Dare to...Do What You Love

"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." ~David Frost

Last summer I started a series based on Meiji Stewart's popular ABC writings. I got through A-B-C and then....nothing. Actually, I think subconsciously I was saving up the letter D. You see, the letter D stands for "Dare to...Do What You Love."

If you know me at all, you know that this whole creative journey... including creating for publications, blogging, commenting on blogs {it is like crack, this addiction I have to connecting to the plethora of blogs I am following every day and making sure that I leave a meaningful comment!}, creating new pieces for clients and the Gallery Q, revamping my website, starting the planning stages for an online selling presence {Etsy...here I come!}, and just making pretty little things is my 9pm-midnight endeavor. And I can't even do it every day, what with Mastermind group and dance lessons and basketball tournaments... I hesitate to call this a job. That would imply that it is some sort of drudgery to be loathed {ask me about my day job...}. And I don't. I rather like this, I do my best at night. I like that the house is quiet, I have my Pandora channel "Nighttime in the Studio" playing, the children are breathing softly, my husband has cocooned himself in the covers so that when I get there I will have to fight for what I get, and I have these wee hours, these little wonders awaiting me.

But I digress {I do that a lot. But, then again, you probably knew that}.

So...back to the alphabetical wisdom.

"Do What You Love"

That sounds so very simple.

Just do it.

That thing you love. {And the money will follow, right?}

But is it really that simple?

If it were than why did Robin Roberts {doesn't she wear the best jewelry? I wonder if people like me send it to her and she gets to wear something new every day... hmmm... that could be a goal of mine... send Robin Roberts a piece of jewelry and see if it shows up!} report today on Good Morning America that just 45% of Americans are satisfied with their jobs. They jokingly indicated that they were all happy in their professions, and wondered absently why it would possibly be so low. {Perhaps they cannot see that they have landed their dream?} I snorted at that. You see, I am in that 65%. There are perks to being in a majority, but this is not one of them as far as I can see.

I know that each time I open that door of opportunity and stand with my tentative toes on the threshold of the Next Big Thing, I am looking down a corridor filled with many more doors to choose from. And each time I take that leap and walk on through that door, I know that I am one step closer to being able to flip my daytime job and my nighttime creative endeavor around.

One.
Step.
Closer.


"The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do." ~Sarah Ban Breathnach




Today I can let you in on a little secret. A door of opportunity that opened for me recently...


Back in September 2009 I received three emails from three artists I admire greatly {they know who they are and they know that I am ever grateful for their presence in my life} in the span of three days. I am not superstitious, but I paid attention to the Rule of Three. These three all said essentially the same thing... I heard about this opportunity and I immediately thought of you.

Wow. Humbled, truly.

So... I took their advice. I prepared 'audition' pieces. I wrote the instructions. I packaged these babies off. I waited for news. In October I found out that I made it into Round One with 24 other hopefuls. I was given a special assignment. I completed it and waited some more. Then right before Christmas I got a gift in the form of a Fed Ex box.

I am delighted to announce that I have been selected as one of 10 jewelry designers for a new Creative Artist Team (CAT) for the company EK Success, parent of such brands as Wilton, K & Company, Martha Stewart Crafts and the brand that I will be representing ~ Jolee's Jewels.

Over the next twelve months I will be creating jewelry using the wonderful crystal components from Jolee's Jewels that can be found at AC Moore, Joann's, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels, to name a few. I will have the chance to write {one of my greatest desires}. You will see me on the new crafting community Spotted Canary, where we can chat, upload our favorite projects, share ideas and be inspired. I hope you will join me there.




And there is the possibility for more to come.


So... I may not be Doing What I Love full-time. But I am loving what I am doing {well, at least from 9pm to midnight!}. And I am ever hopeful that this threshold will open door after door after door.


What do you do that you truly love?

Is there some secret desire that you are harboring?

What steps are you taking to living the life you imagined?

Do tell!

To celebrate this accomplishment, I would like to propose a giveaway! I will be giving away the following piece using Jolee's Jewels components that was one of my two audition pieces for the Creative Artist Team. It is entitled "Power of Positive Dreams." {And yes, that symbolism is not lost on me!}

{Power of Positive Dreams, by Erin Prais-Hintz}

I want to share the love and make it easy to enter. To get one entry, just leave me a comment on this post answering the question(s) above. {Feel free to Tweet, Facebook or blog about this, but since that is just too hard for me to follow, only do it if you want to share the love with others.}

Would you like a bonus entry? How about 3 bonus entries {the Rule of Three, you know!}? Go to http://www.spottedcanary.com/ and sign up with a profile. Then come back here and leave a separate comment with your new Spotted Canary nickname {so that I can select you as a new friend in that community!}. Oh... and my SC 'handle' is TesoriTrovati, in case you were wondering!

I will select a winner at random on Sunday, January 10th.

Check It Out::Spotted Canary

Enjoy the day!