The only power you have is the ability to create. No person or institution can take that away from you, even if you think so.
– Jimmy Carrane

If you are an improviser, you may know who Jimmy Carrane is – Improv Teacher, Host and Creator of Improv Nerd Podcast, Blogger, and Author. And if you don’t know who Jimmy Carrane is, neither did I until I became aware and immersed in the world of improv.

This post is not about improv. It is about the inspiration in Carrane’s recent blog post Stop waiting and start creating. He shares his perspective about people waiting to be picked for something – in this case, improvisers waiting to be picked to be part of an improv team.

The short version of Carrane’s perspective is in his closing line –

Our self-esteem has been beaten up pretty good by rejection or perceived rejection, so for God’s sake, shut the fuck up and create.

I read Carrane’s blog post as I was updating my Meet Shirley – something that took me longer than I expected. After finishing my “meet me” post, I realized my most recent post before this was in October 2013 over here. Yes, I count 3-months ago, also. And while the number of posts does not necessarily reflect my creativity (or lack thereof), I do realize I have been doing more talking than creating.

So … What have I been doing since October for Anthrocubeology? I have continued to create my foundation for Anthrocubeology. In December, I became a Tiny Habits® Certified Coach, as trained by Linda Fogg-Phillips and BJ Fogg. I have been discussing with Anastasia Ashman, one of the GlobalNiche founders, about my preparing to serve as a peer-group leader for a GlobalNiche on-line course, currently free for a limited time. And I am completing The Blogging School, created by Rosetta Thurman. Founder and CEO of Happy Black Woman. And of course, I continue to improvise and perform.

That said, here are  a few quotes from Carrane’s post that are great reminders for anyone just thinking or talking about creating something –

What you do have control over is what you create. Nobody but you can stop to you for doing it. That is your power.

When I create, I am the happiest, and I don’t have to worry if I have been picked or not, because I am too busy focusing on what I am doing, creating. Plus, when you create something, it’s like a magnet that attracts people to you, and opportunities seem to fall out of the sky. When I create, my vision for myself and my career gets crystal clear, so those things I used to think would make me happy don’t seem as good anymore.

When I create, I get clarity, I get focused. … And the more I continue to create me own thing, the more other people call me and want to work with me. It’s the avalanche you cause by creating something.

You can wait around to get picked for something — and you might get chosen — but your chances of success are higher if you create opportunities for yourself. …

I know that I, too, am happiest when I create. I also know that I become much more aware of opportunities that contribute to my interests and to what I am creating, e.g., opportunities that seem to fall out of the sky. Now, just checking-in if you took a little time to read Carrane’s post.

So do tell … What have you been waiting around for? What opportunities have fallen out of the sky since you have been creating?