How's Your He(art) today? ❤️
I've been stuck in a rut.
Not physically. Physically I am in a village outside of Barcelona and absolutely loving my wandering life. After my Morocco venture ended, I picked up Jean Genie, my 2006 Citroen minivan and be-bopped my way to a converted barn in the French Pyrenees to hang out with Moka, an adorable dog, for a few weeks.
And a few days ago, I began moving south to Spain. Follow the sun is my new life motto, and has so far been working out beautifully…
Except for that rut I mentioned…
The Writing Rut
You see, I have all these things I want to say about living an alternative lifestyle and exiting the matrix — the challenges you’ll face, the mindset shifts that will have to happen first, and the endless rewards that come once you start making steps towards your reality — but every time I write I feel like I’m turning a blinds eye to the atrocities going on around the world. I feel myself comparing my journey with those who are literally starving or no longer have a home due to conflict and suddenly what I have to say doesn’t seem that important.
As an attempt to dull my racing thoughts the other day, I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and came across a profile I had recently started following called @motherwortandrose - and like a beacon of hope there was a post with the following quotes in succession:
““Part of being a revolutionary is creating a vision that is more humane. That is more fun, too. That is more loving. It’s really working to create something beautiful. “”
““You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.””
““In the midst of death, art requires a distinct and mystical courage. An audacity that says not only do I have a right to exist, but I believe my existence will add to the fabric of the universe. I will make.””
Upon reading the quotes I started to cry.
If you, too, feel overwhelmed with sadness when you watch the news. If you feel hopeless and like nothing really matters, I want you to re-read those quotes again. And then I want you to create. I want you to transmute your sadness, your confusion, and your pain into art. And then I want you to share it with someone you love.
Your art may look like a creamy ass casserole, and sharing it might mean showing up on your neighbor’s doorstep with a steamy plate of goodness. Your art may be a messy collage with newspaper clippings, old photographs of you as a kid, and stick glue and sharing it might look like sending a screenshot to your bestie (see the collage I sent to my bestie above, LOL). Wherever your heart is, whatever your art is, I want you to create.
We are complex creatures that are capable of holding many feelings at the same time; terror and joy, wonder and disgust, compassion and disdain. In these trying times, be careful not to numb out too long on Instagram or Netflix, but be more careful not to deny yourself the pleasures of being in a human body. That includes creating art and thus creating a more beautiful world in the process.
The world needs a reason to smile right now and your art just might be a reason to do so.
Are you creating as much as you wished you were? Why or why not?
What Do Those Who Bring Their Creations to Fruition Have in Common? (Hint, One Word)
This past week I had the joy of joining the Rio Nuevo Publishing family. One of my clients read my announcement on Linkedin and sent me a message: Congrats on the new position, they are lucky to have you.
He thought I was being hired, as an employee.
Not this time buddy!
Though he meant well, I can’t help but recognize the irony in that congratulatory message.
For fifteen years I have been helping others promote their businesses, projects, startups, books, and events. And to be perfectly honest, I LOVE what I do. I love helping people recognize their talents and overcome imposter syndrome so that they can share their gifts with the world. I love it so much that I will keep doing that forever and ever, probably.
But now, a new day is dawning.
I am stepping out from behind the curtain and embarking on my own project, a Desert Animal Oracle Deck. I have been signed, as an author, with Rio Nuevo Publishing and I couldn’t be more thrilled. But as I embark on this journey I can’t help but feel like I want to inspire others who share a similar goal.
What separates me from anyone else who has a dream of getting published or bringing a creative project to fruition?
One word came to mind recently. That word is AUDACITY.
For some reason, audacity seems to be implanted in most Cis-white males at birth. The rest of us have to spend the rest of our lives learning it. The good news, however, is that it’s possible. Just look at this “shy”, “introverted”, “behind the scenes” lady who just stepped out from behind the curtain to delight fellow desert enthusiasts.
Here are the steps I took to claim my audacity, and get signed by a publisher:
I worked on my project daily, adding it to my daily to-do tasks just like I’d do with other paid client work.
I delighted in the creation of the project. I didn’t spend time thinking “this is going to make me a lot of money,” “this is going to help a lot of people,” or “this is going to make me insta-famous.” No, I worked on it daily because it made me happy. It piqued my curiosity. I enjoyed the organizational aspects and the insights it brought to my own life. I felt a sense of accomplishment every time I would finish another related task.
I was verrrrrry particular about who I shared the project with, especially in the beginning. Creative projects are fragile. Show them to the wrong person and one misplaced comment could have you drowning in a sea of self-doubt. Best if you keep the project to yourself in the beginning and then only share it with people who truly adore you - once you’ve got a body of work you are proud of, that is.
Create a killer proposal complete with images.
Tailor your pitch letter to the particular publisher. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. In my pitch letter, I said something like “I know I can do this alone, I have over a decade of experience helping authors and small business owners build their audiences, but I want to collaborate with someone.” Be bold! If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will either.
Start at the root.
Though I live in Berlin, guess who was the only publisher who wrote back that they were interested? A local Tucson publisher. Of course, this all depends on your subject matter, but don’t hesitate to hone in on your place of origin when beginning outreach.
And lastly - get ready to face rejection. I must have received dozens of rejections. I responded with grace and gratitude, asking for specific feedback on why it wasn’t a good fit. Most people responded politely and it made me feel good to know that though it wasn’t a perfect fit, the project still had merit.
There you go, now you have what it takes to take the world by storm and bring your creative projects to fruition. Audacity may not be your strong suit but by golly, it is EXACTLY what you need to make all your dreams come true. Just ask the Musks and Bezos of the world.