On The Lavendaire Lifestyle Podcast
It’s the golden age of Podcasting and I was lucky enough to join the lovely Aileen for an episode of her podcast The Lavendaire Lifestyle. The Lavendaire Lifestyle is all about committing to treating your life as art. We talked about all kinds of great things including how I got my start in fashion, how I published Craft A Life You Love, and my HARMONY principle. We also talked about how important it is to surround yourself with supportive and helpful mentors throughout your journey as a creative. If you don’t have time to drop everything and listen right now, I’ve included my tips on how to find that perfect mentor and stay inspired throughout your creative journey.
Put your work out there. It isn’t just about receiving feedback— although that is incredibly helpful. Letting others enjoy your work can be a source of inspiration for you as a creative.
Get in touch with someone you admire. Reach out to people in your life who you look up to, someone whose work and career is what you hope to achieve someday. Often, people are more than eager to share what they’ve learned.
Read the success stories of others online. If you don’t have access to an individual person, learn from the experiences they’ve written or spoken about online in interviews, blog posts, and yes, even podcasts. Collect quotes or videos and keep it all in one place. A journal or Pinterest board will do the trick. You’ll be amazed by how much you can learn from the comfort of your own home.
Talk to your friends and the people around you about your passions and goals. Put yourself out there. Exchange ideas, seek a second or third opinion, and make your desires known. The people in your life will want to help and support you. This is where true networking takes place— you never know who has connections until you ask.
Filter through the noise. You don’t have to take everyone’s advice. Pick and choose the advice you want to take with you. Just because someone offers an opinion does not mean it applies to you or that you should take it to heart. Pay attention to your instincts and think about the kind of person you truly are. Does it sound right or wrong for you? If the answer is yes, hold onto those words. If not, keep moving forward.
I also spoke with Aileen about the infamous 7-Year Itch. If you aren’t sure what that is, no worries! The 7-Year Itch is basically the idea that creatives need a “shakeup” or change in their work every 7 years. This has been largely true in my own life. I spent about 7 years on fashion before moving on to scrapbooks. Now, over the 7 year mark in that medium, I have shifted my focus to travelers notebooks, bullet journals, and of course, my Hobonichi. If you’re in a bit of a slump, you can use some of my tips to break out of your creative funk and try something a little different.
Try new things in small ways and see what sticks. I am not joking when I say my Hobonichi was a life-changing buy. Having it combines so many of my favorite things all in one: water color, bullet journal, travelers notebooks, scrapbooking. All of it fits in one awesome place and don’t even get me started on how awesome the paper is.
Get out of your comfort zone. If you’re a writer, take a drawing class. If you’re a painter, try dancing. Even if the new experience doesn’t resonate with you, chances are that you’ll approach your creativity differently after trying something a little out of the box.
Strive for HARMONY. If you aren’t familiar with my HARMONY principle, you can read about it here or even watch my video about it. The basic idea is to have a guiding set of criteria that helps you make decisions and prioritize your obligations. Instead of striving for balance and perfection, think about HARMONY.
There’s so much more to my conversation with Aileen. You can also find her show notes here. I would love for you to give the episode a listen and let me know what you think. Which of these tips will help you the most?
