Finding my circle

There are a few things that feel important to me right now. They keep coming in my head and they feel exciting but are making me feel pressure to practice what I preach. Let me explain... a couple of years ago I used to write on here every day, people used to ask me how do you find the time or the head space to blog every day?  The question seemed funny to me because writing about these things was fun. I loved it so I didn't have to 'make' time.

Now I feel like I'm the person looking around me asking others that question - how do you find the time to keep your personal projects going? How do you find the time to host events just because you know they need to happen?

Before I started Snook I was that person - I started Studio Unbound because I was complaining about the lack of resource out there for students using the internet to become a better version of themselves. I hosted a Women of Scotland event because I was complaining I didn't know where to find inspiring women in Scotland. I made redjotter the one stop shop for global service design news and updates because such a site didn't exist then.

Three years on, me and Sarah have grown a team of seven and a network of associates across the UK. I guess I'm a manager as opposed to the implementor and maker I used to be. No one has ever shown me how to be a manager or a leader, and I've never had a manager myself. So it's tricky to say the least.

The tricky part on my mind just now is how I be that maker and implementor while running a business and running a team. When time feels so precious and sleep is the top priority. In the spirit of not complaining and making it better here are the things I'm thinking about:

1. Like minded people and finding my circle

I don't know where to find people.

I look at things like Creative Mornings and TED with envy. Don't get me wrong I've been to countless events in Scotland from breakfasts to meet ups but I leave drained more often than not. There is a lack of focus and energy and often just too much talking and not enough doing.

Where are other people my age who are trying to balance being 26 and having a life and running a business to try and make good things happen? Of course Sarah is by my side and we are a team with a master plan but she is only one person - others like Arne, Damian, Adam and Magnus are too far away. Where is Scotland hiding these folks because I know they are there - I just can't find them.

I want to find others who are older than me, more experienced, wiser and will make me think about our work in a way I never have done. I also want to find others on a similar path but from different disciplines - I spend hours during the night when I should be asleep soaking up illustration blogs and animation videos. Yet, I don't hang out with any animators or illustrators.

"Who you hang out with determines what you dream about and what you collide with

And the collisions and the dreams lead to your changes

And the changes are what you become

Change the outcome by changing your circle."

So what should I do? Start an event? or put an ad in the paper and see who I find?

How do you find people to make new circles?

This was originally written for The Carrier