What if aliveness IS your business model?
In a world of straight lines, some of us are born to be squiggles.
We're meant to take a different path.
To have a number of passions on the go, all at once.
Carlos and I often talk about our meandering career paths - the opposite of society's linear approach that can leave many questioning the ladder they have been climbing.
We've definitely taken the path less travelled. One with no playbook.
So we've worked out loud, sharing the highs and lows of the journey – and slowly building clarity and community in the process.
I'm guessing there are times when you might have felt like a misfit, too.
Which is why it's important to get inspiration from others, to show us what's possible.
A decade ago, Sarah Weiler came to Summercamp, not knowing it would kickstart a journey of creativity, connection and bold leaps.
It's taken her from DJing at Stick It On (an ever-present every year at camp), to co-creating with Sunday Assembly and eventually starting a creative residence in a big Brighton house she had no business renting - and so much more.
Sarah's story is for the creatively wired and neurodivergent minds who thrive on variety.
I love it because it communicates the struggles of being a creative human in a structured world. A messy, magical carousel of projects, people, and personal growth, where flow sits right in the middle of it all.
Here are 12 takeaways from her talk
1. Your chaotic workflow isn't a flaw to fix
That scattered pattern of jumping between projects IS your creative operating system.
Stop judging yourself for not fitting the traditional career path and start recognising the commitment underneath: you've been following what feels alive.
2. Let projects emerge without pressure
Start things simply because they excite you, not because you need them to become a business.
When Sarah gathered friends for a day of singing 90s songs, there was no strategy or plan. But this lack of attachment allowed it to grow organically into something bigger.
3. Community events can scale in unexpected ways
What begins as 20 people around a piano can become 3,500 people at Glastonbury. Don't underestimate the hunger people have for connection and joy. Trust that if something resonates, the right opportunities will find you.
4. Know when to step back from your own creation
Just because you started something doesn't mean you have to lead it forever. When teaching ukulele stopped feeling alive, Sarah trained facilitators to carry it forward. Your involvement can change without the project ending.
5. Voids are fertile ground, not empty space
When heartbreak strikes - losing your dream flat, having work cut - resist the urge to immediately fix it. Sit with the shame and discomfort first.
Only then open yourself to what wants to emerge. The processing creates space for something better to download.
6. Trust the specificity of your vision
When Sarah drew a sketch of a house with a long wooden table and freestanding bath, she was being clear rather than picky. That specificity helped her recognise the right opportunity when it appeared on the first search, decorated exactly as she'd imagined.
7. Take the biggest risks when the signs align
Going from "I don't know about living in Brighton" to taking on a 4 bedroom house in 24 hours sounds reckless. But when the universe decorates your entire office as Brighton seafront the same day you view the property, pay attention. Sometimes you just need to do it.
8. Your unique methodology is hiding in your lived experience
After a decade of following aliveness, Sarah looked back and saw a pattern worth teaching. Her carousel method emerged from the natural variety in her life, not a business book.
9. Position your work where it truly belongs
Sarah didn't start teaching ukulele as leadership development, but once she noticed executives seeing their bosses differently after playing together, she rebranded accordingly. Let the work show you what it wants to be, then name it properly.
10. External endings often mirror internal knowing
When circumstances force change (a landlady needing her flat back, half your work getting cut), consider that the universe might be pushing you toward an ending you already knew was needed but hadn't acted on yet.
11. Let projects complete their natural cycle
Some ideas last weeks, others span decades. Both are valid. Release the judgment about duration and simply allow each project to be what it needs to be. The 5-year party matters as much as the 3-week experiment.
12. Keep asking: what feels alive now?
This single question replaces elaborate business planning. When you follow aliveness, the energy shows up, the right people appear, and the money flows.
Your only job is to stay honest about when something stops feeling alive - and trust that enough to let it go.
Sarah's story shows how successful we can be when we follow our energy.
And she gives us the permission to quit if something no longer fits us, something I’ve written about before.
What would happen if you follwed your aliveness?
