Timing is nothing at all.
That’s what Nora McInery Purmort’s message was when she got up at a CreativeMornings Minneapolis event to talk about everything from her husband’s tumor, founding a nonprofit, writing a book, raising a child as a single parent, and all of the emotions in between. The theme of her talk was time.
She was “always convinced that there wasn’t enough time.” Aren’t we all?
Nora talked about the time we have and how we choose to spend it, which is an especially relevant topic for someone whose husband died of brain cancer. She spoke to the haunting stereotype that rests on all of us – that we need to find the perfect time to do something in life: to pull the trigger on a new job, to start a new project, to a end a toxic relationship.
“I always let myself believe that if it was time, it was the right time… I don’t have that internal monologue that so many people I know have that things should happen in a specific order and that all the dominos have to line up – I don’t understand dominos… I just don’t feel that way about time. I just believe in myself.”
Nora didn’t get enough time with her husband, but through a lot of hard work and the inspiration of him in mind, she founded a nonprofit organization Still Kickin, dedicated to supporting survivors and raising money for brain cancer research by selling “Still Kickin” merchandise. She also wrote and recently published a book, “It’s Okay to Laugh (Crying’s Cool Too)” about her time so far.
Between her humor and her inspiring life of utilizing time, Nora made this CreativeMornings event particularly special, because she both filled the room with laughter with authentic emotions relevant to twenty-somethings and beyond, and touched our hearts with real stories about what it’s really like to watch your husband die, and watch time slip away.
My main takeaway from her talk: The timing’s not wrong; you’re afraid.
“I just know that there’s never going to be enough time, and there’s never going to be a right time. Not to get married, not to have a baby, or quit your job or start something new…. It’s easy for me even to get caught up in the idea of perfection and the idea of things turning out exactly the way you want them to… because we are afraid… You are going to end up wherever you end up, and you’re probably going to be fine, and you’re probably going to make the best of it.”
She ended her talk with a simple, “Timing isn’t everything; it’s nothing at all.”
[clickToTweet tweet=”The timing’s not wrong — you’re afraid.” quote=”The timing’s not wrong — you’re afraid.”]
So, what is CreativeMornings?
With events in 131 creative cities, CreativeMornings is a volunteer lead, monthly event (with coffee provided, of course) that chooses a different speaker each month based on a particular theme. On their website, CreativeMornings states that it was founded to “not only celebrate a city’s creative talent, but also promote an open space to connect with like-minded individuals.”
In my own words, I’d describe CreativeMornings as a simple monthly refresher for the creative community. Instead of a forced networking event that just makes your Friday mornings even slower, CreativeMornings is a simple grab-your-coffee-and-get-inspired event to pick you up and remember why you became a creative in the first place.
Why is it worth my time?
I’ll give you three reasons:
1. Free admission. All CreativeMorning events are free to the public, and you can register online.
2. Free coffee. This is not a drill. Along with some breakfast foods, CreativeMornings gets local sponsors to help contribute to the cause.
3. Free creative inspo. With a different theme every time, the CreativeMornings community does a good job of mixing up the topic and appealing to everyone, no matter your profession. You always leave ready to take on the day with a new perspective, which is very refreshing.
If that’s not enough, the CreativeMornings website is home to thousands of videos from these events all over the world. Furthermore, if you’re interested in checking out one of these free events, you can find a city near you that’s hosting. I promise, it will be worth your time.
[clickToTweet tweet=”CreativeMornings — the grab-your-coffee-and-get-inspired event to remind you why you’re a creative.” quote=”CreativeMornings — the grab-your-coffee-and-get-inspired event to remind you why you’re a creative.”]
Have you ever attended a CreativeMornings event? What was your experience like?
About the Author
Rachel is UW-Eau Claire graduate with a BA in Mass Communication and PR. She is currently working as an Associate at a PR firm in Minneapolis. Rachel loves adventures, DIY projects, hockey, reading and of course, wedding planning (saying "I Do" in September 2016!). She wants to continue working in PR, and hopefully someday found her own firm or business.