Cebo Campbell

Things Change…

Man, so many things have changed as of late, most of which had no real catalyst other than evolution. When I was twenty, all I wanted to do was become a successful writer. On some level, I thought that would just happen; that the effort to make it a reality wasn’t necessary because, well, I thought I was destined for that. This, of course, was twenty-year-old me, all the brashness and talent, but incapable of seeing the forest for the trees. It occurs to me now that what held me back was fear–or the Resistance: that thing inside you that always says, “Oh, no, you don’t have to do that…” or “You’re not good enough to do that, don’t kid yourself,” or “If they don’t like what you write, it will only make you feel bad, do don’t bother.”

What has changed most, in me and in my life, is learning to recognize the resistance when it comes and work through it. So, I quit my job, even though the Resistance told me, “you can’t quit, you have a family.” I started multiple businesses when Resistance tells me, “they will all fail and you will fall on your face.” I put my goal in front of me, thought deeply about the steps it will take to achieve it and got to work, even though through it all Resistance fights my every move.
It can’t beat the thirty-year-old me and it knows this. Only now am I back to writing, back to thinking artfully and not just plugging away hours for a paycheck. Only now are my goals more than just apparitions. Things change, but I am not afraid of what baggage it may or may not carry, because now I can handle it.

Be fearless in the face of your goals. Step back and see every situation for what it really is. Know that there is no risk, there is only reward…whether that reward be the completion of your intent or the lesson of knowing which path has a dead end. Go confidently always.

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  • Your’re such an inspiration. I need to do something I’ve been promising myself I would do since becoming a digital designer.

    Ok time to pull up my sock and get my shit in order.

    I’m such a weirdo it was the first half of your post and the h1, h2 and so on headings that inspired this comment.

    Thanks

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About

I am an author and a Creative Director. My latest books are:

Sky Full of Elephants – coming 2024

Violet in Some Places – Available at Not A Cult

As a full-time creative (Chief Creative Officer at Spherical), I spend most days at the desk leading a team of creatives to brand some of the best hotels in the world. So, I write in the nooks and crannies of my available time. I wake up at 5:30am just to get in a few hours putting words on paper. I write on the train. I write on planes. I write waiting in lines. I feel I have to write. The reason is simple: representation.

Cebo Campbell Author of Violet in Some Places

I often tell the story of Ferris Bueller; a kid who decides to skip school and, on charm alone, steals a car, impersonates a cop, drinks underage, tampers with computers, and at every step exposes his best friends to peril, only to go home and fall asleep with his mother to kiss him into sweet dreams. I asked myself if Ferris were Trayvon Martin, how might that story end? I know the answer. So do you. And this is why representation is so important. I aim to contribute more stories into the world that diversely feature regular (but beautiful) lives made extraordinary. Art, I believe, is the only way to accomplish this. All my creative work is inspired by and aims to add to all the great work in the world.

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