BOLDNESS + BRAVERY Page 20 of 21

Life-changing moments: three inspiring women on doing what they love

Posted on 2011-09-05 at 8:00 am.

Today’s shared stories come from Angie Fraley, Tamarisk Saunders-Davies and Marian Buck-Murray.

Angie Fraley

I am absolutely doing what I love…..creating an extraordinary life out of ordinary moments while teaching others to do the same. I do this through creatively blending the vehicles of art and yoga my (two biggest passions) to uplift and inspire others to see the world through a different lens.

I’ve always done art. As a child it was my escape from the world around me. I would get lost and lose track of time and nothing else existed. That was a very safe place for me in a very unpredictable environment so I liked it quite a lot. As I got older, the “artists starve” mentally reared it’s ugly head and off to work I went (dental assistant, gymnastics coach, manicurist, and finally entrepreneur). I opened up a paint your own pottery studio and ran it for eight years before selling it. I LOVED teaching other people how to paint, how to lose track of time, and be whole heartedly absorbed by what they were doing.

Now I just wanted to know if I could love doing everything in my life as much as I loved being creative so that I could always be happy….not just when I’m creative. But could I?

Enter YOGA.

To me, doing what I love, means loving what I do…..no matter what task is at hand. I realized that after I completed a 500 hour year long advanced studies yoga program where I had to put my heart on a table for all to examine – terrifying! This is when I decided to put my art into my yoga practice and my yoga practice into my art.

I stopped teaching others how to “do art” and started painting JUST FOR ME – liberating! I was painting as way to remind myself to get quiet and meditate. Somehow, organically things started to unfold when I was relaxed enough to get out of my own way. Doing art from my heart eventually birthed om2art.com, a place where I can share my journey via a blog featuring art with hope through observations that my yoga practice and life continue to give me.

Yoga and art are a way of life for me. I feel like I’ve been let in on a secret and need to share it with the world. Whether you are doing art or doing the dishes – the principle is the same. Enjoy this moment….be fascinated with this moment….be open to this moment and the wonders that are in it. I assure you, if you are able to do this, you will find joy now…..not if/when your environment is perfect….but happy and content, right now…..what a gift.

Oh and by the way, it’s something I still wrestle with myself (just ask my kids and husband)…..but this is why it’s called a yoga PRACTICE. I practice self study….showing kindness to myself and others. I practice finding the joy in the moment, practice being absorbed by it, and practice in knowing that it’s all unfolding exactly as it’s supposed to.

As far as what I’d love to do next? Well, I would love to enter the licensing world, attend art retreats, and teach workshops across the country. But more than any of that……I would love to soak up and enjoy each and every moment of the entire process.

[Images courtesy of Angie Fraley]

Find out more on her website here.

Tamarisk Saunders-Davies

Tamarisk and her sisters

Catalyst. A person or thing that precipitates an event or change.

My catalyst came in my early twenties. It was a Saturday morning, I was in my London flat with my boyfriend packing for our impending holiday. The phone rang. The woman at the end of the line had an American accent. She was asking for my sister, who I shared the flat with at the time. “She’s not here right now, can I take a message or can I help?” I asked the caller. “Maybe you can…do you know how I can find her sister?” she asked. “You’re speaking to her…I’m Tamarisk”. Long pause.

“I’m looking for someone called Mark Saunders-Davies”.

“He’s my dad…” I trailed off, becoming slightly panicked about just where this conversation was going.

“He’s my dad too” she said, haltingly.

My boyfriend, only hearing one side of this increasingly bizarre conversation, started giving me quizzical looks and perched on the edge of the sofa openly eaves dropping now. Who could blame him! We started gabbling away, finding out all we could about each other and furiously cooking up plans to email pictures and meet up. As soon as possible.

After we put the phone down, it felt like someone had poured pop rocks into my brain. All sorts of thoughts and ideas seemed to be exploding at once. Why hadn’t I known I had an older sister before? Why did my dad keep this a secret? What did this mean for the identity I had for myself as the “oldest of two sisters”?

I made calls to my sister who was on holiday in Rome. I called my dad confused and in tears, overwhelmed with all the questions I wanted answers to. Fast forward to now and my once hidden sister is a huge part of my life and our family. But this experience became one of the key events that got me to quit a job I hated and retrain, first as a psychotherapist and then as a coach. During the shock and awe that this discovery created, I leaned on the support of my own therapist. I learned, finally, how to articulate my needs, feel my feelings and not be scared by them and lean into the vulnerability that I felt while the landscape of our family changed and expanded at rapid speed.

While all this was happening for me, I woke up to how crushingly dull I found my job. Working in public relationships I was bothering journalists daily about stuff they didn’t want to write about and never would. I became almost envious of my therapist. She was instrumental in helping me create clarity from all the chaos and I knew, deep in my bones, that I wanted to do that too.

Wasting no time, I researched and found a post graduate counselling and psychotherapy training, dropped my job down to four days a week and got myself qualified. Psychotherapy trainings require you to do a lot of work for free while you’re working towards accreditation. Undaunted, I sought out as many placements as I could. I took pay cut after pay cut in part time jobs. I gave up my weekends. I fit clients in before and after work working incredibly long days. I gave up any semblance of a social life. None of that mattered because something was unfurling inside me. I was doing work I loved. Making a difference in people’s lives every time I met with my clients.

But my evolution into doing work that lit me up, that felt like it just moved through me didn’t stop there. I became more and more focused on the nature of relationships. Finding out about and getting to know my sister was an invitation from the universe to expand the way I related to myself and everyone in my life.

Upgrading my skills set to include coaching became the missing piece to the puzzle. Getting clients into action is my specialty. It’s when we take action that we create clarity. And that’s beautiful to witness.

With hindsight, I can recognise that despite the confusion, the pain and the questions finding out about my hidden sister threw up, everything always unfolds perfectly. Without that experience I wouldn’t be the strong, powerful women I am today. Without that one phone call I would never have come to know my beautiful, extraordinary sister. Without that experience I wouldn’t have fully know who my dad is.

My big dream for the future is to create a community of incredible women who feel empowered and capable to ask for what they want in their relationships and get it. In my work I see how women play small simply because they haven’t taught the skills they need to negotiate boundaries, work their self-worth and set healthy limits in their relationships.

It’s not possible to play small to make others feel big.

[Image credit: Chloe Brown.]

Find out more about Tamarisk on her website here.

Marian Buck-Murray

My name is Marian Buck-Murray. I am a Transformational Health Guide. I show people how to nourish body and mind to transform their lives. I love what I do.

Over the past three decades I have journeyed though PTSD, autoimmune illness, and two heart surgeries. Believe it or not, after all that, at age 50, I feel fabulous! In fact, I feel better than I’ve ever felt during the whole of my adult life. I know this is because of my illnesses, not in spite of them.

I’ve come to understand that our bodies always tell us exactly what we need to know. What looks like disease and pain is often the body’s best way to bring us back to life. It’s sometimes the hardest falls that propel us into the light.

For me, it was my heart that pulled me back to life. You see, I had never truly healed from my sister’s suicide when I was a teen. Unknowingly, I dissociated from the trauma, and went on with my life. College, a job, and a loving fiancé. Yes, I had plenty of messy ups and downs, but I had no clue what was hidden deep within me.

And then – BAM. On the 10^th anniversary of my sister’s death, as I prepared for my upcoming wedding, I was struck with a bizarre, undiagnosed autoimmune disease. It started with a rash, fever, and excruciating joint pain. And then, finally – recurrent pericarditis – fluid in the sac around my heart – a cry from my trapped, un-shed tears.

My heart had begun to awaken me. She was illustrating my imprisoned pain with poetic metaphor, unlocking the door to healing. The illnesses that followed – Guillain- Barre Syndrome, a closed aortic valve, and a coronary artery blocked by scar tissue – would all eventually show me the map to heal my life.

However, although I had a map, I didn’t know how to use it. After nearly two decades of Illness, I was down, depleted, and desperate. And then, during one of my darkest moments, I read Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love. So I began to pray – for the first time in my life. Miraculously, within no time, I was guided to the perfect healers and teachers who helped me heal my life.

Ultimately, I healed from PTSD, adrenal fatigue, and low Immunity, through a combination of Rubenfeld Synergy, EFT, Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, Prayer, and Healing Nutrition. It’s as though I was granted a treasure chest of healing gifts. I’ve used them all to create joyful, energized health.

Today, I have answered my heart’s call to share these healing treasures. As a Transformational Health Guide, I help people harness the power of illness and adversity to transform their lives. I show my clients how to use funk-busting foods and techniques to have more energy, better mood, better digestion, stronger immunity, and enhanced spirituality. I am a seasoned traveler on the road back from illness, and I carry candles, lamps, and flashlights to enlighten my way. I’m here to share the light.

PS: I made it to my wedding, and I just celebrated my 23^rd anniversary to my amazingly supportive husband. I have two terrific daughters, and two adorable cats.

[All images courtesy of Marian Buck-Murray.]

Find out more about Marian on her website or connect via Facebook.

Roadtrip #5: On top of the world

Posted on 2011-08-31 at 8:28 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I am afraid of heights, but I am definitely not a huge fan. But so much fun stuff happens high up, that I just had to go for it in, zip lining across the forest canopy 150 feet up and 800 feet across the mountainside, walking sky bridges and whooshing down ropes from the tops of trees.

With bungee jumping or rope swinging it’s always the jumping off bit that gets me. But this was too good to miss, and the view from the top was incredible. I probably made a few squirrels jump with my initial screams – which turned to whoops of adrenaline-fuelled joy by the end!

You should see the video footage…

We soaked up the great outdoors in the White Mountains, mountain biking for miles through forest trails, and doing stomach flips at a huge waterpark.

We had rain, we had wind, we had sun. And after all that exercise, we had a lot of food!

We stayed at this wonderful B&B in Bethlehem, which was built as a family home at the turn of the last Century. Marilyn Monroe used to spend her summers there, and Cary Grant had his honeymoon in the room next door to ours.

Lovely innkeeper Mary welcomed us with freshly baked cookies, beer in the fridge and an endless supply of delicious coffee which we drank sat on rocking chairs in the wraparound porch. We played croquet in her beautiful garden, and felt quite at home in this tiny part of New Hampshire.

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Other roadtrip posts: #1 For the love of travel; #2 Sharks and jellyfish; #3 Boston and Harvard; #4 A fairytale wedding; #6 To Canada, in search of stationery

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“Life-changing”, “Revolutionary”, “Awe-inspiring”, “Transformative“ – just a few of the ways former participants have described the Do What You Love e-course.

Do you fancy some of that in your life? Do you want to get closer to identifying your true passion and finding a way to do what you love, for life? Then this is for you!

The Do What You Love e-course is open for registration now. The adventure begins on September 26 but places are limited so book now to secure your place. This is the last time it will run this year.

This is your chance to join a global tribe of like-minded people who will support and encourage you to find your way.

It could be the most influential six weeks of your life… Join now!

One month to go…

Posted on 2011-08-26 at 12:10 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

(handmade book by Rachel Hazell)

… until the Do What You Love e-course kicks off for the last time this year.

In the words of previous participants, this is not just another e-course that you take. It is an e-course that you live, and which continues to live in you beyond the classroom. They have described it as “revolutionary“, “awe-inspiring”, “life-changing” and “transformational“.

As a direct result of taking the course, former participants have started new companies, exhibited artwork for the first time, launched blogs, quit jobs, mended relationships, started writing books, created their own e-courses, started painting, gone travelling, and all sorts of other adventures.

Of those responding to a survey about the course…

– 100% said it had impacted their life and they are making changes as a result

– 95% said they now know what they need to do in order to do what they love, for life

– Participants said they felt more brave, more inspired, more curious, more positive and more confident. They found themselves more focused, they had new ideas, wanted to try new things, and realised that they were more creative than they thought they were. They had found support and friendship in the global community on the course. And perhaps most importantly, they had a stronger belief in themselves and what they are capable of.

When asked how they would describe the course to a friend they said:

“A unique, creative, inspiring yet practical approach to discovering and doing what you love.”

“If you want to change your life and feel better about who you are – happier, more creative, able to tell people how you feel and live with more passion, then this is the class for you.”

So what are you waiting for?

The final session of 2011 begins a month today. Participants have already signed up from FIVE different continents.

This is a unique opportunity to share an exciting journey of change with people from all over the world. Register now!

A car crash inspired me to transform my life… Heather Lentz shares her story

Posted on 2011-08-08 at 8:30 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared story comes from healthy living coach Heather Lentz, who transformed her life and started doing what she loved after her car was hit by a drunk driver.

[Image courtesy of Heather Lentz]

On May 3, 2009, I was in a severe car accident caused by a drunk driver. As a result, I was hospitalized for 5 days and had brain shearing, internal bleeding, bruised kidney, bruised liver, rib fracture, fractured vertebrae, fractured tibia, cervical sprain, rotator cuff tear and extensive soft tissue damage. This was a major turning point in my life. I decided that something positive had to come from this accident, so I began to focus on healing myself. My goal was to get back to the condition I was in before the accident.

I started on a healing journey. I went to physical, occupational and speech therapy appointments almost every day for over a year. My pain slowly decreased and I began to get my range of motion back. I also quit smoking, quit drinking alcohol, quit drinking caffeine, quit drinking pop, started taking supplements everyday, started exercising, started walking 5Ks and lost 30 pounds. Even though I had experienced a lot of progress, I still had shoulder pain, back pain and constant headaches. I decided to look into other ways of healing. I began acupuncture and shiatsu massage.

I tried thai massage, cranial sacral massage, blocking, rolfing, yoga, hula-hooping and even colon hydrotherapy. My healing journey brought me to the Muskegon Yoga Center. I practiced as many days as I could and still continue to. As a result my muscle strength and flexibility have improved, as well as the connection with my body and my soul.

My goal has shifted, I want to be in better condition than I was in before the accident  and in many ways, I already am.

At the Muskegon Yoga Center I was introduced to High Quality Supplements and a 5-Day, Low-Glycemic, High-Fiber, Sugar Cleanse. I wanted to get my cravings under control and lose more weight. I was amazed that after the first day my residual pain from the accident had greatly decreased. I also tried a Healthy Low-Glycemic Energy Drink and loved it. It gave me energy all day without the crash and was a nutritional alternative to high sugar energy drinks. Then I tried the Preservative-Free Skin Care and I couldn’t stop touching my face. The idea that my skin could be nourished with holistic products free from chemicals and parabens, fit right in with my plan to be healthier. I love these products so much and want to tell everyone about them.

When I discovered this company, it was like a light bulb went off.  My passion is to help people heal and Be Healthy is my vehicle to do that.

People always tell me that I should write a book (maybe someday I will), honoring all the people who helped me heal along the way and include everything I have learned, how to deal with the insurance companies, what it takes to heal yourself and different modalities to get you there. I want to be an advocate for others, to teach them what I have learned. I no longer regret being in the accident, because it helped me change in ways I never would have. It was the Universe’s way of telling me that I needed to follow my passion and do what I love.

Although I am still on my healing journey, I am ready to take others along with me.

I unexpectedly ended up here in a place where I can do what I love…help others heal and Be Healthy. My business, We Be Healthy, is dedicated to supporting others in their journey towards a healthy lifestyle. I help you Be Healthy by sharing what I have learned – from low-glycemic cooking (and eating) to preservative-free skin care; from reducing your toxic load to creating a healthy home. I am not a doctor or nutritionist, but I have been through a life-changing event and learned a lot along the way.

I truly hope you will learn ways to make positive changes in your life and find a way to do what you love too!

Find out more about Heather and her business ‘We Be Healthy’ on her website or connect on Facebook.

Life-changing events led us to do what we love: Hillary Rubin and Cathy Bueti share their stories

Posted on 2011-07-25 at 8:30 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared stories come from Hillary Rubin and Cathy Bueti who have overcome huge life-changing events – including the loss of a loved one and a serious illness – to discover their life’s purpose and passion.

Hillary Rubin

For me doing what you love is being in alignment with your desire. I’m not a believer of purpose even though it’s in my tag line and women come to me to discover what their purpose is. Most of it really is work to go back to what they love, tune into what they desire or rediscover what they love now.

I have seen from my personal experience when I’m not doing what I love my soul aches. When I’m not doing what I love my body cries. When I’m not doing what I love the best part of me dies.

In 2010 my husband had a crisis – or what I call a course-changer. He was not doing what he loved and like a good man was providing for our family. His soul suffered so much that he ended up in the hospital.

It was scary to see the man I loved suffer. He had a foot of his colon removed and made a promise to himself never to do it again. Today he is healthy in mind, body and spirit.

Now we have a contract that we do not take on projects, jobs, or clients unless it is for something we love to do. I cannot think of a better commitment to have to yourself and with your partner.

Being a Gemini, I love to do so many things and always like to have a healthy learning curve. At the beginning of my life most of my choices were from survival of what I had to do. I chose to move to NYC to study at Fashion Institute of Technology. I loved it. I felt alive and free.

I went from doing windows at ABC Carpet and Home to being a fashion editor at a menswear magazine, and then to styling, to producing fashion shows, to having my own PR company and then at the top of my career landed a plum job at Prada.

Prada was not as cool as I thought. I hated it but wanted to be on the in-crowd so I stuck it out as much as I could.

Until my time in fashion came to a painful end with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. After I let myself out of a prison of victimhood, I was on a new quest to heal myself and to my surprise found what I loved.

It was through my pain that I found what was next on my what-I-love-to-do path as an artist, healer and cultural creative. I devoured all I could in the alternative realm to defy my prison sentence of ending up in a wheel chair. In 2002 I moved to LA to take a yoga teacher training course and worked as a PR director for a fashion company. It was worth giving up a six year relationship, a fabulous apartment in the west village and the fast hip lifestyle for my healing cocoon.

But I really did not give anything up… I got so much more.

Right after my yoga teacher training ended, I started teaching and never stopped. Something came alive in me. Not only was I healing but I was stimulated like never before. It was love at first sight. I was on my path. I travelled the world teaching yoga, connected to amazing people and ended up getting certified in Anusara Yoga(TM).

Not only did I love teaching classes, I went on to create a yoga podcast called Hillary’s Yoga Practice + produced my own bestselling DVD called Yoga Foundations with Hillary Rubin.

I loved it and never looked back.

With hindsight, I know now that whatever I do creatively is my body of work. It will always evolve and I cannot do it wrong. I listen to myself and let my intuition guide me. When the fun stops that is my red flag to shift my attitude or let it go so the next wave of creativity can come in.

If you are feeling challenged to do what you love then I suggest you release the following:

Release the need to care what others think – live your life for you.
Release the need to have it ‘perfect’ and take small baby steps.
Release the need to believe your fears – you don’t know if you’ll fail or succeed unless you go for it

Once I released this for myself I was able to flow and evolve. I have a foundation in yoga, am a spiritual life design coach and a multi-passionate entrepreneur. I help women stop licking their wounds and create a life filled with passion, purpose and unshakable self-confidence. I love creating valuable content that breeds transformation and freedom to live the life you desire.

What’s next for me is launching a group program for women to get back to prosperity without shame, be healthy without guilt, find purpose without overwhelm and be happy without excuses, publishing my first book and hosting my television show called Get Real with Hillary.

[All images courtesy of Hillary Rubin]

Find out more about Hillary on her website or connect on Twitter.

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Cathy Bueti

I remember loving art when I was a child. I was always doodling something or spending hours with my coloring books. My most vivid art memory was when I created a pastel butterfly in the fourth grade. As I grew older art seemed to disappear as life got in the way. A crazy childhood with an alcoholic father, my parents divorce, becoming a widow at 25, and then a diagnosis of breast cancer at 31 halted any thoughts of creativity. I graduated college with a degree in occupational therapy and worked for almost 20 years in the healthcare field. After my husband was killed I began keeping a journal. I discovered I enjoyed writing. I continued journaling during my cancer experience and began writing a book hoping to one day share my experience and help others. It was during this time I also discovered a love of photography and most recently painting.

I remarried eight years ago and am now a 10 year cancer survivor. During the first few years after I finished my treatments I realised that something was missing. It was getting more and more difficult to work with patients after having been one myself. With my husband’s support I left my day job as an Occupational Therapist a couple of years ago and have the opportunity to create everyday. My life has been tough but what I have found is that creativity helps me deal with the fear that comes in a life after cancer. Being creative gets me to a nice place in my head and quiets my mind. I get lost in those moments with my art. I am discovering myself and seeing all that I am capable of which is more than I ever imagined.

In May 2009 my memoir “Breastless in the City” was published and I was able to fulfill my dream of being a writer. Last August I started my blog Artsy Butterfly where I share my creative life, pieces of my art, and pieces of myself. I also opened an etsy shop which allowed me to achieve another goal and put my art out there into the world to hopefully inspire others.

It was scary to leave a career I had done for so long. I thought, “who am I to even dream of anything else?” Then I thought about how much I have lost and how short life is. I started to realize that I couldn’t let the chance pass me by. I longed to live in the moment and do what would make me happy every day. I believe that everything I have been through has led me to this moment. I wouldn’t be who I am without surviving those difficult experiences.

I can’t help but smile when I think about the man who has shared a few pieces of my art with his little girls. One of them wants to be an artist too. It makes my heart happy to know they enjoy my work. It connects me with the little girl I was so long ago… the one who drew that pastel butterfly.

[All images courtesy of Cathy Bueti]

Cathy is a self taught photographer and mixed-media artist living in Brewster, New York. Visit her at Artsy Butterfly.

You are your own muse

Posted on 2011-06-15 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Something Vivienne McMaster said in a recent lesson in her photography e-course ‘You are your own muse’ really struck me. She said that when you take self-portrait photos you have all the control. Kind of obvious, but I had never thought about it before. It’s a really powerful thought if you don’t normally like pictures taken of yourself. So with that in mind I have been experimenting.

Here are a couple from my recent trip to Greece – I loved the way the shadows from my floppy sun hat fell on my face.

What do you think about taking pictures of yourself? Have you taken any lately?

[Images edited and altered using Picnik and Camerabag]

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PS – Read my new interview with Vivienne HERE!

Dreams do come true! Mandy Saile and Helen Agarwal share their stories

Posted on 2011-04-18 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This week we share the stories of Canadian artist Mandy Saile of Bijou’s Whimsy and ‘jack-of-all-creative-trades’ Helen Agarwal in the UK.

Mandy Saile

I am…

– A creative & inspired maker of whimsical things

– A gal who’s usually most comfortable around animals, or in rooms full of books

– A a self-confessed rabbit addict, animal lover and animal advocate

– Intensely sensitive, especially about animals

– Plagued by severe chronic and acute migraines which heavily affect my day to day life and creative business. But, I try to see them as positive in their own pain-riddled way, because the headaches and migraines really do force me to slow down and really take notice of the small simple beauties in life

– Slightly obsessive when it comes to my work – I am a workaholic when my head allows

– Hugely passionate, joyful and find some form of bliss in almost every single day because I am always acutely and nervously aware of how short life is

– Full of wanderlust and dream of great travel adventures but at the same time I’ve had a long-standing dream of opening a rabbit sanctuary for rescued test-lab rabbits…so I’ll have to find a way to do both

– Still finding my footing as an entrepreneur but have huge hopes, plans and dreams which I will stubbornly never give up on.

I am Mandy Saile of Bijou’s Whimsy, and this is my story…

I graduated from one of the best art schools around, the Ontario College of Art & Design with associate and honours standing in 1999. I minored in communication and design and majored in illustration. I’ve been an artist and have made the making of art a priority in my life since I was a kid. Lately however, I am realising that it’s not been that long since I’ve really been putting my artistic dreams out there to be answered or believing in the beauty of my own dreams.

In 2003, with the incredible support of my honey, I was ready to take the leap, pursue my own work, and I resigned from my beloved job as a gallery coordinator. A couple years of light-hearted attempts followed, when I thought I believed in myself, but looking back realise I didn’t. I was making tons of pictures, doing lots of work and building up my portfolio and style most definitely BUT I still lacked the courage and belief that I was truly good enough to make a living as an artist. I don’t think it was until I immersed myself in the online world, that I started to see all of the incredible opportunities available that could be mine.

Up until this point, my own dreams were not firmly set in my own heart as truly being possible. And, it’s really just in the last few days that I am starting to ease up on myself. For I am realising that I’ve not been giving it my all for THAT long, it just feels like I’ve been pursuing this art thing for a long time. Because though my dreams have long been big and lofty, I until recently didn’t realise the importance of courage, belief in oneself and the ability to accept abundance as being key factors in the road to success. I would say that it was in 2008 when I became more proactive; I started a blog, opened online shops and just started spreading my art around more and more and now I am really trying, NOW I feel like I am REALLY pursuing this art thing full time.

I can’t really think of a time when making art and being inspired by art was not a major part of my life. It was not however always a nurtured aspect of my life. Many people around me tried to persuade me that ‘art is not a steady or wise path’ , and even nowadays there are more naysayers than positive people around. I do often wonder where I would be now – whether I’d be much farther along the road of success – if my artistic nature and aspirations had been fully nurtured by others. But I’ve always been an artist and I always will be, regardless of where life takes me or how much money I make from it. Making images and being creativity is really just as necessary to me as air, food and shelter. Besides, my love and the rabbits, creativity and art makes up the rhythm of my heart beat.

With my art I want to create images that refresh the soul and fill the viewer with joy; I want to use a vibrant and rich colour palette to quench colour hungry eyes and hearts; I simply aspire to inspire and shed a bit of positivity into a world that is often negative; I want to show and speak of the strength, beauty and fragility of the human spirit, especially that of the female side; and I must create work that prompts reflection and brings attention to the beauty of animals and the need for their conservation & protection.

My perfect day doing what I love is one where I wake up refreshed with no head pain and the sun is streaming into the house basking everything in a golden light. Jazz is tinkling away in the background, and healthy happy rabbits are playing around my feet and napping all stretched out in the sunlight. It’s a day that feels full of promise and feels deeply positive in future plans, dreams and hopes. It’s a day where this soft blanket of peace falls over me because I know I am exactly what and where I should be in that day. It’s this incredibly intense knowledge that I am happy in my life because I could do this life, just as it is for the rest of time. It’s where the day feels long with oodles of time to snuggle rabbits, cook delicious meat-free meals, have plenty of time to read and to hang out with my spectacular honey. A day where I let assumptions, fears, doubts, pressures and expectation fall by the way side because instead I am welcoming in whimsy, abundance, light, luck and love. This is a perfect day for me.

[All images courtesy of Mandy Saile]

Find out more about Mandy on her website Bijou’s Whimsy, on her blog, or in her Etsy shop.

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Helen Agarwal

If you’d told the small girl who liked ‘making things’ that one day she’d have a studio – a whole building of her own – and that in it she would craft lovely things and show other people how to do the same…. she would have thought it too good to be true.

And my path to doing what I love has been as much about blasting apart the ‘too good to be true’ myth as it has about actually creating the dream. I’ve had to learn that we can have what we want….our wildest dreams, our deepest desires. They’re not pie in the sky; they’re put inside us for a very good reason. Because that’s who we’re meant to be.

It hasn’t been a straightforward journey. Nor a quick one. It’s encompassed ten years of illness and a move to another continent that I fought against tooth and nail. There were years of trying to figure out the road ahead before I took so much as a single step; years of going it alone; and years more of playing small. Ultimately, it took three years of solitude in order to get in touch with what I really wanted, establish new mindsets and put the basics of life in order.

I could write reams about the lessons learned along the way; and about the things – and the people – that have helped me get this far. But the biggest boost of all – the life-changing turning point – came when I went to Squam Art Workshops in the summer of 2009. I finally found my tribe…. and discovered the existence of the online creative community (how had I missed that one?!). That virtual – yet very real – world of connections has catapulted me forward to places I never dreamed of venturing. There’s so much inspiration, so much support out there. We are living in extraordinary times and I’m thrilled to be a part of them.

These days I don’t go it alone. I share the journey with friends; share my art with the world. I write and talk and teach and offer retreats so that others will be inspired to live their creative dreams, too.

And I keep showing up. Bottom line is, I’ve learned that you get to do what you love by doing what you love. So these days, there’s no more hanging back. No more dithering. I just do stuff. I let my inclination and gut feeling lead me. I say yes to whatever opportunity presents itself. And the consequence is that the road rises up to meet me. One bizarre circumstance leads to another. And I suddenly find myself places I never expected to be. But loving the journey!

So what exactly do I do?

Well, I write a blog. Take an inordinate number of photographs. I’m currently working on one book and have been asked to contribute to another. I’ll soon be running my first retreat here in the Pennines and I’m also going into business with a local holiday company. I’m designing a wedding, selling skirts, teaching regular piano classes and occasional craft workshops. Oh, and I travel a lot!

Friends comment on how opportunities fall effortlessly into my lap these days. They want to know how it happens. I say:
* Believe the creative life you yearn for is possible. Your dreams aren’t too big. They’re probably way too small.
* Just keep showing up. If you don’t know where to start, do SOMETHING. You don’t have to know where it’s going. But action creates momentum.
* Say yes to any opportunity that comes your way that sounds appealing. Even if it’s scary. Even if you don’t feel qualified.
* You don’t have to opt for just one passion. Or one expression of art. (Believing this one kept me in a place of stagnation for YEARS!)
* Don’t worry about finding your voice. Just do what comes naturally. Do the obvious thing. (Your obvious is totally different from the next person’s.)
* This journey has everything to do with mindset and attitude. Pay attention to those.
* Let go of perfectionism. It’ll kill the joy and halt the momentum. Practise imperfection!
* It’s more than okay – it’s actually necessary – to enjoy yourself! That’s usually when you’re most truly you and can be of most service to others.
* Dare to call yourself an artist. Claim the title. Others will treat you like one and you’ll step into those shoes.
* Connect with others. There’s a world of support and inspiration out there. Tap into it.
* Everyone’s journey will look different; will be unique. So don’t worry there isn’t room for you. Or that it’s been done before. Your journey – if authentic – will be beautiful and wholly your own.
* Let the future unfold. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you start Just accept what comes and see where it takes you. It’ll be far more exciting than anything you could have planned, anyway!

[All images courtesy of Helen Agarwall]

Helen is a writer, photographer, musician, textile artist and jack-of-all-creative-trades whose life and work are rooted in the landscape of the Pennine hills in Yorkshire. For more information visit her website, Instagram (dixonhillgirl) or connect on Twitter @dixonhillgirl.

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Would you like to share your story on Do What You Love? Please read this and contact me for more details.

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Registration for the Do What You Love retreat closes at 5pm UK time on Wednesday 27 April, so if you want to make a last minute booking please do so now!

Don’t miss this opportunity to get creatively inspired, relax in a stunning environment, meet a new community of lovely like-minded people and start or grow your creative business.

This is the ONLY Do What You Love retreat this year. Yorkshire Dales, England (May 11-15 2011) Register now!

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Finding the courage to do what you love: two inspirational ladies share their stories

Posted on 2011-04-11 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This week we share the stories of artists Brenda Mangalore of Sashe Studio in Australia, and Luisa of Happy Serendipity in Germany.

Brenda Mangalore

My story isn’t the usual tale of realising how much I hated my job and finding the courage to quit in pursuit of doing what I loved.

I left a ‘dream job’ as a graphic designer to pursue my hidden real desire of being a professional fine artist. I realised that you can be so close to your real dream (I was being creative after all!) and yet, by not being honest about what you really love, you’ll be just as unhappy as someone who really hated their job.

Battling my fear of failure in pursuit of something so ‘fanciful’ (fanciful = unrealistic & likely to fail) as being a fine artist, I discovered the world of design in high school and thought my dreams had come true! Here was a vocation that was employable PLUS it was creative. It was a lot of hard work but I persevered and pushed through the difficulties. I had to learn how to handle the doubts from well-meaning relatives and friends which only added to the fears. Thank goodness for the stubbornness of youth! I kept the momentum despite the scary by just moving forward, one step at a time.

I did get into university, even more amazingly I landed my dream job! Working in a fun creative studio designing greeting cards and paper products. I had achieved my goal, proved to myself and my very worried family that I could get a J-O-B doing something creative. This grew my faith in the inevitable success that comes when you pursue your goal with all you have, pushing through the fear.

Four years passed by and my yearning to be a visual fine artist continued to pester me. I knew, that deep down I wasn’t really happy. Something was missing. I battled with my inner fear & love-of-security monsters yelling at me, “It’s your dream job! You have travel opportunities like you wanted! You get to make pretty things and be creative all day! There are people who are stuck in boring jobs they hate! You don’t HATE your job! How can you DARE ask for more!”

I envied the stories I found online of artists leaving their jobs and starting their art-life. I realised I had a dream job, but it wasn’t MY dream job. I loved what I did but I wasn’t doing what I truly loved. I was so close to being what I dreamed to be and yet it felt so far away.

Fortunately, my dear husband patiently listened to my laments about wanting more. My sad realisation that on sick days I was glad I was ill and didn’t have to face work. My guilt at realising I fought so hard for this designer life and I didn’t want it anymore. He encouraged me with his full support to grasp at my dream and make it a reality. So mid-2010 I decided I would.

(Brenda next to her painting at her first group art show – “living her dream”)

I wish I could say “I’m living my happily ever after”. In a way I am, but I’m also at the beginning of a new story. Now when I read those blogs about artists and their life, I feel like I’m reading my own future diary but I still have to LIVE in the present. I’m being a full-time artist now! That isn’t to say all is sunshine and rainbows. The fear monsters still screams occasionally, my days are filled with learning to listen to both my monsters and faith. To be a beginner again means learning to be humble, being willing to fail. I realise I’ve had to change my lifestyle too, budget-wise as well as learning the difference in managing myself as a business owner vs being an employee. Learning to be kind to myself when I fail; learning to pick myself up and keep moving forward. Accepting baby steps instead of jumping to the happy ending; learning to celebrate those small steps too. Learning about all the knowledge I didn’t know I didn’t know to live an artist’s life and business, but it all began with making that choice to actively DO what I love. That has made all the difference.

In hindsight, I am grateful for the detours of my life. I think I needed to build up that faith in myself to pursue my journey now. I’ve also realised, I’m happy to make financial and time sacrifices, because I no longer needed shopping sprees or mindless hours of TV to anaesthetize myself from my unhappiness. I’m finding peaceful joy in the simpler things, because now I’m moving in the right direction towards a more meaningful, bigger picture.

I believe that we all have a life dream, an inner flame. We were created to pursue this dream, to do what we love. I also believe there will be a lot of hard work, tears and fears along the way — there is no rainbow without the rain! You just have to keep moving forward towards that life, even when you can’t SEE the light at the end of the tunnel. Have faith in the divine to partner with you to achieve what you were created to do! There will most likely never be a perfect time, or some heavenly sign to tell you when to start doing what you love. You just have to choose to begin. That will make all the difference!

[All images courtesy of Brenda Mangalore.]

Brenda Mangalore is an Artist, Designer, Dreamer, Doodler, Durian lover and Jelly’s mum. Sashé Studio is her online home where she shares her journey of creating this artist-life and business. You can join her in the Sashé Studio Society for exclusive news and goodies or find her on Facebook or Twitter.]

Luisa

Hello everyone. I’m Luisa and I blog on Happy Serendipity. I’m honored to be invited to tell my story here on Do What You Love. I’m currently taking the Do What You Love E-course which I so enjoy, and since I’m talking about what I love doing today here it is actually good exercise for me to find out – while writing this post – if I’m already there where I want to be.

I think I’m already doing a lot of things that I really love. Loving from the deep down bottom of my heart. For me doing what I love doesn’t only consists of actually “making” or “doing” things. On the one hand I DO have a great life which allows me to be creative and spontaneous. On the other hand I have a consistent job that feeds me well and that allows me to live in a dream apartment together with my partner. I am so grateful for being able to do all of those things that make me happy everyday.

(Found inspiration via Pinterest)

When it comes to really doing what I love I can say that I would love to turn my passion into a full-time occupation. I have a very dearly relationship with a sewing machine. Since some years I sew almost every day. It’s like an addiction to me. I sit by the machine and turn nothing into something, fully concentrated, dedicating all my heart and thoughts and love into every single piece. When I’m into a project that takes all my time and creativity there is nothing else that I can think of in that time. And then I saw this quote “Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about” and it hit me. I opened an Etsy shop end of last year and that was big step towards my dream. ALL summer I’ve sat day and night to get the first pieces done, I photographed, wrote descriptions and thought of how to let people know I’m out there, too. That was my first step and I was so proud of myself. I remember my first sale and I literally jumped through the roof.

(Some of Luisa’s lovely sewn creations)

And now I’m there with all my dreams and plans and a bunch of ideas that are coming out of my ears already but I’m totally stuck. Even terrified. The thought of quitting my day job, loosing the security of a monthly paycheck, my retirement pays and a steady day scare me. I don’t doubt my talent or my passion or that I could be so much more than a worker in an office but I just can’t do this right now. To be honest, I’m not brave enough. And I have not yet found a solution for this.

So what I do is keep on doing what I’m doing. I feel very blessed about everything I’ve accomplished by now and I reached the point where I can tell myself that it’s ok to still wait a little bit longer. I gave myself this year 2011 to find out what I really truly want. That’s a big thing to figure out. Throwing out wishes to the universe not knowing what the real wish is is just wrong. Until then I keep on sewing and blogging and just do what I love.

HA! See?! There we have it. I’m already doing what I love BUT there is so much more in store for me. And I’m really looking forward on working on my dream and to fight my way through my future.

[Images courtesy of Luisa]

Find out more about Luisa on her blog Happy Serendipity or on Twitter.

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Would you like to share your story on Do What You Love? Maybe you have some good advice on how we can all be more brave? If so I’d love to hear from you so please read this and contact me for more details.

Finding the courage to follow your heart: Erin Wigger and Louise Gale share their stories

Posted on 2011-03-14 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This week we share two stories from New York City – photojournalist Erin Wigger and Louise Gale, a British artist living in the US*.

* Since this post was published Louise has moved to Spain.

Erin Wagger

To do what I love means that I live with passion, purpose and a good amount of self-sacrifice. It means that every day I wake up and choose to live my life as a storyteller. I am a photographer and I tell life stories, death stories and everything in between.

I studied abroad for my sophomore year in Jerusalem, Israel and a friend’s father hooked me up with the number for the Associated Press office in town. I cold-called the editor and asked if he needed an intern. “I will clean your toilets or anything you need”, I remember telling him. I didn’t have a portfolio, or even any pictures to show, just hubris and the vague, unshakeable idea that this was the place for me. I now think he just wanted a cute young thing around the office, but it didn’t matter because I was in.

My first day on the job I photographed a demonstration in Bethlehem. Tear gas, rubber bullets and rocks. That was my first glimpse into real journalism. As I ran directly into the tear gas I remember thinking that this was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I decided right there to become a photojournalist. I spent the rest of the year photographing major events in Israel. I skipped class to go to demonstrations in Hebron and Ramallah. I talked my way into private Christmas services at the Church of the Nativity and took one of the only pictures of Yasser Arafat at a Christian mass. I was fearless and on fire. I failed most of my classes that year and never got a better education.

I went to school for photography, which isn’t for everyone, but I knew I needed to learn how to see. Anyone can press a button on a camera, but I wanted to know about who had come before me and find my place.

Now I freelance as a photographer in New York City, the most competitive place in this industry. It hasn’t been easy to survive. I do personal projects that make me no money and pray that they get noticed. But I still live for that thrill of meeting someone new and hearing their story. I am granted the gift of curiosity and this life enables me to indulge in it. I started photographing weddings and realized that there were stories there too, amazing ones that needed to be told truly.

I’ve had many crises of faith. Photojournalism is not a life that can be lived halfway. You will never be rich with money, but you will meet the most incredible people and be a small part of their lives. You will be a voice for them. I’ve backed away from my dream many, many times. I have been scared at the depth of my ambition. I want to tell big stories that matter and that’s what keeps me striving even when the going is rough.

(All images courtesy of Erin Wigger)

Find out more about Erin and her work on her website.

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Louise Gale

(Photo courtesy of Louise Gale)

I love that I can be creative everyday. I love that I go to bed at night contented and full of gratitude. I love waking up, excited to see what the day will bring. I love the connections I have made with other creative souls out there and the strong bonds that are forming. I love that I am listening to the universe and myself, and that I feel aligned and on the path I am meant to be on. There are so many things I am happy about in this present time of my life that I can honestly say I am doing what I love.

‘Burst’

My website was born to enable me to dream more, be inspired and inspire others, start creating art again and ultimately create the life I was born to live. It has done just that and I am so proud to say that I am now helping others dream big through my e-courses, and inspiring them with stories of serendipity and the universe. Through creating and exhibiting art, and through the life I am living, a wonderful community is forming, made up of people who support each other to explore and grow.

‘Green life or grey life?’

When I think of all the significant moments and scary decisions in my life, they have led me here, to do what I do, to the people I have met and the person I am. Growing up in the UK, my parents taught me “to go against the grain” and not always follow the crowd. My art teacher at school told me I wasn’t good enough – and that taught me “to try it anyway” (and guess what? I got in to art school!). Not having a job in a creative field right away taught me I could still be creative. The numerous jobs I had taught me it’s good to try new things and go back to your passion when the time is right. Living in Australia and travelling to far away lands taught me to be adventurous, face my fears and be a free spirit. There are many other life lessons have brought me to where I am now.

‘Botanical garden’

The greatest lesson in my life so far is to trust myself, my instincts and my intuition, and that positive thinking and determination will lead me to where I am meant to go. Being able to be creative every day saved me through the tough times of working in a windowless office and enabled me to actually realise, I COULD turn my dreams into reality.

May 1st 2011 marks my one year anniversary of this new life. The corporate life that brought me to America back in 2004 seems so far away now. I am also about to embark on training for my Life Coaching Certificate and I can’t wait to continue to help others follow their dreams.

‘Out of this world’

For more information about Louise, visit her website, or connect on Facebook.

[All images courtesy of Louise Gale]

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Would you like to share your story on Do What You Love? Please read this and contact me for more details.

Finding your purpose: three inspiring women share their stories

Posted on 2011-03-07 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s *shared stories* come from artists Jan Avellana of Hazelnut Cottage, from Hawaii, and Liv Lane and Bonnie Rose Kempenich in the US.

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Jan Avellana

“Doing what you love” is so closely tied into my vocation. After two degrees, a career in graphic design and a stint as an elementary school teacher, I became a first time mother. Taking my maternity leave I was such a relief! I was beyond miserable—no career ever seemed to fit and I was wading through depression, desperately seeking answers to what was wrong with me.

Today, doing what I love means I spend late nights in the studio pursuing my growing passion for mixed-media art and then, even after just a few hours of sleep, looking forward to spending my day with my family and my art. I not only love my life, I love my work! It has taken me my entire adult life to get to this place of joy.

I think I realized way back in design school during college that I wanted to be an artist. However, it wasn’t until a decade later that I re-discovered my creative passions. I was so filled with dread at the thought of going back to my 9-5 job and having to leave my two babies in someone else’s care. One night, I happened to stumble upon Etsy and the indie artist community. It was then that I knew I had found my tribe! I started out in 2007 with a line of hand-stamped silver jewelry. It has taken me a long time to understand and accept that I am a mixed-media artist and that connecting deeply with others through my work is integral to my sanity; it is indeed my God-given purpose!

After realizing that I was an indie artist, I opened up an Etsy shop under the name of Hazelnut Cottage. I began blogging. And slowly, slowly, found myself digging up long-abandoned dreams of being a mixed-media artist and a writer. About six months ago, I began playing in the studio; painting, creating collage and tiny clay pieces in earnest. I am currently making the transition from jewelry designer to mixed-media artist and hope to begin introducing a new line of paintings I am working on, soon!

Along the way I have had to sacrifice sleep! I opened up my Etsy shop when my youngest son was just about three months old, so there have been many sleepless nights. Now that I am transitioning from making jewelry (my current day job) to offering my mixed-media works for sale, there has been less income from my jewelry line. My family and I have also made lots of financial sacrifices now that much of my energy and time is now devoted to developing a body of mixed-media work.

With hindsight, I wish I had known myself better, sooner. I wish I had discovered and embraced my artistic loves at a much younger age. If anything, my sometimes tortured experience now compels me to encourage other artists—especially emerging artists—with the kind of support I wish I had back then, and still need today.

Now I have so many big art dreams! First and foremost, I want to develop a strong artistic style and a body of work that feels uniquely my own. I’ve been exploring in the studio quite a bit, but I have yet to settle on any particular style or media. My focus right now is to faithfully show up in the studio and guard against discouragement by quieting my inner critic and allowing myself to have fun making lots and lots of art!

[Images courtesy of Jan Avellana] Find out more about Jan over on her blog, or see her lovely creations in her Etsy shop, Hazlenut Cottage.

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Liv Lane

[Photo credit: Amy Zellmer for Savvy.MN]

I have a brand new light. Not in my house, but in my spirit. When I write or speak about getting unstuck and finding your passion, I often share how I went from living in the dark – the result of postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – to learning how to shine again from the inside out. Our lights may flicker and dim at certain points in our lives, but I believe it’s always possible to feel illuminated again – even brighter than before.

When my son was two, I took him to a music class. On the first day, we all sat in a circle – toddlers in their parents’ laps – and the teacher asked us to each share something we loved to do. As parents and kids shared their favorite pastimes, I started to panic. I couldn’t think of anything I enjoyed doing. My mind raced, my heart pounded. When it was our turn to share, my little boy blurted out, “play trucks!” And all I could utter was, “Me too. I like to play trucks, too.” That experience was a warning sign for me that something was wrong. You’d think it would have been the awareness that I’d pinpointed which bridges in town would be easiest to drive off or that I sobbed at the drop of a hat. But it was the realization that I no longer liked to do ANYTHING that caught my attention.

I know it sounds crazy, but it felt like I had joy amnesia. So, with help from my therapist, I began to discover the pastimes that made my heart skip a beat – some new, some old. I experimented with different activities, expanded my social circle, and gave myself permission to back out of the things that didn’t thrill me (sorry, neighborhood Bunco ladies!). Eventually, I began to notice the pastimes that illuminated true happiness within me: writing, broadcasting, taking photographs, antiquing, doodling, scrapbooking. Those were so much fun for me that I’d lose track of time.

Eventually, those hobbies not only brought joy back into my personal life, but some of them worked their way into my professional life. My corporate job no longer felt right; it stressed me out and didn’t fulfill me. So, my husband and I devised a plan that allowed me to leave the daily grind behind and work for myself – writing, blogging, picture-taking, speaking, and broadcasting about healing, happiness and the beauty in every day. I officially launched my one-woman company, Choosing Beauty, and threw an Independence Day party for myself on 7/7/07. I felt so free and energized!

My heart was so full that I never imagined there might be even more waiting for me around the bend. But now I have another twinkle in my eye: I’ve given birth to the artist within. Until 2010, I’d never been brave enough to call myself an artist. I loved making handmade treasures for loved ones and spent countless hours fawning over Etsy shops. But I never dreamed of creating my own. I was too worried that I wouldn’t measure up to professional artists or that people wouldn’t like my work.

Those fears flew out the window in the spring of 2010 when I discovered mixed media collage – a medium that lets me blend my writing, photography, and love of all things beautiful. On a whim, I signed up for Kelly Rae Roberts’ inaugural Flying Lessons e-course and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Through that class, I discovered an online community of amazing creative spirits and dream cheerleaders who rooted for me as I embraced my art. Suddenly, what others thought of my creations didn’t matter anymore. I felt too fulfilled and fired up to care.

[Image courtesy of Liv Lane]

I turned our dining room into my art studio (we call it the “dudio”) and I launched my Etsy shop in late August 2010. My husband worried that opening a shop and making money from my art might diminish the joy I get out of creating it. But the opposite has been true. Knowing my artwork touches others while providing a source of income inspires me to create from the heart. It helps put food on the table and it feeds my soul.

You know how a room changes so dramatically when you add a new light fixture? The whole space shines in a new way. Today, each facet of the work I do adds new dimension to my life and illuminates my path. I feel so blessed. Those dark days, when I couldn’t think of a single passion, now seem light years away. I am doing what I love and allowing myself to shine from the inside out.

Liv Lane is an artist, writer, radio host, and speaker dedicated to illuminating the magic in each day. She is also the creator of The Feel Good Deal of the Day – a weekday email featuring discounts on uplifting, creative resources and products. Find Liv at her Choosing Beauty blog and on Twitter (@choosingbeauty).

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Bonita Rose (Bonnie Rose) Kempenich

I am doing what I love every day and feel so so blessed with the life I am now living. I truly do. I’m a 49 year old mother of two beautiful young women, now living in Fargo with my husband, Greg and our dog Angel. My daughters live about 4 hours north of us up in Canada. I see them often in the school year and over holidays and breaks. Being a noncustodial parent, especially a mother can often be so hard. I find not many people can understand how I feel every day. And that’s okay. It takes a lot to walk a mile in my shoes, it really does.

And honestly, I’ve learned most are just too busy traveling on their own journeys in this life to figure out what they love. Each of our journeys is so so different. One thing I’ve learned is that art truly saves. It saves me every day. Every day.

Years ago, while living through the midst of an ugly divorce and custody battle, and having to deal with mediators and supervised visitation and all of that, I clung to my art, my crafting, my hobbies. It is what kept me alive during this time. It gave me hope for better days ahead. It sprinkled my days with joy when back then, joy was oh so very hard to come by.
Art has saved me over and over again.

There was a time when I thought to myself, why bother? Why me? So many people out there are making art, creating beautiful work, have gorgeous websites, why me? Why should I even try to do anything? It’s so easy to feel you aren’t valued. You aren’t worthy. You’re not good enough.

It’s a constant fight as a creative soul.
As a human being, I struggle daily with those thoughts.
Daily.

One thing I’ve realized in my life – through the challenging times, and even now, during times of comfort, is that people that take the time to show you love and support are the people that truly matter. They help you get to the other side. They uplift you when you so so need it. They whisper in your ear, things you can barely believe about yourself. You want to believe these things. So slowly, with every passing day, you grow stronger. You start to believe again. You start to look in the mirror and finally, you see all the possibilities.

Doing what you love.
It’s so different for each of us.
It truly is.
We all bring different talents and passions and our life stories to the table. We all have something to contribute. To give. To make this world a better place. We all have a way to inspire others. Every single one of us.

I chose the word COURAGEOUS as my word this year, and so far, it has steered me towards so many wonderful possibilities. So so many. I am currently developing my own website which will be unveiled at BonitaRose.com in the coming months – along with a shiny new blog and an Etsy shop makeover! I’m excited about the future, about what is to come!

Don’t get me wrong. All I really want to do is inspire. To share my creativity and my passions with all of you. I don’t look at blog statistics. I am not one to worry about how many comments I receive on my blog. I write, I share because it’s what I want to do. I want to inspire plain and simple. With lots of bold bold color! I’m doing what I love and right now, I feel so blessed to have a supportive tribe that loves me and supports me in my journey. Love to all of you that truly believe in me. People can make such a difference.

[All images courtesy of Bonnie Rose Kempenich.]

Find out more about Bonnie Rose on her blog, see her work in her Etsy shop or connect on Facebook or Twitter. Bonnie Rose also runs a self-paced e-course, Color Your World 2.0. The classroom opens on April 1st – you can register here.

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Would you like to share your story on Do What You Love? Please see here and contact me for more details.

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