Sharing Achievement and Thoughts on Self Doubt

I can't believe I haven't written a post since last spring. But here I am, and it has been almost a complete year since I sent something to your inbox. Forgive me dear reader. Often time goes in a fast forward motion, sometimes in slow motion, and believe it or not sometimes it feels as if it is doing both at the same time. So here we are now, it's 2023 and I am sitting here in my studio typing to you. There are chickadees, titmice, and a squirrel at my feeder, the sun is partially shining, and all you can hear in my farmhouse is the tip tap of my typing and the radio set low.

I have been on a social media break for over a month now. It became greatly apparent to me that I needed this break on all levels, and what works best for me when life is too big and my emotions too high is to strip life down to its bare essentials. However, today I had to pause from my retreat away from the world, to share some exciting news with you.

I don't know if other artists have creative bucket lists, but I sort of keep one in my mind. An array of things that I would like to do in this life as an artist. One of those items (for years now) is that I have desired to be published in either "In her Studio", or "Where Women Create". Two publications amongst many, created by Somerset Studio. I have admired these magazines for a long time now, glossed through their pages, looked at the artists... their studios... their endeavors. So last year, I finally applied to both publications to see if I could make this dream of mine a reality. Some time later I received an acceptance from Where Women Create (throws hands up in the air). And here is where life does that fast forward motion thing I mentioned... to now, spring of 2023 where I am holding my own copy of Where Women Create containing the piece I wrote with it's beautiful full color photos, and omg pinch me!

A week after receiving my complimentary copy, I checked my mailbox like any other evening and found another copy of the magazine. I thought to myself that they must have sent me a duplicate on accident and lucky me! However, upon further inspection (and to my utter surprise) it was not another copy, but the spring issue of "In her Studio" (!!) and behind its cover... within its pages... on a page... was me in my studio with an excerpt from a piece I wrote for "In Her Garden" last spring. Full heart? You betchya!

I tell you now that I needed this burst of joy in my life. Right here and right now, in this very moment. I needed a pick me up. A feeling of achievement and meaning. The sort of thing that says, he kid... it's alright.

Achievements remind us that life holds surprises, that not all surprises are bad surprises, and that we are capable of so much if only we extend ourselves past our self-made comfort zones. I think it is essential that we remind ourselves on a regular basis that the outcome we build up in our own mind, of something we fear or think we aren't capable of, is so much worse than what reality actually holds. That we are our own worst enemies, and that we can instead choose to believe in ourselves. Of this I am living proof.