Creative Mindshift

POV: ROUGHING IT OUT AS A CREATIVE (AND LEARNING THAT'S OKAY)

"Instead of seeing challenges as a setback, I see it as growth."

Here's the thing. While I've noticed some significant gains in my mindfulness practice(s) I've still found myself having some tough mental days and... it's surprising?!

I mean I knew challenges would still occur, BUT, it was a part of me that thought I would be further along in handling those tough situations by now. In the tumbling of my mind and trying to figure things out, I began to fear that I hadn't made any progress in my mental maturity at all. That is until a recent situation showed me that I had.

I was having a tough time marking some things off my to-do list and hadn't accomplished as much as I hoped I would. Immediately the negativity began. "You're going to fall behind!" "You'll never accomplish this!" I was overwhelmed with disappointment until my grace voice popped into my head. "You have accomplished enough. You're doing a great job. Yes, this is rough...and that's okay." And then, it was like that bursting bubble of fear went away.

Instead of feeling behind because I'm experiencing mentally challenging days, I see it as part of the GROWTH of my process - AND I'm realizing I'm extending grace much easier to others too!

When I miss the mark I don't beat myself up, I lean into my grace and faith that the work I’ve been doing hasn’t all gone to waste, and the work you’ve been doing hasn’t gone to waste either.

If you're experiencing challenging moments trust your intuition and the work you've been doing to ground you in those rough moments. And most importantly know, it's okay to not be okay.

Creative Strategy

BEST TIPS I'VE LEARNED WHILE FREELANCING - SPECIALISE IN WHAT YOU FIND JOY IN!

"Picking the particular thing I'm good at, and most importantly, that I ENJOY helped me land my first client."

I've tried freelancing throughout my career and it was a doozy! It was hard to figure out where to start, the best skills I could offer, and find clients the whole shebang.

As creatives, we're used to wearing many hats but that doesn't always help you narrow down what you should sell as a business. One of the things I've mainly learned from freelancing is that if you don't enjoy the work, you'll burn out quickly.

After narrowing my focus task/processes I truly enjoyed my avenue of freelancing, networking organically, and offering my skills came easily.

If you're venturing into freelancing I suggest you take the broader aspects of your skillset and lean into the areas you most enjoy. If you're like "Well, I enjoy everything!" I would still lean into the skillsets you enjoy more and wouldn't mind expounding upon into a full-scale business. It'll help out in the long run.

Creative Highlight

Taking Design Inspiration From The Sea

"The vast colors of the sea landscape can be an inspirational source of metamorphosis and change!"

I fundamentally believe if you're looking for real-life Sci-fi and Fantasy vibes look no further than the sea!

After a recent trip to the Georgia Aquarium, and learning more about marine life, I can see why the murky depths have captivated the imagination of many a writer.

Changes in marine wildlife vary from light, science, and other environmental changes. I took away that the sea aesthetic can be beautiful while being adaptative and functional at the same time.

I took some of that inspiration into my artistic design for typography, color palettes, and branding design starting with the Black Tip Shark.

Black Tip Reef Sharks are stunning in person! I love the shading of their black tips against their otherwise pale grey, or white bodies, and the curve of their movement for certain backdrops and lettering.

I also loved the variety of colors from the coral reef and tropical fish for pops of color in their Tropical Diver's Exhibit. I love the striking balance between having bright colors that don't clash against a rich background.

I'm incorporating oranges, yellows, purples, and richer blues from the coral reef for different branches of my business.

Lastly, incorporating brand colors into my logo design was becoming quite stressful. However, after seeing this guy I feel I may be one step closer to accomplishing the task!

I'm not changing my logo to a fish but I love the swirls, soft lines, and balance between the white, orange, and black anchoring your eyes to the design.

If you’re looking for inspiration or a way to spruce up your design project our marine friends of the sea may have the answer you're looking for!