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To me, a Superhero is someone who invites her wisest, bravest, most alive self to come out and play, every day. This doesn’tmean having all the answers, being unshakably strong, or performing dramatic feats of heroism. It means being someone like you – and someone like me. Someone who is anxious and uncertain, oh, say, 50 – 80% of the time. Someone who wants tolive a juicy, full, courageous life — but doesn’t always know how. Someone who understands that vulnerability just might be the greatest superpower of all.
So, I made a leap this week, guys and wow, it didn't feel the way I thought I would feel.
I thought it would feel awesome and exciting. Instead it felt full of anxiety and uncertainty.
In fact, I spent a good deal of time crazy texting my good friend Carlene, basically asking her to hold me as I fell into a million confused and fragmented pieces.
She told me to get real. (Good friends are so awesome.)
And then she sent me the quote above, and I cried.
So, what was the leap? I bought a professional fine art quality printer.
It was a big leap. Like expensive leap, and OMG you have to actually make product and put your heart and soul on display and actually own up to this creative life you WANT. SO. BAD. kind of leap.
Ya, that.
You know, no big deal.
When I brought the printer home and told my husband, he looked at me and said, "Ok, well, I guess we better get you a better work space."
And then he toiled and hammered and worked through the long weekend (as he was contracting a "man-cold" I might add) and built me this:
It's not fancy, but it's functional and I LOVE IT!!
Good husbands are so awesome.
And now, I'm not freaking out so bad. I've cooled the jets on the pricetag and told myself over and over that this is what you have to do to get to where you need to go.
You push, you leap, you do.
Sometimes you don't ask permission, you just effing do the thing you want to do. Sometimes you gotta get the hell outta your own way and quit freaking out already so you can clear your path to a better life.
Sometimes, you lean on the ones you love, you spend the money, you stop making excuses, you stand up on the shoulders of the dear hearts that love you, and you fricking. make. the. jump.
Into your future.
Into your life.
So that's what I did. And, finally, my heart is welcoming the uncertainty by encircling it in a whole shitload of joy.
I'm feeling mightly blessed and brave these days. And I have so many to thank for boosting me up along the way.
Thank you to every person who has done their part to help me get here. Whether you ordered art from me, or read this blog, or support me in life, over tarot cards, over drinks, and over texts, or told me you were inspired by what I do.
Every gesture, each moment, and all the words that encouraged me to keep moving forward has been forever written on my heart. I am a lucky, lucky human to know so many beautiful people.
Stay tuned for some sweet new developments in the near future. Can't wait to share my new products and artworks.
Happy Tuesday friends.
This image was captured by me in 2011 on Salt Spring Island, a favourite place and a favourite animal.
Crows are one of my favourite birds. Owls are my spirit bird, but I see Crow and Raven as my companion bird. This last two weeks Crow and Raven imagery have been haunting my thoughts. Today I was scrolling through my iPhoto to find an image to go with this post and I saw this guy from 2011. Intuitively I knew he was who I should choose.
The Crow Spirit Animal, a Guide about Fearlessness and Determination
Have you ever watched a group of crows ganging up together and chasing out birds much bigger than they are? This behavior makes the crow a useful animal totem to call when you need support in dealing with adversity. If the crow chose you as your power animal, you are encouraged to develop your personal will power and speak your truth more loudly.
I've just finished a 7 day work week and it was one of the more intense ones I've had in awhile.
And, when I say work, I am referring to the J-O-B I do as an employee of a filthy rich Candian corporate retail giant that I think might be planning on TAKING OVER THE WORLD. Kind of like King Kong did.
Yes, I know, it's a scary thought.
Anyhoo. This week has pretty much sucked. Like, it has sucked the life and energy and joy right out of my bones and I really don't like it when that happens.
I spent a good portion of my day at work yesterday in tears.
Boo Hoo.
They were tears of utter frustration and sheer overwhelm.
They sucked. A lot.
Today and tomorrow, I get to NOT GO THERE.
SO, yay!
Today, I am going to crank the tunes, light a fire and do some creative things. I am going to completely ignore the dirty floors, stack of dishes and piles of laundry and I am going to get my groove on in my studio.
Tomorrow I might sneak in some quality time with my broom and vacuum. Also, I might not.
I will be going to my daughter's school to volunteer my time at the Book Fair, AND THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY I CAN'T EVEN!
So, ya, I'm going to do whatever I feel like doing and I'm going to DECOMPRESS THE STRESS.
Also, I will be actively working on my EXIT STRATEGY (as in I don't want to be part of the WORLD DOMINATION OF CANADIAN RETAIL GIANTS, so I am planning my escape).
What do you do when life gets too intense?
Do you or have you dislike(d) your job as much as I do?
Hope you have a wonderful day and that you get to do something that's JUST FOR YOU today.
Thanks for stopping by:)
**PS: usually I try my very best to write upbeat stuff here or stuff that will inspire others to grow as souls. Sometimes, I think that means that when we're fed up, we should talk about it and do so in an empowering way. Like, for example, my tears of frustration empowered me to get working harder on my goal to build my creative business, to stop telling myself all the reasons I might fail at such an endevour and instead tell myself all the reasons I will absolutely ROCK as a creative entrepreneur. So, GOOD out of BAD. And that will always be my goal here. I think that being honest and not glazing over the bullshit is also very important, so that too will be my goal here. My hope is that my words will inspire and connect us in a common goal of making our lives brilliant. Just like the crow encourages us to speak our truth loudly, from time to time, I will be getting a bit LOUD and RAUCOUS here. Hope you don't mind. :)
This image was captured by me in 2011 on Salt Spring Island, a favourite place and a favourite animal.
Crows are one of my favourite birds. Owls are my spirit bird, but I see Crow and Raven as my companion bird. This last two weeks Crow and Raven imagery have been haunting my thoughts. Today I was scrolling through my iPhoto to find an image to go with this post and I saw this guy from 2011. Intuitively I knew he was who I should choose.
The Crow Spirit Animal, a Guide about Fearlessness and Determination
Have you ever watched a group of crows ganging up together and chasing out birds much bigger than they are? This behavior makes the crow a useful animal totem to call when you need support in dealing with adversity. If the crow chose you as your power animal, you are encouraged to develop your personal will power and speak your truth more loudly.
I've just finished a 7 day work week and it was one of the more intense ones I've had in awhile.
And, when I say work, I am referring to the J-O-B I do as an employee of a filthy rich Candian corporate retail giant that I think might be planning on TAKING OVER THE WORLD. Kind of like King Kong did.
Yes, I know, it's a scary thought.
Anyhoo. This week has pretty much sucked. Like, it has sucked the life and energy and joy right out of my bones and I really don't like it when that happens.
I spent a good portion of my day at work yesterday in tears.
Boo Hoo.
They were tears of utter frustration and sheer overwhelm.
They sucked. A lot.
Today and tomorrow, I get to NOT GO THERE.
SO, yay!
Today, I am going to crank the tunes, light a fire and do some creative things. I am going to completely ignore the dirty floors, stack of dishes and piles of laundry and I am going to get my groove on in my studio.
Tomorrow I might sneak in some quality time with my broom and vacuum. Also, I might not.
I will be going to my daughter's school to volunteer my time at the Book Fair, AND THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY I CAN'T EVEN!
So, ya, I'm going to do whatever I feel like doing and I'm going to DECOMPRESS THE STRESS.
Also, I will be actively working on my EXIT STRATEGY (as in I don't want to be part of the WORLD DOMINATION OF CANADIAN RETAIL GIANTS, so I am planning my escape).
What do you do when life gets too intense?
Do you or have you dislike(d) your job as much as I do?
Hope you have a wonderful day and that you get to do something that's JUST FOR YOU today.
Thanks for stopping by:)
**PS: usually I try my very best to write upbeat stuff here or stuff that will inspire others to grow as souls. Sometimes, I think that means that when we're fed up, we should talk about it and do so in an empowering way. Like, for example, my tears of frustration empowered me to get working harder on my goal to build my creative business, to stop telling myself all the reasons I might fail at such an endevour and instead tell myself all the reasons I will absolutely ROCK as a creative entrepreneur. So, GOOD out of BAD. And that will always be my goal here. I think that being honest and not glazing over the bullshit is also very important, so that too will be my goal here. My hope is that my words will inspire and connect us in a common goal of making our lives brilliant. Just like the crow encourages us to speak our truth loudly, from time to time, I will be getting a bit LOUD and RAUCOUS here. Hope you don't mind. :)
"We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting."
-Kahlil Gibran
I am ever grateful for these and many other things.
My family
A safe and warm home
Fire
Food
Enough money
Fear
Challenges
Anger
Frustrations
Being inspired
Inspiring others
My hands
My beating heart
Love
Rain and wind
People who try, help, care and understand
Forgiveness and my ability to be forgiving and forgiven
You
Me
AND MY DOG :)
When I write, paint, photograph, and do brush script, I do it from my heart. I paint the things I love the most, I take photos of what I think is beautiful. My script is full of words that guide, empower and heal. My writing is the same: I look at the dark stuff, the hard stuff, the easy and the joyful stuff. And, primarily I do it for myself. I paint and script and write and photograph in order to heal my heart and in order to honour myself and my purpose.
The reason I SHARE MY WORK is to inspire. I want to help others to heal, to see their worth, to know that their struggles and pains, joy and light is worth is important and it is HONOURABLE. We are all just meer humans in an infinite, vast universe and we all belong and we are all worthy of knowing that our pain is real and important. Our dreams are valid and necessary.
Sharing my work isn't always easy to do. It's vulnerable. It's scary. It's full of worry.
I wonder if others will think I am a hack, or crazy or maybe a little too sentimental. I used to worry a lot about that. Now, I only worry a little about that.
It's gotten easier--partly because many of you have reached out to me and thanked me for writing, painting or scripting. You've told me that I inspire you and that leaves me feeling FULL. I mean, it is the reason I do this work after all.
It's gotten easier, also, because the more I tell myself that I am worthy, that my work is important and that WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IS VALUABLE to the greater good of the world, the more I believe it and the easier it is to share with the world.
So, tell me. What are you grateful for in your life? What hard and painful stuff have you encounted that has made you a better person? And what do you have inside your heart that could be shared with others to maybe inspire them to heal, and help yourself heal at the same time?
Thanks for coming to this place of mine to read, share and inspire me to be better. I humbly am so grateful for you all.
Happy Monday!
