Have you found yourself drowning in opportunities but struggling to determine which ones are worth pursuing? Do you sometimes reject possibilities that could transform your career because they arrive at inconvenient times or challenge your ego? Perhaps you've experienced the opposite problem—feeling stuck in a creative desert where meaningful opportunities seem nonexistent?

In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares his journey from resistance to "allowing" as a foundational approach to both life's challenges and opportunities.

Beginning with candid stories of a day filled with minor mishaps—from spilled smoothies to broken windshield wipers in Vancouver rain—he reveals how embracing what is creates space for better decision-making about what could be.

Drawing from personal experiences with predatory offers, overwhelming choices, and observations of self-sabotaging behaviors in the artistic community, David offers a philosophical framework for recognizing and valuing the right opportunities while maintaining the self-care necessary for sustainable creative practice.
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Highlights:
00:17 – A day filled with minor mishaps
04:46 – How internal conditions manifested external circumstances
05:30 – The universe operates on allowing
07:28 – Evaluating and valuing opportunities only gets harder with time
10:58 – Questionable opportunities
16:30 – Ranking the opportunities that cross your desk
17:55 – People shooting themselves in the foot
23:06 – Closing thoughts
Summary:
In this reflective episode, David explores the concept of "allowing" as a pathway to better valuing opportunities in both life and artistic careers.

Beginning with personal anecdotes about a challenging day filled with minor mishaps—from spilled smoothies to windshield wiper failures in Vancouver rain—he weaves together insights about emotional processing, opportunity evaluation, and the self-sabotaging behaviors that can prevent artists from recognizing valuable possibilities in their lives.

Through vulnerable sharing about his own journey, David offers a philosophical framework that balances pragmatic career advice with deeper wisdom about living well as a creative professional.
Key Themes & Takeaways

The transformative power of allowing versus resisting life's circumstances
The evolution of opportunity as careers progress and how to evaluate increasingly complex choices
The self-defeating cycle of pride that causes artists to reject potentially life-changing opportunities
The delicate balance between pursuing professional opportunities and maintaining personal well-being
The progression from scarcity to abundance of opportunities as creativity becomes sustainable
The wisdom of developing discernment rather than reflexive acceptance or rejection

The Practice of Allowing
David shares his journey toward a more accepting relationship with life's challenges, presenting a philosophy that extends beyond mere positive thinking:

Moving from resistance to acknowledgment, then to welcoming and finally allowing
The freedom that comes from seeing circumstances exactly as they are without trying to fix or avoid them
How this principle applies to emotional processing, financial reality, and professional opportunities
The wisdom from spiritual teacher Gary Spivey that "the universe operates on allowing"
The courage required to face reality—particularly financial reality—exactly as it is
How allowing creates space for intuitive decision-making rather than reactive choices

This perspective offers an alternative to both toxic positivity and cynical resignation, suggesting a middle path that acknowledges difficulties while remaining open to possibility. David notes how his emotional processing from previous weeks affected his current experience, demonstrating the interconnectedness of our mental states and external circumstances.

"Moving to that space of allowing has been so healthy because it's not me trying to run from it. It's not me trying to fix it. It's simply acknowledging and welcoming and allowing in my existence exactly as it is. Not trying to change it, not trying to avoid it, not trying to ignore it. Seeing it exactly as it is."
The Evolution of Opportunity
As creative careers develop, the nature of opportunity changes in significant ways, creating new challenges that require different responses:

Early-stage opportunities often feel scarce but provide motivation to learn and grow through necessity
Middle-stage opportunities begin multiplying, creating decision fatigue and FOMO (fear of missing out)
Advanced-stage opportunities require strategic filtering systems to avoid overwhelm and maintain focus
The progressive clarity that comes from learning what you don't want through experience
How the quality of opportunities improves from "W, Y, K, N" ratings to primarily "A" ratings
The unexpected challenge of having too many good options rather than too few

David's description of his own journey from scarcity to abundance provides a reassuring perspective for artists in early career stages, while offering cautionary wisdom for those experiencing success. His honesty about experiencing FOMO regarding events and connections speaks to the very human challenges that persist even as careers advance.

"When you do the right things long enough consistently, the tides do begin to change... And the opportunities are progressively going to look shinier and better and more attractive."
Recognizing Predatory Opportunities
David candidly discusses his encounters with less-than-transparent business models, offering specific examples that help artists identify potential exploitation:

Magazine features disguised as editorial content that actually require substantial payment ($1,000-$4,000)
Programs with misleading marketing language like "we don't make money if you don't make money" that mask high-cost offerings ($5,000)
The growing ability to quickly identify and decline opportunities that don't align with values
The wisdom gained from prior experiences with "burning through thousands of dollars"
Learning to end conversations early once exploitative patterns become evident
Developing language to gracefully exit uncomfortable sales situations

This section provides particularly valuable guidance for navigating the often murky waters of promotion and exposure opportunities that target artists. By sharing specific price points and tactics, David equips listeners with concrete information to make better decisions when similar opportunities arise.

"I think there does come a point where either you've been burned enough or have wasted through enough thousands of dollars that you realize maybe that's not the way to do it."
The Pride Paradox
Using an anonymous friend as an example, David explores how pride can sabotage potential advancement, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of frustration and limitation:

The cycle of job dissatisfaction where people "collect reasons" why their current situation "sucks"
How self-sabotage creates financial instability through impulsive career decisions
The tendency to reject opportunities that appear at "inconvenient" times
How the very opportunities we once prayed for can be dismissed when they finally arrive
The specific example of a potential 50% income increase that remains unaccepted
The challenge of recognizing when we are the obstacles to our own advancement

This compassionate yet direct examination of self-sabotage challenges listeners to examine where they might be creating their own limitations. By using a friend's story rather than directly accusing his audience, David creates space for self-reflection without defensiveness.

"When that pride gets in the way of you accepting a promotion in life...sometimes new opportunities come along that would be promotion, forward motion in our lives. We don't see it for what it is. And it could even be something we were praying and hoping and screaming for months ago."
Action Steps for Artists
For creators seeking to better value opportunities, David suggests practical approaches that balance ambition with well-being:

Create a ranking system for evaluating opportunities that align with your values and long-term goals
Practice "allowing" as a foundational approach to both challenges and opportunities
Balance income-generating activities with experiences that maintain freshness and creativity
Recognize that preparation often precedes opportunity ("if you're not prepared for it, opportunity tends not to show up")
Develop humility to accept opportunities that represent growth, even when they arrive unexpectedly
Honor your need for rest and renewal as essential to sustainable creative practice
Maintain awareness of your changing values as your career evolves
Implement filtering systems that protect your time and attention as opportunities multiply

These actionable recommendations provide a framework for making decisions that honor both professional advancement and personal well-being, acknowledging that these priorities shift throughout a career.
The Balance of Well-Being
David emphasizes that valuing opportunities isn't solely about professional advancement, but requires maintaining personal sustainability:

The importance of self-care activities like rest, meditation, and enjoyment
How burnout affects not just the artist but their entire creative business
The evolution beyond pure income-focus to quality of life considerations
Specific examples of personal enjoyment (concerts, massage, bubble tea,

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