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Never too old to do what you love: Pauline Leger and Janet Forrest share their stories

Posted on 2012-02-21 at 8:04 am.

Today’s shared stories come from Pauline Leger and Janet Forrest, two inspiring women in their fifties, who are proving that the rewards of doing what you love are huge and meaningful.

Pauline Leger

We all have our own definition of success. To me, success is waking up in the morning and feeling energized and inspired to face the day.

I’ve known people with full bank accounts and empty hearts, so I learned at a relatively young age that although money can certainly make life more comfortable, it is worthless if it is earned in a way that dishonours who we are.

It took me a while to find a career that suited me. I always knew I was an artist at heart, but like many others of my generation, felt the pressure to put my artistic endeavours aside and get myself a “real” job.

I did many things from being a bank teller to a prison guard, and finally in my mid twenties, at the advice of an old artist friend, I got a degree in Graphic Design. It was the closest profession (for me) to being an artist with the comfort of a regular paycheck. After graduating, I got a job as a designer with a large corporation. The work lacked challenge and creativity – but the salary was good and overtime hours were kept to a minimum – two big pluses for me at that age – so despite the boredom and the mundane meetings – I stayed… for 11 years.

Until that fateful Monday on May 17^th, 2004, when I and several other colleagues, were downsized – a fancy way to say fired. My husband and I were in the middle of building a new home and we had an eight year old son. Two weeks after I lost my job, my husband was laid off. Our worlds crumbled.

When I look back on this time, I remember a feeling of failure (although I had done nothing wrong) and the unsettling feeling of not knowing how we were going to manage. But I also remember a feeling of freedom. I had the choice all of a sudden, to DO WHAT I WANT. I had been in a corporate environment for 11 years, and although it had its benefits, I was suffocating.

I read somewhere that when we’re unable to make important decisions on our own, they’re made for us. It took me a while, but I eventually saw the loss of my job as an opportunity. All of a sudden, there was hope. I felt powerful and free to finally make my life what I wanted it to be. We always have this freedom, but money is often a great demotivator and we often stay in unfulfilling jobs for the wrong reasons.

In 2005, after much soul searching, I started a small homebased business and began freelancing. My initial reason for becoming an entrepreneur (I hate to admit) was based on fear. I didn’t want to put all my eggs in the same basket again. I didn’t want to be at the mercy of someone else’s rules, someone else’s decisions – especially when those decisions affected me directly. I wanted to drive the bus from now on and I was going to do everything I could to get myself at the wheel.

This initial fear transitioned into passion, and the passion into love, and I’ve been at the wheel now for seven years. With each passing day, I find myself more and more energized and inspired by what I do. I now divide my time between graphic design, illustrating children’s books, and teaching at a local college. I am totally fulfilled and I love waking up in the morning, knowing that I get to do what I love all day. By my standards, I am successful.

Doing what you love doesn’t mean it’s always easy, or that every day is filled with rainbows and sparkles. It means you’ve made the decision to follow your heart and you’re willing to do the work it takes to live the life you were meant to live. There are ups and downs and moments of doubt – but the rewards are huge and meaningful.

The Do What You Love e-course was definitely a catalyst to guide me towards an even more fulfilling creative life. It opened so many doors for me, and confirmed that I am indeed listening to my own heart. I am so grateful to Beth, and others like her, who have chosen to share their courage with the world and inspire us to follow our own paths.

[All images courtesy of Pauline Leger.]

Find out more about Pauline on her blog.

Janet Forrest

I am very fortunate to have spent the biggest part of my working life doing what I loved – I opened my own gift shop, and operated it for 20 years. There wasn’t a day during that time that I ever woke up in the morning wishing I didn’t have to go to work. I was able to use my creativity daily – buying merchandise, designing and implementing displays, promotions, doing newsletters… every once in awhile I even got to actually create product.

Then life changed, as it has a habit of doing, and I sold the business, or, as I’m fond of saying, I traded it in on grandchildren. Being a grandma (or Gaga, my grandchildren’s pet name for me!) is a wonderful experience, and caring for my babies while their parents work allows me to have a closer relationship with them than most grandmas get to have. But, they’ll soon be in school full time, and life will change again.

This year I will turn 60 <groan> and it has occurred to me that unless I’m thinking I’m going to make it to 120, I’m way past middle-aged and into (dare I say it?) elderly <big shudder!> territory. That means that if I have any goals or desires to accomplish anything else in my life, I’d better get to it! I like to think I’m a very young 59, (isn’t 60 the new 40?) but let’s face it, the years don’t lie!

Last year I began to feel the creative urge welling up in me in a big way. I had a vague notion that I wanted to paint, but I didn’t even know where to start. Roaming through the bookstore one day, I stumbled upon Kelly Rae Robert’s book Taking Flight. As I looked at her paintings it was as if my heart had been poured onto her canvas.

That led me to signing up for her class ‘Flying Lessons’ and to an incredible group of women, and between the classes and the support of my new tribe, I found the courage to begin a blog, and ultimately to paint. I’m still developing my style, but I’m painting. I’m actually painting. I am doing what I love!

Additionally, I’ve learned to dream, and to dream big. Kelly Rae put out a call for an unpaid internship to help her with a project she wants to do. Thanks to the confidence I’ve gained, I actually applied for the position, sent in the “audition” pieces she asked for, and just learned that I have been chosen for the position.

I have no idea what kind of adventures life still holds for me, but I’m looking forward to each and everyone of them, knowing I will spend the rest of my days doing what I love!

[Image courtesy of Janet Forrest.]

To find out more about Janet visit her blog.

To do list done. I’m off to Paris

Posted on 2012-02-14 at 3:37 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

Making notes with the help of Pia Jane Bijkerk’s lovely book ‘Paris: Made by Hand’

So excited to be heading off to Paris tomorrow with Rachael Taylor for my first ever design trade show. Love Paris. Cannot wait!

Any recommendations gladly received (especially of the papery or wine-related variety!)

A business with heART: Alison Bartram shares her story

Posted on 2012-02-13 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

I started sharing other people’s stories of doing what they love one whole year ago today! Since then we have had 50 postings with nearly 100 people from all over the world sharing their stories of courage and hope, chasing their dreams and making choices which allow them to do what they love, for life.

It seemed fitting that to mark one year of these *Shared Stories*, I should share a special one. Today’s powerful and inspiring story comes from Alison Bartram, owner of the (appropriately named) Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge.

Quite bizarrely, as I shared here a short while ago, Alison’s email about submitting to Shared stories arrived on my phone at the very moment I was standing outside her gallery on a day I happened to be visiting her town – how odd is that?

I don’t really know where to start with this as writing these words down is painful – far more painful than the spoken word as it is so much more permanent. However, I do feel that the time is right to tell my story, so here goes:

I opened and ran a very successful business with my first husband in the eighties – Bradford’s first and only punk, goth, metal shop called Fizz! We quickly opened another 2 outlets in Leeds, one shop and one unit in an ‘Afflecks Palace’ type of warehouse.

However, our personal relationship wasn’t good after our son was born in 1988 and so in 1990, when Adam was only 2, I made the decision to leave. This was a really difficult decision to make at the time as I was putting my own needs first before those of my son, Adam.

I had great support from my mum who encouraged me to go back and study and she loved looking after Adam whilst I took evening bar and club jobs to support us both.

I actually did not know what I wanted to do with my life at this point, I just knew I had to gain lots of office skills to enable me to jump out into the world of employment as I had been self-employed since getting married after traveling for a year. But I also knew that one day I would be my own boss again .. I just didn’t know when, where, what or how, but I knew. Call it feminine intuition!

When Adam was 7 I met a wonderful man, Bart, who loved me – warts and all! And believe me, after being single for some time (apart from the few really lovely relationships with guys who were sweet but not for me), there were a lot of warts as I was fiercely independent!! He had his work cut out romancing me as I was convinced I wanted to be alone with Adam and didn’t need anyone else in my life. Yet, a year later, to the day, we married and Adam gave me away and Mum made the speech ‘traditionally’ reserved for Dad. (I should say at this point that over the years my relationship with Dad was like a roller coaster, we weren’t really close since Mum and Dad split when I was 13. He was in my life but things were very strained between us.

Sadly Mum died the January after our August wedding and at the time of her death (11 weeks after her cancer diagnosis) I was 11 weeks pregnant. I knew that as her life was taken from me it would be given back and I would have a beautiful daughter .. which I did, Rebecca Kaye in 1997.

I missed mum dreadfully, we were best friends, but life goes on as we settle back into our routines doesn’t it? My sister, Rachel, seemed to cope much better than I did at the time, she’s 3 years younger than me, she was quite robotic as we organised the funeral and I was an emotional wreck. Yet inner strength was found at Mum’s funeral as we both got up to say a little piece – funny that, where does strength come from at a time like that? Little did I know I would need it again 8 years’ later.

After years of moving from one office job to another – I got bored easily once the challenge had gone – I found my ‘perfect’ admin job working at The Yorkshire Craft Centre, part of Bradford College. This married my admin skills in a creative environment and suddenly I knew that maybe I wouldn’t leave this job quite so quickly as those before! Every day was different as exhibitions were planned and I was just loving it. I was on cloud nine until something came along and burst my bubble.

My sister took her own life, January 8^th 2005. I’d called up for a cup of tea as she hadn’t been well and the family were worried about her. I was the only one with a key and as I pulled up outside I just knew that something was wrong. All her curtains were drawn and the house was deathly quiet with a strange smell I can’t describe. I found her naked on the bathroom floor, a brief note saying sorry in her bedroom and empty packets of tablets by her bed. This just wasn’t happening, it all felt so unreal as I made the call for an ambulance, rang Paul and Dad.

Rachel was diagnosed as manic depressive in her early twenties and struggled for many years with mood swings but I never thought she would take things to the next level. My world fell apart that day.

All arrangements for the funeral took place at my house with Dad, Bart, and Sandra, Dad’s partner, and a lot of it is a blur but one thing stands out for me which was a turning point in my relationship with Dad. He took my head in his hands and told me he loved me, something he hasn’t done for many, many years. Out of the negative came the positive.

Leaving home the day of Rachel’s funeral we followed the brightest rainbow, which was so poignant as Rachel was carried into church whilst Eva Cassidy sang ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ – there wasn’t a dry eye in the room and it was standing room only. That inner strength came back to me when I got up to speak a few words and has remained with me in my hour of need. That rainbow followed us to the crematorium also and appears in my life when I need it.

Losing my sister made me realise that nothing in life is certain and we have no idea what is around the corner so I quit my job and took a part-time job in an organic café whilst I thought about what was important in my life. Rachel had always told me I was wasting my life working for others, she had always told me that I should go out and grab that opportunity, she had always told me to open my own shop, she had always told me that nothing was impossible, she had always told me that tomorrow never comes .. and for her there are no more tomorrows. But for me there are and her death gave me the kick up the backside I needed to realise that dream – my when, where, what and how had arrived finally.

So the when was 2006, the where was Hebden Bridge, the what was a Contemporary Jewellery and Craft Gallery and the how was with support from my family … those still living and those that are now my guardian angels. Heart Gallery became a reality and no longer a dream, named because Rachel knew that having my own business was something I held close to my own heart for so many, many years.

Again the positive comes from the negative and I try to live every day as if it is my last. The passion I had the first day I put my key in the big black door of a former Baptist Chapel I had converted into a warm and inviting Gallery space is still with me today. I love my life, my home, my family, my friends, my customers, my designer/makers, my Gallery and my work. I still feel a great sense of pride when a new customer discovers me for the first time. No two days are ever the same and no two days ever go by without me thanking Mum and Rachel for looking over me, propping me up when I need it and celebrating with me when my achievements are recognised.

In 2008 I won Best Newcomer in the North and Scotland for gift retailing as voted by Progressive Gift and Home Magazine. That was a fantastic honour for me because I can pat myself on the back a hundred times a day when I know how hard I have worked so to be recognised by someone else makes me realise that it is all so worthwhile. In 2009 I was shortlisted for the Best Jeweller in the UK, also as voted by Progressive Gift and Home Magazine, and although I didn’t win I already felt I had just to get so close! In 2011 I was voted One of Top Five shops in Calderdale as voted by the people of Calderdale and also presented with a Magic Tenner Award.

I have refused to buy into all the negativity we are fed daily by the media. I go to work every day with a smile on my face, open my door to Heart Gallery, concentrate on my customers, enjoy my day and go home and enjoy quality time with my family.

I opened Heart Gallery because I am passionate about introducing new and emerging UK designer/makers specialising in beautiful jewellery and craft to Hebden Bridge. I opened Heart Gallery because I wanted to. I opened Heart Gallery because Rachel wanted me to.

It isn’t easy, 2010/2011 were very challenging years, and to take that leap of faith you have to be prepared to live and breathe your passion. Leap into it for all the wrong reasons and I sincerely believe that it will fail.

Heart Gallery is my dream and I will live it until old age creeps up and bites me!

[Image courtesy of Alison Bartram. ]

To find out more about Alison visit her website, blog or connect on Facebook or Twitter, or pop into her gorgeous gallery in Hebden Bridge.

A commitment to myself

Posted on 2012-02-08 at 9:43 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

I’ll admit it, I am a little bit exhausted these days. Believe me I am not complaining – I chose this path and I am so grateful that I am truly doing what I love. I am just making a note to myself that I need to take it a little easier in the coming months, and plan some slow time, not always be running at this crazy pace.

Just as I was in the middle of everything, trying to answer the phone, deal with a technical issue, get on top of my emails and arrange for some new doors for our house before we move in a few weeks, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find a huge bunch of beautiful white flowers, with a note from my family encouraging me to keep going with it all. Ah my precious family. They could not have timed it better. It was the little lift I needed to bring my energy back up but also to remind me to stop for a moment and literally smell the flowers. Thanks Mum!

I have always been someone who commits 100% and works at 100 miles an hour – which means I have also always been someone who has always found it really hard to take my foot off the pedal and practice gentle self care. So now I have committed to myself that I am going to slow down this year.

Once we have moved to Japan at the end of March I am going to take it easy. For months now it has felt like I have been standing at the door telling the whole queue of ideas waiting outside that they can’t come in yet. I’m not ready. So come the Spring I am going to be ready. I may need to continue at this same crazy pace for a few more weeks but I have cleared my diary from April and I am going to focus on soaking up the sweetness of life in Japan and let new ideas emerge and develop.

I cannot wait.

Finding beauty in the broken places: Wendy Brightbill shares her story

Posted on 2012-02-06 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared story comes from Wendy Brightbill.

To me, doing what I love means doing something that I am so passionate about that I just can’t help doing it. It’s what I would do every single day of my life even if I didn’t get paid a single dime. I feel so fortunate and grateful to have found what I really love doing, creating art and inspiring women to find beauty in the broken places.

The path that led me to becoming an artist is a tad bit unconventional and involved my life unraveling at the seams before I could piece them back together. But the devastation I experienced and the trials I endured allowed me to discover my true passion and made me who I am today, an artist.

Growing up, I was always consumed with creating. My sister and I would spend hours colouring and drawing and gluing and taping. I took a few art classes in high school and learned to draw. I was even pretty good at it. But I never saw myself as an artist, just that I was good at art. There is a difference.

I went on to teach Kindergarten, what I always thought I was meant to do. And there were aspects of teaching that I absolutely loved. I loved being creative and coming up with new curriculum. I loved the actual teaching and the fulfillment of watching my students learn. But there were so many parts of teaching that were very difficult, and just not me. I soon became weighed down by the amount of expectations placed on me. I grew very disillusioned with being a teacher and made a decision to quit in search of finding what I was really passionate about. I thought that meant going into business for myself but I really had no idea what was right around the corner.

The summer after I quit teaching, my life took a complete detour. A heart breaking, life-falling-apart detour. I was rear-ended in a car accident. The unraveling began with chronic pain and a brain injury. And slowly I watched as everything in my life came apart. We lost our home and experienced financial ruin. I was depressed and paralyzed by fear. My personality changed. I went from operating primarily from my left brain to being forced to use my right brain more. It has taken me years to fully recover and heal from this tragedy and I am still on this path of healing.

Art became a huge part of my healing process. At my lowest point, my mother gave me a copy of Kelly Rae Roberts book Taking Flight. My heart came alive as I was able to express my heart and my journey in ways that I never even thought possible. The messy free flowing nature of mixed media art truly spoke to my broken brain. I started making new connections in my brain and found that I could actually be more creative than I had ever been. What used to be difficult to my left brained self, flowed out of my paintbrush with ease and heart. I found the me who had always been there but could not come out until my brain injury. And I found a deep and lastly purpose in what I was doing.

I started my business A Girl and Her Brush where I create and sell art, blog, teach local art classes, teach an online class, write articles for national magazines and share my story with women all over the world. Last year I was published in four different Stampington magazines. And I started teaching again. I love that all the aspects I enjoyed about teaching I now get to do all the time without the parts that felt yucky.

I have big dreams for the future. I want to become licensed as an artist. I would love to write a book about my story. And one day I would love to open a studio where I would have big artists come from all over the world to teach classes and inspire women.

Looking back, I never expected that my brain injury would launch me into a life of doing what I love. I am so grateful that I was open to finding my passions and didn’t miss this creative calling.

[All images courtesy of Wendy Brightbill.]

Find out more about Wendy on her blog or Etsy shop.

Doing what you love begins with consciousness: Nicola Taylor shares her story

Posted on 2012-01-30 at 2:00 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared story comes from talented photographer Nicola Taylor.

For me, doing what you love begins with consciousness. What do I mean by that? I mean that sometimes we just have so many options available to us that it’s hard to know what we’d love to do. We don’t know which is the right thing for us and we expect that, when we find it, we’ll hear angels singing the Hallelujah chorus and a beam of light will shine down from the heavens, illuminating that one thing that will make it all complete. I don’t know about you, but that hasn’t been my experience. I spent a long time doing something that wasn’t what I loved and it took me a good couple of years of hard work just to clear the decks and figure out what to do next.

To take you back to the beginning of my story, two years ago I was working as a stockbroker in the City of London. I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing and, to be honest, I had no idea how I had got there. I think I had just stopped looking at the big picture and started focusing only on the choices in front of me. I did that job for seven years and I think I was happy for two of them. The rest were just wasted in stress and worry and fear that I couldn’t actually do anything else.

I think we all want the transitions to be smooth and easy but the truth is I couldn’t have known at that point that I wanted to be a photographer. I couldn’t see it from there. It’s kind of like being in a valley. You need to get to a higher vantage point in order to be able to see further afield. Sometimes, when all you can see are the mountains in your way, the first step is just trying to get to higher ground.

The moment of truth came for me on a January morning when I was meeting with my boss to allocate the many stressful and lonely business trips we had to take throughout the year. I remarked on how busy we were going to be and he turned to me and said “It’ll be November before you know it.” NOVEMBER. Almost 52 weeks gone… just like that. And the implications of that comment hit me between the eyes like a sledgehammer. As long as I was in that environment where a year went by in a blink of an eye, I would never have the space or the perspective to decide what I wanted to do next. I would never get a smooth transition. There was nothing else to be done. I would have to leave and face the discomfort.

I gave my notice a month later with no idea what I was going to do. I was fortunate in that my career had been very well paid and my unconscious had been protecting me by forcing me to be frugal for the past few years, so I had some savings and I decided to take a year off, a kind of sabbatical. I’m not the kind of person who can just wander aimlessly so I set myself things to do throughout the year, things that would keep me on track. A yoga teacher training in Bali, a writing retreat in the Scottish Highlands, an art retreat in New Hampshire and a nine month photography course at the London College of Communication.

And, although I didn’t know it at the time, everything was unfolding in just the right sequence. The yoga training was like a reset button for my life and gave me back my connection to my gut instinct. The writing retreat allowed me time for reflection on my life and the things I wanted. The art retreat gave me a tremendous sense of community and the bravery to try something with no idea whether I‘d be any good at it or not. And then, when it came to the photography course, I was ready. Everything that was inside of me was primed and ready to be expressed. And it was a little like the Hallelujah Chorus. But the angels could never have found me sitting on my butt in that cubicle. I had to take the first steps myself.

My big dream now is to continue exploring my own newly discovered creativity and, in time, to help others find theirs. I had written myself off as not being a creative person and that couldn’t have been further from the truth. In reality, I was paralysed by my own expectations of what an artist is and the judgments of my school art teachers. Not that they were wrong (I could show you a clay sculpture of a seal I made that would make you pee your pants laughing) but what they forgot is that creativity is so much more than technical artistic ability. We are all innately creative and we all have access to a medium that works for us, a medium that allows us to express ourselves with joy. I’m making it my mission in life is to convince people of the first and to help them find the second.

[All images courtesy of Nicola Taylor.]

Find more of her gorgeous photography here or connect on Facebook or Twitter.

Doing something that makes people feel good: Sheryl Gibbs shares her story

Posted on 2012-01-23 at 10:51 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared story comes from holistic aesthetician Sheryl Gibbs.

As a Holistic Aesthetician of over 23 years, I am truly blessed to love what I do. I am always grateful for the inner guidance I received many years ago that told me to do “something” that makes people feel good. After years spent working for large skin care manufacturers and performing treatments, I determined I would truly fulfill my desires if I could create the most effective, non sensitizing, but least toxic products possible. Having always had sensitive skin, very few products worked for me. I was also often frustrated with some of the ingredients of commercial products due to their toxicity concerns. Thus, I pursued a career as a skin specialist with the hopes of also helping others that face similar challenges.

Holistic studies were a large part of my career as I learned how important diet and the environment was for overall health and beauty. After years of meticulous research and development, I launched Sevani Botanica in 2010. Sevani, a word derived from sanskrit meaning “Devotion to the Earth,” was my contribution to healthy skin and a healthy planet. I spent countless hours in my lab fine-tuning formulations based on a “special blend” of organic nutrients, ayurvedic ingredients, cosmeceutical grade actives and potent antioxidants, all developed to balance, hydrate and prevent accelerating aging, while also nourishing the skin while respecting our fragile eco system.

I recently received a review on my brand stating that the ingredients were “so non-nasty the preservative comes from radishes.” While many brands label themselves as natural and organic many still utilize chemical preservatives, some of which have been banned in Europe. I will continuously strive to create the safest, most eco friendly, non toxic products possible. Additionally, I donate a portion of proceeds to animal welfare, another heartfelt passion, and another article in itself.

To date I still see my loyal clients of many years and custom-blend treatments and products for them daily. Nothing warms my heart more than reading a thankful letter or receiving a card or hug with the message “thank you for what you do for me.” My relationship with them is more than skin deep. I truly love my clients, and I love helping people that have and continue to suffer from similar skin challenges as I have. I believe that through Sevani products and my contribution, I can do just that.

I will continue to educate, blog, and inform others about ingredients and planetary concern. I appreciate the consideration for “Do What You Love.” I will continue to encourage everybody to follow their heart’s desires, to never give up, and to always keep their eyes on the prize. However, they should remember to not overextend themselves, to breathe, to meditate, and to take some time to just “be”.

[All images courtesy of Sheryl Gibbs, founder of Sevani Beauty]

Adventure planning

Posted on 2012-01-22 at 12:41 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

These days, in the quiet moments between the rushes of work, my mind drifts to the Orient, and to the adventures that are to come this year. Over the weekend we spent several happy hours shuffling through journalled lists of places we want to explore, things we want to do. Mostly we are just going to wait and see, but there is a delicious anticipation in the planning, and I am savouring that for now.

The importance of creating beautiful design & public art: a shared story

Posted on 2012-01-09 at 10:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared story comes from business partners and mural designers Sofia Lacin and Hennessy Christophel.

Doing what we truly love adds an element of energy and momentum that propels us to be the work not just do the work. It’s the difference between being inspired by the work itself, the process, the materials and the final product, rather than working hard to solely glean the rewards of hard work.

We founded Lacin/Christophel Mural & Design because we believe in the importance of creating beautiful design and public art. When we create a piece of art, we brainstorm until we’ve come up with a concept that really excites us. We paint or design until we see beauty in front of us. When we put art like that into the world, art that we love, we feel that we are making a meaningful contribution and truly connecting with people.

Doing work that we love and believe in allows us to collaborate with other people who are doing what they love. These connections give us a dynamic strength and motivation, and expands the work that we do through this energetic give and take with others that are moving through life with a passionate approach.

While painting our second mural for a frozen yogurt shop, we had an audience for the first time. People were excited by seeing the hand create right in front of their eyes. We knew that painting murals was something we enjoyed and felt satisfied by, but at that yogurt shop we realized this was something that had a tangible impact on others as well. After an invitation to do another commercial mural from some of those on-lookers, we realized that what we make is valuable, that there is a demand for the handmade, and that art is particularly important in our American culture where speed, convenience, and the temporary are often over emphasized.

As a team, we commit to the idea of making Lacin/Christophel Mural & Design work with our whole hearts, bodies, and minds. We don’t spend time questioning it, we just go for it. In order to have success, you have to believe in your work and your message wholeheartedly. Start by believing in the success, then follow your own lead.

One of the biggest benefits of working for ourselves is that we can choose jobs that challenge us as artists. Our work evolves with us. Because we work for ourselves, we have the freedom to choose projects that inspire us. We keep our curiosity alive by learning something new with each project.

(You can see how huge this is by looking at the size of the girls on top of the tank!)

There is an emotional sacrifice that has to be made when you put so much of yourself into your work. Our particular line of work is often very public and it’s not always easy being so exposed. When we started working on Same Sun, a public art installation for the City of Davis in Northern California, some of our civic audience questioned what we were doing. Our design was abstract, unusual, and produced vocal critics at the start of our project. We then realized that meaningful art pushes boundaries, creates controversy, and gets people talking and thinking about art in a good way.

In the end, it is only by making ourselves so vulnerable that we are able to create something with a meaningful presence in the community.

We take on this career project by project, learning what we need to each step of the way. The longer we work, the bigger our ideas, the more pieces we need to figure out.

Some very valuable approaches have emerged along the way. One main lesson we’ve learned is to separate work from home. We didn’t do this as well in the beginning, and ended up feeling like we were always working. Just having a separate desk only for business makes a difference. It helps us to move faster, and with more focus.

Working for yourself requires you to learn to be your own boss, critic, and cheerleader. We never allow ourselves to settle for anything but the best in our work, and sometimes that means an all-nighter. There is never a question of sacrificing the quality of work for time. It’s a lifestyle that we have cultivated into a regimented business with strict rules which we enforce on ourselves.

Running our own business we have to take ourselves seriously and insist that others do too. Yes we are artists, yes we are young women, but we work hard and we are professional every step of the way. Success in this field means knowing how to design and how to paint, but we’ve also had to learn things like networking, negotiating contracts, organizing our finances, operating two-ton scissor lifts, and using industrial paint sprayers. We’ve learned to never be intimidated by something just because it exceeds what is expected of us.

Working in this field we are always discovering new ways that art can transform. When we begin a project we consider everything about the location and the people who will experience the work. Our job is to create design that reveals something beautiful about a place. In this way we show people another layer that expands the way we experience the world. Artists are pioneers; we have the power to bring beauty and interest to places that no one wants to be, and be the beginning of something good.

We dream of reaching more and more people through art each year. We are delighted to find through the past years of painting in the public that almost everyone responds to art – whether positively or negatively. It’s a bridge between culture, language and class, and a way to unify people and strengthen the ties we all have to our deeper, more body-centered states. Successful art puts you in the moment, which is a very powerful feeling and gift. This is an experience we want to share with as many people as possible.

Some of our favorite projects have been murals donated to our community, such as Volunteers of America and Happy Tails. As a business we would love to have enough success to sink some resources into a non-profit sister organisation of Lacin/Christophel Mural & Design. We’ve learned some amazing things in choosing this career, such as how to be strong business women, and how to make positive change through art. We can’t imagine keeping these lessons to ourselves.

[All images courtesy of Sofia Lacin and Hennessy Christophel.]

Find out more about Sofia Lacin and Hennessy Christophel on their website Lacin/Christophel Mural & Design

Katie Clemons on how she started a business which celebrates memories

Posted on 2012-01-02 at 8:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared story comes from artist Katie Clemons who divides her time between Berlin, Germany and a hangar in rural Montana, USA.

Image via gadanke.com

You’re not going to jump up every morning and say, “This is awesome!” Every minute of every day just isn’t like that, right?

A journal with writing prompts can really demonstrate how you’re feeling. Like I look at this page of a home minibook called “Love Where We Live”, and I think, “YES! This is me doing what I love, being where I love to be.”

My grandma and I were sitting in a recording studio for NPR’s StoryCorp. It was her 90th birthday, and I was interviewing her about her life and what she loved to do.

She looked at me with sad blue eyes and said, “I don’t remember. I wish I did.”

There was nothing she could do. But I knew there was something that I could do.

When we lose our stories, there is no turning back. I began a deep study of memory keeping, essay writing, and journaling. I started keeping successful journals (no more of those half-written books or pages that go on and on about nothing). Then I started taking my techniques and creating journals of writing prompts to help other celebrate their stories. This has become a business – Gadanke.

I decided to create my first personal journals two weeks before I took my private pilot’s test. It was one week before my husband and I had to get out of our rental and three weeks before we were moving from rural Montana, USA to Berlin, Germany.

I knew in my gut: I had to go for it.

Sometimes, when you are challenging yourself with big, scary steps (like flying an airplane solo!), other things don’t scare you as much. You find courage and bravery. You do the seemingly impossible. And you succeed.

Sometimes, our parents have HUGE dreams for us in things like law and medicine. I loved what I was doing with Gadanke, but there was this whisper in the back of my head saying, “It’s not good enough. Your parents expected more.”

The day I accepted the EcoStar Award for my green business practices by the governor, my parents stood and cheered in the Capitol rotunda.

I kicked those little whisperers out of my head forever.

Success doesn’t have to start with the word “doctor”. You don’t need a series of letters behind your name and fancy diplomas on the wall.

Now my husband and I are remodelling an old airplane hangar. We want to build a little loft home in the back. We also want to give Gadanke its very own home in an underutilized storage space in the facility. It’s exciting! It’s exhausting. I’m blogging the progress at Making This Home.

[Images courtesy of Katie Clemons.]

Katie helps people capture memories and express their thoughts creatively with her eco-friendly journals. Her award-winning business, Gadanke, offers handmade journals filled with writing prompts and fun embellishments. Find out more about Katie on her blog Making This Home or in her shop, connect on Twitter (@MakingThisHome) or Facebook]