Don’t we all wish we could do it all? Accomplish every dream? This has been one of the most difficult realizations in my creative life. I think as creatives it’s normal for us to have many hobbies and interests, and to always want to develop and learn new things as artists. It’s been really hard for me to sort through all of these interests + passions and decide what it is I want to do with my creative career. It’s all to easy to look at all of the possibilities and think, “I want to do them all!” but the reality is that’s just not possible. If I want to be known for quality work that represents me; I need to choose a focus. I need to specialize. When I look at all of the creative people I admire, they have chosen a focus, a path, a unique representation of who they are, usually in one specific medium (for the most part).

I’ve been stuck in this paralyzing place of trying to decide between different areas to focus on for a freelance business. I’ve been trying to focus on too many things and the result has been not making significant progress at any one of them. In fact, not specializing right away has been a long process of often being left feeling stretched too thin and confused. Let me save you the time and energy by just telling you that flat out. :) In the past year I’ve done wedding planning, event styling, visual merchandising, photography, and interior design. While they are all similar in different ways, that’s a LOT of areas! They’ve all been valuable experiences and I’ve learned from each of them, but it’s time to focus. I’m ready to get serious and decide what my next step is going to be. I’m ready to take the risk.

It helps to remember that I’m not choosing what I’m doing for the rest of my life; I’m deciding what I’m going to do right now at this stage in my career. And that’s exciting! I’m going to wait to tell you more until my rebrand, so hang tight! I can’t wait to share with you.

And remember, you can’t do it all. It’s all about focus. Find your sweet spot and own it! :)

xoxo

(Illustration by Molly Jacques. Down to Business is a collaborative series with Molly Jacques Illustration. View more here.)

It’s a delicate line between being confident in who you are and being easily swayed by others. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in what everyone else is doing (the world of social media), that I actually start to lose sight of myself. It’s easy to look at someone else’s work that is successful and think that their lives, work, etc., etc., are better. I start to question who I am and the type of work I want to put out into the world. Yet a minute ago, I thought I had that figured out!

I’ve been trying to be really conscious of that line, that moment when all of the inspiration and external noise starts to harm, rather than help my creative life. I want social media to be a positive influence and something fun. If it’s ever starting to become a source of anxiety or negativity, it’s time to take a break! I highly recommend breaks. :)

Remember to always be looking inward; view your work as a unique expression of who you are. You’re the only one that can be uniquely you! So show the world who that is. :) I really think it’s the only way to guarantee long-term success.

Judy Garland said it best,

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

xoxo

(Illustration by the fabulous Molly Jacques. Down to Business is a collaborative series with Molly Jacques Illustration. View more here.)

I recently read this quote and I thought it was simple yet brilliant. It made me realize, why would I want everything to happen all at once?

It’s easy to want everything all at once and it’s something I catch myself doing often. When it comes to my creative career, time feels so elusive. Working for myself means it’s all about self-motivation. I set deadlines (often overly ambitious ones) and then I’ll get disappointed with myself if I haven’t met those goals in time. It’s really because I want them all at once. I have a hard time accepting the fact that things take time. Yet I realize that if I want to live a balanced and happy life along the way, I need to have patience with myself and remember that I am doing the best I can, just like everyone else.

I’m struggling with this while working on my rebranding/redesign of this site. I just want it to be done (now!) with all of my new ideas implemented (I seriously cannot wait for it to come together and to show you all! I’m working on the header/logo now…) so I can keep focusing on my content. However, since I’m teaching myself the entire process (graphic design/web design), and keeping up original blog content, I need to accept that the process will take time. And that’s normal. Patience, although it can be difficult, is key.

Work hard and have patience. That’s my new motto. And remember,

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen all at once.” -Albert Einstein

xo

(Illustration by Molly Jacques. Don’t you love it? Down to Business is a collaborative series with Molly Jacques Illustration. View more here.)

You know those moments when fear and doubt invade and you find yourself questioning everything? When overanalysis is on overdrive and you start to feel inadequate as a result? And pretty soon you just want to give up…

Don’t listen to those thoughts.

I’ll be honest, I have those moments more often than you’d think. I’m a professionally trained (or so I’d like to think) over-thinker. It especially kicks in when I start questioning my life and direction. But there’s something that I’ve learned to remind myself during those moments: Keep going no matter what. Just keep at it, keep trying, keep sharing yourself with the world, keep telling your story (see my previous post for more about that:).

Forward is the hardest direction but it’s also the most rewarding. When we’re working, creating, producing, and pursuing what we love, we’re getting that much closer to where we’re meant to be. From work comes inspiration! By just keeping at it, something amazing might happen because of your efforts or you might have that brilliant idea you’ve been hoping for. Because really, you never know!

So keep going no matter what. :)

xo

(Illustration by Molly Jacques. Down to Business is a collaborative series with Molly Jacques Illustration. View more here.)