Finding Your Footing in Wonderland

In a world that feels like Alice's Wonderland, where chaos reigns, and the ground seems ever-shifting, learn to dance on the embers of change.  

Like Alice, we may not have chosen this journey, but we can choose the next step the moment we become aware of the option to choose.

Truly — optionality is Pandora's Box.

If given agency, none of us would choose to ignore our calling.

For example, we can look at the dialogue around remote work. Remote work was my norm long before COVID shut the world down. Code is the bridge upon which software engineers build trust. If you have been in the trenches of a deployment weekend or an emergency rollback of a major feature, you know. The bond you wish your team could have is the loyalty and trust earned and given in moments of intense pressure. If level heads and calm voices are maintained despite sweaty brows — all the better.

The teams that swim when the sea is stormy come in many forms. No size fits all. Adding some less frequently commentated ideas to the argument on remote work:

As a female, I have felt more empowered and equal in high-functioning remote teams. The playing field is level in this case. Given the baseline of high working standards, respect among the team, and defined structures for documents and communication are in place—remote is neutral territory.

For women and persons with disabilities, both categories from which I am speaking personally, remote teams—where consideration is made, and the team is set up to function with appropriate tools and support—allow for a broad net to be cast when seeking and retaining talent.

Suppose you struggle to understand the nuances of high-context cultures. In that case, you can comfort yourself in the leveling effect that you can't read psychological context clues or sense hormonal shifts (pheromones, cortisol, adrenaline, etc.) through a screen.

Finally on this topic— no one size fits all. We must learn to dance on the embers of uncertainty and see that we will never make sense of all the chaos.

The skills that matter are the human ones — respect, listening, tolerance, and the necessity for clear communication — the fundamentals of any functioning organization, team, or relationship.

Your values will guide you to your path. This is not abstract or esoteric; practically speaking, if you know what matters most, focus on it, and build your work around this, You will interpret the relevant information amidst the endless sea of noise.

Focus on what is actually important—this is how you keep your head in the time of the Queen of Hearts and the world on fire.

Will tech companies reverse the "performance improvement" layoffs this time?

In six months to a year, many programmers' jobs will begin to morph into liaisons between the AI-powered IDE, their product manager, and a design team—much more architecture, much less writing code.

Highly creative, dynamic thinkers who can articulate both technical and natural language will be the most in-demand professionals of this generation. Being dynamic will be to your advantage across all industries —not that this is a new idea in human history.

Uncertainty is a constant we have been pretending is under our control. Each nearly fatal blow that did not teach us the lesson is a reminder of this futile attempt to control the immutable.

Industrial factories, the atomic bomb, mining pits in the middle of mountains, plastic in the air we breathe— all pitiful remnants of the containers we attempt to place around our existence, as though we are not the messy and disorderly chaos that reincarnates itself with every insane despot and Queen of Hearts who reigned for the joy of tormenting others.

We can find solace in the fact that none of us were given a menu from which to choose this life.

Whether your game is solitaire or poker, the cards dealt are only half the equation.

Perspective and frame of mind determine whether each move is experienced as an insurmountable hurdle or as a stepping stone to the next lookout point.

We are granted (as our birthright) choice in what we do while we are here. Realize this choice is yours alone; your decisions now carry the magnitude of your presence of mind. If you love and live for what is actually important, the ground is always with you, no matter which direction the world is pointing.

It is a beautiful thing, the connections we can form when we are open to new ways of seeing.

Our humanity is bound to chaos, but this is not the end. This is the realization that is given to us so that we can begin the real work of personal transformation—awareness, awakening, and agency.

Now you have the information. What you decide to do next is your story.

My favorite founding father of the Americas, Benjamin Franklin, says it best—

Be Part of The Future of Creative Tools

AICharmLab is for every creative, tackling the universal yet often hidden struggle of doubt and uncertainty with tools to overcome blocks, reclaim time, and realize your unique vision.

The creative process deserves to be nurtured, protected, and supported. I invite you to explore what AICharmLab might bring to your practice. It's a resource born from the understanding that every artist, maker, and visionary benefits from a little extra light to illuminate the path when the way feels dim.

If this resonates with you, we invite you to join our waitlist by clicking the image below.

An Invitation for Angel Investors

If you or someone you know might be interested in partnering with us as an angel investor, message us at [email protected]. Let’s connect.

Creative Outlets of the Sonic Variation

Last week I shared the second song in a new series of music and animated “experiences” that weave poetry and visual transformation onto the back of rhythm and melody to spark curiosity and encourage exploration of your inner muse. If you like progressive techno that you can expand your mind to, check out the songs via the links below. Enjoy!

Until next week — Your faithful writer, Sonia a.k.a. SuperSonic

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