Creative Habit 2: Turning Adversity into Advantage

These are unprecedented times. As we all adjust to social distancing and taking precautionary measures while out in public, everyone responds in a different way. There are those who welcome the time at home, to be closer to immediate family, to have a slower pace, and to prioritize their lives during this pandemic. There are those who are pushing back, eager to meet up with friends (because FOBA and FOMO rule*), eager to eat out in a restaurant and eager for life to ‘get back to normal’. And then there are all manner of those who fall in between and spill over the edges.

But did you know that some of the strongest personal growth, deep transformation and bold creativity come out of experiences where one suffers, struggles or feels defeat?

It is through overcoming such struggles that we discover just how strong and beautiful we are as individuals. As we each live through the day by day news reports, statistic updates, and social media messaging, we have a choice how to respond. It is in such moments of adversity when we turn inward and look to what we actually believe. Often we find that the old belief structures no longer hold true and we begin to create new meaning for ourselves.

Creativity is giving yourself permission to see things differently. - David Robert

When roadblocks are plopped in front of us, it is our human nature to find another pathway around them. How many of you have attempted to cut your own hair (or someone in your family), tried a new recipe or redecorated a room in your house during this pandemic? You are exercising your creativity.

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis

Somehow we find a way through hard times. Often we get creative doing it. The brain is an amazing problem solving machine and when it sees a roadblock it sets about to smooth things over. When things are going as normal, the brain gets a bit bored and actually tunes out the typical. But when things get stirred up, the brain is awakened and revitalized by the novelty and challenge of the situation.

Do you feel it?

*FOBA - fear of being alone & FOMO - fear of missing out =)

Creative Habit 1: Driven by Passion

I am attracted to people who exude passion.

I have recently been watching the Masterclass by Marc Jacobs on Fashion Design. I have no desire (at this point) to become a fashion designer. But what I was so attracted to was Marc Jacobs’ passion for what he does. Listening to him speak about his career and what he has learned over the years, I was equally impressed and inspired by his passion for fashion design. All careers come with ups and downs and Mr Jacobs speaks to that, but at the end of the day it is one’s passion for the job that keeps you coming back and it was clearly evident in his class.

There are many connotations for passion. I like to think of it as an immense desire and love of what interests you, to the point of throwing your entire being into the pursuit of your passion. The famous blog Life Hack claims that passion is more important than money when it comes to your life’s work. And I agree.

Passionate people are driven by their intense interest in and desire to excel in whatever they are passionate about. You can spot people with passion because they are often quite chatty about their craft. When listening to Marc Jacobs I saw an exuberance for fashion design that I do not see in everyone. His face lights up, his tone of voice is light and cheery and he just can’t share enough about his love for design. I also had a strong sense that he just wants everyone to love fashion design as much as he does.

This kind of excitement is contagious. Passionate people are contagious. If you are fortunate enough to know someone or listen to an interview of someone with passion, you will know it.

And you may even be a little more inclined to find passion for yourself!

Two Ways to Express Gratitude this Thanksgiving Season

I am so blessed.

I have recently read two different novels giving insight into the differing perspectives of WW2. I also watched a movie about the genocide in Burma. I cannot relate. I am safe and secure. I have food. My needs are met. I am content in my life.

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, I am reminded to be grateful. Having much to be grateful for, I want to share that message with those around me. Studies show that exercising gratitude improves one’s psychological and physical health, self-esteem, mental strength and more. I am taking mindful steps towards gratitude this month (and throughout the year).

Here are two ways that I am exhibiting gratitude in this fall season:

By hanging this print on my wall as a reminder to me and all my loved ones…

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By writing down all that I am grateful for in my journal…

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I have been keeping a Gratitude journal since the beginning of 2019 and I can truly say that it keeps me grounded and constantly aware of all that I am blessed with in this life.

How are you preparing your heart for the upcoming Thanksgiving season?

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Through the Tough Times

This summer was hard.

Our weather was not overly sunny or warm. There were very few days worthy of pulling out the patio furniture cushions. I did get to do some travel so that was nice, but my heart was as heavy as the clouds hovering over my head most of the summer.

Why, you ask? Well, several of my people were struggling and it weighed heavily on me. Two of my cousins (who are as close as siblings) are wading through divorce. A very close friend lost her father-in-law. One of my daughters who lives eight hours from home due to her job is missing home and desiring some changes. The other daughter is stressed out preparing for her CPA (accounting) exams that are three days long (how is that even a thing?). And then returning back to work I found out that one of our office personnel died from cancer after being diagnosed less than a year ago. Ugh…

So, yes, life is tough.

But it is not insurmountable or hopeless. Life does knock us back on our heels sometimes, but this summer made me reflect on the things that I have already overcome in life. And how they felt hard at the time. And how I struggled, but made it through. I had to be tough.

And you are tough too.

If you can relate to life being tough today, then this quote is for you! Let’s stand side by side and show life just how tough we can be…

Visit rePaperedShop to see the currently available quotes.

Process for a Calligraphy Piece

I am not yet able to create a perfect calligraphy piece on the first attempt.

Many calligraphers can pick up a pen and their years of practice and learning have brought them to a place where they can just start writing and make a perfect piece the first time. I hope to be there one day.

In the meantime, I still have to make many versions of a quote before I can call it ‘done’. Often I will start with a pencil drawing straight from what I envision in my mind. That doesn’t always look good, so I pull out my eraser and make a few changes and tweaks. This can happen several times.

When I feel that it is getting close to what I want I will draw the piece in brush pen, so that I can make adjustments for the width of the pen lines.

Inevitably, once I see it done in pen I usually see a few more areas that could be better. Again, I could end up doing this a few more times. Sometimes I am happy at this point and let it rest.

But sometimes I look at this quote after a few weeks and see where I still need to make changes. When this happens I will bring the piece into my iPad as an image and then I can trace it and make adjustments from there.

Currently, this is where this piece resides. I am still unsettled on a few things, so I will work further on it.

But eventually, this quote will end up in my little Etsy shop!

How I Improved My Calligraphy Skills

I have been doing calligraphy for nearly 5 years now.

It takes a lot of practice and a lot of patience. Along the way I have made many ugly pieces that will never make it to social media! For a long time, when I would come across offers for calligraphy classes I promptly passed. I didn’t need more instruction, I knew the basics and I just needed to practice. Slowly I saw improvement. Eventually, over time I have improved in the smoothness of my letter formation and I am getting better at composition. I am not there yet, but I am seeing a difference.

With this growing confidence I began to look at my calligraphy with a more critical eye. I could see that I was getting better, but I still was nowhere near many of the ladies that I follow on Instagram. I knew I was improving but I couldn’t quite put my finger on how to make my pieces look amazing, you know? It was then that I realized I needed more training. Very specific training. And feedback. On my work. So I went searching…

One of my calligraphy heroines is Amanda Arneill. I don’t remember how I got on to her IG feed, but I am sure glad that I did. Over the years I have taken a few different classes from her, but I was only at the beginner stages of my calligraphy. And then I noticed that she was offering a new class: Intermediate Masterclass and in that moment it sounded perfect for me. I wasn’t a beginner anymore, but I am clearly not a pro either. So ‘intermediate’ caught my attention.

The experience I had in this Intermediate Masterclass left me challenged, encouraged and re-energized toward calligraphy. Amanda has staged out the class so that there is a clear goal in each lesson. She provides the learning through worksheets, an instruction video and even live videos of her doing a calligraphy piece and talking us through it! I benefitted from her knowledge, her experience and her encouragement. Every lesson I found myself pausing the video and jotting down notes of wisdom and insight into how to letter better. Each week we uploaded samples of our own work into a private Facebook group for the class and Amanda went through each of our pieces and gave feedback on our work! This impressed me. Not only did I learn where my areas of improvement lay, but Amanda taught us how to look at any piece and see where something may be amiss and how to fix. This helped me tremendously.

Now, I don’t profess to be an expert after taking this class (after all I am still only an ‘intermediate’) but I learned more pertinent instruction for where I am right now in my learning journey. And for that I am grateful. Trust me, I still have a long way to go and I need much more practice on the things that I learned from this class, but I can honestly say that I am pleased with the difference this class is making in my calligraphy.

Amanda’s calligraphy class has taken me from here (don’t judge) to here (still don’t judge!)…

As I said, this class has given me more confidence and has allowed me to put some of my pieces out there. I have begun sharing more on my IG feed ( @repaperedshop ) and have even uploaded a few pieces for sale in my Etsy shop ( rePaperedShop ). And I welcome any feedback that you may have.

Also, I am in no way affiliated with any kind of promotion, I am just speaking from my heart and sharing my experience. However, if you are a calligrapher or are simply interested in challenging yourself to begin calligraphy, I encourage you to check out Amanda’s classes.

Cheers friends!

rePapered Shop Stamp

For some time I have wanted to make a custom stamp for my shop products. The trick was that I wanted to create it using my own handwriting!

So, I set out to do some research on creating my own font. It is a complicated process for sure, but after reading about my options and the various processes I felt it was definitely achievable.

In the end I decided to create my font through Calligraphr. I chose the free version and therefore it had some limitations, but I just wanted to get started so I went with it. Their process is fairly simple…download their template, write your letters, scan or photograph the template and upload it to the Calligraphr site. Then they do the work of creating it into a font for you - and it only took a couple of days!

With the font created I could now make a stamp. First I typed out the lettering I wanted and in my desired size. Then I went to Staples and ordered a rubber stamp with my custom design. This was the longer wait but in two weeks I was able to pick up my finished stamp.

And of course I love it!

Now, the plan is to stamp all the products that go into my shop as a reference and to identify my shop link. I am so excited to have taken this next step in moving my shop forward. And a great big thank you to all of you who have supported me through this process already!

Cheers!

Begin Again

It is said that one must fail in order to succeed.

As I started the process of building a new website and new branding around my Etsy shop I found myself failing over and over again. It can be discouraging and there were many times I questioned whether this was all worth it. But I chose to push through because I realized that no matter how many times I fail I can always begin again.

With the promise of starting over and doing it better I realized three truths:

1. I can learn

   Each time I hit a roadblock I had to make a choice to either quit or learn how to do it better. This forced me to pursue what I was attempting to do and find a way through it. Sometimes it meant watching a YouTube process video. Sometimes I had to consult with the website support team. Sometimes I had to do some extensive research into how others were doing it. Whatever the case, I had the opportunity to begin again and learn how to do it better.

2. I can discover who I am and who I am not

   There are so many unwritten (and written) ‘rules’ around blogging and SEO and marketing that it becomes overwhelming. In trying to follow the ‘rules’ I sometimes found that the rule didn’t fit me. I had to decide if I was making a decision based on someone else’s rules or based on what works for me. Was I going to let others dictate my online space or was I going to find my own niche? Choosing to begin again allowed me to discover what I wanted out of this, not some unknown person who writes the ‘rules’.

3. I can improve over time

The most freeing realization in all of this was the notion that I don’t have to get it right the first time and that I don’t have to know all the answers. This lifted an enormous amount of pressure from my shoulders! If I don’t get it right today, I can work on it over time and make it into what I want it to be. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither is any good thing. Knowing I could begin again freed me up to just start even if it wasn’t perfect because I am a work in progress.

So I write to encourage you today. Do you find yourself at a crossroads? Is life feeling difficult? Have you straight up failed? Is there something you have walked away from because you feel you have failed?

I urge you not to quit. But rather take up the opportunity to begin again.

And you will succeed.

Tapping Into the Power of Quotes

Quotes are powerful.

The other day I was feeling sluggish and grumpy. Often in this state I will resort to scrolling through Instagram (raise your hand if you can relate). Suddenly Letterfolk popped up in my feed declaring, I am into fitness. Fit'ness taco in my mouth. I laughed out loud...one of those great big belly laughs. Needless to say it kicked my grumpiness to the curb. Bam!

Has this ever happened to you? 

Let's face it, life gets tough sometimes. Perhaps it is time to tap into the power of quotes.

For Guidance

Things may not be going your way or maybe just not how you expected. You need guidance to take that next step. Quotes have the power to help you be bold, courageous and determined.

For Motivation

Or maybe you are working towards a goal and you've lost sight of the end. It feels hard and you need motivation to keep going. The right quote in that moment has the power to help you push through and overcome the doubt or to remind you of how great you are.

For Inspiration  

Perhaps you are in a rut. There is a big deadline looming and you are at a loss. You need inspiration to help generate great ideas. Looking up to find a quote on the wall has the power to help you be inspired and see the possibilities once again.

For Joy  

Possibly you are feeling sluggish like I was. For no particular reason. You may need a shot of joy to feel good. With a little quote in front of you it has the power to help you smile or even laugh and remind you that things are going to be just fine.

Are you in need of a quote today? Or maybe a friend comes to mind who needs encouragement. Maybe you want to hang some inspiration on your office wall to help generate ideas. Or simply to make you feel good.

Whatever the reason, I encourage you to tap into the power of a meaningful quote.

Check out the latest instant downloads at rePaperedShop.

3 Reasons to Be Afraid and Do It Anyway

Fear is the greatest roadblock to creativity. 

It is human nature to be fearful of new situations. Whether it is fear of failure, fear of not being perfect or fear of the unknown, we must overcome these fears if we want to create.

1. Fear of Failure

If I'm being honest I'd have to admit that I am a bit of a control freak. No matter the situation I am always thinking ahead of what could go wrong and what needs to be in place in order to prevent the inevitable mishaps - to a fault actually (insert rolling eyes emoji). Because of this, I am sometimes paralyzed to move forward. Typically, I want to have everything figured out before I take the first step so that there is no room for failure.

So when it came to starting up rePaperedShop, it took me quite some time to get the ball rolling. I filled notebook after notebook with research, pitfalls to avoid and red flag items  needing to be ironed out before I would start. I became bogged down with all the things that could go wrong. I kept telling myself, 'Okay I'll start at the first of next month...' and then way too many months went by. I was a little afraid to move forward.

Finally I had to confront myself  (yes, I do talk to myself) and say 'Come on girl! Get it together and just do it!' It will be what it will be and you can work through it. But if you never start, you will never know what could have been. And if it fails, then it was never meant to be.

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

2. Fear of The Unknown

When I finally convinced myself to just open shop I suddenly realized what it takes to engage in the ecommerce world. I needed product photos (in natural light of course) with interesting sets and alluring descriptions. I needed pricing for my items and estimates for shipping. I needed strategies for marketing and packaging. I needed a positive online presence and a positive attitude. And I knew nothing about any of this. I was a little afraid to move forward.

Eventually (after talking myself down off the cliff) I decided to cut myself some slack. I don't have to have it all figure out. I can learn as I go. I made a plan to attack one new feature at a time and solve that one before moving on to the next. When I didn't know how to estimate my shipping costs, I started by uploading an approximate number, and then as I took each order to the post office and realized the actual cost I was able to slowly refine my pricing for shipping. Now, I am not out of pocket and my customers are getting the most fair and accurate shipping costs.

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

3. Fear of Not Being Perfect

Along with being a control freak, I am also a perfectionist. I wanted to get it right. The first time. But as I started my investigation into what it takes to kick off an online shop I became paralyzed. Should I do it this way, or that? Which is better? What if I choose the wrong one? What if I change my mind? What if I don't like it afterward? What if no one likes it? I was a little afraid to move forward.

After making myself crazy contemplating all the options, I finally came to an important realization...I don't have to have it all figured out on Day 1. I can make adjustments and add features down the road. If I try one avenue and I don't like it or it doesn't work out, I can change it. I just needed to start and so I put a few rudimentary things in place and hit Publish. And you know what? The world did not come crashing down!

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

But the greatest tragedy is having fear of taking the first step and never doing it...

Fear is an emotion that doesn't have to rule you. By facing my fears I was able to move past them. I was able to see a way out and talk myself through it - and usually, the reality of the situation is not as great as the feeling of fear itself. Having a plan for my next steps and just moving forward allowed me to realize my goal of opening my Etsy shop. It is not perfect and I still have so much to learn and adjust as I go, but I was determined to not let fear prevent me from achieving my creative dream.

And you can too!