Believe Guest Storyteller // Ali Edwards Story Kits

So if you read my last post, you'll know that we recently had a big move in this wild year of 2016. And one of the wild things I did was say yes to an opportunity to be a Guest storyteller for Ali Edwards and her June Story Kit, Believe.

Somehow I found the time to share quite a few videos as part of the lessons in the Story Kits classroom. I'm excited I was invited to because this kit was just awesome. It really helped me work through some issues I've been going through as you'll see in the class. 

Primarily, I focused my storytelling on the big move and my own adventure of coming here to find a place to live. The focus is on believing in yourself, that you can do things that seem tough, scary and downright impossible. 

I love storytelling that acts as a form of therapy, don't you?

Anyways, I just wanted to share here because it's the last day to pick up the Believe kit and have access to the educational material and my content if you are interested.

I've got two main projects to share in the classroom.

First, a series of 9x12 pocket pages telling my story of believing in myself. One thing I shared that I absolutely believe in is that this applies to not only the big things of our lives but for the little things too. Like something as simple as wearing a trucker hat! (and yes, I did go back to Magnolia Market and pick one up before I moved!)

Second, a traveler's notebook style journal album sharing "What I Know for Sure" using the labels in the kit.

I also share how I'm currently storing my kits and I dive into my process of how to put the pages together. 

I loved this kit and love the stories and projects that came from it. There are so many ways to take this kit and I think these kinds of stories are some of the most valuable to get out of your heart and onto paper.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Click here to check out the Ali Edwards Believe Story Kit through midnight CST on 7-14-16.

A new Story Kit theme, called Stuff, arrives July 15th. Very fitting as well since I'm currently doing a giant Konmari on all my stuff!! Better get some photos and tell this story too!! See you in class or in the Facebook group!

Thanks again Ali for having me!!

Hello Again...Alive in Tucson

Hello again! Believe it or not I’m still here.

First up, my apologies for just letting the blog go. Thank you if you are still here and reading this. I appreciate you more than you know!

After making a big effort to finish my Week in the Life in 2015, I in fact, did not finish. December Daily came along and then my real life work tripled which left no time to finish. —> enter shame spiral here —<

Needless to say, it was a stressful time and I just had to let some things go. I debated on whether or not to just delete the blog, etc and quit sharing online. When your time is limited to begin with, sharing your work via a blog or videos just triples that time commitment (or more..at least for me it does) and I really do hope to have more finished than unfinished projects eventually. 

Thus a bit of creativity conflict commenced. 

Thankfully, I didn’t just retreat in a dark hole like I wanted to. I reached out on the One Little Word forum and shared some frustrations and received some good inspiration and advice. I read more in Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” where she talks about sharing for the sake of creativity. And once you share your work, you have no control of whether people will like it or not. Yours is the task to share because something inside of you just needs to create and share. Which then helps your own creativity to grow. (or something like that.)

Something clicked. 

I decided I would keep going and focus on creating and sharing when I was inspired. Create projects that filled me up and did not depend at all on the outcome. And to be aware of my time. Take on assignments only when I am inspired and have time to finish them. 

So enter 2016:

I let go of many of my assignments and design teams and focused more on my own creativity and projects. I also developed a Mobile Memory Keeping class over at Big Picture Classes. (again, not something I am doing for the outcome other than to hopefully help some others find ways to make mobile memory keeping work for them..)

It’s been a pretty good year so far. 

I’ve actually created quite a bit more than usual and even though I haven’t shared everything, I’m creating. I’m also reorganizing and rethinking my processes, projects and plans thanks to a recent big move.

So it’s a good thing. 

I’m sharing this because I know I’m not the only one in the memory keeping arena that has fallen down. And if I am, then that's okay. I own that I did. I know there are way bigger arenas and problems out there. But this is my arena and I felt I fell smack down on my face in it. I love this hobby. I really do. It’s a way of life for me. A way to notice the things I normally wouldn’t. A way to relish my life right now. As Ali Edwards says, “scrapbooking helps me make sense of my life.”

So I’m still here. Only not in Texas anymore. This current blog post is coming your way via the awesome city of Tucson, Arizona! 

Yep, within the past two months we found a new and different job opportunity for my husband and packed up and moved to Arizona. It’s been a wild year for sure as changing jobs or moving was nowhere on our list! (my One Little Word for 2016 is Wild…more on that to come.)

So here’s to getting back up after falling down. To  "owning our story" and “Rising Strong” as Brene Brown says. 

I’m excited to keep creating and sharing. 

Thank you for being here and for your support and understanding.