two of a kind

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Today was one of those days, the kind of day where you are hyperaware of where you were this day exactly two years ago. 

Today I took care of myself.  And by that I mean that I treated myself, did what I wanted and gave myself a much needed break.  I also reflected on the past (two years), present and my future.

Two years ago, I underwent surgery—my first and only thus far.  It was a huge, life changing day, in so many confusing ways.  It took away pain I had been experiencing for months, it took away two of my organs, and it ultimately took away any semblance of adolescence I had left.  It gave me a six inch scar, an eight week recovery, and ultimately, a cancer diagnosis.  2011, the year that marked my quarter century existence on this earth, was so very humbling.  I had no idea that this surgery would begin a nine month battle

On January 31, 2012, on my one year anniversary, I felt overwhelming guilt and fear.  I was a mere four months out from treatment and had lived in Austin for just as long.  I felt guilty for being healthy, for getting away too easy (although my treatment was anything but easy).  I was also terrified, terrified that I’d have to undergo treatment again but mostly terrified that I wouldn’t be able to live long enough to achieve my dreams and goals.  Cancer really lights a fire under your ass.

So on January 31, 2013, I decided to choose to live rather than spend the day in fear.  And in my typical fashion, I chose to torture myself a little bit and then treat myself.  I started the day, at 5:30 am, with a challenging Crossfit workout.  I pushed myself especially hard during the workout as I meditated on the weakness and helplessness I felt during my treatment.  Upon finishing, I headed outside to get some fresh air, catch my breath and was treated to watching the sun come up.  I spent the morning taking a long, restorative nap (that was much needed after a sleepless week), spoiled my dogs a bit, and then headed to my jewelry class.  It was a perfect day—torturing, restorative, and creative.

As I mentioned, I also spent time reflecting on my present and future.  I am satisfied with what I’ve accomplished in the past 1.5 years but I am not at all content.  I have high hopes for the next year and plan to come back one year from now and reflect on this post—my activities, feelings and accomplishments on this day.

Tell us: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced?  How did you use it for positive change?

-JCM

Today is life-the only life you are sure of.  Make the most of today.  Get interested in something.  Shake yourself awake.  Develop a hobby.  Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you.  Live today with gusto.”

-Dale Carnegie

--

Besides jewelry, my most prolific hobby is sewing.  At last count, I've sewed 7 skirts, 5 dresses, 5 tops, 1 blanket sweater and 2 pairs of leggings (the last two were even my own pattern).

Some would say that I’m a serial hobbyist— I love to learn new trades and most of them derive from creating something.  I am constantly reading/researching/watching videos/asking questions about a different art practice. 

I tend to find something that piques my interest, research it to death, learn how to do it (often by teaching myself and/or finding some poor soul that will answer a million questions)….then I either find that I get bored/sick of repeating the same activity or I am obsessed with learning how to do every facet of said art form.

Obsessive Hobbies

My newest sewing creation-- metallic leopard print leggings.

Thus far, I have obsessively learned (and, of course, continue to study) knitting, jewelry, sewing, and leather work (listed in the order that I became obsessed).  I continue to be engrossed with jewelry, sewing and leather but knitting has gone by the wayside.  [I should mention that I am also impatient and results-driven, I am an instant satisfaction fiend and knitting is a victim of said impatience].

Novice Hobbies

I learned flowers from the best of the best, The Byrd Collective, this past fall. 

My first weaving project, a scarf.  I have big hopes of incorporating weaving into my new accessories line, launching this spring (fingers crossed).

I also have a few hobbies that I’ve learned a bit about and am hoping to expand on in the future.  These practices include weaving, painting, pottery and flowers/floral arrangement (and probably 20 others that I can’t think of).  I’ve taken classes in all but, unlike jewelry and leather, they don’t come as easily to me and I feel ill-prepared to teach myself. 

I can feel my soul filling up when I’m learning/practicing/mastering a technique or art form.  There is literally nothing else that I’d rather spend my time on than creating.  I am the best version of myself, and most satisfied/content/happy, when I’ve spent my time creating something.

Not Yet Hobbies

My friend, Becky, does the most amazing, inspiring hand-lettering (and illustrating).  She is seriously talented.

I’ll leave you with a list of what I’d love to learn and know nothing about — watercolors, hand-lettering/calligraphy, photography, graphic design and so many others. 

As an aside, I’d also like to improve on less tangible practices, such as my writing.  For reasons I don’t understand, non-tangible art is less compelling and motivating for me and I struggle to practice them (this also applies to photography and graphic design).  

Tell us: What are your favorite hobbies?  What’s on your list of must-learns?

-JCM

**Unbeknownst to me, Sar wrote a post on Thursday about creative hobbies that she has been learning/practicing, you can check it here. You know what they say, great minds think alike.

And I'd have to agree with her, my interest in learning new crafts is directly attributed to our mom.  I'll have to write a more detailed post about it someday, as all of the art I practice has been practiced already within my family (I briefly mention it here).

And yesterday, I bought a real coffeepot: my first one.  I've used a Keurig for the last few years.  

This morning, my coffee tasted so good, and it was so satisfying to have an actual pot made. I've missed the aroma of brewed coffee.  I read an article recently about how sharing a pot of coffee is a communal act, which really struck me.

Tell us: What has made you think about how you've grown up?

-SM

It’s How Good You Want To Be. 

 Have you ever owned a book that you could pick up and feel inspired?  Even if you only read a few pages?  Or just one page?  My bible, in the inspiration sense, is It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden.

It doesn’t look like much based on the cover or its size, but it is chock full of goodness.  I can say, with 99% certainty, that it will suck you in and you’ll read it cover to cover in one sitting.  And then you’ll come back to it — re-read it when you’re feeling a bit blue or when you need someone to light a fire under your ass. 

Beyond its goodness, it has great design and images that will keep you entertained.  I highly recommend it; whether you’re planning your dream business, your wedding or trying to improve as an employee.  It will speak to your uninspired soul when nothing else does.

Tell us: Do you have an inspiration bible?  Where do you turn when you're feeling blue? 

-JCM

(image via)

Tonight, I made homemade chicken noodle soup from scratch.  Recently, I've posted about candle makin', notecard creatin', and I've been scarf makin' (I'm a sucker for parallel structure).  I'll post about my scarf--two years in the making--when I finish it, which should be soon (fingers crossed). Mom even gave me one of her sewing machines (she has three) to make more moleskine notebooks. 

Each time I try something new, it makes me think of our mom.  And when I try something "new," I'm reminded that she taught us all of this way back when.  

Tell us: what important skills has your mom taught you?

-SM

Have you read the first part of this post yet?  If not, check it out here.

To finish up from Wednesday's post, I want to talk about one of my favorite blogs/businesses that I find very inspiring, both personally and professionally.  I follow Kathleen Shannon and her small business, Braid Consulting, religiously.  I am saving my pennies to work with her one day on branding for my small business. 

Kathleen leads by example and shows us how she chases her dreams (image via)

Here are some of Kathleen's posts that have helped/inspired me lately:

• Show Up and Be Seen
• Freelance Matters
• How to Pepper Business into your Personal Blog

One of my favorite things about Kathleen is that while she may seem polarizing, I find her fearless.  She does what she wants, shares her beliefs proudly, is invested in self-improvement, earns a living off her passion, and is really good at design (like really good).  I appreciate and respect her confidence and am always inspired to create and take action when I read her blog(s).

Tell us: Do you have someone that inspires you professionally and personally?  If so, can you share who it is?  I'm always looking for new inspiration and would love to look them up!

-JCM

Happy Friday!

This weekend, I made some prototypes of handmade notebooks.  Jen and I are planning a cool collaboration that I mentioned here.  I have some kinks to work out, but I'm excited about them.

-SM

Tell us: What do you make by hand?  Are you working on any cool collaborations?  

The short answer-- travel and inspiring entrepreneurs.

As I’ve said, writing doesn’t come naturally for me (and, sometimes, creating doesn't come easy).  It can be a tortured process that I find the most success in when I am inspired.  I wish I could pinpoint what inspires me, bottle it up, and have it near whenever I need it.  I am miserable when I feel uninspired; even I wouldn’t want to be around me. 

I woke up on Tuesday feeling frustrated and uninspired.  I think it’s a combination of not exercising for 4 days (I’m trying to heal a jammed toe) and feeling friction from unbalanced priorities.  This month has introduced a lot of change (some has happened already and some is in the works) and finding a new routine.  I am excited and so grateful for new opportunities but I am struggling to find balance.  So, when I’m feeling unbalanced and frustrated, I turn to a few tried and true sources of inspiration to kick start my motivation.

One topic that I can almost always find inspiration in is travel (usually travel photos).  I have a permanent case of wanderlust (potentially evidenced by our bi-yearly re-location?).  Another topic that inspires me is “successful” female entrepreneurs (and by successful, I mean they define their own success, not financial success [although that is a nice perk]).  Two random topics, I know, but they are two of my biggest goals in life, so I guess it’s good that my inspiration and goals correlate.

To explain the flip side, some habits that uninspire and unmotivate me, here are some of my nemeses:

• sleeping in
• procrastinating (especially on a mundane task)
• complaining
• isolating myself

I've done a lot of soul searching and have found these 4 habits to be critical to my happiness and personal success (for both daily and longterm measures).  Many of my Seinfeld Method goals are aimed and minimizing these bad habits.  I've found going to a coffee shop (my current fave in Austin is Cenote) to be the single most helpful action-- getting out of the house and into a creative space helped me be extremely productive last week (like more productive than I'd been in the last two months).

Tell us: Who/what inspires you?  Do you have an arsenal of inspiration that you turn to?

-JCM

I'll be back on Monday to talk about huge source of inspiration for me-- female entrepreneurs.

After, I walked onto the beach for the first time since summer.  I was surprised by the damage that is still being cleaned up from Hurricane Sandy.  Being at the beach, regardless of the time of year or where, makes me feel peaceful. 

I did get some good pictures, though.  Although it wasn’t sunny, this weekend’s weather was a welcome break from the New Jersey winter. 

Tell us: Where do you feel at home?

-SM