So I actually dug out my map and looked at it (the fun project/plan I had mapped out for my life and career that is oddly coming true). I was surprised to see how silly I was, one of the stops on my map is “drink lots of wine and coffee with girlfriends and other artists”. I have some things on the map that I tried out and didn’t end up enjoying, like teaching art to children. (sorry, kids) That may not be my cup of tea. But the start of the map says “Embrace yourself as and artist” a good start for me who has always held another job while I created art. I am a planner and I don’t necessarily live my live with reckless abandon but on the flip side, I had found myself being too cautious and was selling my “creative self” short. Another quote on my map reads: ”Everyday the choice is presented to us, to live by the spirit that is within us, or to deny it.”-Henry MillerPart of this journey that has worked for me is getting a PLAN. A direction that I wanted to head in, not always an easier undertaking but if you asked yourself if you had no obstacles what would you want to do, who would you like to become? Then for me, writing it all down, even in a play like mode-markers and poster board, sealed the deal. Then I started saying it out loud. I am going to license my art, I am going to create children’s art. I am going to write a book. Every day-the choice is presented to us to believe the negative voices that swirl in our heads or to quite them and begin choosing to believe in our successes. This doesn’t just apply to art and creativity. It can be applied to any area of your life. It was as if I was stalled before not really believing in myself. I didn’t want to be presumptuous. I was having to much fun finding role models instead of actually becoming one myself. I was not taking all the inspiration I had gathered and applying it! I don’t want to sound to much like Tony Robbins but saying it out loud and writing your plan down can make a huge difference. I changed how I believed about my future and myself, that included shutting out negative voices in my head. Anne Lamott says to picture the voices like little mice, put them in a jar one by one and put a lid on the jar. A bit gruesome but graphic examples can help you with this process. You might have to do it everyday until you get in a really positive stream on voices in your head. The next thing I did besides, making a plan, writing it down, stopping negative thoughts that immobilized me, was to fill my mind with the right voices. I read an article about Suzie Orman, the well published financial guru, she wrote a personal mantra down for herself and repeated over and over when she was just starting her career. Something like “I am going to be a very successful accountant.” How do you think that worked out for her? Pretty good, I would say. So I came up with my own personal mantra…it has been a great tool for me. What sort of mantra do you think would be good for you to hear everyday? I am a girl that likes lists and planning but I had to marry up all these principles with the belief that God wanted the best for me and my life. I was shocked that this was a tough one for me to get in my head. But I think my little birthday gift put God’s best for me in perspective. Let me know how the map’s go!