So May brings us to the end of my series inspired by Amy Morin's book 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don't Do. I'm kinda sorry that its ending. I've enjoyed really thinking about each point and seeing how it applies to one's creative journey. You can find the previous installments Here and Here and Here. Maybe I'll continue on with the theme by generating my own ideas!
So Here We Go....Mentally Strong Women.....
Don't Stay Silent
Funny I've never had trouble with this one. In fact my whole life I'm quite sure that I've been too outspoken. Luckily with age, I've learned not to give voice to every, little opinion that pops into my head. That said (pun intended), this is also about giving your art your true voice not just the one that
is popular at the moment or the one that your mentor thinks it should have or whatever peanut gallery member is present at the moment. For me this is harder. Every artist wants to have some kind of validation with each new piece and its a lot easier to get if you are jumping the bandwagon of the latest trend. So what do you have to remind yourself????
is popular at the moment or the one that your mentor thinks it should have or whatever peanut gallery member is present at the moment. For me this is harder. Every artist wants to have some kind of validation with each new piece and its a lot easier to get if you are jumping the bandwagon of the latest trend. So what do you have to remind yourself????
Your voice is uniquely yours
Your voice has intrinsic value
What You have to say is just as
important as Anybody else.
A lifetime is a long time....a very long time....do you want to be the same person that you were at 20 or 45 or 60?? Each new stage brings new growth, new wisdom. You can take those and put them to good use doing what makes you happy. I have a personal rule..."If it doesn't make you happy in the long run, then don't do it!" As we age what makes us happy is bound to change. Use that as inspiration for a reinvention! For instance since I was a very little girl, I thought I wanted to be STEM chick. So that's what I did ...went to college and became an engineer. It took me 10 years to realize that I was not having fun. So I reinvented myself and I'm much happier for it.... MUCH! Remember although a lifetime is a long time, its still too short to be spending it doing something that you don't love.
hmmmmmm...maybe I should print that out and put it on my design board!
Don't Hesitate to Reinvent Themselves
A lifetime is a long time....a very long time....do you want to be the same person that you were at 20 or 45 or 60?? Each new stage brings new growth, new wisdom. You can take those and put them to good use doing what makes you happy. I have a personal rule..."If it doesn't make you happy in the long run, then don't do it!" As we age what makes us happy is bound to change. Use that as inspiration for a reinvention! For instance since I was a very little girl, I thought I wanted to be STEM chick. So that's what I did ...went to college and became an engineer. It took me 10 years to realize that I was not having fun. So I reinvented myself and I'm much happier for it.... MUCH! Remember although a lifetime is a long time, its still too short to be spending it doing something that you don't love.
They Don't Fear Owning Their Success
If I may stereotype for a moment, taking pride in their achievements is hard for women. We're taught to be humble, unassuming, modest and actually those aren't bad.....in moderation. The problem starts when they are so consuming that your light can not shine through. Being an artist is hard and not everyone can do what we do. So when someone gives you a compliment don't immediately fluff it off by saying, "Ohhhh its not that good" "Anybody can do it" yada, yada, yada. I repeat - Not Everyone Can Do It. You put a lot of hard work into that piece....sooooo....Smile back and say "Thank you". And if you're like me, I tend to say "Thank You, I love it too"
I hope these give you things to think about. I really think that becoming mentally stronger can only help your creative journey by giving you the confidence to continue.
4 comments:
My first time to your blog. I love the subject of today’s post - Mentally Strong Women. Such a necessary topic. I read your guidelines and hope I’ve interpreted them correctly with “any media accepted.” I used to be a quilter, but after one of those reinventing yourself phases, I became a jewelry designer. I always enjoyed sharing thru link ups when I was a quilter. Sadly, there are very few geared towards jewelry design, and so I’ve sought those out who allow other forms of creativity in addition to quilting. If I’ve misinterpreted and you want your link up kept to quilting alone, please let me know. I will totally understand.
Loved reading this post. It is such an important topic, more than ever it seems. I always say my needlework/stitching is my therapy. I don't know what I would do without it. Have a great weekend!
Great inspirational post. I do tend to shortchange my accomplishments, especially on the business front - saying "we" for the things I did, and "he" for the things he did.
Hi Michelle!! Of course you're welcome. Please feel free to post any Friday. I created this group on the theory that the more we share, the more we'll be inspired to create. My creative life has been all over the place this past year so hopefully, I'm back on track and can come up with some good blog ideas!!
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