"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

Howard Thurman

This month's global theme for CreativeMornings was VISION.

Richmond's speaker Josh Epperson quoted Howard Thurman and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

As ecosystem builders, we focus on what our community needs and how we can best bring together the right people and resources and opportunities to ignite change.

We end up as martyrs because we put the needs of our community (families, friends, children, etc.) ahead of our own.

I know I'm guilty of it.

Not only does it put us at greater risk of burning out, but we actually dim our own light. We do those around us a disservice by not showing up as our most generous, most fulfilled selves.

Why do things that we believe make our communities better but don't light us up? We can't possibly do our best work with only half the enthusiasm.

Instead, I encourage you to ask yourself what makes you come alive, and just do that or a while.

You know Reader, I have despised the idea that "if you do the work you love, the money will come".

As far as I'm concerned, that's some elitist, privileged bull$#it.

But if you can find a small part of your day (or week, or month) to devote to doing something that makes you come alive, I hope you can start nurturing that part of you.

Read on to see what has been making me come alive recently:

Between my ears

Life, most recently: Things I'm excited about, pondering and trying out:

• My entertainment is still very much Halloween-centric. After watching Midnight Mass while hiding under a blanket, we have been watching the much lighter Agatha All Along and saw Dracula. A Comedy of Terrors at the American Shakespeare Center (We are very fortunate to have the only replica of the Blackfriars Playhouse in North America in Staunton. It's phenomenal!)
• I returned to our local co-working space last week! I am VERY comfortable working from coffeeshops and my home office but I also missed bumping into my people and chatting over coffee. So I got a flexible desk at the Staunton Innovation Hub and am thrilled to be back in community.
  • For my local friends and those who need an excuse to come visit (!): Free co-working day is on November 12 (Tuesday)! Come hang out and co-work with me!
• For the third year in a row, I'm hosting a little Halloween get-together on October 31. Our neighborhood is SO GOOD for trick or treating that we invite friends who don't live on such a generous street. Here's what I plan on making:
  • ​Mummy Baked Brie​
  • ​Acorn Squash with Garlic Butter & Burrata​
  • ​Mummy hot dogs​

If you have any foolproof Halloween recipes, I'm all ears! Bonus points for easy-to-make-ahead and gluten-free ones!

On my Bookshelf

I finished The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue and it was a lighthearted (though serious) read. Feel good contemporary fiction.

​This Summer will be Different by Carley Fortune was a super light and fun romance novel set on Prince Edward Island & in Toronto, Canada.

I'm devouring True Biz by Sarah Novic. It's set at a boarding school for the deaf and tells the story of its teenagers trying to come into their own (romance, fun, school etc.). It's well written and a perspective I've never taken before. Besides, Staunton is home to the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind - I've visited their campus.

Next on my list: Tangleroot by Kalela Williams. Kalela took the stage at last week's CreativeMornings at the American Shakespeare Center and it promises to be a mix of history, family and mystery. If you're looking for a Young Adult (YA) read for Christmas, this might be it. And yes, I'm definitely reading YA.

If you're buying any books, PLEASE buy from your local Indie bookshop (if they don't have it on their shelves, they'll happily order them for you) OR shop via Bookshop.org OR give a home to pre-loved books by buying them used.

Please and thank you ❤️

Shen-ANIKA-ns

5 things that make me come alive right now:

1. ​CreativeMornings Shenandoah Valley. As people pour in at 8.45 a.m. on the fourth Friday of each month, I love nothing more than watching them hug and laugh and catch up over coffee and locally baked pastries. Bringing people together for a shared experience - watching them giggle, gasp and connect as they listen to our speaker - gives me a lot of joy. No matter how hard it is to fundraise for community events like these, after each one, my cup is full.
2. Morning pages. I've been following The Artist's Way (with plenty of interruptions and breaks) since June. Getting into the habit of journaling every day is therapeutic. And what's even better - I write in different places which - literally and metaphorically - gives me totally new perspectives.
3. Studying new (and old) things:
   1. How to edit video and audio to create engaging social media content from my podcast conversations.
   2. Re-reading some of the classics in our field of Ecosystem Building - highlighting, taking notes, writing summaries.
   3. Organizing lectures, book discussions and other book-related events in collaboration with my favorite local bookshop!
   4. How to set up my own Bookshop.org site so I can recommend my favorite books and make it easier for you to order them from Indie bookshops (thanks Ashley for the tip!).
   5. I joined the Systems Sanctuary for their Systems Change Leadership Masterclass - a 6-month course on driving change within complex, adaptive systems.
   6. Researching how to grow this newsletter to make sure it gets in the hands (inboxes!) of more people like you!
4. Fall in the Shenandoah Valley. I'm that weird lady who pulls over at the side of the road to take a picture of that golden Gingko tree because the leaves changing color is a bit of a spectacle around here! Every fall I am in awe of how beautiful nature is.
5. Recording season 7 of my podcast Ecosystems for Change. I hadn't realized HOW MUCH I love talking to really smart people about how they grow innovation ecosystems around the country. So far, every conversation has left me giddy and a little mind-blown! Until season 7 launches in February 2025, catch up on the first 6 seasons here:

On my radar

Here are events to keep an eye on:

• October 28-30: SOCAP Global, San Francisco
• October 30 - November 1: Startup Champions Network Summit, Bay Area, California
• November 14-15: Innovation Ecosystem Summit (virtual: I'm apprehensive of a 2-day virtual summit but the agenda was announced last night and it looks intriguing.)

What events are missing that other changemakers should know about?

I will be back in your inbox in two weeks!

In camaraderie,

Anika

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