Ever since I named our monthly free coaching call the “Simplify to Amplify Roundtable” I’ve been questioning my own overly-complex working life.

How can I counsel others to simplify, and talk about how powerful that can be in amplifying their ability to reach their goals…when I myself still juggle so much stuff all the freaking time?

I’ve been teaching this concept for years: One thing at a time. That’s how you get things done, and that’s how you unleash your full potential.

Yet, ever since 2020, when I first decided to add a second program to the Autonomous Creative offerings, I’ve been splitting my attention into increasingly tiny splinters.

Don’t get me wrong: I did think about this when I decided to launch that program, Authentic Visibility (messaging and marketing for highly marketing-averse creatives). I had just wrapped up my last comic book, Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars, so I was able to focus more fully on the business. I thought: The Creative Focus Workshop is going well, and I’m ready to add a second program.

I was wrong.

Turns out, I, too, can only do one thing at a time. I knew that, I just believed that the concept applied primarily at the micro level of a project.

But where it really matters is at the macro level of: What is my work life devoted to?

None of this has anything to do with the quality of Authentic Visibility as a program. On the contrary. It’s powerful and effective, has helped hundreds of students grow their creative businesses, and remains extremely relevant.

I poured my heart and all my prodigious energy into building a superior program that would address the unique issues faced by artists and writers when sharing their work. I’m proud of what I did, and even prouder to see what alumni of the course have done with their learning.

But investing my time and attention into creating and enrolling AV took my eye off the CFW. And it was not the first time this had happened.

When I started the Creative Focus Workshop, I stopped focusing on Out on the Wire.

When I started Authentic Visibility, I stopped focusing on The Creative Focus Workshop.

When I started the Autonomous Creative Business Incubator, I stopped focusing on Authentic Visibility.

This pattern goes all the way back to the beginning of my career, of course. This is the reason for the common advice for authors to stick to one genre so the next book builds upon the previous one (which I also never did).

Every single time I took my focus off a previous project, that project faded and lost ground.

And every time, I felt a lot of guilt and the ongoing pull of Shoulds: I should send out an email about that. I should come up with a new promo. I should pitch some journalists. I should write a new book that follows up that old book.

I should I should I should

Sunk costs and guilt, regret and wasted energy worrying that I’m letting some potential in the project go untapped.

The real potential that’s going untapped?

Me. My energy. My focus. My full attention.

I need to take my own medicine, and Simplify to Amplify my effectiveness and focus.

I’m planning some very big things with the Creative Focus Workshop in 2024.

That’s why it’s time to sunset Authentic Visibility, and will offer you one last chance to enroll and master the art of communicating the amazingness of your work to the world.

A few important details:

1. We will be enrolling this last cohort starting on Feb 9 with some sweet discounts and bonuses. More to come, but if you want to be sure you don’t miss this last chance at enrollment, add a reminder to your calendar.

​Google Calendar | iCal | Outlook​

2. There will be a lot of emails about this starting on the 9th. If you don’t want to hear anything about Authentic Visibility, 🚫 click here to remove yourself from the interest list. 🚫 (If you’re a current or former AV student, you’re already removed from the segment and won’t get these emails).

If you’ve joined AV in the past, you’ll still have access to it when you’re a member of the Autonomous Creative Collective. Nothing’s changing within the course platform at this point. Click here if you want to re-up your membership and dive back into the course!

It’s a melancholy feeling to let something go that you’ve cared so much for. But it’s also empowering to make this decision and know it means I’ll have so much more to give.

Warmly,

Jessica

P.S. I don’t want to imply that I work alone in Autonomous Creative. I have a fantastic, highly capable small team of part-time help who have been instrumental in making all of this possible…and we STILL are far over capacity. The struggle is real, ya’ll. If you feel it, you’re not crazy.