Facebook Pixel
Searching...
English
EnglishEnglish
EspañolSpanish
简体中文Chinese
FrançaisFrench
DeutschGerman
日本語Japanese
PortuguêsPortuguese
ItalianoItalian
한국어Korean
РусскийRussian
NederlandsDutch
العربيةArabic
PolskiPolish
हिन्दीHindi
Tiếng ViệtVietnamese
SvenskaSwedish
ΕλληνικάGreek
TürkçeTurkish
ไทยThai
ČeštinaCzech
RomânăRomanian
MagyarHungarian
УкраїнськаUkrainian
Bahasa IndonesiaIndonesian
DanskDanish
SuomiFinnish
БългарскиBulgarian
עבריתHebrew
NorskNorwegian
HrvatskiCroatian
CatalàCatalan
SlovenčinaSlovak
LietuviųLithuanian
SlovenščinaSlovenian
СрпскиSerbian
EestiEstonian
LatviešuLatvian
فارسیPersian
മലയാളംMalayalam
தமிழ்Tamil
اردوUrdu
Creative Calling

Creative Calling

Establish a Daily Practice, Infuse Your World with Meaning, and Succeed in Work + Life
by Chase Jarvis 2019 304 pages
4.17
1k+ ratings
Listen

Key Takeaways

1. Embrace Your Creative Calling: You Are Inherently Creative

Creativity is as essential to health and well-being as exercise, proper nutrition, and mindfulness.

Everyone is creative. Creativity is not a rare talent limited to a select few, but a natural force within all of us. It's about connecting unlikely ideas in novel and useful ways. By expressing yourself regularly in small ways, you'll discover the agency and drive necessary to create the life of your dreams.

Creativity is practical. It's not just about making art; it's problem-solving, business, activism, and building connections that make life worth living. Any creative craft practiced regularly unlocks and activates your larger creative capacity, allowing you to see all the possibilities available to you and choose among them to create the life you want.

Areas where creativity applies:

  • Art and design
  • Business and entrepreneurship
  • Technology and innovation
  • Personal relationships
  • Life planning and decision-making

2. Design Your Creative Life: Develop Systems and Habits

Your goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There's no other route to success.

Create a framework. Establishing a consistent creative practice and sticking to it is crucial. Build a basic framework for creative work to save yourself disappointment and put you on the fast track to success. This includes setting goals, developing habits, and creating a conducive environment.

Optimize your environment. Your physical and mental space greatly affects your creativity. Create a dedicated workspace, reduce distractions, and cultivate a positive mindset. Use tools like time-blocking, batching similar tasks, and working during your most effective hours to maximize productivity.

Key elements of a creative framework:

  • Clear, achievable goals
  • Regular, consistent practice
  • Supportive environment
  • Time management techniques
  • Positive mindset and self-talk

3. Take Action: Make It Till You Make It

Don't fake it till you make it. Make it till you make it.

Action trumps planning. While preparation is important, too much planning can be a trap. Instead of trying to plot out the perfect project before you start, accept that it'll take a few shitty drafts to get things sorted out and just start creating. Play, enjoy the process, and figure it out along the way.

Volume matters. The quantity of your output is crucial, especially when starting out. By creating a large volume of work, you'll close the gap between your taste and your abilities, develop your unique style, and improve your skills. Don't wait for perfection; embrace the process of learning through doing.

Strategies for taking action:

  • Set small, achievable daily goals
  • Embrace imperfection and learn from mistakes
  • Focus on quantity over quality initially
  • Celebrate small wins and progress

4. Learn Continuously: Develop a Growth Mindset

Learning is the lifeblood of creative work.

Become a lifelong learner. The most successful creators never stop learning. They take the reins of their own education, doing what they need to survive formal education but still investing their heart and soul in mastering their chosen subjects on their own or with outside coaching and training.

Create your own learning path. Develop the meta-skill of learning itself. Understand how you learn best and create a personalized approach to acquiring new skills and knowledge. This might include a mix of resources such as books, online courses, mentors, and real-world experience.

Components of effective learning:

  • Personal exploration and experimentation
  • Structured instruction (online courses, books, etc.)
  • Community engagement and peer learning
  • Practice and application of new skills
  • Reflection and self-assessment

5. Overcome Fear and Failure: They're Part of the Creative Process

Failure sucks. It hurts, and you couldn't pay me enough to do it on purpose. But like death and taxes, failure is unavoidable.

Reframe failure. Instead of seeing failure as a reflection of your worth, view it as a necessary step in the creative process. Every failure contains the seeds of future victory if you're willing to learn from it. Develop resilience by embracing challenges and seeing them as opportunities for growth.

Face your fears. Creative work often requires vulnerability and risk-taking. Acknowledge your fears, but don't let them paralyze you. Use techniques like visualization, small steps, and reframing to push through fear and take creative risks.

Strategies for handling fear and failure:

  • Practice self-compassion
  • Focus on learning and growth, not just outcomes
  • Celebrate effort and progress, not just results
  • Seek support from peers and mentors
  • Use failure as feedback to improve your work

6. Build Your Tribe: Find Your People and Nurture Community

We become more fully ourselves when we are in a community of other creators.

Find your base camp. Seek out communities that align with your interests and values. These can be both online and offline spaces where you can connect with like-minded creators, share ideas, and find support. Start with small, focused groups and expand your network over time.

Give generously. Build your community by consistently adding value. Share your knowledge, offer support, and engage authentically with others. This approach will naturally attract people who resonate with your work and values, creating a loyal and supportive tribe around you.

Ways to build and nurture your community:

  • Attend events and meetups
  • Engage regularly on social media
  • Create content that serves your audience
  • Collaborate with other creators
  • Offer mentorship or support to newcomers

7. Launch and Share: Your Work Gains Value When Released

Your work isn't done until you walk away—or, far better, share it with the world.

Overcome shame and fear. Sharing your work can be scary, but it's essential for growth and impact. Recognize that you are not your work, and that criticism or indifference to your creations doesn't define your worth as a person. Practice vulnerability and build resilience through regular sharing.

Create transformational projects. While consistent small efforts are important, also focus on creating standout projects that represent significant effort and growth. These big swings can propel your creative career forward and make a lasting impact on your audience.

Steps for successful launches:

  • Build anticipation within your community
  • Prepare thoroughly, but don't let perfectionism hold you back
  • Celebrate the act of sharing, regardless of the immediate outcome
  • Learn from each launch to improve future efforts
  • Use launches as opportunities to connect more deeply with your audience

Last updated:

Review Summary

4.17 out of 5
Average of 1k+ ratings from Goodreads and Amazon.

Creative Calling receives mostly positive reviews, with readers praising its inspirational and practical approach to creativity. Many find it helpful for rekindling their creative spark and developing a daily creative practice. Reviewers appreciate Chase Jarvis's personal anecdotes and accessible writing style. Some criticize the book for being repetitive or lacking originality, especially for those familiar with similar self-help literature. Overall, readers value the book's emphasis on embracing creativity in all aspects of life and its encouragement to take action on creative pursuits.

Your rating:

About the Author

Chase Jarvis is a renowned photographer, entrepreneur, and author. He has worked with major brands like Nike, Apple, and Pepsi. Jarvis is the founder of CreativeLive, an online education platform for creatives. His journey from pursuing others' expectations to following his passion for photography shaped his perspective on creativity. Jarvis advocates for embracing creativity as essential to well-being and success. He shares his experiences and insights through various media, including books, podcasts, and YouTube videos. Known for his approachable style and practical advice, Jarvis aims to inspire and empower others to pursue their creative callings.

Download PDF

To save this Creative Calling summary for later, download the free PDF. You can print it out, or read offline at your convenience.
Download PDF
File size: 0.74 MB     Pages: 9

Download EPUB

To read this Creative Calling summary on your e-reader device or app, download the free EPUB. The .epub digital book format is ideal for reading ebooks on phones, tablets, and e-readers.
Download EPUB
File size: 3.50 MB     Pages: 7
0:00
-0:00
1x
Dan
Andrew
Michelle
Lauren
Select Speed
1.0×
+
200 words per minute
Create a free account to unlock:
Bookmarks – save your favorite books
History – revisit books later
Ratings – rate books & see your ratings
Unlock unlimited listening
Your first week's on us!
Today: Get Instant Access
Listen to full summaries of 73,530 books. That's 12,000+ hours of audio!
Day 4: Trial Reminder
We'll send you a notification that your trial is ending soon.
Day 7: Your subscription begins
You'll be charged on Nov 30,
cancel anytime before.
Compare Features Free Pro
Read full text summaries
Summaries are free to read for everyone
Listen to summaries
12,000+ hours of audio
Unlimited Bookmarks
Free users are limited to 10
Unlimited History
Free users are limited to 10
What our users say
30,000+ readers
“...I can 10x the number of books I can read...”
“...exceptionally accurate, engaging, and beautifully presented...”
“...better than any amazon review when I'm making a book-buying decision...”
Save 62%
Yearly
$119.88 $44.99/yr
$3.75/mo
Monthly
$9.99/mo
Try Free & Unlock
7 days free, then $44.99/year. Cancel anytime.
Settings
Appearance