Some people never think of themselves as creators because when they were young they were taught that being “creative” meant being “artistic”. If they did not feel called to express themselves using an artistic medium such as writing, painting, or dance, for example, then they might have mistakenly labelled themselves as “not creative”. It was never made clear to them that there are limitless other...

When I was in my 20s, I was in a relationship with a singer-songwriter musician. He wrote a few songs for me, some to me, but there was one song he wrote about me. He called it “Fearless”. When he told me, I thought, “Wow, he really doesn’t know me at all. I live in a constant state of anxiety and fear.” But he saw me differently than I saw myself at the time.

I was with him through a significant...

As a teenager, my friends nicknamed me “Dr. Kiley”. Whenever they were confused or depressed, or struggling with relationships, I was the one they sought out for advice. I think it was because I was willing to listen with curiosity and without judgement. Also, I didn’t say much back then, which was helpful because mostly they just wanted to feel seen and heard.

Nowadays, people still seek me out ...

Many people who come to work with me identify as being “unconventional”. Regular-type jobs make them feel trapped. Old structures and systems stifle their adventurous spirit. They like to take the status quo, scrunch it up into a ball and throw it into the fire. They’ve spent much of their lives trying to reconcile the way they perceive the world with the way others proclaim it to be.

The unen...

“They need to learn the value of money, but they don’t want to get a job.” Because of what I do for work, some of my friends who are parents of teenagers vent to me about their “lazy” children. “I lined up a well-paying summer job for them and they refused to take it.” My response is, “Good,” which is usually followed by an awkward silence.

I ask, “What is it your children actually want to do?” M...

I am genuinely surprised at how often people express guilt and shame around doing self-discovery work. I just welcomed a new cohort into the Vision Program and already this has come up in conversation. Some perceive themselves as being self-indulgent – irresponsible, even.

They question: Who am I to be sitting around figuring out what inspires me, especially when there is so much suffering in t...

When I used to operate my school as a physical entity, I would welcome people into the classroom and advise them that it was a space for “not knowing”. They would heave a sigh of relief and then ease into their chairs. They could finally relax.

If you are currently in a career transition, you might feel a tremendous amount of external pressure to know what’s next. Under the guise of caring, your ...

Every time I have occasion to visit my family doctor, I think about how much it would suck to have the job of a GP. All day, every day, they see humanity at their lowest. We go to them when we are sick, injured, or broken – literally. The primary tools they have available to help us include either referring us to another doctor or prescribing drugs. It must feel helpless. When my doctor enters the...

“We don’t need clarity of vision to create or to move forward in life.” There it was in black and white – a denunciation of the very gift I offer to the world. The only thing I could see in that moment was “red”.

Normally, I’m not overly reactive to social media posts as I appreciate every person has a unique perspective and is entitled to express their opinion. Usually when I see posts that don’...

“It’s going to take how long?” she asked. A couple of years ago, a lovely human reached out to me to discuss her work situation. She found her work to be “dull” and “repetitive”. She wanted to find something more inspiring and more fulfilling, but she wasn’t clear about what that was. During our discovery session, she decided she was keen to enroll in the Vision Program. However, when she learned ...

You are a creator. Full stop. You were born this way. You can refute it as much as you’d like, but if you’re depressed, bored, numb, unfulfilled, or mad at the world, it’s because you’re not allowing the natural flow of creative life-giving energy to be expressed through your being.

Most people who work with me are frustrated creators, though they don’t necessarily perceive themselves as such bef...

If you’ve been with me for awhile, you already know I have a slightly different perspective of work than is conventional. Most people see work as an application of effort. While it is true that work does involve action, it does not require effort. In fact, if you find yourself efforting, it is an indicator you are not doing your real work.

Your real work does not require effort.

Earlier this...