back to "normal", lol

Lately I've been obsessed with clearing out. Cleaning up. Getting rid of stuff. Well, the last couple of months, really. I don't know why it is, although I heard somewhere, someone say, "You have to make room for new things in your life, by clearing out the old stuff." Which reminds me, next week is Heavy Garbage Week here in the CBRM! (Edit: nope, not til May 18th.)And I actually have stuff to put out by the curb this time around, so I'm excited for that. I'm putting out an old wooden loveseat, half-rotted, that was in the back garden when we moved in three years ago. And I'm going to go through the basement and see what else I can haul to the street.

So, whew! Here I am. Post-crowdfunding. Back (somewhat?) to normal life. (Whatever that is.) Of course, now that the campaign is over, I still have work to do: fulfilling all the perks! I'm using an Excel spreadsheet, because IndieGogo helpfully allows you to export all your contributions as a .csv file. I'm also just using plain old email, sending "bcc" emails to people with the same perk, and personalized emails to people who bought design credit, to start working on their projects. I'm working with local printers to fulfil the perks that are products, too, and getting print tests and things like that. I've been sharing a few sneak peeks on my Instagram.

It's week 4 in "It's Business Time" and at some point I'll have to write a catch-up post to talk about what I've learned so far! I'll try and get to that this week. In the meantime, Week 1 is here if you're interested.

In the meantime, it's a rainy/sleety Tuesday, and I hope you have a good, creative day!

xo Leah

***

The "Adventure Is Right Here" print in the picture at the top of this post came as part of the "Happy Mail" box in November from A Beautiful Mess. I was signed up for that for a few months until I cut a few non-essential things to save money; but, it's a fun little package!

links loved // rainy spring day music

A rainy spring day makes me reach for music like this: Lizz Wright, Lianne La Havas, Priscilla Ahn. If I could, I would spend the whole day curled up in a chair, reading, with a cat on my lap.

But, I'm off to my job. :) I'll have this music in my earbuds all day, though.

xo

Day 31: What I Learned from Crowdfunding

 

Probably there will be more stuff that I think of in the next couple of weeks, because I feel like I learned a crap-ton from this whole experience, but this is what comes to mind right now:

1. People are AMAZING. 

Like, wow. SO MUCH WOW. You guys helped me raise over $5000! When I add the cash and cheques to the total from IndieGogo, it's over $5000. YOU GUYS. You guys have blown my mind and rocked my world. This is a game-changer. I'm now taking It's Business Time and it's already a game-changer and we're only three weeks in. So, learning #1: people are amazing. I reached out and asked, and made an offering for trade, and people totally were amazing and supported that. That's incredible.

2. People are also a little bit nuts. 

I got some ... ahhh... interesting responses at times. I won't share them because I'm not interested in shaming anyone, or getting into a debate about the comments and their validity, etc. And truly there were not many comments like this at all, not in proportion to the comments expressing support. But the reason I'm mentioning them, and the important thing I learned from this is that haters are gonna hate. It truly doesn't matter who or what you are, or what you say. You could do your best to never offend anyone and you'll still get weird-ass comments! I shook it off by remembering to trust my own gut and my own work.

3. YOU REALLY NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU DO IT.

So people are amazing and they are also crazy. I knew that at the beginning, before I launched the campaign, and I was so scared to make the leap and give this a try. But if I've learned one thing in all my years in the community and on the Internet, doing my work, it's that you truly cannot possibly know the future, and the only way to see how it will unfold is to work your way there. To give something a try. To "run it up the flagpole and see if it's a flag," as someone once said to me.

So, thanks so much!! This has been a blast and I'm so excited for the next phases.

xo!! Leah

damn fine writing and dreaming big

My new writing hero is Erin Loechner of Design For Mankind. Her writing is clear like the light in this photo, like the light on the beach last week. I don't skim her essays. I read every well-chosen, jewel-like word.

And damn fine tunes: I'm getting groovy to "Good Kisser" by Usher on repeat, baby.

And just feeling: damn fine these days. A good, clear, lit-up life is totally possible. Today is the "someday" of several years ago, someone said to me the other day, so it's time to stop saying "Someday I will make slowing down a priority". Someday is today.

Other things I've said: "Someday I'll go after my dreams."

"Someday I'll make time to chill with Adam a priority."

"Someday I'll appreciate being in the moment."

"Someday I'll be more honest with my partner about my vulnerable, goofy self."

"Someday I'll take more risks."

Someday is now, yo. Dance to your beat, seek out the silky-fine light and writing that lights you up inside, and do what you gotta do to do the stuff you always said you would do...

Someday.

Day 26: Just Five More Days!

If you've been thinking you'd like to work with me as a designer, or snag one of the sweet perks like a print or a bumper sticker, now's the time! At the end of the day on April 21st, my IndieGogo campaign will be done. And, I should just tell you, I won't be taking on any new clients until September 2015, due to (a) all the work I've just generated for myself with this campaign and (b) wanting to have some time off over the summer.

So if you've been thinking you'd like to work with me on a project, just purchase some Design Credit over on the IndieGogo page and we'll get to work!

You guys rock and I hope you're having an excellent Friday.

xo Leah

Day 25: Who I Want To Become

I read a blog post that I get by email newsletter, quickly, in my inbox this morning, but the words stuck with me all day:

"You may think you need to get all your ducks in a row—a perfect business vision, business model, business brand, personal brand… all neatly lined up and packaged up, before you start sharing content with anyone else... But your head and heart and all it wants to say are always going to be two steps ahead of the business or brand or dream you’ve already been able to create. So just say it."

We share online not just who we are right now, but in order to become who we want to become. This truth struck me today like a cold wind on the face. Because I fall for that all the time, for that little voice in my head that says, "Well, until it's perfect, you can't share it." So I don't.

I call BS on that.

"Say it if it’s not perfect, write it if it’s not 100% fully-formed, share it if it’s still just sharing the journey along the way."

This week in the It's Business Time program we're outlining our lifestyle goals, and thinking about what we want our ideal days to be like. For me what comes up again and again is the word "Freedom." Yesterday after I got off work, the light was so gorgeous, and the air so brisk and cool. I was glad that I hadn't booked any Skype calls or committed to any work or any meetings in my evening time, because when I got home I was free to go to Florence Beach and walk its length.

I was free to spy on its icebergs, lie on its sand to take a picture of the sun through dried seaweed. I was free to ponder just who I want to become.

Also, just FYI, there are just six days left to contribute to my IndieGogo campaign, and score a sweet perk like a print of "Bloom and The Island Blooms," or working with me as a designer. (After this, I likely won't take new clients on for a few months, as I'll be pretty busy.)

xo! Leah

day 23: on giving yourself permission to stop or slow down

It's taken me 31 years to get to this point. It will likely take several more years to really, truly get it. Or maybe, my whole life! Or maybe I never will really truly get it. Who knows. Regardless: I feel like this last month has been a huge lesson for me in the simple fact that I have permission for myself to stop or slow down something, whenever I want.

I started the crowdfunding campaign and thought "I will do whatever it takes, I will squeeze every drop of productivity out of each day of the next month!" That was in one of my moments of E&E, or Enthusiasm and Exuberance. When I'm in that zone, I say yes to everything. It's all possible! I don't know how! But I'll figure it out!

Then a week later I felt overwhelmed, burnt out and tired.

Then I remembered: t's up to me to slow down.

It's up to me to set my schedule, whatever it's going to be. If I want to start a project to write 100 poems in 100 days, and then on day 6 I'm bored of it, and I don't want to do it anymore, that's OK. 

If I want to not plan a dance party for the whole community, and not look for partnerships, and instead get a line of credit to cover whatever I don't raise through crowdfunding, that's OK.

If I want to make napping on the couch after work with my boyfriend a priority, that's OK.

That's how I'll build the business that will work for me. That's how I'll avoid burnout. That's what it takes.