by Linda | Mar 30, 2016 | my creative journal
Continuing with Pattern Observer’s Book Club was really easy since I already was reading the book chosen for February. I’m hoping to develop a regular habit of reading in following the book club (albeit passively). I’m not always participating in the discussions, but I do want to document my reading – part accountability and part sharing of bits that really hit me and I want to remember.
For February we read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (affiliate link to Amazon.com) and it’s a really easy to read and quick to finish book. I love her stories intertwined with the subject, even though like last month, creative junkies might not find anything new in the discussion of creativity. The concepts and topics are probably forever written about in books, blogs and papers. However, I really like the style of Gilbert’s writing is like her talking to you about this fascinating topic and having a marathon, overnight discussion.
That’s my kind of thing for sure! She’s also opening up to everyone – not just for people who want to go into a creative profession. I like her simple and straightforward tone, very easy to relate to, so I enjoyed reading the book, cover to cover.
BTW, if you are interested you can listen to the book for FREE by signing up with Audible – click this affiliate link to Amazon to get it free.
Here are my highlights while reading the book:
He told them that they must live their most creative lives as a means of fighting back against the ruthless furnace of this world. Most of all, though, he asked his students to be brave. Without bravery, he instructed, they would never be able to realize the vaulting scope of their own capacities.
Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?
The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them. The hunt to uncover those jewels – that’s creative living.
I’m talking about living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.
Because in the end, it’s all about the work
Because this is the other side of the contract wth creativity: If inspiration is allowed to unexpectedly enter you, it is also allowed to unexpectedly exit you.
…the artistic version of multiple discovery – a term used in the scientific community whenever two or more scientists in different parts of the world come up with the same idea at the same time…
Most of my writing life consists of nothing more than unglamorous, disciplined labor.
The idea of an external genius helps to keep the artist’s ego in check, distancing him somewhat from the burden of taking either full credit or full blame for the outcome of his work.
To even call somebody “a creative person” is almost laughably redundant; creativity is the hallmark of our species.
…creative entitlement simply means believing that you are allowed to be here, and that – merely be being here – you are allowed to have a voice and a vision of your own.
No matter how great your teachers may be, and no matter how esteemed your academy’s reputation, eventually you will have to do the work by yourself.
In conclusion, then, art is absolutely meaningless. It is, however, also deeply meaningful.
Holding yourself together through all the phases of creation is where the real work lies.
You must learn how to become a deeply disciplined half-ass.
…mere completion is a rather honorable achievement in its own right.
by Linda | Mar 21, 2016 | DIY printables, my creative journal
I admit it’s a sad situation. I’m lying in bed, nursing my baby and surfing the Web. This has been a bad habit of mine with both my kids, because I end up consuming a lot but creating nothing, subsequently feeling pretty negative as a result. Enter the gremlins.
It usually boils down to a scarcity mindset because I see all the amazing things people are creating and I’m jealous and sad that I’m not part of the crowd who seem to have so much success. Outcast feelings bring back bad memories of the social pressures from high school years – ugh, yuck! Have I still not outgrown that rubbish, yet? I beat myself up for not finding the time to do what I want, to create, to … I dunno… to be successful somehow.
I’m not just be a frazzled mom – I want to have another identity.
It’s a cycle of negativity for me and creates unnecessary stress in my life. I know it’s just negative thoughts swirling during a time of particular weakness, but it’s not easy to shut the gremlin voices in my head.
I really need to change things up.
So here I am blogging at 6am instead of just dropping back to sleep. I often write to myself in my head anyway and thought perhaps it will be better to actually write it out for real because at least I can say I did something!
So I don’t think I’m the only one with these feelings of envy and ultimately the mindset of lacking in life. The gremlin voice seems to proclaim that others have it good and they are the lucky ones. Alas, we can’t all be lucky… right?
But wait just a minute… I’m a grown up girl and honestly, I know this funk is just getting the best of me. Successful people work hard to get success… It’s not luck. And there is so much possibility, it just takes time and effort.
So I started thinking about the abundance mentality because I know there are always opportunities, chances for change, improvement, wealth and success – whatever that may be to you – because, heck, we hear about people succeeding all the time. Every single day. Probably every second there is someone shouting eureka in some language… don’t you think? That’s what started this whole post… All the consumption through blogs, social media and videos on the Web and witnessing other people and their wins.
Instead of caving into the anxiety of feeling like a failure, comparing apples to oranges and the unnecessary pressure of it all, I need to think of abundance, possibility and amazing opportunities offered by this day in age with the wonderful Web. I CAN make it happen, too.
I need abundance mentality inspiration and motivation.
It’s about changing my perspective to having an outlook of great possibility. That there is enough for all of us and plenty of opportunity out there. Because my thought is that an inspiring mindset leads to motivation and hopefully the work – which is what really leads to results.
The mindset is crucially important though because we all need the mojo that gets us to actually DO stuff and keep at it.
So I thought of a 3 pillar step-by-step abundance mentality inspiration mantra to beat the scarcity gremlins in my head. Here it goes…
Gratitude
When negativity strikes – I need to quickly switch to thinking about all that I am grateful for. A roof over my head, a supportive husband, healthy kids, an amazing family, the fact that Nutella exists, coffee exists… Really so many things, big and small count, making this a good life. It’s about moving out of negativity into the positive realm of appreciation.
Good
Whatever is stirring up bad thoughts, I need to turn it over and around to find the good side… How can it be good for me personally? Where is the silver lining? Did I learn something? Maybe sometimes it’s about not following xyz person on social media because it doesn’t jive with me or help me at this time. That’s an important realization. No shame. Ultimately, what can I take away and work on to better my own life? Reframe the situation to good.
Greatness
Finally, do something and feel great. If I’ve learned anything in all these years of exploring creativity, it’s that creative action gives me good vibes and usually more mojo. Catalyst! So from negativity I want to move to the greatness of doing something. Even with the responsibilities of a mom with young kids, I can design beautiful cards for my Happy Print Club or just write a blog post like this one. I can still accomplish things and still have my own creative identity.
Maybe after reading about the successes of others I can implement a new biz technique or improve a little part of my online presence. Tweak here or there. Maybe the take away is that itls not something I actually want ir care about in the end. Or maybe it’s just baking feel-good cookies or throwing a load of laundry in to wash, because there is definitely greatness in taking care of my family and showing my love. It’s always a good idea to end with greatness!
I admit that writing this has given me clarity and yes, I did purposefully choose words starting with the letter G. It just worked out and now I can feel clever about it – hah!
From gremlins to gratitude, good and finally greatness. It’s my new mantra for turning envy into something productive.
After re-reading my post I decided to create a printable poster with this mantra to keep abundance and possibility top of mind. Nothing like a motivational printable to make my day! You can download the free printable in your paper size below by right clicking and saving to your computer.
LTieu Gratitude Good Greatness LETTER
LTieu Gratitude Good Greatness A4
If you like design printables and want my weekly email updates, sign-up for my newsletter here. I hope this mantra will help you during those challenging times when we all could use a little help. Enjoy and beat those gremlins!
So I’m curious, how do YOU avoid the negativity pitfall and get into an abundance mindset?
by Linda | Feb 13, 2016 | my creative journal
Joining in with Pattern Observer’s Book Club meant I was finally able to dive back into reading more this past January. I seem to go in and out of voraciously devouring books – into getting too busy to allow time for reading at all. I’m hoping to replace that rollercoaster habit into a consistent good habit of reading more regularly. I want to document my reading – part accountability and part sharing of the bits that really hit me – so I thought the best is to simply type out the quotes I have highlighted while reading.
Last month we read The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp and I found it really easy to read and quick to finish. Although many creative junkies might find the topics and concepts familiar, it’s definitely still helpful to dive into the details and examples Twyla provides from her experience as a dance choreographer. Maybe I’m a creative self-help junkie… but I find the friendly reminders, inspirations and motivations of this type really help me. Below are my highlights while reading:
Without learning and preparation you won’t know how to harness the power of that kiss.
Leon Battista Alberti, a fifteenth-centure architectural theorist, said, “Errors accumulate in the sketch and compound in the model.” But better an imperfect dome in Florence than cathedrals in the clouds.
…superstition is nothing more than a ritual repeated religiously. The habit, and the faith invested in it, converts it into an act that provides comfort and strength.
In the words of T.S. Eliot, you’re “distracted from distractions by distractions.”
Alone is a fact, a condition where no one else is around. Lonely is how you feel about that.
The golfer Ben Hogan said, “Every day you don’t practice you’re one day further from being good.”
There’s nothing wrong with fear; the only mistake is to let it stop you in your tracks.
You filter the world through your particular prism.
That’s the power of muscle memory. It gives you a path toward genuine creation through simple recreation.
That’s the true value of the box: It contains your inspirations without confining your creativity.
No matter what system you use, I recommend having a goal and putting it in writing. I read once that people who write down their New Year’s resolutions have a greater change of achieving them than people who don’t. This is the sort of factoid tat is probably apocryphal but, like many urban legends, sounds as though it should be true.
I Guess that’s the real secret to creative preparation. If you’re at a dead end, take a deep breath, stamp your foot, and shout “Begin!” You never know where it will take you.
Scratching can look like borrowing or appropriating, but it’s an essential part of creativity.
The short answer is: everywhere. It’s like asking “Where do you find the air you breathe?”
Ideas take on many forms. There are good ideas and bad ideas. Big ideas and little ideas. A good idea is one that turns you on rather than shuts you off. It keeps generating more ideas and they improve on one another. A bad idea closes doors instead of opening them. It’s confining and restrictive. The line between good and bad ideas is very thin. A bad idea in the hands of the right person can easily be tweaked into a good idea.
As Freud said, “When inspiration does not come to me, I go halfway to meet it.”
To generate ideas, I had to move. It’s the same if you’re a painter: You can’t imagine the work, you can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas-when you actually do something physical.
Scratching is where creativity begins. It is the moment where you ideas first take flight and begin to defy gravity. If you try to rein it in, you’ll never know how high you can go.
This, to me, is the most interesting paradox of creativity: In order to be habitually creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative, but good planning alone won’t make your efforts successful; it’s only after you let go of your plans that you can breathe life into your efforts.
Your creative endeavors can never be thoroughly mapped out ahead of time. You have to allow for the suddenly altered landscape, the change in plan, the accidental spark- and you have to see it as a stroke of luck rather than a disturbance of your perfect scheme. Habitually creative people are, in E. B. White’s phrase, “prepared to be lucky.”
There’s an emotional lie to overplanning; it creates a security blanket that lets you assume you have things under control, that you are further along than you really are, that you’re home free when you haven’t even walked out the door yet.
I know it’s important to be prepared, but at the start of the process this type of perfectionism is more like procrastination. You’ve got to get in there and do.
Remember this the next time you moan about the hand you’re dealt: No matter how limited your resources, they’re enough to get you started.
Obligation is a flimsy base for creativity, way down the list behind passion, courage, instinct, and the desire to do something great.
Art is competitive with yourself, with the past, with the future.
Creativity is an act of defiance. You’re challenging the status quo. You’re questioning accepted truths and principles. You’re asking three universal questions that mock conventional wisdom:
“Why do I have to obey the rules?”
“Why can’t I be different?”
“What can’t I do it my way?”
Questioning what’s gone unquestioned gets the brain humming.
Inexperience erases fear. You do not know what is and is not possible and therefore everything is possible.
Without passion, all the skill in the world won’t lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering.
Being blocked is most often a failure of nerve, with only one solution: Do something-anything.
You may not think that doing a verb is practical or productive for anyone but a dancer. I disagree. The chemistry of the body is inseparable from the chemistry of the brain.
The only bad thing about having a good creative day is that it ends, and there’s no guarantee we can repeat it tomorrow.
Knowing when to stop is almost as critical as knowing how to start. How do you know when something is not only the best that you can do but the best that it can be?
In theory, the only perfectly clean room is an empty room.
As Tracy Kidder wrote in The Soul of a New Machine, “Good engineers ship.” In other words, while perfection is a wonderful goal, there comes a point where you have to let your creation out into the world or it isn’t worth a tinkerer’s damn.
You can’t be stoic and strong about everything. Some things in life are just meant to be enjoyed simply because you enjoy them.
Realize that you don’t need elimination, just moderation, so it’s working for you.
Every creative person has to learn to deal with failure, because failure, like death and taxes, is inescapable. If Leonardo and Beethoven and Goethe failed on occasion, what makes you think you’ll be the exception?
…the creative act is editing. You’re editing out all the lame ideas that won’t resonate with the public. It’s not pandering. It’s exercising your judgment.
When you fail in public, you are forcing yourself to learn a whole new set of skills, skills that you have nothing to do with creating and everything to do with surviving.
All I have is the certainty of experience that looking foolish is good for you. It nourishes the spirit. You appreciate this more and more over the years as the need to not look foolish fades with youth. (Remember the centenarian who when asked about the best part of living such a long life replied, “No more peer pressure.”)
A great ending quote, don’t you think? I enjoyed reading The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp and hope you might be inspired to pick it up as well.
by Linda | Feb 10, 2016 | DIY printables
I’m proud to announce that I’ve joined Petit A Petit and Family and will be blogging there once a month with happy mail printables for you to enjoy! Be inspired and get creative, whether in sewing, parenting, photography or crafting (or all of the above really).
Today I’ve posted the Puuurfect Cat-Themed Printables inspired by Celina’s pinterest board. I’m teaming up with Made by Toya as we will be posting in tandem, taking inspiration from a different board each month. You can join in on the fun and take inspiration how you see fit as well – use hashtag #pinandcreate on social media.
Excited for this new adventure I’m diving into as a blog contributor and excited to see where all the craftiness will take us. Here’s to collaboration and community!
by Linda | Feb 6, 2016 | my creative journal
I blogged about my daily doodle challenge for this year and I’m still going strong posting (almost) daily on instagram. There have been busy days when I forget or get to busy, but I can quickly pick up the habit again or sometimes I’m just not able to post but I still create my doodle.
It’s really not a revolutionary practice since my doodles are pretty simple and it might seem repetitive even if I try to shake it up. I can’t help but draw cute girls and I thought it would make it easy on me to have this constraint of drawing a girl and a word.
It’s interesting how constraints make it easier. You would think we want ultimate freedom, but that usually just means we get frozen in the possibility of too many options! So if you even get stuck wanting to do something, try putting down some rules – oddly enough it makes it all easier!
Of course, I do allow myself the freedom to join in on other creative challenges and prompts offered out there in the instagram world. It’s fun to riff off the prompts of other creative challenges, but I don’t commit to joining them indefinitely… I just go with whatever inspires me that day.
I’ve realized how easy it is to create more using these creative challenges. Again, you would think with total freedom, an artist should be able to create an amazing portfolio. But we need something to springboard off of… at least I do. It’s so much easier for me and I’m thinking… how can I make everything I do this approachable? Right now I’m creating quick doodles and they don’t really become any type of completed artwork… but what if they can become more?
I’m thinking that creative challenges can easily become creative habits and if that translates to final artwork, it would be a hop skip and a jump… an amazingly fun process instead of more trudgery. Usually, I find it very difficult to finalize things – that is my week point. I have a million ideas, but need to finalize them if they will do any good out in the real world. Otherwise, it’s just a million sketches after all!
Do you have creative habits just for the sake of “exercising” or do they often become something more “final” for you? Obviously there is something to be said about warm ups, exercise and just practice… but at some point you do have to deliver!
I would love to hear what or how others approach this type of situation and what creative practices and habits you have in place. Please do share!
In the meantime, I’ll be continuing my daily doodles for sure and will be thinking about how to apply the simplicity of it to all that I do… because it doesn’t seem so hard to be prolific, afterall.
by Linda | Jan 9, 2016 | my creative journal
This year I’m taking on the challenge to create a doodle a day and post it online for accountability. At first, it might seem a bit silly because if you create for a living, you probably already create every day (or almost every day). You don’t really need to be challenged, right?
But I’ve learned that I really like these kinds of challenges and group accountability. It gives me the opportunity to focus on a particular subject and create a body of work slowly, but surely. It’s not as daunting and it sort of guarantees a little bit of creative time, even when life gets busy.
As you can see, I have chosen to doodle a little girl each day which is a comfortable space for me. I want to set myself up for success, after all! However, I added the difficulty of handlettering which I’m needing to practice. There is room to add more elements when the day permits. So far so good… although I feel like I need to get better or do more each day already. Sort of a weird type of personal, but entirely unnecessary pressure. I just need to relax!
I’m posting on Instagram and the link goes to my Twitter and Facebook as well, so please follow along and let me know what you think. Is there something specific you want me to incorporate in a doodle? I’m open to any and all ideas, because I’ve got over 350 days to go 🙂
by Linda | Dec 13, 2015 | DIY printables
Need coffee, just about right now?! I often get that craving and suddenly the battle of should I or should I not ensues!
Even when I’m super busy, trying to juggle mom life, work life and creative life all together… I try to find a few minutes to play in my art journal. Sometimes that is the “fix” that I really need. It’s helpful for my sanity and mood to do something fun and creative.
This is a page in my journal for the ecourse The Creative Life: Documented with Amy Tan and Jamie Waters. I was inspired to create the graphic about coffee because I realize how much I love it and practically need it sometimes. It’s just become a routine and ritual, more than the actual physical need – if that makes sense?
Or maybe it’s both – for the love and need of coffee!
It was a quick and easy page to get my creative fix for the day for sure. That is something that I learned from the class – that it really doesn’t take that much time to satisfy my creative needs. It’s not about the best or perfect layout or design – not the point at all!
I would love to share the need coffee graphic I designed as a printable with you – just click the image to get the full size graphic to download. I hope that it satisfies your creative fix, if not the coffee one 🙂
Have fun and let me know what you create – enjoy!
If you like my design printables be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter for more freebies and the latest updates!
by Linda | Nov 28, 2015 | my creative journal
Awhile back I jumped on the midori traveler’s sketchbook bandwagon and started making my own fauxdori covers. It’s pretty easy to accumulate way more covers than you can use at once. So why not retire some of them by transforming a fauxdori into a bona fide sewn and handbound journal?
I still love the idea of being able to refill travelers type sketchbooks and keep one in my purse, so when I’m out and about, I have a place to jot notes and keep papers organized. I think of it as a mish mash notebook that I would NOT necessary keep forever.
However, I like the permanency of bound journals and we can retire some of our extra fauxdori covers into permanent sewn journals pretty easily. For the purposes of art journaling, memory keeping and just creatively play, I like finishing up a journal to add to my shelf. Perhaps because I like binding books, perhaps because I have leather at my disposal – either way, I decided to transform this blue leather fauxdori into a bound journal.
First thing to do is to cut off all the elastic – my super thick elastic, because that was what I had to work with. I did decide to keep the wrap around part though, so I could close up my journal, just like the midori.
After snipping off the elastic, I folded up regular paper to make the pages of my journal. By measuring it up with the holes already in the fauxdori cover, I marked off where I had to punch holes to sew it together.
I basically eyeball everything and use a pencil to mark up where I have to punch holes. It’s good enough to use just 3 holes as it will be enough to secure the book together. But if you like the look of more holes seen in the spine, you can punch more holes as well.
I use an awl to punch through all the pages of the paper. The better you punch the holes, the easier it will be to sew things up in the end!
Also, I usually do not trim the right edge of my papers when they are bound together, because I think it’s a waste of paper. I don’t really mind the fact that the folded pages create a zig zag edge. However, in this case my fauxdori cover doesn’t have a lot of extra space, so I thought it would be better to trim it all off.
After all the elements are ready – cover, signature of pages, holes punched – I just went on and bound the journal together. It’s super simple since it’s only one signature of papers folded. You can check out my longstitch bookbinding tutorial if you are interested. Super easy!
Since my fauxdori has extra holes on the edges, I just looped the thread around a few times for decoration. It’s still a super simple longstitch with extra loops, no knots, nothing fancy. Just make sure your thread is tight.
The fauxdori cover really converts well to be a stitched up journal. I kept the elastic to close it up and it all works quite nicely.
I’m happy to have converted my cover into a bound journal, which will hold all of my creative experiments from The Creative Life: Documented class with Amy Tan and Jamie Waters.
Do you have a lot of extra midori or fauxdori covers and thinking of turning them into something more sturdy and permanent for safekeeping? Try transforming it to a sewn bound journal to add to your collection!
by Linda | Nov 7, 2015 | my creative journal
I’m participating in a Getting-to-Know-You game of 20 Questions with Kris (With a K) from the With a K Writing Academy. I’m excited to get to know my own blog-readers better & to find other bloggers to play with too. You know – friends who just get it. If you want to participate, you can too! Just go to check out Kris’s post about it here, & get started.
1 – What’s a ridiculous nickname you’ve had?
Not sure about ridiculous but my brother Vo, deemed me Linx as my animal name – we all had an animal name, so the thought brings back fond memories from childhood!
2 – Why do you write a blog? Have your reasons changed over time?
I started blogging way back in the livejournal days and have started many different ones focused on my many diverse interests, but here on tortagialla it’s my homebase for all things creative. I’ve consolidated here at this point in life to keep it simple. Blogging is fun brcause I enjoy sharing creative projects and ultimately it’s about feeling alive through creativity!
3 – Where do you like to be when you are writing?
Usually just at my desk on my computer on a nice bright day because the light is so pretty here in my studio and it’s just a happy situation for me.
4 – Peanut butter & __________.
Jelly. Classic all the way!
5. What does your Writing Process look like?
It’s a run-on sentence as usually I have so much chitter chatter that just pours out. I type away and attempt to edit afterwards. I really want to get better at expressing myself articulately and succinctly though.
6 – What keeps you up at night?
Dreaming about so many projects I want to work on. Worries about work and moving forward towards my goals. Missing family in the USA and every little thing regarding my kids. Just so many thoughts on my mind… it can be very unsettling and overwhelming.
7 – What was your last online purchase? Did you hide it from anyone? (I see you, impulse buyers & shame shoppers)
A gumball machine for my son and a creative ecourse for me. I love to get fun trinkets for my kids and I’m a total learning online junkie!
8 – What do you honestly think of elastic waistbands?
Why not?!
9 – What blogs or magazines do you love to read? Why?
I love anything creative, designy and pretty. I don’t discount anything really because any subject can be inspirational and educational.
10 – What is your favourite way to express your creativity?
I draw and design… and pretty much explore in many different ways. I think creativity can be expressed in all parts of our lives, from organizing the pantry to creating a beautiful piece of artwork to hang on the wall (or wear). There is no limit. I’m very much a paper and pixels nerdy mix – the old and the new – the traditional and the techy. I contradict the norms! Hah!
11 – DSLR or iPhone?
I lost my iPhone and went android way back, but I’m really for everything. Whatever floats your boat, dear! Currently I actually use my mirrorless camera the most – yeah, I’m sort of nerdy techy like that… it’s the future!!!
12 – How do you feel about the semicolon? Do you have any feelings about punctuation marks, in general? (it’s ok if you don’t)
I suppose I don’t have any strong emotions either way for the semicolon – but I do use dashes and ellipses way to much… and probably incorrectly – hmm…
13 – What is a skill you really want to learn?
To drive stick shift? But sort of afraid because I don’t want to put people’s lives in danger if I freak out while trying to drive… so… one day!
14 – Do you use a planner or journal to keep your life from derailing? What kind?
Both planner and art journaling are necessary. I make my own since I also love bookbinding and customizations… not to mention it’s just crafty fun. I also love spreadsheets…
15 – What does your dream Sunday look like?
To wake up late and the kids waking up late as well?!?! (I know, dream on!) and have the whole day to do absolutely nothing but chill with family. Good food and fun times with family… good weather… really that is the ultimate.
16 – Do you have a full-time business or a side hustle?
Full-time freelancing graphic and web design for clients, full-time mom to two young kids and full-time creative entrepreneur experimenting with all things here on tortagialla.com!
17 – Coffee or tea?
Coffee first, but sometimes a spot of tea as well!
18 – What is your favourite outfit?
Jeggings with my favorite black boots and a maxi type shirt/sweater depending on the temperature. Comfort!
19 – What scares you?
A whole lot of things, but definitely worries of what could be bad for my kids – so many mom-related worries… eek!
20 – Cats or Dogs?
Definitely dogs because my first baby is a furbaby Westie named Vash, but I still love you Kris with a K, even if your branding is all kitties 😛
by Linda | Oct 5, 2015 | my creative journal
Working from home often results in feeling isolated and downright lonely at times – and I mean lonely in my business work life which is completely different from the fact that I have a wonderful family around me 24/7. I’m grateful for the love and unconditional support I receive from my close ones…
But I’m talking about online business and social media – geeking over things that my family doesn’t totally “get.” We all need community and peers when it comes to career and worklife. My problem was finding the right people to connect with. I can be really shy at first… but when I connect with cool, like-minded people, I turn into a chatter box!
Recently I joined Tara Swiger‘s starship program and besides using all the tools and courses for my business, I’m looking forward to the community aspect as well. Connecting with people who will “get” what I do. I suppose it’s all about acceptance and the feeling of belonging. I listened to a talk from Tara and Kim Werker and totally connected to their thoughts about finding our right people.
Clarity in our frame of mind can do wonders… because I’m feeling good about what I do and looking forward optimistically more than ever. Isn’t that the point of all that we do? To be happy and wake up feeling great every day of our lives?!
Finally, I realized that my blog readers and past customers have always been there for me as well. Perhaps, I haven’t been paying enough attention to y’all – just in realizing that I already have a lot of supporters and I’m not alone. Have I taken you for granted?!
So this post is for all of you out there, cheering me onward by reading posts, commenting, responding to my newsletter and using your purchasing power to invest in my work. That is so darn wonderful and I totally appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I’m going to keep at it and just wanted to send out acknowledgement and love today.
