Some thoughts on success. And a celebration of The Declaration Of You.

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Hi friends,
Super excited to be a part of the blog lovin' tour for the new book, The Declaration Of You. Isn't that the best title ever? It's written my two of my friends, Jessica + Michelle - both adorable, smart, talented and insightful.

They had their book launch party a couple of days ago right here in Portland and it was full of excited friends and supporters. It was a total joy to be there and witness the launch/birth of a beautiful book!


What I love about this book is that they give readers all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do!I'm thrilled to be included as a contributor to the chapter all about success. 

For this blog lovin' tour, Jess and Michelle sent me a few Q's to answer about my thoughts on success. Below are my answers! 

What do you believe the main factors of success to be?

Recently I heard my friend Lacy give the best definition of success I'd ever heard. She simply asked, "Do you feel like your contribution is meaningful?" If the answer is yes, then you're successful. Ahhhhh. LOVE LOVE LOVE that interpretation. I think we get too caught up in chasing commercial/financial success which is often times other-esteemed or externally validating, but if we can spin it back to ourselves (self-esteemed, internally validating) and define whether or not we're successful based on whether or not we think our contribution is meaningful, well, that makes my heart swoon.

Does success look differently to you as an adult than it did when you were a child? How so?
Yes, I was certain that success meant falling in line: graduating from highschool, going to college, getting a job, and paying my bills. It took quitting my job, taking giant leaps into uncertainty as I became a working artist in my 30s, and all the many lessons learned along the way, to realize that true success is going inward, discovering what is calling you, and bravely choosing, one small step at at time, to answer the call. Nothing is more brave or affirming or successful as following one's heart and purpose.

What part of your life right now doesn’t feel successful to you? 

Hmmm, strangely enough I think I'm in a weird, complicated space of reconciling for myself what it means to have more visibility. The more visibility I have in my business, the more cautious and careful I become. The more careful I become, the less impact my work has on myself and my audience. This is a tricky tricky piece about "commercial success" that not many people are talking about it. I haven't figured it out yet - how to maintain a certain kind of vulnerability (that helped me launch in the first place!) as I continue to grow and become more visible. I'm working through this :)

What part of your life does feel successful to you right now?

Honestly, I'm feeling mighty proud of creating and building a rock solid support system around myself. This has taken years to achieve. Gone are the days of forging ahead alone, like a lone wolf or warrior. Gone are the days of holding it all together. Of insisting I do it by myself. In the last many months I've made some moves that have included having a husband who took the leap to become a stay at home parent, hiring a full time kick ass employee, moving into a studio space with three other artists, and getting together on a regular basis with my mama friends in my neighborhood. I have never felt more held, supported, and inside a village of people who understand. It was a huge personal success for me to break down the pieces of myself that insisted on doing it alone.

What’s your personal declaration around success?

I recently heard someone say that we're aren't our failures, but we're also not our successes. I could not agree more. For me, I try very hard not define my worth around my perceived, outward success. Am I making a meaningful contribution? Am I being brave in my choices? Am I holding onto my integrity and authenticity ever step of the way? If the answer is yes, I'm on the right track :)