develop and understand yourself.
I share these thoughts and ideas with you because this process has done wonders for me. If I’m ever feeling down, stuck or a bit lost… my compass is there to help show me the way!
I want that for you too.
🔥This Week’s Drawing CHALLENGE!
Take a shot at filling out your own Creator Compass. You can draw your own, OR download the free template on our site at: https://drawordie.co/products/creator-compass
You don’t have to post your compass sheet online. I understand it can be very personal to you. Just remember… Audentes Fortuna Luvat!
If you want to post anything, draw a picture of your compass visualized and you can choose to keep it vague, or not.
Be sure to tag #drawordieclub on the platform of your choice so we can all find each other (we’re mostly on instagram) Maybe we’ll feature your art in future livestreams and content!
✏️☠️♣️Join the DAILY DRAWING CLUB!!!
Help support the club with five bucks a month and get some nice perks including a quarterly sticker, daily prompts and more. CHECK IT OUT HERE!
I want to know what you think about this. Post a comment OR shoot me an email dj@drawordieclub.com.
Let’s talk soon!
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I like this because it makes you take a step back and evaluate where/what you’re doing as a creator/artist with your work. I joined sometime after the pillars and know thyself posts, so I’m gonna go and revisit those before thinking about my compass. 🙌🏼
Love it! Nice job on this.