June 25, 2012

art to inspire: 9 Inspiring Quotes to get you Through the Summer

The sun is shining and the flowers have bloomed – it is finally summer, the season of rest, relaxation, and sitting by the pool. For me, summer is not just about sunburns and tiny umbrellas, though; it is also the season of reflection and regrouping.

Now, I know that the end of the year is the time typically reserved for these types of things, but the middle of the year is just as good.

Why? Depending on what industry you are in, summers are typically slower than the other seasons, with customers on vacation and kids out of school – leaving you with more time to plan for the next six months and evaluate your progress thus far.

Make sense?

Good.

So while you’re resting, reflecting, and regrouping this summer, here are 9 inspirations to get you through the slow(er) season…

(above) 1. Let the Flower Bloom

2. Let the Sun Shine

3. Find a Path

4. Do Not Forget to be Awesome

5. Live with Passion

6. Ma’am Step Away from the Computer

7. One Step

8. Adventure

9. Don’t Give Up

Have your own quotes to share?

Leave your response in the comments below.

Today’s article is my last post for Art to Inspire here on Scoutie Girl. I have absolutely loved being a contributor here for the last three and half years, but have decided it is time to move on to pursue other interests. Thank you so much to Tara for having me and all the amazing Scoutie Girl readers who have followed my columns here over the years. I hope you’ll continue to follow me on my blog, papernstitch.

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch}, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , , 4 Comments
March 19, 2012

art to inspire: the power of positivity

image c/o brittni mehlhoff

As human beings, we tend to be harder on ourselves than others. We beat ourselves up over things that outsiders may not even notice, often times dwelling on the negative instead of focusing on the positive.

If you are one of those people, your brain may be on a loop similar to this: “I am not very bright. No one likes me. I am not as successful as _____. My nose is too big. I’ll never be what I dreamed I could be.” Sound familiar?

Allowing negative thoughts to take over can actually prevent you from moving forward in life and in business.

So in some ways, you are setting yourself up for failure and disappointment because that is what you choose to focus your attention on. Not to mention, you are creating an unhealthy environment for yourself and others when you do this.

So why do you allow it?

Well, I don’t know your personal situation, but the most likely of reasons is because you’ve been doing it for so long, you don’t really know how to stop. But the good news is that you can make a change right now. And it is easier than you might think.

Just like negative thoughts manifest more negativity and unhappiness, optimism and positivity have the power to bring about happiness and fulfillment.

So today, I have a little gift for you - something that will remind you of the positive things happening in your life right now and help you live in the positive each day.

It is called the 3 Good Things worksheet and you can grab the free (no opt-in required) download right here.

It’s a printable pdf where you will list the three good things that happen each day. Print it, write it down, and save each page (you’ll be glad you did on those downer days).

Once you make a habit of thinking positively, it will become automatic, and you will no longer let negativity linger.

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch}, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , 5 Comments
March 5, 2012

art to inspire: on feeling out of focus

Focus (photograph by Laura Evans)

Do you ever feel like things are out of focus? Like you just can’t see the bigger picture or know where to go from here?

Don’t panic! This happens to loads of other people too. In fact, it is a topic that has been popping up a lot lately in my own group of friends (bloggers and creatives in the community), which is why I wanted to talk about it today.

The truth is, you don’t have to have it all figured out.

There is bound to be a moment of struggle, confusion, or lack of clarity here and there. That is okay.

You just need to know how to get back on track once those “out of focus” feelings start to hit. Here are my tips for getting back on track + into focus…

I Write ACEO print by Flourish Cafe

Organize your thoughts: You’d be surprised how much clarity will come from simply writing things down. Use your paper and pencil as a dumping ground for everything that’s been stuck in your head lately. Once you have it on the page, it will be much easier to examine with an open mind.

Rain Simplicity by Shabby Studios

Don’t forget that every day is a new start: Often times, uncertainty is sparked by a setback – something that recently happened that had a negative result. So try to remember that each day is a fresh start, a new opportunity to “get it right.” Leave yesterday’s pitfalls in the past and start anew.

Old Desk Phone original painting by Alice Flynn

Phone a friend: Remember when you were in high school and you had a problem? What did you do? You either walked downstairs and dished with your mom over a bowl of ice cream OR you called up your best friend and chatted for an hour and a half about what was bothering you. No matter what route you choose, you’ll always feel a little better after talking things out with someone with a listening ear.

Never Stop Creating print by Wonder Forest

Never stop creating: And finally, never stop creating. Don’t ever let a lack of certainty stop you from doing the things that you hold most dear. Sometimes the best medicine for feeling out of focus is to just keep on. You’ll get where you are meant to be one of these days. But you can’t get to the other side of the road without putting one foot in front of the other.

Have your own thoughts on focus to share?

Leave your response in the comments below.

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch}, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , 8 Comments
February 6, 2012

art to inspire: life is about choices

image c/o John Tibbot. Click on image for more details.

Are Monday mornings difficult for you?

I get it. I’ve been there. But the good thing about the first day of the week is that you have a choice.

You can either look at Monday as the toughest day of the week OR you can make it the most productive day of the week. That choice is yours to make. It might not be an easy decision (procrastination is far easier of course), but it’s your call.

And just as you have that choice to make for yourself at the start of every week, you also have another choice…

And perhaps, this one is far more important than the first. Here it is:

You can choose to turn your words, your plans, into actions or just leave those words flailing in the wind.

Well, duh. You’ve heard that before, right? Actions speak louder than words. Of course you’ve heard it. We’ve all heard that.

But are you living that mantra right now?

Take a minute to think about it. Really think about that question and answer it in your mind.

If your answer is “yes,” pat yourself on the back and keep on moving in that direction. Nothing more to read here. But if your answer is “no” or “kind of,” it is time to get off your booty and make a change.

Talk is cheap. So it’s time to step up and actually do what you’ve been talking about doing for months. Consider this your wake up call. Your friendly reminder. Your gentle, or not so gentle, nudge into greatness.

If you don’t start now – as in right now, this very day – when will you?

Step into action now.

Let the comments section be your accountability buddy today. Tell me below how you will take action this week and turn those words into something more.

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch}, creating action, Plot Notes Tagged With: , , , , , 7 Comments
January 23, 2012

art to inspire: thoughts about luck

"Believer in Luck" from Sacred and Profane - click for info

A few days ago, I was with a friend of mine at a conference and we were talking about our lives and our careers. Eventually, towards the end of our conversation, I said something about how I felt lucky to be able to do something I love full-time, especially since I realized that not everyone has that luxury.

But the real word I was searching for was ‘grateful,’ not ‘lucky.’

So I quickly corrected myself, and we moved on to some other topic; but as I was sitting there, I realized something.

Often times people, myself included, get luck confused with something entirely different.

Has that ever happened to you?

Is it just easier for us to identify our successes as luck as opposed to the results of hard work and dedication? And if so, why?

Well, I don’t have an answer for why we do this, but I do know one thing. For the large majority of us, the following is true…

Things happen because you make them happen.

You don’t wait for someone else to stroll across your blog and website. You go to them. You work for it. And you deserve the credit, not luck.

And when someone seeks you out ‘on their own’ it may seem entirely random. And sure, you’ll think that luck is on your side when an editor approaches you about being featured in their magazine. But is it really all that random? How much luck is truly involved here?

After all, you are working hard day after day, getting your name out there, and producing something of value. So naturally, you are going to start drawing a crowd, and not just any crowd – a crowd that will tell their friends about you and share your articles and products. And that is how your success starts to spread – through tweets and blog mentions and emails and Facebook shares.

It may seem random at first, but when you stop to think about the bigger picture, it’s actually a lot more intentional and a lot less ‘lucky.’ Don’t you think?

This article is not the end of the conversation. It’s just the beginning. So it is time to share your thoughts…

What is your opinion on luck?

Leave your response in the comments below.

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch} Tagged With: , , , , , 12 Comments