I first started blogging back in 2010, but took a break some time ago to focus on other creative projects I was working on. Rather than pick up where I left off though, I’ve decided to start a brand new blog – a fresh space full of inspiration, creativity, ideas and ways of living gratefully.
I will be sharing from my own personal experience of trying to live a grateful life during many years of dealing with cancer. But unlike my previous blog, I won’t be weighing myself or anyone else down with my cancer story. I’d prefer to make this a space for sharing the positivity that ‘being grateful’ has brought to my life.
In a perfect world, I’d be getting paid to ‘create’ stuff every day. Since my motto is ‘never stop dreaming’, I will continue on my creative journey in the hope that this dream will eventually come true. In the meantime, here are some of the strategies I’m using to keep the dream alive:
- CREATE: I have always loved creating, whether it be drawing, writing or cooking. I’m proud of the portfolio I’ve built up over the years, but we can always learn something new. That’s why ‘creating’ is part of my life…doing a quick sketch here, taking an interesting photo there or simply jotting my thoughts in a journal…creativity sparks joy in me. Practising creativity is not a chore, it’s a means to fostering creativity in abundance.
- COMMUNITY: I love that social media has opened up the world and allows creatives of all kinds to connect and learn from each other. Being inspired by people’s stories and their creations is what interests me…so I guess there are people out there who want to hear my story and see my creations too. I definitely haven’t worked out the magic formula many social influencers use, but I will keep plodding along, growing my community via simple, genuine connections and also nurturing my real life connections.
- A PLACE TO CALL HOME: I think an important thing for any creative is to have a beautiful website to share with the world. Instead of paying someone else to do it for me, I learned to build my own WordPress site … user friendly with a homely feel was the look I was going for … hope you feel welcome?!
- THE CIRCLE OF LOVE: I attend art and design conferences, artist talks, book launches, workshops, concerts, theatre and am constantly visiting libraries, art galleries, museums and artisan markets. I’m a bit nerdy in the sense that I can strike up a conversation with anyone, but in doing so, learn an abundance of stuff just from asking questions and listening to people. I want to know the what, why and how of their ‘creating’ and I think if I show interest and support other creatives, the same love will eventually come back to me.
- FINDING MY CREATIVE VOICE: I pride myself on being my own person when it comes to my unique personality traits, likes and dislikes and fashion style. But when it comes to my creative voice I just want my daily life to be a reflection of my own perspective of the world and my personal experiences. I just want to enjoy ‘being me’. I continually experiment with the different opportunities life brings – art, yoga, reading, whatever is on offer on any particular day. I love learning, so new experiences are always exciting. I love ‘being’ without the pressure of ‘becoming’. Why do I have to strive to become something else, when I’m already being who I am and that should be enough, right?! I’m not sure if Mickey Mouse actually said this, but I love this quote anyway…
“There is no right or wrong when it comes to making art. Making sure that you have fun is the most important part. Splash a little paint, draw a little line. Just make sure that you have fun each and every time.”This can be said about life itself …experiment, learn, splash a little paint around and just have fun! - SPARK JOY: Is there an end destination to any creative journey? I don’t think so. I think creativity is continuous and ever growing. It’s the simple act of creating that sparks joy in me, so why not focus on creating even one small thing each and every day?
Never stop dreaming,
Jennifer xo