Escaping – Is it the Answer?

I’m reading a book, Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur, by Pamela Slim in response to me making the leap—okay, maybe it was a push—to start my own marketing firm.

You see, in October, I was downsized. In my heart, I knew I would own my own business again, and had been thinking about it for years. This seemed like the impetus to make it happen. So, for the past two months I’ve been working out the details of setting up my own firm, Royal Apple Marketing.

But this blog is not about my business, it’s more about the  advice in that book for those who are living in the cubicle nation and have a tremendous desire to get out. It talks about how creativity may be zapped to near disappearance while living in the nation, and ways to overcome.

What’s most interesting to me about the book is that Pamela mentions many of things I’ve written about as well. It’s nice to know I’ve not been talking about nonsensical things the past few years. Here are some commonalities and things we both stress to help keep the creative juices flowing. You never know where it could lead, including leaving the "nation."

• Mix it up. If your work is very cookie cutter and you’re looking for something to jazz up your life, mix things up. I’m not saying go out and do something crazy, but I—we—do encourage you to take small steps to engage your creative mind. Consider walking a different way to the cafeteria, or while window-shopping in your town, or as you walk the dog. You will begin to see things differently, which may cause your mind to begin to think differently—more creatively.
• Create a vision board. I was floored when I read this in her book, since I wrote about it a couple years ago. Vision boards help you to remind yourself of who you are. Vision boards are there to graphically illustrate what you enjoy and where you want to be in your career or personal life. They can be very stimulating and a lot of fun to create.
• Track ideas. If you’re like me, your mind seems to churn at all hours of the day or night. It seems ideas come to me at the strangest times. And that’s why I keep a notebook in my nightstand. Pamela takes it a step further and suggests keeping notebooks all over the house, for those ingenious moments when that idea surfaces. Once you begin this practice, you will wonder what you did before it; and will begin to realize you are more creative than you thought.
• Morning Pages. Morning pages are somewhat like a journal. Don't worry, you don’t have to be a writer to keep them. It’s kind of a brain-dump-type tool that allows you to write—long hand—your thoughts each morning. This should not become your to-do list, but rather a blathering of things that simply come to you. It is meant to help clear your mind of clutter and to let the creative juices flow.
• Exercise. I’m sure many of you made New Year’s resolutions to get in shape, to lose weight, and to feel better. I congratulate you on making that part of your everyday routine. Exercise is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. Your body is being energized, which in turn, feeds the brain with positive endorphins. To me, walking is the best form of exercise because you are outdoors and stimulated by so many natural occurrences. You also have many choices, such as where to walk, the time of day to do it, and if you want to share that time with someone else.

 These are just a few of the great bits of advice Pamela offers in her book.

If you’re a member of cubicle nation and are looking for a ray of light and some answers about escaping, read this book. It’s a fun read, and may even spur you to get over your fears to move toward the job and career of your dreams.

How do you survive cubicle nation? Share your tips with fellow readers.

Ciao!

Becky