It’s tempting to sit in the corner and then, voila, to amaze us all with your perfect answer.
But of course, that’s not what ever works - Seth Godin

Helping others to find their voice, to support them as they search can help us to reflect on how we share our voice! Each day is a new opportunity to share & grow with others. Every day is a PD day #myPDtoday

Sharing our work gives us the opportunity to develop our voice, to develop a body of work that we hope will help others in what they are doing. Yes, sharing our work help others to see it. For many creatives, sharing their work is an important part of their livelihood. However, for others, it is a way to explore and develop who they are, to expand their understanding, and seek to make sense of what they are doing.
Blogging is something that helps me to get my ideas and thoughts down and work through them. To take time to see how ideas are connecting and working through different concepts related to the work I am doing. Blogging is something I do for professional development and personal growth. Not all the things I write end up being published. Some ideas sit. I work through them again and again.
This quote from Seth Godin is something I have tried to keep in mind when I am creating and sharing:
Ship before you’re ready, because you will never be ready. Ready implies you know it’s going to work, and you can’t know that.
The purpose isn’t to please the critics. The purpose is to make your work better.
Polish with your peers, your true fans, the market. Because when we polish together, we make better work.
For the most part, most of what I create isn't seen by many but that's not the point. The point is to continue to develop and grow, to share with others and encourage them to share and grow, to find their voice and share.
Not all of us share in the same way. Some people create through music, others through writing, some do video, some do speaking, some cook, others build - there are so many ways to explore and create. Helping others to find their voice is also a journey to reflect on our own sharing and our own voice.
Teachers As Creatives
Teachers are some of the most creative people that I have ever met. During each day, they have an enormous amount of interactions with students and other people. They are required to plan, assess, support and differentiate in order to meet the needs of the students in their classroom. Teachers do so many things at once it is often hard to distinguish all that is required to do the work of a teacher. Yet, the different skills and knowledge needed to be able to accommodate and differentiate often go unappreciated by anyone outside of teaching.
Helping teachers to find their voice, to be creative and then to share their creativity is important to me and is part of my professional mission
"To relentlessly pursue supporting educators to develop creativity and innovation in the classroom through connections, relationships and effective professional development."
In my post Blogging as a Professional, I discussed some of the reasons teachers should blog and some things to consider when starting out, one of which is 'why' you want to blog. Since then, I would suggest there are many options for teachers to explore their creative side and develop their voice including video, podcasting, taking part in sharing through online social media or being involved in their community in various ways. Developing a voice is an extension of your 'through-line' as you reflect on your passions, talent, conscience and a need you perceive.
One of the reasons I continue to blog, take part in educational Twitter chats like #saskedchat and try to do different things is I want to continue to evolve and grow. I follow the work of many people whom I look up to and admire. Most days I hesitate to push "publish" because I don't feel my work is that good. But, as Seth Godin says,
What works is evolving in public, with the team. Showing your work. Thinking out loud. Failing on the way to succeeding, imperfecting on your way to better than good enough.
For me, I am surrounded by a team of wonderful people, most of whom I have met online. It is their support and encouragement that pushes me to continue to improve, to push "publish" even when I don't think it's very good. It's continuing to seek to find my own voice while I help others to find their voice, to grow and continue to get better at what they are doing.
Sharing our work isn't easy but it's necessary for continual growth and development. Every day is a PD day and part of the growth is trying new things and sharing with others our growth and getting their feedback. Without others helping us, our voice does get the chance to grow or develop.
How are you continuing to grow? How are you sharing your voice? How are you helping others to develop their voices? Together, we are failing our way to success!