Kelly Rae Roberts's Blog, page 48

Weekend Spotlight Love

This will be the last weekend spotlight for a few months as I take a break from regularly posting here on my blog, thus suspending my sponsorship program. I want to take a moment and sincerely thank my sponsors for supporting me and this blog for the last many years. It's been an honor to feature them and their indie businesses! Please take a moment to check out the sidebar for their wonderful offerings. It's been a pleasure....


Andrea Scher – Cultivating Courage
One conscious, brave choice – every day for 30 days.

Who will you be on the other side?

Our creative superpowers are like muscles we can strengthen. When we flex our courage, we are rewarded with aliveness. As we build our capacity to be brave, we discover our confidence and our mojo. We trust ourselves more. The world opens up to us in new ways.

In this e-course, we will do one small thing every day that feels brave. No heroic feats of courage necessary, just simple, everyday courage!

You will also receive:
• Courage stories from Brene Brown, Julie Daly, Alexandra Franzen + other Superhero readers.
• Lessons in courage.
• Dares. Juicy ones. Totally optional. Think of them as courage prompts, ways to be brave that can support your journey.
• 3 juicy worksheets to keep you inspired and engaged in the process.

Join in for the inaugural session!

Class begins Monday, October 8th.

You can connect with Andrea through
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog



I’m Jessica Swift: full-time artist, surface pattern + textile designer, and rain boot renegade! And I just wrote my first e-book. It’s 120 pages chock full of stories and info about being a creative business owner.

Jump Trust Repeat is the story of my creative business: ups, down, mistakes, successes, and all. From the beginning when I was 23 years old until now, 8 years later. Part 1 of the book details my creative journey, the lessons I've learned along the way, and my insights into how to successfully navigate a career and life as a full-time working artist.

It's also a comprehensive tool full of answers to the nitty-gritty questions of how I run my business. Part 2 is question and answer style, filled with dozens of questions and detailed answers on topics like finances, licensing, social media, pricing, and trade shows.

If you’re an aspiring artist/creative biz owner looking for inspiration, encouragement, information, and answers, this is for you. Dive in and start thriving in your creative business!

You can connect with Jessica through
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog




Jennifer Valentine of Sacred Cake
You want the jewelry you wear to be meaningful and expressive. Not the latest fad. Not mass produced. Affordable. You want your jewelry to be like you…timeless and memorable. One of a kind.
How about something a bit different? Something with a history. Something with a special story…jewelry with a past, yet relevant to the present.
At Sacred Cake you will find affordable heirloom quality vintage assemblage jewelry combined with timeless appeal. Whether it is for your wedding, graduation, promotion, a gift, or for your everyday victories; look to me for personal service that you can always rely on to exceed your expectations and make you feel as special and as singular as you are.
There is only one you. There is only one Sacred Cake. Every piece tells a story. What will your story be?
*Kelly Rae readers receive free shipping + a special gift. Visit my etsy shop and enter the code “ONEOFAKIND” to receive your free shipping and your gift. I’d love for you to visit my blog for more simple projects, stories and inspiration.
You can connect with Jennifer through
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog

dimming = mediocrity

I believe this with my whole heart, but I've been especially thinking about this when it comes to being a parent. I wonder about the ways in which we invite mediocrity not just into our own lives when we dim our lights, but also into the lives of our kids. They need our example of shining brightly so that the nuances of mediocrity aren't in their everyday examples, in their homes, in their upbringing. 
One of my greatest wishes is to create a home in which our son True sees our light and in turn has full permission and expression to burn his own. I want that kind of brightness in our home. I want that kind of aliveness. I want that kind of energy. 

(matted and signed prints of this one available here)

And speaking of True, he's almost two, has started pretend play, can't get enough back rubs, and is the sweetest spirit I know. He makes be want to be better. Major inspiration.


Here's to shining brightly, friends!

Gorgeous Guest Post: Leah Shaver

The delightful Leah of LeahCreates shares the story of how she's learning to care for herself after a long internal battle of working too hard, gaining weight, and falling into depression. It's a familiar story of all the ways we lose sight of ourselves while tending to the stuff that is outwardly focused.  I admire her courage and what she's learning along the way.... and did you know that she is helping to create quirky, artful websites? The girl is talented and dedicated to self-care - love. By the way, she's gathering self-care stories for her blog - read below if you are interested. 



LeahCreates is the online moniker of Leah Shaver. As a designer and developer, she strives to bring art and whimsy to the web. She's been making websites since 1999, and opened LeahCreates Web Studio in 2009. LCWS specializes in websites and web strategy for artists and other creative entrepreneurs.

Leah grew up near Detroit, Michigan but calls Portsmouth, New Hampshire "home". She lives in a tiny bungalow with her fiancé, R.T., and a tiny zoo of little creatures. In addition to crafting a quirkier web, Leah's passions include mixed media art, photography, yoga, and riding her bicycle.





Right off the bat, here are some things that are true about me:
- I am self-employed.
- I am clinically depressed.
- I'm a workaholic.
- I gained 30lbs the first two years after starting my business.

When I say that last one, I feel so sorry for myself. Gaining a lot of weight is a good way to send yourself on a massive shame spiral. It's easy to beat yourself up. What's harder is to look at the reason – to look at what the weight gain is a symptom of, and then forgive yourself for that.

I wish I could say that I took that approach. That I wrapped the sad child inside of me in a giant bear hug and told her that it was okay. Instead, I buried my emotions even further in 16-hour work days and takeout Chinese.

Then, one day, in January of 2011, I woke up and couldn't stop crying. It all caught up to me. The two years I'd spent literally killing myself to build my business, the two years of neglecting every part of me that wasn't "on task".

That was a really scary day – but it changed everything in a big way.

After my little breakdown, I spent a lot of time with a wonderful therapist. (I was also medicated for awhile – I'm glossing over that because I'm not a medical professional and therefore have no relevant advice to offer in this area, but I do want to be very clear that there is no shame at all in taking such measures in the name of self-care.) She and I spent a lot of time getting down to the heart of a lot of issues, but the biggest thing I took away from my time with her was the art of caring for myself.

It turns out that caring for ourselves isn't selfish. As women who wear many hats -- business owner, artist, sister, daughter, mother, nanny, student, partner – this can be a difficult lesson to learn (and then relearn and then relearn again). I know that I have a tendency to want to check every item off the to-do list, to make sure everyone else's needs are met, before I even stop to consider my own.

It's no wonder that I gained so much weight in those two years. There was not a lot of Leah-love happening in that time, if I'm honest. It's really heartbreaking if you look at it from the other side, isn't it? It's really painful to reflect on the past month or year or decade and realize how much we've neglected our own self-care.

We all get to decide what self-care looks like for us. Here's what works for me:

Green smoothies

Of course this tops the list! I can imagine that, like me, you hear the term 'green smoothie' so many times in a day that it's barely even worth reading this paragraph. But just in case you need a gentle reminder - green smoothies are a marvelous way to nourish your physical body in a way that takes almost no time at all. I don't have the cool kid blender – I use the Target version of the Magic Bullet. Lately my smoothies are kale, PB2, hemp protein powder, half a banana, frozen berries, and coconut water or almond milk. Bam! Self-care in a glass.



Creative play time

I recently turned my dining nook into an art studio. The area is in a constant state of disarray, and I love that. There's no pressure to clean up when I'm finished – sometimes I don't even wash my brushes when I'm done. (Note: I ruin a lot of brushes.) This means that I can easily show up for five or ten or twenty minutes at a time and just play. I highly recommend having a play place like this. If you don't have room in your house to dedicate to your particular creative pursuit, maybe there's a way to make a mini version that you can easily pull out & put away again -- an art journal in which you can quickly do a page or two, a just-for-fun knitting project that you can knit just a few rows, etc. – try to put measures in place so that your creative play time doesn't require a time commitment.

Movement

Fact: I hate exercising. It's the easiest thing for me to convince myself I'm too busy to do it. Unfortunately it's also absolutely paramount to being the best version of myself. Lately, I mountain bike a few times a week – carving out two hours here and there to make time for that feels really luxurious. When I don't have that kind of time, I go for long walks with the dog and my fiancé, or I bounce on my rebounder, or I do a yoga DVD. Even as little as 15 minutes of stretching makes a big difference. Fit it in wherever you can. There's this standard of early morning workouts being ideal, but that's not true for every one. I am most successful with working out if I do it around 3pm.

Those are the three biggest things for me. Pair these with "basics" like plenty of sleep & water, and I'm truly the best version of myself that I can be.

I would love to hear your self-care stories. What is your minimal daily self-care requirement? In what ways have you struggled to care for yourself? What obstacles have you overcome?

I believe it's important that we share this journey -- that we continually show up and give each other permission to love ourselves first.

If you're so inclined, I would love the chance to share your self-care story on my own blog. Feel like sharing? You can email me at leah@leahcreates.com.

Joy,
Leah

PS. Sometimes self care comes in the form of releasing ourselves from our "do it all" expectations. I like to think that my Starter Sites are good tool for other creative entrepreneurs who need to break away from their DIY-website struggles. When you get in touch, mention that you came to my site via this guest post and receive a 10% discount on any Starter Site.

You can find Leah online hereWebsite | Blog | Twitter

The Possibilitarian Project: Rachael Taylor

The Possibilitarian Project is more than a blog series, it’s a movement. Because when you step forward as a Possibilitarian — and share the truth about how you created your beautifully messy, magnificently complicated & exquisitely joyful life and career — you give everyone else permission to dream bigger, be braver, and create what they want. And just like that, the impossible simply . . . . . isn’t.



Today we're talking with Rachael Taylor, a surface pattern designer who has exploded onto the scene in recent years with her unique designs, and her hugely popular ecourse. She recently signed on with legendary illustration agent, Lilla Rogers, and she also recently launched and co-founded the worlds first online surface pattern design magazine, Moyo (which is stunning). Whew!

I have had the pleasure of working with Rachael on a few different occasions where I found her to be an absolute delight, mega talented, super professional, and all out inspiring. She has a gift and determination that makes me want to get going. I also have huge respect for how she has recently handled any designer's nightmare. She is a brilliant teacher, full of integrity. Go, Rachael!

Please enjoy her story today. I love getting a glimpse into her beginnings, the place from which she started, the place from which has led her to where she is today. Inspiring.


I graduated with a BA (Hons) in Textile & Fashion Design from The University of Leeds.Pictured with two of my very good university friends.

::Roots::Who were you before you became a Possibilitarian? What was your ‘early’ career, or ‘previous life’?
I have always worked in the design industry; I was lucky enough to secure full-time employment straight after graduation. I initially worked for a year as a print and design technician for a small textile company. I then went to work for Hallmark, UK for a further two years; my role was a ‘mac designer’ and specialism was surface pattern design.

The experience of working in house was invaluable and the people were fantastic; however, I always felt more of a number than an individual designer. It was also very competitive, and I never felt I was being true to me. (I was never really allowed to draw from scratch or inject my own ideas; we generally received quite restrictive design briefs.) Early on in my career, I was happy to plod along and soak it all up, but after a while I really began to not enjoy my work at all. I always had a niggling uneasy feeling. It sounds odd but I always knew I was meant to do something else. I just needed to figure out what that was. I always say my ‘inner doodle’ was set free once I decided to go it alone.

Examples of work carried out during my 'Hallmark' days. I only ever designed straight on the computer. My work was a lot more graphic in style back then. I was never really asked to just draw from my head or doodle; it was a rare occasion! I designed a lot of generic gift wrap and a LOT of Christmas products.

::Dreams::What did you (secretly) long for, in that previous life?
I longed to be unrestricted and free within my work. I dreamt of being left to do my own things. I wanted to design and create art based on my personality, my instincts and how I felt rather than creating designs that would tick a particular box or area in the marketplace.

I love spontaneity, and I longed to apply this to more lifestyle and design work. I always hoped I would work for myself one day and imagined myself becoming a freelance designer.

Wire Stitch'- early mixed media piece.

Early on in my career I was very 'hands on.' I was a trained screen printer and specialised in machine embroidery during university. I've always loved mess, texture and spontaneity. This is something I still try and apply to my commercial design to inject a little of the 'old me' into my work. This piece was created during my university days and demonstrates how 'free' I like to work, it just feels more natural to me. I use to doodle and create marks using the sewing machine!
Most of my current collections incorporate some sort of free line work, texture, paint splats or mark making, when  I started on my own in 2008, I actually dug out all of my old university work to inspire me. I had become so  commercial and lost who I really was. It was a great eye opener for me and it help me remember what I loved about design so much!

::Moment of Truth::Was there a pivotal moment when everything shifted? What happened?
Initially planned to leave full time employment in October 2008; however, I handed my notice in during April 2008. I had become quite unhappy and was really feeling lost, I felt like the creative world was becoming out of reach, and at one point (just for a split second) I even considered giving up my designing! The moment I felt like that I knew it was time to hand my notice in. I’m very lucky to have wonderful supportive friends and family around me. At this point I didn’t have a definite plan or work lined up but I knew my happiness was more important. It was quite risky, as I had just bought a house with my partner, but I was willing to take on any temporary/casual work whilst I figured out how to create my new creative life.

I had to give a months notice and during that month I worked crazy hours, building up my portfolio and setting up meetings with potential clients. In the beginning I took baby steps and set myself weekly goals. It was scary, but I knew I really had to go for it. I did get a few ‘no’s’ in the beginning, but I believed in myself and knew it would take time. Dealing with rejection can be hard, but I’m someone who doesn’t like the ‘what ifs;’ I’d rather try something than to have never of given something a chance. I love the saying "Never regret the things you do; only the things you don’t."


I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and it could be difficult financially at the start, but I was prepared to make a lot of sacrifices to make it happen. I really want to be in it for the long haul, and I knew it wasn’t a spur of the moment career path. I really hope to have longeveity as a designer.

I love this quote:

“Entrepreneurship – is living a few years of your life like most people won’t,so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t."– Unknown
I gradually built up a small amount of clients and took each ‘yes’ and new contract as a sign I was doing the right thing. And as the each job came in, I gained more confidence and courage. I wanted to design in a way that was true to me. For nearly a whole year I built up lots of collections in my own time (on top of working on freelance projects for others). I was lucky enough to be able to design my own website with the help of a very talented friend. My website and work received a lovely review on the renowned ‘Print and Pattern’ blog in February 2009 and from then on I became recognized as an independent designer.



After freelancing for a while (as an unnamed artist), I dreamed of putting my own stamp on products and being able to add my name to collections sold in the marketplace. After lots of independent bespoke requests I decided to launch a small product line in the UK (I looked after and managed the manufacturing) and shortly after I started receiving licensing requests as companies saw the potential that my own individual collections had. I never assumed I’d become an international brand, I just wanted to be recognized as an independent artist. But before I knew it, I had built a design label. I think being true to myself and injecting my own personality into my work and website created a look that defined my signature style. It felt like an organic and laid back process rather than being contrived. It also attracted the type of clientele I dreamed of working for.

An example of Rachael's current work
::Change::How has your life changed since then?
My life really has been one roller coaster; there have been ups and downs and lots of sacrifices. I really wouldn’t change a thing! I have been on such an exciting life-changing journey. I have really had to learn on the job, and I’ve made some mistakes along the way. I believe things can happen for reason, and every little thing (good or bad) has played a part in my career and shaped my creative path.



::Awesomeness::Where are you NOW? What have you created, what’s on the horizon, and how have you been applauded & recognized for your work? (This is your chance to brag away & BIG yourself up! Go for it!)
At the moment I’m in a really good place. I really pushed myself this past year (and had little sleep and minimal time off), but the hard really does pay off! I’m so thankful for all the exciting opportunities that I have received and am very lucky to have worked on some wonderful projects, including the e-course I launched with award-winning entrepreneur Beth Nicholls at the end of 2011. ‘The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design’ (the e-course) really has changed my life. I have been able to connect with creative people from all the around the world, and it has been a great learning curve for me too. I feel truly blessed at the moment; working on the e-course has been so rewarding. I’ve literally been in tears (happy tears!) and so overwhelmed by some of the feedback we have received. To know you have had a positive impact on someone’s life is such an honor, and it is really mind-blowing!

I have always designed organically and spontaneously most of the time. I just play my music and draw freely. I try to let my work just happen, and more often than not it’s a happy accident. The fact that the majority of my clients give me this freedom and recognize my natural style has been a great reward and something I've always longed for! My patterns are applied to various products, and my style seems to translate easily and adapts to various areas of the market.


Sometimes the same design has been used multiple times from decorating iPhone covers right through to large-scale wallpapers! It’s so rewarding to see your own design in the marketplace, but to see it presented in various ways at the same time is really exciting! I have to pinch myself sometimes…


The international growth of my business has expanded rapidly over the past twelve months. It has been amazing yet exhausting. I’m truly grateful to now be in a position to hire help. I have a fantastic assistant and wonderful PR consultant. At the moment I’m trying get the work/life balance back as I’m a little addicted to my work! I really do pour my heart and soul into my business, but I now understand the importance of holidays and taking time out.

As a creative person you need to feel fresh and inspired, so always remember to be kind to yourself at the same time! (Easier said than done sometimes.)

My licensing and e-course is really booming at the moment. I’m now in my fourth year of flying solo, and I’ve never looked back! For me to keep doing what I love is a dream come true! I never take my work for granted, and I’m so honored to have worked and collaborated with so many talented people. I love the fact that every day is different, and I wake up every day excited by the possibilities and opportunities that are ahead. I dread thinking about what would have happened if I had never had the courage to take that leap!? I may not been designing right now!



::Advice::What’s ONE piece of advice or encouragement you’d give to someone who’s facing their own pivotal moment, right now?
To believe in yourself; take that leap! I always think if you want something so much you really can make it happen. I made a promise to myself to stay truly dedicated to my goal (and never, EVER give up!). I tried not to worry and think too much about the big picture, that way you are not so overwhelmed. Daily, weekly and monthly goals are realistic and manageable. I think if you don’t try something it will always niggle away at you so you might as well as just go for it! Remember to celebrate your achievements along the way no matter how big or small. When you're having a bad day and things are not going to plan it’s important to reflect and remind yourself how far you come. Life really is short so make the most of every opportunity and chance that you are given.


Thank you, Rachael! You can connect with Rachael through
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog


Rachael Taylor is A Possibilitarian. Are you?Feel free to snag any and all of these for your sidebars. I just ask that you kindly link it to ThePossibilitarianProject.com so that others can join in the fun. Thank you!



Do YOU know a brave, tender & wildly inspiring person . . . someone who has created their dream life & career, on their own courageous terms? Nominate them for The Possibilitarian Project!

Our dreams don't belong to us. They belong to the world.

There's been this thing that's been lurking around for a few years. A dream. I've written about it here in this blog space just a tiny amount over the years. Meanwhile it's been hiding out in the pockets of my heart, waiting in the wings so to speak, standing in line, patiently waiting for its turn to be born. I like to think that my heart has been its incubator, slowly growing this little dream's purpose from tiny whisper to what now feels like a calling, sometimes even a scream.


This particular dream has been slowly, now more aggressively, tugging at my sleeve, like a child trying to get my attention. I've not turned its direction yet, and so the tugging continues. And so the tension continues. We're in a bit of a power struggle, me and this dream. As much as I'd love to tell it to back off, that I'm busy, that I have a small child, a full time job, and on and on, I know better. It knows better. 

The more I lean in and listen, I'm sure all the tugging and the tension has something to do with with my having some vague angst about my creative journey lately. And when I say lately, I mean about an entire year. And when I say vague I mean a deep sense that something is turning the tide, like my path is nearing a curve, yet I can't clearly see where or when, but I can just tell. I just know.


Clearings are made to hold the uncertainty. Journals are kept to work it out. Tears are shed. But mostly, there's a whole lot of trusting the process. The process of unearthing and birthing. Discovering and learning. Growing pains. Big stuff. Uncertain stuff. Important stuff. It's not just about my creative journey, it's about my life's journey.

And the same is true for you. Tugging + tension = something is shifting. We have to listen. Our dreams know well before we do what is possible. We're just slower to respond and get on the same page because we're sure that there's not enough time, not enough money, not enough energy.

As someone who has had the privilege of living with a remarkable dream these last many years, I'm learning that our dreams have big messages for the world - this is their gift and their purpose. Messages for us. For our families. For the world. They're spiritual entities. We are simply their human deliverer, our hearts their incubators, our birthing them through hard work their legacy.

They can be modest, internal dreams (learning to apologize, to forgive, to love, etc), or external pipe dreams (create a small/big business, write a book, etc). Either way, their impact is the same. They change families, friendships, neighborhoods.....the world. And they start with a tug on our sleeves.

We have to listen.

I used to think that a dream was something we wanted, that was born of us, from us, delivered by us, made real and true by us and all of our hard work. But now I see how limited that view is. It's a human view that comes with it all the limitations that we humans have. Dreams aren't meant to have limitations. They're meant to defy limitations. Now I think of dreams as divine entities that have chosen us to be their human delivery service if you will. They choose us - for our specific experiences, our good, our bad, our brokenness, our wholeness, our potential - to be the deliverer of their message, whatever it may be. They know we're the best person for the job. Despite our imperfectness.  Despite our limits. Despite our fears. What an honor.
They choose us. We don't choose them. 
So, in this way, our dreams don't belong to us. They belong to the world. It's our responsibility to listen to their tugging on our sleeves. To face their direction. To deliver them and their powerful messages to the world with all the hard work and courage we can muster.  We give our dreams a vessel for being born. And they give us a sense of purpose, aliveness, joy. That's what I call a perfect partnership. And perhaps our most important, soul filling, impactful work while here.


What's tugging on your sleeve? What dream is waiting for you to usher it into this life? Whatever it is, however simple or big or out of reach it may feel, it's got a purpose, and it has chosen you to deliver its message. You are the one it has been waiting for. And it promises to be one of the many dreams in your life that will give you the gift of showing you who you are, what you're capable of, and what your purpose can be. 
By the way, my dream, the one that has been tugging on my sleeve? It wants me to write and then it wants me to speak. Like in front of people. On a stage, with a microphone. I'm scared to death. But I'm listening and leaning in. And hopeful that it choose the right person for the job. 

Weekend Spotlight Love

Weekend Spotlight Love is a weekly series that features my amazing sponsors. Want to reach 150,000+ Possibilitarians with your business message – every month? Become a Sponsor – all the details are right over here.


My Super Power is teaching you to draw a beautiful face, my Secret Weapons are my figure drawing Techniques ...my Kryptonite is art supplies!

I started teaching online last year, and have flown with my students as we leap obstacles such as perfectionism, blank canvasitis, drawing hands and - gasp - painting hair!

Watching a person blossom before my eyes is a little bit miraculous… being part of each of my student’s creative journey gives me a HUGE smile too… I want to empower you through harnessing your creative confidence. My aim is always to load you up with skills and get you madly art-brave and drunk with your own brilliance!

In case you haven't guessed, I believe that art doesn’t have to be serious to be meaningful. My nickname is Danger and I like to live up to it. I took the leap to full-time Artist 12 years ago and since then my work has been exhibited internationally, published and licensed. But it wasn't until I began Art Journaling and fully embraced drawing and painting that I felt all the dots were creatively connected within me.

Come and have a peep at what the buzz is about at my site.

You can connect with Jane through
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog



Montage is a brand new E-Course from photographer Vivienne McMaster that invites you to tell your story through moving pictures.

This is a project based course in which folks are invited to create a soulful video that tells their story. Be it for your business, your blog or because you have a story that needs to be told, Vivienne will be arming you with skills to create your video.
Her courses also can’t help but be playful and quirky and this one is no different. Vivienne will help you seek out the story that needs to be told and invite you to let your creative intuition bring it out. The course is both technical and playful and the first session sold out within one week!
There is one more session coming up this November!
Are you craving to tell your story in video and moving photos? The time is now!
You can find out more about Montage as well as Vivienne’s other inspiring classes over at her site!
You can also connect with Vivienne through
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog


Tattered Inspirations is an online shop created by Carol Mead who has an affinity with vintage and vintage inspired products.
Tattered Inspirations provides creative products with a vintage heart to use in your scrapbooking, cards and mixed media art. We aim to encourage and inspire you to do something creatively different out of your comfort zone, in new and exciting ways, with unique vintage inspired products.

Tattered Inspirations Shop offers vintage inspired kits with vintage elements, such as hat pins, flowers and a range of embellishments and kits that cannot be sourced anywhere else. We have customers from Australia and overseas and offer a flat rate postage rate.

The Design Team Michelle Lark, Rachel Walsh, Helen Jolly and Belinda Comerford creatively use the products in exciting ways. These amazing artists provide our customers with inspiration to make their own creations something really special. There is a Tattered Inspirations Blog and a monthly email newsletter too.

Tattered Inspirations is offering a 10% discount for Kelly Rae's readers, enter the code kr2012 before you complete your order.
You can connect with Carol through
Facebook  |  Blog  |  Etsy


Big thanks to my sponsors! I'm honored to highlight their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor you can find out more information here. [image error]

evidence of evolution: website + giveaway winner announced

Recently, I shared the evolution of what my blog has looked like over the years (since 2005!) and this week I'd thought I'd share the evolution of my website. So grateful for this web archiving site that takes screenshots so that we can travel back and see our sites (or any sites for that matter). I love looking back, reading old journals, looking at old photos - just evidence of evolution and evidence of a life lived.
Above is my first website ever. Built it myself over a long weekend in the Fall of 2006. I was such a new artist. NEW! Naive. Had no idea what I was doing at all. New as in having never painted a lick prior to about 7 months before this site debuted. I was living on passion in those days, like the ways we live when we fall in love. Little sleep. Little food. Just pure adrenalin, passion, and dreams.   I changed it up a little bit in 2007. Above is what it looked like until......

late 2009 when I finally invested in hiring a programmer and designer. Huge difference. One of the best decisions I made for my growing business at that time. I had this version of my site until.....

earlier this year (2012). I'm loving this new look. Love evolution. Love how we change. 
Love how we all start somewhere.

Today is the LAST day to sign up for my ecourse where I share everything I've learned along the way when it comes to starting from scratch and building a successful creative business. Are you in? This is your last chance. I'd love for you to join in the amazingness that has been  happening since the classroom opened up earlier this week! Click here to register!



And the giveaway goes to...
One person will receive a spot in Tara Sophia Mohr's Playing Big program for women.

Lauren said...Wow, I am flabbergasted! I had no idea that other people felt exactly this way: "What I’m doing now is okay, but I have an inkling I am meant to do something bigger." I have had this feeling -- of something bigger -- my entire life. I can't pinpoint when it started, the knowing that there was a mountain-bursting-with-lava amount of potential about to erupt inside of me, but I don't remember a time when it wasn't there. I do, however, remember times when it lay dormant. Like, right out of college when I was living in the wrong city, working in the wrong job. Or my first frew years of motherhood, when post-partum depression took over and I couldn't find my inner peace, let alone a will to create. But, the good news is: it is back! It is here, stronger than before, with my big and beautiful 40th birthday this year I can see it, feel it, and I know my something big is in there! I'm not afraid anymore...I am letting the universe propel me with its inertia and off I go! I can only imagine how amazing Tara's course would be in aligning myself with my dream. I would be beyond grateful for an opportunity to participate. Thank you for allowing me to throw my pink cowgirl hat in the ring!

Congratulations, Lauren! Please email us with your contact information so you can claim your prize.  [image error]

Hello, Maui

Dear Maui,   Thank you for your wide open spaces. Your big skies. Your insistence that we all take a breath and.....pause.      Thank you for the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen atop a volcano, above the clouds, and in the arms of my best friend.   Thank you for the moments of wow, the joy....   and the exhausting kind of fun.    Thank you for the time with our well loved friends....  and crushes.    Thank you for the opportunity to witness the celebration, the joining, the commitment of two amazing souls in love. It's been a long time since I cried at a wedding, and the tears were happy and full.  Thank you for your sunsets. It's rare that we get anything near this gorgeous in Portland.    I especially thank you for the downtime....   The all out lounging...   The time with family...   and each other.     We're having the best time. Unplugged and grateful. XO, all of us. [image error]

Gorgeous Guest Post: Tara Sophia Mohr (and Giveaway!)

I am thrilled to bring the wisdom of Tara Sophia Mohr to this space today.  I'm a fan. Of her. Of her message. Of the way she delivers her message. I have watched all of her TV appearances, have read her Huffington Post articles, and have devoured her story. I love that she helps create a world in which women play big. It's a wonderful mission, and she is a wonderful leader for women (including myself) who seek to be in touch with how they can best use their voice to make an impact in the world.
Get ready to be inspired. And guess what? Tara is giving away a spot in her Playing Big program to one lucky commenter today! We are so lucky!

 How to Turn Your Vision Into Reality
About four years ago, in the fall of 2008, I wrote a vision list.

I sat down one rainy morning, and admitted to myself what I really wanted for my life.

I’ve never shared anything from this vision list publicly before, but now it’s time.

At the time I wrote the list, I was a glorified paper-pusher at a large foundation. My day-to-day work was evaluating grant applications and helping committees make funding decisions.

I had grown up madly in love with the arts, but I had lost my confidence in prestigious, competitive writing and theater classes where every day my work was evaluated and graded – with no attention to nurturing the creative spirit doing that work.

I had a passion for personal growth, spirituality, and women’s empowerment – but that too had become buried.

All of that meant that when I wrote this vision list, each line of it seemed a distant impossible vision.

Here’s what I wrote:
I am fully alive as a compassionate healer, spiritual guide and radical thinker. It is all alive and expressed. Creative writing is a meaningful pursuit for me and flows forth from me. The business of writing is working for me, and my voice is getting out there to an audience in the world. I am standing at a podium or in front of a camera speaking to an audience at least 3 times a week. I have ample time (alongside work and play) for my own spiritual and personal development. I am once again connected to the excitement of life and feel it as I live each day. Four years later, I can tell you: something truly amazing happened. These visions, which once seemed so distant and impossible, are now my reality.

I’m a professional writer. My creativity, which four years ago was hacked to pieces, is now the thriving heartbeat of my life.

I speak to groups and appear on TV regularly.

My work is about compassion, soulfulness, and helping women bring their voices and their work into the world.

A few things made a big difference in making that transformation possible in my own life. Now I teach these tools and ideas to other women, so they can walk their own journey to playing bigger:

1. Develop a clear picture of the woman you want to become. Her home. Her office. Her presence. Her schedule. As you make day-to-day choices, ask yourself, “What choice would she make here?” Do what she would do, and you’ll find yourself becoming her.

2. Get yourself some allies, but not just any kind. Build relationships with women who believe in the vision you are working toward – I call them “people who see the future that hasn’t arrived yet.” One of the reasons I now do group programs – rather than one-on-one coaching – is because like-minded community is an essential part of women’s journeys to playing bigger.

3. Get your own back. We cross-examine our hearts’ desires. We ask skeptical questions of them. We stand opposite our tender dreams, arms crossed, saying, “Is that really realistic?” “How would you do that?” “Who do you think you are?”

Shift your position. Walk around to stand next to your dreams. Link arms. Whisper to them, “Honey, I hear you. I don’t know quite how we are going to get there yet. I don’t know what’s possible and what’s not. But I promise you together we will do everything we can to get there. I’ve got your back.”


In my Playing Big program for women, we dive deeper into all this – and much more. More than 250 women have gone through the Playing Big journey, with rave reviews.

I’m giving a spot away to a member of Kelly Rae’s community. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here explaining why you’d like to participate in the course, and what Playing Big looks like for you.

Before you enter, please check out the course info HERE to see if this is a good fit for you and confirm that you are up for the 6-month, in-depth program experience!

Love,
Tara

You can connect with Tara through her
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog

remember who you wanted to be...love this.

I recently shared a photo of a bumber sticker that read, "Remember Who You Wanted To Be." I've been thinking of it ever since and I had to, HAD to include these words in a new collage painting.  I love the simple reminder. It feels so relevant to me with having a growing human being toddler boy in my life. So many dreams, so much joy, so much possibility held in our youth. I want to remember and keep moving forward in the direction of who I wanted to be, who I am, and who I'm becoming with each breath. 
If you'd like the simple reminder as well, we've just put this new print in the shop :)
PS: Anybody know who this saying can be attributed to? Google doesn't come up with anything....
I also wanted to share a quick announcement:Starting next month (Sept!), I'll be hosting one big day of giveaways on my blog — digital products, handmade products, free coaching calls — or a creative treat, of your creation. You’ll get a lovely blurb with your business & giveaway details, plus a sidebar ad for a whole month. Everybody loves giveaways — get ready for a wave of grateful attention!
We are currently accepting giveaways for the following dates:
Wed, Sept 12th
Wed, Oct 10th
Wed, Nov 14th
Wed, Dec 12th


If you're interested in joining one (or more) of the giveaway extravaganzas, please get in touch! You can reach me at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com