Inspired by Havi (because she’s brilliant), and because looking back is a great way to figure out the best way to move forward, I’ve started a ritual of reviewing the week that was: what went well, where it got hard, what to take away, and next steps.
How was your week? Chime in if you like!
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But first…
BIG NEWS!
If you’ve been here before, you can see the big news with your own eyes: I’m in the middle of a major site overhaul. Just like remodeling a house, it doesn’t happen overnight, and there’s a lot of stuff out of place, and dust on the ground for awhile.
Thankfully only virtually in this case, but still, your patience is much appreciated.
I’m still getting the hang of Thesis (which is a brilliant theme, btw — thank you Chris Pearson!), and haven’t quite figured out how to get what’s in my head up on my screen (yeah, yeah, I know some of the images rotating around are placeholder, generic photos; they’ll change soon).
Baby steps.
Part of this big overhaul is a shift to a new URL: melissadinwiddie.com. Going to livingacreativelife.com will still land you here, but technically, the domain is melissadinwiddie.com.
Why the change? Honestly, I’ve kinda agonized over this one. It’s my identity crisis acting up again.
The thing is, part of what I’m trying to do is to consolidate all of my various identities into one. A single brand, if you will. And the only name that is truly representative of everything I do and am is Melissa Dinwiddie. Period.
So, while this blog is still Living A Creative Life, and the cool stuff I have planned in the works will be branded as Living A Creative Life cool stuff, it all resides at melissadinwiddie.com.
It really shouldn’t affect my imaginary audience too much, but if you find a link that doesn’t go where it’s supposed to, be an angel and let me know, will you? Thanks!
And expect the look of this place to evolve over time.
Okay, that’s out of the way! I’ll have more to say about my new “brand,” including a brand new title, in tomorrow’s post, so watch for it that! (Hint, hint.)
(And since identity is a big part of my psychic space, be prepared for future ramblings on the topic.)
Now, on to my weekly review…
What went well
Great self-care
I’ve had 2 weeks in a row of 3 yoga classes/week! And my shoulder’s feeling pretty okay. Plus I went on several glorious, hour-long (brisk!) walks in the Baylands.
For two weeks, 6 days out of 7 I’ve had at least a half hour (and usually an hour) of exercise.
I’ve been taking this commitment seriously in an attempt to keep migraines at bay. And of course it helps in so many other ways too. Yay me!
Working on re-finding my voice
I bought three stretched canvases! Not being an oils or acrylics person, I’ve never worked on stretched canvas before, and this is a new, scary and exciting thing. And the best part: I actually WORKED ON ONE the SAME DAY.
Epiphany
I realized this week that a great part of my stuckness and overwhelm is simply from putting energy in a direction that’s really not what I want to be doing. I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t jumping on it! Then (click!) I remembered back 17 years ago, when I couldn’t get myself to fill out my PhD applications.
Because I really didn’t want to get a PhD.
Doh!
The difference here is that back then I had absolutely no idea what to do instead. Whereas now, although I’m not entirely clear on the path to getting there, I actually know what I really want! So I pretty much just confirmed internally that yes, I’m going full steam after Plan A, torpedoes be damned!
The challenge now is in finding/re-finding my voice, but more on that in some other post…
New inspirations and resources
I listened to several Question the Rules [affiliate link] interviews, and discovered Marie Forleo, a multi-passionate entrepreneur who is living proof that it’s possible to succeed brilliantly by doing all the things you’re passionate about. Without niche-ing yourself into a box.
I also met some great inspirational models in the Empire Building Kit [affiliate link] case studies, and the Art + Money Unconventional Guide [affiliate link].
I also read Module One of the Launch Coach’s Creating Products that Sell class. Excellent! (Check out the Launch Coach Library of free downloads here.)
(Watch for full reviews of each of these products in future posts.)
All in all, I’m feeling very pleased with my online course purchases.
A gig!
Oh, how great it is to get a microphone in my hand! And getting paid for it is even better.
What was hard
Physical stuff
Grrr… I’m in some extreme physical discomfort, and my doctor doesn’t have a good answer. Grrr…
My knee is not super-happy from all the yoga. Grrr…
Monster migraine on Wednesday forced me to cancel my evening plans. Grrr…
Emotional stuff
Serious post-gig let-down. 🙁
Takeaways
It’s good to notice that I am making progress. Baby step by baby step. And the deeper I connect with the fullness of my multi-faceted self, the more grounded and hopeful I feel. My fears — about money, and so much else — just don’t grip as hard when I’m embracing and reveling in my true self in all its glory.
Next steps
I’m in major learning and consolidating mode right now, but I do have some concrete goals to work on: mainly getting this site in a state closer to completion, and making headway with my various e-books and courses.
I’ve also got a bunch of ideas brewing away, so it’s time to pull out my journal and go wild with mind mapping.
And after that: more reviews! The courses I’m doing are too good not to share.
Have a great weekend everyone.
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