Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Melinda & Charlotte , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
We lead a monthly creativity coaching group, now in month 9, and it’s wonderful to see how the participants have bonded. They show up and support each other so beautifully, and in such a heartfelt way. For example, when someone shares about their self-doubts, they reassure one another and share insights to bolster each other’s confidence.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Syncreate offers creativity coaching and consulting services, as well as workshops and retreats, to empower creativity, including a book about the creative process, and a podcast exploring the intersections between creativity, psychology, and spirituality. We aim to illuminate the creative process, from imagination to innovation, and everything in between. Our goals is to demystify the process and expand the boundaries of what it means to be creative. Our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities, won a 2021 Silver Nautilus Award for Creativity and Innovation.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
From a young age, we both experienced empowerment in the form of collaboration, realizing that we are not alone in our life journeys, and that by working with others, we can achieve more than when working in isolation. This is reflected in our company name, Syncreate, which is a fusion of the words “synergy” and “co-creation.” We were both avid readers as children, and books opened up new worlds of possibilities for us, in collaboration with the authors and with our parents, who encouraged us to read.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
We worked for several years to create an app for creative accountability, but at that time, we did not have the technological savvy to bring it to completion. We became frustrated until we realized we had developed some great ideas and insights that we could channel into a book. Since were are both writers, we pivoted and shifted our focus to composing the book, which ended up becoming a new releases bestseller and won a Silver Nautilus Award.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
We believe that everyone is creative, and part of our mission is to dispel common myths about creativity, such as “only certain people are creative,” and the myth of the tortured artist. We all use our creativity on a daily basis to navigate the challenges of life, including things like cooking, gardening, parenting, and in our careers.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Doomscrolling! It’s so important to stay present in the moment rather that getting caught up in the gloom and doom of daily headlines. We can then focus on what’s really important, like our relationships, creativity, and community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.syncreate.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syncreatecreativity/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncreate/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@syncreatecreativity
Image Credits
Photos & Graphics by Daniel Whiteside, Dreux Carpenter, Andreana Salvamini, and Lisa Robinson.
