We were lucky to catch up with Alison Clancy recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alison, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity lately so this question feels right on time.
1) For me as a woman, every day is different in terms of my capacity and what I can handle or generate. Being okay with that is Step #1.
2) The next step is getting really in tune with your body. What does inspiration feel like to you? What excites you? Is it butterflies in your stomach? Do your eyes get wide and your heart beats fast? I know I’m inspired when it feels like lightning is coursing through my veins.
3) Lastly, do things you’ve never done before or explore subjects you didn’t think you’d find interesting. I know music and art gets me excited. But when I’ve gone outside of my comfort zone, that’s when the lightning starts. This can be traveling to a new city, meeting a new person, wearing eye crystals to the grocery store, or speaking up when I’m nervous. I think inspiration falls somewhere between being excited and being unsure.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’ve been in marketing for my entire career. I love telling stories and learning about people. My niche is community building – I think my superpower is bringing people together. That’s what I do currently for Smartsheet (www.smartsheet.com), the enterprise work management platform that empowers anyone to drive meaningful change. I think we have the best customers in the world, and it’s my privilege to not only build experiences for them on Smartsheet Community (community.smartsheet.com) but also run our exclusive customer champion programs, the Smartsheet Overachievers and the Community Champions. These folks inspire me endlessly with their brains and their hearts, and I love that I get to help them create and innovate.
Outside of my day job, almost all of my hobbies are connected to promoting the arts, specifically music and dance. I’ve worked in the music industry before in the live event space, and now I find so much joy going to concerts and promoting artists however I can. I’m also a huge supporter of the dance community here in San Diego, and dance regularly at Culture Shock Training Academy (https://cultureshocksandiego.org/) and D&A Dance (https://www.instagram.com/dandadance/).
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1) Relationship building is a key skill for truly anything in life. For the Smartsheet Overachievers, our motto is “Together, we go far” and I think that applies to any goal or dream you might have in mind. Make it a priority from a genuine place.
2) Everything is marketing! It’s not just your website, what you said in the interview, or your presentations. It’s the image you choose to present, the way you treat others, and how you approach your daily life. Make sure it’s aligned correctly.
3) Ask questions. This is an attribute I don’t see as much in people these days, so when you display it, you stand out and you make others feel seen.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I’m almost in a constant state of overwhelm even, so I have a pretty stacked toolbox when I need it!
1) Meditation. You can find free videos on YouTube. I use Peloton (shout out Ross Rayburn) and do it at least once a day for 5-10 minutes. Makes a huge difference.
2) Movement. I already mentioned how important dance is to me. Movement quite literally moves things around in your body. Whatever works for you, whether it’s walking your dog, jump rope, or stretching, do that and do it consistently.
3) I put on the most upbeat pop songs known to man and sing as loud as I can. You can’t be stressed out while singing Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisoncsays/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonclancy/
Image Credits
Image with the balloons: Createwithgusto https://www.instagram.com/createwithgusto/?hl=en
