Photography by Caitlin Swamy (May 2, 2016, Seattle, WA) 

The concept for ImagineCreateServe came to fruition one day during my “morning pages.” “Morning pages” was a concept introduced to me in a course called Imagine, Create, Lead, a course that marked the half-way point of two years of Graduate school at Gonzaga University. As a child and through my teenage years I kept a diary and had a pen pal. I loved to write, and then as many adults do, I neglected this creative activity once I entered into the early stages of adulthood. I neglected this side of my human spirit until I took a course called Listen, Discern, Decide. This course required me to engage in five minutes of silence each day and then journal about the experience of mindfulness. As I started to incorporate silence and journaling into my daily life, I rediscovered the creative energy that ignites within me when my pen hits the page. I realized the power of reverting back to the playfulness of my childhood and the energy I gain from taking the time to work on my inner life. Writing engages my left and right brain, energizes my soul, and has been an integral part of my leadership journey.

ImagineCreateServe offers a series of anecdotes, thoughts, observations, experiences, images, and in some cases inquiries, that inspire me creatively as the person I am today and as the leader I am becoming. My blog begins with my leadership philosophy, one which is rooted in the Servant leader I strive to be each day. I invite my readers to explore each element along ImagineCreateServe’s homepage. Each word or phrase represents a piece of my leadership philosophy and an authentic representation of the artifacts I will take with me as I embark on my lifelong journey to serve others. These artifacts are represent of a way of being in the world that I hope to inspire in others. ImagineCreateServe is a canvas that marks a pivotal moment in my leadership journey: the culmination of my Master’s degree. However, my journey doesn’t stop here. I will continue to imagine, create and serve for the entirety of my life. ImagineCreateServe is a platform to inspire others to lead through serving others. It is a reflective, exploratory, and systematically develops the portfolio for my Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. ImagineCreateServe is a platform for reflection and describes my leadership journey throughout the last two years and particularly the last four months of Graduate School as I develop an interactive leadership seminar for the young professionals I serve (see more on the proposal and project tab).  It is my hope that through this microcosm for intentional living, I can inspire the Servant leadership potential that I believe exists within each of us.