February 24, 2012

Leaping in Leap Year 2012!

Are you ready to leap in 2012?

I love that 2012 is Leap Year because it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way: “Leap and the net will appear.”

Sometimes we must take blind leaps of faith for our creative work. If we don’t believe in our work, who will?

If you treat your creative work as a hobby, it will remain a hobby. That’s fine, and there is nothing wrong with that. Hobbies can be very life enhancing.

But if you want your creative dreams to come true, you must respect them and reserve enough time and energy to make them reality.

We must honor our creative work with time, materials, space, adventure, and love.

Everyone wants a magical, fulfilling life. At times, it is easy to become discouraged and lose focus. Sometimes through the normal stresses of daily life, we can become so burdened by our mundane routines and daily tasks that we forget about our creative dreams.

It is your sole responsibility to take care of your dream, to let it be born through you, to allow your individual, beautiful soul shine through and inspire others.

Dreams can be scary, overwhelming. When I started my 12 Countries in 12 Months project, I was terrified. I had serious doubts, I had moments when I wondered what on earth I was getting myself into.

This weekend, I’m traveling to the eighth city on my tour: Budapest. It’s a place I’ve never been, I don’t speak the language, I have no idea what awaits me – and I am thrilled. Thank goodness I pushed through my fears of the unknown to get to the place I am now. I’ve found a place where I can enjoy my own creative projects, and excitement has replaced terror.

Believe and trust that the universe wants you to express your dreams. You are on this planet for a reason; now make, leap, create, do!

Stop waiting for the perfect time and the perfect space; jump in, get your feet wet, don’t worry about perfection, and start now with whatever it is that you want to do. Don’t make excuses about why you can’t anymore, decide that you can and go, go, go!

“Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.”
- Simone de Beauvoir

Respect and honor your time, use it wisely, and don’t ever feel guilty about the time you are spending with your creative work. It is just as important as exercising, eating well – and much more important than your next Facebook update! See your creative work time as something you are going to build into your life. Every single day.

We are responsible for our own lives – for making our lives the most exciting, creative, interesting adventures as possible. Sometimes, it is bitter medicine to realize that we are the ones in command, but we are.

If you want an epic life, you must stretch your imagination, expand your possibilities, and move forward to build the life you want.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
- Helen Keller

In the end, if you really believe deep down that you can do something, you can do it. And if you believe that you can’t do something, then that’s usually true too.

I hope you will value your creative work and see your creative dreams as a garden. When you honor, respect, nurture, love, and spend time with this garden, the more it will grow. Plant the seeds of your creative dreams, water them, give them sunshine and love – you will watch them flourish!

Sending you hugs from Munich, Germany today!

xo

Stephanie

p.s.
If you’d like to join an international, supportive community of women who are working towards their creative dreams, I’d like to invite you to join us for the new Spring Session of Creative Courage here.

Filed Under: creating action, creative thinkers, creativity, Plot Notes Tagged With: , , , , , 1 Comment
September 26, 2011

art to inspire: a time for adventure

"Let's Be Adventurers" by Fifi Du Vie - click for info

Wake up. Brush your teeth. Get dressed. Have a cup of coffee (or tea). Maybe even a bagel. And then get your work day started.

Sound familiar?

We all fall into routines. Good or bad. It happens. And that is perfectly okay. Routines can be a great thing – they keep us organized, on task, and give structure to an otherwise unstructured day.

BUT if those structured days that you’ve come to know feel more like a rut than a routine, its time to make a change.

What kind of change? A simple shift toward becoming an adventurer.

Do something completely out of the ordinary, something far from the “normal” day to day tasks of your business. Something that is for sheer pleasure or inspiration. And, most importantly, something that reminds you of your passions, not your obligations.

When it comes to adventure, there are no limitations. It can be as small as taking a Photoshop course at your local college (you’ve always wanted to take it and although it has nothing to do with your current creative pursuits, there is truly no time like the present. so get to it) OR as big as packing up all your belonging and moving across the country to a new place with new opportunities (this is something that I literally just did myself – I moved from Jacksonville, Florida to Seattle, Washington on September 23).

Believe it or not, taking the time to do something that seems like it’s “just for you” and completely unrelated to your biz can end up positively affecting your creative work exponentially. So give it a try…what do you have to lose?

Being an adventurer will not only bring you back to your day to day with a fresh perspective, it will also re-ignite the flame that has been dimming for some time.

So, what kind of adventurer will you be?

Leave your response in the comments below.

Filed Under: brittni {paper n stitch} Tagged With: , , , , , , , 6 Comments
May 20, 2011

little things link love: ways to get a new view of your world… literally

Hawaiian Cityscape by Michelle Yap - click image to view more

A stagnant view leads to a stagnant perspective.

Changing our view of the world from time to time is a great way to shake up our brains. Staring at the same scenery every day, from the furniture arrangement in our homes to the people and places we pass on the street, limits our knowledge of and comfort with the larger world around us. As creative beings, there is so much we can add to our mental idea boards when we take time to expose our eyeballs to sights they’ve never seen.

Skydiving, parasailing, helicopter rides, and jet planes are just some ways to take to the sky. Other unique views can be had without going to such drastic heights, like rooftop tours, standing on a ladder, or even just standing on top of your bed. Whether you stay in your own town or are looking for something a little less traditional to do on your next vacation, take some time to research avenues for new visual stimuli, like these:

  • Hot air balloons – Lots of cities have their own hot air balloon tours available to the public, especially those in touristy, scenic areas like Napa Valley. It’s a perfect way to view the world at a zen-like, peaceful pace. One of my husband’s bucket list items is to partake in probably the most grand of them all, an African safari via hot air balloon. I still need to get over my fear of landing in a patch of cheetahs.
  • Ziplines – If you like a little adrenaline in your diet, try out a zipline some time. I went on one in Hawaii and immediately listed it as one of my favorite activities of all time. Don’t let age get in your way, either; the place I went to had a yearly visitor who, at the time, recently celebrated her 84th birthday. Ziplines can be found all over the world, but this directory of ziplines in the United States is pretty freaking extensive.
  • Ferris Wheels – Ferris wheels and similar contraptions have been around for centuries, though aren’t just for kids. Any amusement park worth its salt will have one, but some places have taken it upon themselves to put on their mega pants and monstrasize them. London’s Eye is pretty tall, but still ranks third on the list of the top ten tallest ferris wheels. Heading it off is the Singapore Flyer at 541 feet (165 meters) high, though hot on its heels are plans for the Bangkok Eye in Thailand, on the books to measure out at 577 feet (176 meters) tall.
  • Observation Decks – You won’t be suspended in mid-air, but you won’t necessarily have the ground underneath your feet on some of the world’s coolest observation decks. The ones where you step out on glass still wig me out a little.
  • Canopy Tours – Make like a monkey as you cross from limb to limb, high among the leaves of a treetop canopy tour. Find out what researchers and scientists have known for a long time about the power of this kind of eco-observation, especially in aiding awareness of environmental issues.

What heights have you gone to in order to see your world in a new way?

Filed Under: Link Love, little things Tagged With: , , 8 Comments