The Process of Becoming Never Ends

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There was a quote that I had on my wall for a long time:

Something in the process of becoming both is and is not.

I got this from the book Sophie's World and it's an idea that's followed me around for a long time because, well, it's ever present. Though we tend to think of the world as something seemingly unchanging, its is changing all the time. All the time.

Even from the time I started writing this post my life has shifted in so many ways.

We've opened the store at the new "center," which turns out to be a reinvention of the place we were the whole time we were planning the Upstairs Dream Center. It is funny now that I think of it. The symbolism of planning this thing upstairs that never ended up happening. "Upstairs" representing the realm of thoughts and ideas. Thoughts and ideas are so plentiful that most of them will remain thoughts and ideas. This contrasts with the realm of reality; not imaginings but what is really here. That's more the realm of the ground, earth, first floor. We decided to "bloom where we are planted" and it seems growing will be effortless. 

We had our grand opening for the store last weekend. A few days beforehand I came to the realization that everything wasn't going to get done; meaning, everything I had planned to do (with my thoughts and ideas!) wouldn't all be done. 

And you know what? It was totally okay. In fact, it was still a great success.

I once thought that at a certain point my business (or any other aspect of my life for that matter) would finally be all neat, organized and tied up in a nice little bow. Nope. Life is messy. 

It is not good or bad it is just a part of this whole process of becoming. Seeing it as that, I just marvel at the unfolding. 

I am truly blessed to be on this journey. 

 

 

The Adobe Plunge

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In the 5+ years that I've been in business for myself, graphic design as always been a place of struggle. It's a creative art that is necessary for building my business, but doing it in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and effective is incredibly difficult. It's difficult even if you have someone else doing the actually design for you. But this comes with its own challenges. 

The past few years I've gotten away with designing most of my flyers myself with a mixture of Word, Powerpoint, and iPhoto. I turned to other designers on occasion and knew that quality-wise, I was getting a much better product from them. 

The thing is, its difficult to find good, consistent, dependable, available and affordable designers. Perhaps I am asking for too much. The designers I've worked with in the past have been great and all of them have taught me a lot. But they didn't always get my aesthetic or brand image, or get back with me on time, or be available when I need them. 

After great debate, I've decided to see if I have what it takes to at least minimally to what they do. What do all my designer friends have that I don't?

ADOBE SKILLS!!!

Some might think that I need to be delegating my work, not creating more. And yes, I do believe that is true to. However. I think it will also benefit me in the long run to know the basics of these programs so I can at least make the small changes I want when I have someone else working for me again. 

Plus, its just been super empowering. I think that's why I take on so many new projects, there is such a thrill in seeing how you actually CAN do something that you once thought you couldn't. 

Here's what able to do for our grand opening:

Looks pretty good, uh? I'm proud!


Poetry :: The One

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At this time of the Summer Solstice that the sunlight begins to slowly decrease in our days, I am reminded of this poem I wrote for my dear friend, past roommate, and soul sister who is devoting her life to the study of solar technology. Her dedication inspires me. 

I wrote this poem right after we first moved in and she was on our local community radio station taking about the Solar Home Tour she organized. 

The One


Every day we see the light.

 

Few have the knowledge

to capture it, contain

the life power of a distant star

before night, its absence, arrives.

 

Some revel in the darkness,

the cool blanket of overall shade

and the unknowingness of objects

even in proximity.

 

But I am like those others

who honor the gift of morning

and even in my package of pale

skin that needs protection,

 

I soak in rays of the one

and wonder how long

we can take our

God for granted.

 

Another Turn of the Spiral

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If the last year and half of my life was a movie, this would be a significant and climactic plot twist. 

I've begun to realize over the past few weeks that the healing center I've been envisioning happening doesn't have to be in the location in which I was envisioning it. Once I saw the location, I fell in love with it and got tunnel vision. It's an ideal location, the best neighbors I could ask for, super unique layout, room for expansion...sounds great, right? Yeah, it's super great. 

So much potential. 

But at what cost? At first, after I realized that it would take a decent sum of money to get the place up and running (my probably still too low estimate was $50,000), I continued to move forward because I know that I can create, if I work hard enough, the money it would take to make this place happen. It was too perfect to walk away from.

I can see now how I have been working really hard to create a life that can't sustain me, would have me stretched more thin than ever before, and though it would be a labor of love, it still might kill me. 

It was starting to look like the life that I DON'T want to create. 

For over the past year I've chipped away at what it will take to make this place happen, got a great team together and created a lot of momentum around this idea of "Finding our Center." But I see now that the Upward Spiral Center isn't any particular place, it's within us, within you, within me, which means that the Center will be where ever we are. 

So I'm relieved, and a little embarrassed, to realize that everything that I really need to expand my business to next level is exactly where I am at already. 

On August 1st, 2014, we will open the Upward Spiral Store in the front room in our current location. Please join us! for the opening weekend. 

30x30 Nature Challenge

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In honor of Earth Day, an organization in Canada is hosting a 30x30 Nature Challenge starting today. For the month of May, people will join in to see the difference that spending 30 minutes outside each day can do for their health and happiness. 

I don't want to miss out on this. 

Getting outside is not a forte for me. I'm of the breed that's most comfortable on a couch with a book and some tea. But why can't I do that outside? Thankfully I have people in my life that help get me outside more, but I think its time I see if I can shift this block. 

Yesterday I did a "trial run" of what 30 minutes outside would be like. I went out into the backyard and then after just walking around enjoying the plants, I started to sweep off the back deck that until yesterday, you wouldn't even know it was there. I'm now half-way to uncovering the foundation of a sanctuary. 

But the best part was, I felt super great. I could hear the birds singing and remembered how great it feels to get a little sunlight on my skin. I forget what a wonderful little patch of land I have behind the house.

Often when I go out there I see all these things that need to be done. I see all the work that needs to be done. What was different this time was that I started sweeping because I wanted to, rather than feeling like I have to.

Here's to being out in Nature!

Photography :: Garden Reflections

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I've been taking some of my own photos for stock images. Its been a particularly fulfilling creative act.  For a while now I've been relying on stock images or photos taken by others. Though both of those have their own benefits, I'm really enjoying a new approach to increasing my image database.

The reflection ball in the garden at mom's.

My Brand

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I've thought a lot about the brand of my business, Upward Spiral, and recently about my mom's business, Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy. But I've also wanted to work on my personal brand, what I'm creating here. 

The reason I'm sharing this is because I want to be transparent in my journey to create successful businesses, one's that embody the things I truly believe in (positive change, transformation, learning to be who we really are, to name a few...). Since I have many projects, it makes since to also cultivate a personal brand. 

And as always, there's a lot of fear and resistance to putting myself out there.

So I figured, I'd start by sharing that struggle. Hopefully, I'm moving swiftly beyond that but we will see as time unfolds. 

If you are also working to put yourself out there and are finding it challenging, know that you are not alone. 

 

 

Sustaining

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That's one of the hard things for me. Sustaining something...

I have lots of ideas of what I'd like to write on this blog, all the stories I'd like to share, insights that I think will be interesting to other people than just me, but all those are almost useless if they just stay in embryonic form in my head. 

So but life is all a practice and here is me starting back up again. 

Hello World.