088 – The Art of Allowing: How to Recognize and Value the Right Opportunities

Creativity Excitement Emotion

Content provided by David Andrew Wiebe. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by David Andrew Wiebe or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

9M ago 25:12

MP3•Episode home

Have you found yourself drowning in opportunities but struggling to determine which ones are worth pursuing? Do you sometimes reject possibilities that could transform your career because they arrive at inconvenient times or challenge your ego? Perhaps you've experienced the opposite problem—feeling stuck in a creative desert where meaningful opportunities seem nonexistent? In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares his journey from resistance to "allowing" as a foundational approach to both life's challenges and opportunities. Beginning with candid stories of a day filled with minor mishaps—from spilled smoothies to broken windshield wipers in Vancouver rain—he reveals how embracing what is creates space for better decision-making about what could be. Drawing from personal experiences with predatory offers, overwhelming choices, and observations of self-sabotaging behaviors in the artistic community, David offers a philosophical framework for recognizing and valuing the right opportunities while maintaining the self-care necessary for sustainable creative practice. Download the PDF Transcript Sponsors: Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: Get a free copy of the “Definitive Guide to Productivity for Artists and Entrepreneurs.” The Renegade Musician: David’s magnum opus on building an independent music career is here! Highlights: 00:17 – A day filled with minor mishaps 04:46 – How internal conditions manifested external circumstances 05:30 – The universe operates on allowing 07:28 – Evaluating and valuing opportunities only gets harder with time 10:58 – Questionable opportunities 16:30 – Ranking the opportunities that cross your desk 17:55 – People shooting themselves in the foot 23:06 – Closing thoughts Summary: In this reflective episode, David explores the concept of "allowing" as a pathway to better valuing opportunities in both life and artistic careers. Beginning with personal anecdotes about a challenging day filled with minor mishaps—from spilled smoothies to windshield wiper failures in Vancouver rain—he weaves together insights about emotional processing, opportunity evaluation, and the self-sabotaging behaviors that can prevent artists from recognizing valuable possibilities in their lives. Through vulnerable sharing about his own journey, David offers a philosophical framework that balances pragmatic career advice with deeper wisdom about living well as a creative professional. Key Themes & Takeaways The transformative power of allowing versus resisting life's circumstances The evolution of opportunity as careers progress and how to evaluate increasingly complex choices The self-defeating cycle of pride that causes artists to reject potentially life-changing opportunities The delicate balance between pursuing professional opportunities and maintaining personal well-being The progression from scarcity to abundance of opportunities as creativity becomes sustainable The wisdom of developing discernment rather than reflexive acceptance or rejection The Practice of Allowing David shares his journey toward a more accepting relationship with life's challenges, presenting a philosophy that extends beyond mere positive thinking: Moving from resistance to acknowledgment, then to welcoming and finally allowing The freedom that comes from seeing circumstances exactly as they are without trying to fix or avoid them How this principle applies to emotional processing, financial reality, and professional opportunities The wisdom from spiritual teacher Gary Spivey that "the universe operates on allowing" The courage required to face reality—particularly financial reality—exactly as it is How allowing creates space for intuitive decision-making rather than reactive choices This perspective offers an alternative to both toxic positivity and cynical resignation, suggesting a middle path that acknowledges difficulties while remaining open to possibility. David notes how his emotional processing from previous weeks affected his current experience, demonstrating the interconnectedness of our mental states and external circumstances. "Moving to that space of allowing has been so healthy because it's not me trying to run from it. It's not me trying to fix it. It's simply acknowledging and welcoming and allowing in my existence exactly as it is. Not trying to change it, not trying to avoid it, not trying to ignore it. Seeing it exactly as it is." The Evolution of Opportunity As creative careers develop, the nature of opportunity changes in significant ways, creating new challenges that require different responses: Early-stage opportunities often feel scarce but provide motivation to learn and grow through necessity Middle-stage opportunities begin multiplying, creating decision fatigue and FOMO (fear of missing out) Advanced-stage opportunities require strategic filtering systems to avoid overwhelm and maintain focus The progressive clarity that comes from learning what you don't want through experience How the quality of opportunities improves from "W, Y, K, N" ratings to primarily "A" ratings The unexpected challenge of having too many good options rather than too few David's description of his own journey from scarcity to abundance provides a reassuring perspective for artists in early career stages, while offering cautionary wisdom for those experiencing success. His honesty about experiencing FOMO regarding events and connections speaks to the very human challenges that persist even as careers advance. "When you do the right things long enough consistently, the tides do begin to change... And the opportunities are progressively going to look shinier and better and more attractive." Recognizing Predatory Opportunities David candidly discusses his encounters with less-than-transparent business models, offering specific examples that help artists identify potential exploitation: Magazine features disguised as editorial content that actually require substantial payment ($1,000-$4,000) Programs with misleading marketing language like "we don't make money if you don't make money" that mask high-cost offerings ($5,000) The growing ability to quickly identify and decline opportunities that don't align with values The wisdom gained from prior experiences with "burning through thousands of dollars" Learning to end conversations early once exploitative patterns become evident Developing language to gracefully exit uncomfortable sales situations This section provides particularly valuable guidance for navigating the often murky waters of promotion and exposure opportunities that target artists. By sharing specific price points and tactics, David equips listeners with concrete information to make better decisions when similar opportunities arise. "I think there does come a point where either you've been burned enough or have wasted through enough thousands of dollars that you realize maybe that's not the way to do it." The Pride Paradox Using an anonymous friend as an example, David explores how pride can sabotage potential advancement, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of frustration and limitation: The cycle of job dissatisfaction where people "collect reasons" why their current situation "sucks" How self-sabotage creates financial instability through impulsive career decisions The tendency to reject opportunities that appear at "inconvenient" times How the very opportunities we once prayed for can be dismissed when they finally arrive The specific example of a potential 50% income increase that remains unaccepted The challenge of recognizing when we are the obstacles to our own advancement This compassionate yet direct examination of self-sabotage challenges listeners to examine where they might be creating their own limitations. By using a friend's story rather than directly accusing his audience, David creates space for self-reflection without defensiveness. "When that pride gets in the way of you accepting a promotion in life...sometimes new opportunities come along that would be promotion, forward motion in our lives. We don't see it for what it is. And it could even be something we were praying and hoping and screaming for months ago." Action Steps for Artists For creators seeking to better value opportunities, David suggests practical approaches that balance ambition with well-being: Create a ranking system for evaluating opportunities that align with your values and long-term goals Practice "allowing" as a foundational approach to both challenges and opportunities Balance income-generating activities with experiences that maintain freshness and creativity Recognize that preparation often precedes opportunity ("if you're not prepared for it, opportunity tends not to show up") Develop humility to accept opportunities that represent growth, even when they arrive unexpectedly Honor your need for rest and renewal as essential to sustainable creative practice Maintain awareness of your changing values as your career evolves Implement filtering systems that protect your time and attention as opportunities multiply These actionable recommendations provide a framework for making decisions that honor both professional advancement and personal well-being, acknowledging that these priorities shift throughout a career. The Balance of Well-Being David emphasizes that valuing opportunities isn't solely about professional advancement, but requires maintaining personal sustainability: The importance of self-care activities like rest, meditation, and enjoyment How burnout affects not just the artist but their entire creative business The evolution beyond pure income-focus to quality of life considerations Specific examples of personal enjoyment (concerts, massage, bubble tea,

300 episodes

#Business #David Andrew Wiebe #Music #Entrepreneur #Music Career