FYI: Fulfillment shouldn't be a privilege
From our POV, Maslow's Hierarchy needs a rebrand đ§
Hey there,
DD HQ here. Welcome to 2023 fellow earthlings đ¸ Since we last pondered together - what feels like ages ago - our team has done a bit of daydreaming about big ideas that we want to explore in our weekly newsletter with you (in addition to all the exciting stuff Daydreamers is bringing into the world this year đ).
And, we wanted to start off with a POV thatâs at the heart of why we started Daydreamers in the first place: Feeling fulfilled isnât a luxury - itâs a core building block of sustainable mental health. Even more, it never was meant to be unachievable.
Before we dive into why, make sure to sign up for our next Early Access cohort - we may be biased, but the time has never been better to focus on reconnecting with your creativity, mental well-being + sense of fulfillment đ¸
Now, think about the preconceived notions you have around the word âfulfillment.â
Similar to the word âcreativity,â it likely has a lot of baggage. In a world that seems littered with inequalities, collective trauma and merely trying to survive - both often get bucketed into a category of privilege. If I only had the time, resources, freedom I could focus on feeling fulfilled, we imagine.
And so, it falls to the bottom of our metaphorical To Do list.
But, what if we told you that fulfillment, purpose + meaning are not only the drivers of feeling most alive - but at the very heart of cultivating the resilience + grit that allow us to power through the tough stuff? And even more, it helps us heal difficult experiences while expanding our view of the future?
If it sounds too good to be true, trust that weâre (largely) realists here @ DD. And, we know that reframing our ideas around fulfillment begin with activating our naturally creative brain more often.
Hereâs why.
To start, from our POV, Maslowâs Hierarchy of Needs needs a rebrand for 2023.
If his name doesnât ring a bell, you most likely know this psychologistâs work for the pyramid of needs - placing survival needs like food + housing on the bottom, and items like self-actualization (fulfillment, creativity, etc.) at the tippy top. Itâs traditionally thought that once you âachieveâ one level, you move up to the next need of importance. This perspective has shaped much of our social constructs for the last 50 years, btw.
But, hereâs a secret: According to scientific research, the pyramid shape never existed - it was literally made up by a savvy management consultant (đ§đ).
Maslow didnât believe that the road to fulfillment was like a video game; achieving levels without looking back. He actually had nearly the opposite view: self-transcendence, or our ability to find our unique purpose, is part of everything we do.
It makes sense that corporate âexpertsâ would be motivated to frame fulfillment as a north star we could never experience; forcing us to continue racing on lifeâs hamster wheel until get a glimpse. Alternatively, when we look at it from a scientific perspective, connecting with our unique âpurposeâ doesnât have to be a big exploration. It isnât something we can only achieve when everything else in our lives is going right.
Living a meaningful, purpose-driven life shows up in the smallest of moments, and by flipping the âpyramidâ on itâs head - we can actually live longer, happier and more selfless lives.
The coolest part to us? Your creative brain is a key element of the journey.
Research shows that simply by activating our imagination, weâre able to make sense of our past and become more open to seeing the world as a more forgiving place - so much so, that we can literally change the genes that are expressed in our bodies. Even more, when we express ourselves creatively, weâre helping our brain make meaning in ways we often canât describe in words; rewiring our perspective towards a more positive, fulfilled way of being.
But, as you all know, you donât have to paint a picture to be creatively fulfilled. Simply noticing the colors of a sunset, or taking in the shape of the clouds allows you to feel a sense of awe, wonder and interconnectedness with the world writ large.
And, thatâs exactly why weâre here. At Daydreamers, itâs our ultimate mission to make creativity, purpose + fulfillment part of our everyday lives. Because from our POV, when weâre creatively fulfilled, our well-being goes on a never-ending upward spiral đ
BTW - if the kind of stuff we share in this newsletter is interesting to you, weâre (literally) just getting started. This exact type of ground-breaking, status-quo pushing, storytelling content will live exclusively on the Daydreamers member app and guide your holistic creative well-being, habit-building journey starting in 2023. If you want in, make sure to get Early Access now.
Ready to activate your creative brain - and shake up the status quo - with us? We are, too đ¸
Katina + Dupi
and the entire team @ DD HQ
Thereâs still time to get a free call with Katina, our Chief Well-being Officer, and access to the Daydreamers Early Access ecosystem to start 2023 off right. Jump the line to book a call here:
An idea to noodle on đ
Purpose is core to our well-being - and being human.
THINK ON THIS: Purpose is a part of everyday creativity. You know weâre big fans of awe + wonder here @ DD - this groundbreaking research shows that when we experience tiny moments of beauty, creativity and connection in our daily lives, we have the capacity to transform our lives. Itâs considered the âcutting edgeâ of emotional well-being.
âŚMAYBE NOT THAT: Maslowâs pyramid of needs never existed (in the way you think, anyway). Hereâs the tea - after researchers got a hold of Maslowâs personal journals, writing and presentations there was no pyramid to be found. In fact, this paper shows it was created and proliferated by management âexpertsâ who simplified Maslowâs work for individualistic motivation.
Inside our brains at DD HQ Â đ§
New years âresolutionsâ weird us out, so weâre into this anti-resolution. If you missed our take on why itâs better to be less ambitious when setting goals, swipe through here. Quiet Quitting is less of a new thing, more of an inter-generational movement (and weâre here for all of it). Is 2023 the year of nothingcore? đđ˝
Ideas from the DD Crew đ¸
Our co-founder, Katina, wrote a piece in Mindbodygreen this week on the power of rejuvenation and enjoyment for our mental well-being. The new year is often fraught with messages to set unrealistic goals or simply do less. But, what if there was another way? Give it a read, and tell us what you think!