success!

tara gentile January 29, 2010

recap :: issue #4 – success!

wow! this has been a week of inspiration, motivation, and a lot of introspection. below, you can find a recap of all the success! posts.

because there was such a positive response to this week’s posts, i really want to move forward with creating a space where we can all share our thoughts on life, work, and play. but scoutie girl isn’t the place. so i’m working on a new project called indieThink – because groupthink is so last decade. whether your a crafter, a lawyer, an accountant, a chef, an artist, or a laborer, you have thoughts, opinions, and a unique philosophy. i want to provide a place for you to share in a constructive, community-focused way.

if you’re interested in learning more about or contributing to indieThink, you can sign-up to receive updates on its launch or become a fan on facebook.

by the way, next week’s issue is a “spring fashion preview!” i’m looking for your wearables that remind you of warm weather, sun, flowers, and yes, a bit of rain, too! also trends you see coming and popular motifs. email me with your submissions.

and now for the posts!

have a successful weekend, everyone!!

Filed Under: recap, success! Tagged With: inspiration, motivation, recap, success Leave a Comment

tara gentile January 29, 2010

two cents :: success!

two cents is a weekly post featuring your comments! i’ve always loved the “letters” section in the front of magazines. corrections, kudos, more discussion – love reading what others have to say about the content of my fave mags. in two cents, i’ll feature some of my favorite comments from the week, those that continue the discussion, and those who share new & exciting ideas. this is a great chance for me to give back to you a bit and for others to see what you’re saying!

blog rec :: handmade evolution

Love that print–it’s such a clever juxtaposition. I started buying handmade because I was just so frustrated by the way the things I was buying seemed to wear out so quickly and wanted to have to shop less, but like Amy says, it’s the community that keeps me buying handmade–whether it’s a lovely note from one of my favorite Etsy sellers or actually meeting in person, the *community* has definitely made my life better.
– Jessica Zee, Girly PC

am i successful? by lori

Great post Lori!
When I was in my 20’s I knew a few women in their 40s that I was in awe of – they seemed smart and successful and happy. I remember thinking that I wanted to be just like them. These days I go about my daily world still thinking like the 20 year old I was then but occasionally I ‘zoom out’ and observe my life with a wider angle lens and realize that, lo and behold, I have become one of those women that I admired 20 years ago. It’s not something that I think about too much though – I’m so superstitious, I might jinx something!
– Fiona, Cartolina

This is a WONDERFUL post! I’m in my last couple of days working full time, because as of Monday I will be working for myself. It’s scary – but I can’t imagine not giving it a try. Thanks for the great definition. I’ve asked myself a million times what defines success and this is the best I’ve ever seen!
– Gina, The Shabby Chic Cottage

success is… being free!

Nice job! It can be so rewarding to face your fears. And terrifying of course. I was never afraid of heights or flying as a kid, but after college they really started to freak me out (I think I really realized how mortal I am). So, I signed up for skydiving. It was very freeing and the memory helps me keep things in perspective!
– Lisa, Handmade Evolution

Filed Under: success!, two cents Tagged With: comments, success, two cents 1 Comment

tara gentile January 29, 2010

okay, my turn…

failure is always an option - linocutboy

when it comes to my own thinking on success, i fall somewhere between lori’s “i’ve always thought of myself as a success” and megan’s “how am i successful right now?”

i’ve got lots of confidence – can you tell? – and a propensity for living in the moment. in fact, failure often feels like success to me. case in point, the only reason i’m doing this job is because of abject failure.

my failures:

i failed to attend graduate school, despite a full ride to a fantastic school, because i was scared and didn’t know what i would do with an m.a. in religion.
then i failed to find a job that wasn’t in retail.
then i failed to get the promotion that i was trained & designated for – although, that might have had something to do with me being 9 months pregnant at the interview.

but even before that final failure came to pass, i was calculating ways to work from home, to land a non-profit job, to earn money from writing. and when that phone call came that i was denied the promotion, as quickly as my heart sank, i was right back to scheming and dreaming.

see, i almost never let even the possibility of failure get me down. there’s always something else.

out of that failure, i created this life for myself. a life where i get to spend the days with my daughter and the nights typing away at the keyboard. a life that allows me to explore my true passions: writing, beautiful things, advocacy. a life that allows me to succeed at my own pace: fast and faster.

but truly, the best part of my job is that my success is your success. i see my ultimate mission – my ultimate success – as promoting your work and expanding this movement towards indie {mindful} thinking & buying. that mission pretty much encompasses everything i’ve ever been good at. and i’m so thankful that you’ve helped me succeed thus far.

so – what “failures” in your life have lead ultimately to success?

{prints by linocutboy via etsy}

Filed Under: illustration | painting, personality, success! Tagged With: failure, illustration, lino prints, motivation, poster, screen-printed, success 14 Comments

Linda Demers January 29, 2010

defining success by embracing uncertainty

I have really enjoyed reading the success posts this week. It’s been challenging to rein in my own thoughts especially since I relate to each of these posts. In the past several months, however, I’ve been thinking a lot about where my family and business has been and will be heading in the next year. So, it’s serendipitous (don’t you love that word?) for me to write this post at this time. Thanks for the opportunity, Tara.

My definition of success has changed many times over the years. There is personal success: raising my two boys, supporting my husband through his major career change, nurturing relationships, etc. And there is professional success: building a career, starting a business, developing new skills.

Shortly after my husband started his medical residency (the aforementioned major career change), I started my business, à la mode. As a mom of two young boys, with a husband who worked 90+ hours a week, I found it impossible to work outside of my home. à la mode, has been my saving grace. It has given me the freedom to be available for my family and the personal satisfaction in developing something I can call my own.

Starting my business was a huge leap of faith. When it began four and a half years ago, I would have never guessed that it would be where it is today. Nor would I have guessed that so many other opportunities would transpire: developing a website, writing a blog, and creating great relationships online with people I’ve never met face-to-face. It’s been nerve wracking at times. The learning curve never ends. I’ve been tempted to quit. From the beginning, I’ve had a constant dialogue with myself to simply go with the momentum and not let my tendency to over think things stunt my ability to move forward. Just let go.

During this next year, my family will experience great change as my husband completes his 7^th year of residency and finally starts his career. Our lives are again filled with uncertainty: new community, new schools, new job, transitioning my business. So, my current definition of success is embracing uncertainty and change and being open to the possibilities that will come. It is incredibly liberating to know that no matter what happens, all will be fine.

Has the definition of success changed for you over the years? How has your success surprised you?

Learn more about Linda by visiting her website or blog.

Filed Under: accessories, eco-friendly, success! Tagged With: a la mode, accessories, change, eco-friendly, linda demers, success, uncertainty 2 Comments

sam January 28, 2010

The Simplicity of Success

I know that for many of us the word “success” immediately leads us to think about business/work, but when I really begin to think about what it means for me, I cannot exclude the other parts of my life. I truly want everything I do to be successful, but how do I measure that?

A few years ago, when I was homeschooling my children, I ran across the rule of six. It was one mother’s promise to give her children what she called good soul-food every day: good books, imaginative play, encounters with beauty, ideas to ponder and discuss, prayer, and meaningful work. The simplicity of the rule of six was what caught my attention. No matter what your soul-food might be, it is an almost tangible way of quantifying the success of your own life.

I’ve come up with my own rule of six for myself as I am now. Right now I am a wife, mother, and full-time artist. There are so many other roles that I fill as well, but these are the ones that are present every day. My rule of six is:

love and care for my family
meaningful work
encounters with beauty
imaginative play
love and care for myself
good books/new ideas to ponder

As an adult I think it’s nearly impossible to achieve all of these things every day, but over the course of a week, a month, a year, it is easy to look back to see if I’ve made time for all of these things. It is only when all of these are in balance that I feel like I’m being successful.

image via onpaperwings

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You can find Sam’s own simple & meaningful work at her Inklore shop, her blog, and her newest creation “Good Measure.”

Filed Under: home decor, success! Tagged With: balance, block-printing, home decor, inklore, sam hirst, simplicity, success 3 Comments

recap :: issue #4 – success!