♥ creativity takes courage.

via.

while i am still a bit skeptical about the whole law of attraction and the 

power of bringing what you want to your life just by putting it out there,

it seemed quite magical one day when i received an email out of the blue

 with the offer to review a book that feels as if it were written just for me.

in her latest book, the 12 secrets of highly successful women, local author

and creative coach, gail mcmeekin writes, "so many people show up in my office

upset that they didn't have a miracle in their lives where a voice told them at a young age

what kind of work ot creative expression they ought to pursue. we do a terrible job in

this country of helping young people trust their inspirations and pursue work that truly 

fascinates them." (17-18) and after reading those two simple sentences, i knew that

gail knew exactly how i felt. about life. about creativity. about everything.

up until the beginning of this year when i started my new career as a stylist,

i felt as if i was walking around this world with a big question mark on my forehead,

the question mark, of course, standing for what on earth i was meant to do with my life???

friends were moving up in their companies and continuing their education and i

was staying where i was, overwhelmed with a desire to express myself,
but without a real place to focus my energy, filled with curiosity
and without a real mentor to bounce questions off of.

starting my blog in 2009 was a wonderful place to start- but what is a girl
with an english degree, a background in interior design and luxury sales,
 and a genuine sense of style to do with her life?
 and besides me, who really cares?

desperate, i reached out to everyone i know- (even a psychic
who told me to go into real estate. ha!) what i really should have done,
and what i have been working to do now- is to think about
what fascinates me and go from there.

in her book, gail asks you to define your own idea of success, to think about
what you want to leave as part of your legacy, and find a way to create
a path where day after day you feel excited, inspired and most
important- in love- with whatever you decide to do.

like a true portable life coach, the book offers amazing strategies for:

• organizing your ideas and picking out the projects that you should try to pursue first.
• dealing with fear of rejection and self-defeat and moving on.
• clearing your life of things & people that waste time and energy and make you feel negative.
• surrounding yourself with like-minded people who will support and nurture your dreams.
• visualizing the path you want to take and finding the courage to go travel it.
• dealing with burnout, pressure and stress- which often lead to quitting.
• marketing yourself as a one woman entity with an ever-expanding resume. 

"when we know our life purpose and tell the truth about what we love to do, 
we find our rightful place in the world and are able ti make our unique an creative
contribution. too many women chase security or obligation until their soul starts screaming
at them to change. we each have a gift and a chance to focus on the field or the ideas that make
us want to get up in the morning and begin every day with joy and an agenda." (35)


do you enjoy a creative career?
what are your thoughts on unconventional career paths?