You Never Know Unless You Try

I recently submitted a few sketches to a gallery to be included in an up coming show. I worked on the sketches for a few days, and I kept telling myself I was wasting my time, but when they were complete I hit the submit button and off they went.

After I sent it I did not give it a second thought. I already had it in my head I was not going to get in so I just put it out of my mind.

Well last week I found out that the piece I sketched out was accepted and they want a couple more pieces.

After I read the email I just sat there shocked. I realized the piece I sketched now had to be made in real life and I needed to come up with more ideas.

I am very excited and thrilled to be part of this event. It will take me a couple of months to complete the three piece, they are nothing like the pieces I design for my Etsy shop, but large pieces that will be in a fashion show and displayed in a gallery for 3 months.

The gallery is a beautiful space

Here is a brief video of last years event


2013 ŏn-sŏm' bəl Review from Jim Kirkhoff on Vimeo.


How often do you not participate in creative opportunities because you don't think you have a chance?

Maybe now is the time to put yourself out there and try something you have never done before.  There are a variety of opportunities online and off, you just have to submit your best work and see what happens.

Have you ever just applied to participate in a show, gallery event, or be featured on a blog? How did it work out?

Motivation Monday

Surround Yourself with Positive Images

Too often we submerge ourselves in negatives.

Often it happens subliminally.

Examine your home or your work space.

Remove the negative images.

Replace them with positives:

flowers, photos, music, scents.

Notice the change to your attitude.

Now Is the Time by Patrick Lindsay

Motivation Monday

Inspiration On The Go

You know those days when you are busy running errands, working on a deadline, or doing things for your family, that that's when you get a burst of inspiration.

Those busy days are usually the days when you get your best ideas, and stopping to write or sketch out your ideas may not be an option. If your like me and don't have time to document those ideas they can be lost as quickly as they appeared.

Doing a visualization exercise is a great way to help you keep those ideas fresh in your mind. It only take a minute or two to do these simple steps, to help you remember those really good ideas.

-Close your eyes
-Visualize what you want to create
-Make a list of the medium and tools you want to work with
-Choose the colors
-Visualize your finished piece
-Let you mind return to these mental pictures often

The best part is you end piece may not be exactly as you visualized it, but that's even better, because you nurtured your inspiration and allowed it to develop before it was executed.

"Even if its not possible to act on each moment of inspiration immediately.  It is possible to live in the moment and enjoy your creative soul."
-Pam Carriker

Have you used visualization to remember your good ideas?

You Can't Control Everything - So Stop Worrying

If your like most people you probably spend more time worrying than you should. We worry about our family, business, deadlines, budgets, our home, health, safety, even the weather.

Some things we can control, and some we cannot. The key to a positive attitude in life is to know the difference.

Did you know that 92% of the things people worry about are beyond their control.

The things that you worry about that you can control like your business, deadlines, or your budget you can take steps to make the changes necessary to get better results. Same goes with your home and your health, there are always things you can do for a better way of life.

Things we worry about that are beyond our control like the weather, government, world issues, to name a few, are things that we generally cannot control. Worrying about these types of things just causes stress that can effect your overall attitude an even health.

Here is an easy way to help you stop worrying:

Start by making a list of the things you worry about. Then divide your list in two categories:

Concerns you can do something about
Concerns beyond your control

Next to the items you can do something about include action steps to resolve them quickly. Then make a commitment to attack everything on your list that is within your control. Then be intentional about not worrying about them any longer.

Do this every time you feel anxious about something or you have a long list of things that you are worried about. The more you do this exercise the easier it will become to not worry about those things you can't control and take action on the the things you can.

What do you worry about they is beyond your control?

Motivation Monday

Promise Yourself

Promise yourself

to dream more and hesitate less.

To believe in yourself more 

and judge yourself less by

the accomplishments of others.

To accept life as it comes

and truly make each day special

-Deanna Beisser

7 Things Successful People Do Each Night

What you do before going to bed impacts your mood and how you feel the following day. It also determines how well and how much sleep you get.

Your mental health as well as your physical health play an important part in how you feel when your are working and how much actual work you get done. Not getting enough sleep can really effect how you feel the next day.

These 7 simple ideas are for relaxing your mind and your body, and preparing you for the next day.

Read
This is a good time to catch up on your business reading, check out your favorite blogs, and to get inspired by reading inspirational stories. If you really want to unwind then reading fiction or other topics you are interested in, will give your mind a break from work.

Reflect on your day
Journaling is a great way to track your progress, to get you motivated, and clear your mind of all the unnecessary work clutter. Try writing down 3 positive things that happened during the day, and thing your are appreciative of.

Make your to-do list
This is the best way to clear your mind for a good night sleep. Listing all the things you need and want to get done the next day will put your mind at ease knowing that you have a plan for the next day.

Disconnect from work
Right before bed is not a good time to check your email or messages. Let all that wait till you start your work the next day. Not dwelling on work related items before bed will making getting the rest you need easier.

Meditate
Take 10 minutes to relax your body and quite your mind this will put you in a positive frame of mind and help you sleep better.

Lie down on a positive note
Don't let the negative situation of the day keep replaying in your head. Remind yourself of the positive things you listed in your journal and celebrate the successes you had in your day.

Picture a positive tomorrow
Picture yourself having a great day, achieving all the things on your to-do list, everything working out as planned, and a positive day all around. This will not only give you good dreams, you will wake up in a positive frame of mind.

Reading, making my to-do list, and meditating are my favorite things to do before bed. I am working on keeping a journal and disconnecting from my work, but they are both a work in progress.

Being in a positive frame of mind before I go to sleep really does help with waking up in a ready to have a great day. 

Give these ideas a try. Having a great night sleep makes for a productive day!

Which of these ideas do you find challenging?

Now that you know what you need to do for a good night sleep that will help you be successful for the next day, check out what you can do in the morning to keep you motivated.
7 Ways Successful People Start Each Day