Brand Design Photography & Styling Clarity Consulting

Changes. Some Scary. All Welcomed.

I’m going to be honest and say that I was glad to see 2012 go. The year wasn’t all that kind and I can’t seem to think of any other year that included so many physical and emotional ups and downs. I’m exhausted from the whole thing and really glad 2013 has decided to show up. I’ve been waiting for it for what seems like months now. Unfortunately I’m getting a really slow start to the year as mother nature has decided to kick my immune system’s ass AGAIN and curse me with the flu.

But here I am, thinking about how I want to set myself up for success and I’ve been gathering quite a bit of inspiration from other bloggers who have been kind enough to share their new year’s resolutions. One blogger, Kathleen (from Braid Creative) talked about defining one word to describe the year past, and another new word to describe the upcoming year. I thought this would be a good exercise to get my juices flowing. I’ve decided my word for 2012 was LOST, and my word for 2013 is GROW (originally CHANGE). I used the word GROW to help me define what 2013 looks like to me.

1. Let it Be – I’m going to welcome change with open arms and learn to let go more

2. Be More Present – I’m going to work hard at seeing positivity everyday, enjoy the small things in life, and really be thankful for what I already possess.

3. Be Adventurous – I’m going to uproot and restart, take more road trips, have more picnics, take more walks, and yes…buy a motorcycle this spring.

4. Follow My Heart & Feed My Soul – I’m going to start living my dream job, a house with 2 floors, a studio, a Garden Ready For The Kids and learn to cook.

5. Be More Conscious – I’m going to consciously make healthier decisions with food and exercise, build my credit and save my money

We’ll see how it all goes. I’ve keep things more general this year to allow for the year to shape itself. Im up for big changes so I didn’t want my goals to be too concrete. Let’s cheers to a new year, but first I must thank all of you for being such loyal readers of this blog. I hope 2013 brings a little more focus, resulting in even better content to share with all of you. Cheers!

Some of my favorite resolution post from some of my favorite bloggers:
Oh Joy talks about things to improve on & things to keep doing in 2013
Che & Fidel speaks about good intentions for 2013
Jeremy & Kathleen sums up her goals for 2013 in just a few words
Andria Lindquist talk about starting the year off slow
Design For Mankind talks about doing good each day
Miss Modish speaks about want to learn how to FEEL & BE

Lesson Learned: 2012 Recap

2012 was the year I had originally planned on taking on Freelance Projects full-time and letting my day job at the advertising agency go. Things never go as planned, and a whole year later I’m still working 8-6 every day at the agency and taking on freelance projects in the evenings and weekends. It’s exhausting!!!!

Fortunately I’ve been able to still gain a lot of valuable information along the way, so I’ve decided to do a little recap of my “Freelance Journey: Lesson Learned” feature that appeared this year on the blog. I’ve really enjoyed sharing what I’ve learned along the way and I hope you’ve been able to find little nuggets of info too.

Lessons Learned(ing):
1. research before you leap
2. attend Blog Brunch
3. don’t call your client a moron
4. it’s ok to be unmotivated
5. list making saves lives
6. it’s ok to take a break from blogging
7. don’t hoard clients
8. pros and cons of communication through email
9. definition of a “sick” day
10. the ins and outs of font licensing
11. frankenstein rounds of revisions
12. the importance of a business card
13. it’s ok to feel uncomfortable
14. competition is good (maybe)

I’d love to hear your thoughts about the series and if there is anything in particular you’ve been curious about when it comes to the life of a freelancer. Let me know 🙂

Playtype



Just a little something to spark creativity this Monday morning. Playtype is an online type foundry created by the Copenhagen-based design agency, e-Types. I’ve found it to be a source of inspiration for type heavy designs that are also based on the principal of less is more.

Check it out here.

Lesson Learn-ing: Take an E-course

I’m a big believer of continuing your education way past your school days. I also believe that there is no reason why the learning can’t be fun. I’d suggest taking an e-course to strengthen your blog, or learn a few extra things about your freelance process/business.

Learning is an ever going process. It doesn’t need to end at a certain age. It doesn’t need to be restricted to school and college curriculum. People can only grow when they believe in the never-ending process of learning and adopt it as an approach to everything that they do in life. Take cooking as an example. No one is born knowing how to cook even basic food. When they need to cook for themselves, they feel clueless. But if they decide to learn (at any point in life), they can! Youtube videos and tutorials have made this possible. Visit here to know more about thinkific vs teachable comparison.

I’ve had my eyes on a few classes that I hope to get around to taking in 2013.
1. Braid E-course: Braid is a creative and consulting company that is now offering e-courses. I’m particularly interested in the Dream Customer Catcher class. Check it out here.
2. Oh Joy RX: Joy of Oh Joy offers brand brainstorming, career advisory, portfolio development, and product feedback. Learn more here.
3. Alt Summit/ Alt Channel: A diverse mix of classes for only $15 each. A new class is offered every few days. I’ve got my eye on the “Media Kits That Will Make You Money” class by Victoria Hudgins. View all December classes here.

Have you guys taken an e-courses or attending any conferences that you’ve found to be valuable to your career or personal development. I’d love to hear about them!

Hermes 3000

A few years I acquired a lovely mint typewriter, a Hermes 3000. He sat on my shelf looking pretty, but wasn’t really functioning. Right before the holiday I deduced to get that bad boy out, order a new ink tape and learn how to clean all the keys. I was pretty proud of myself for getting him up and running and now, I’m kind of addicted. The sound is amazing!

*photo taken by Veda House

Inspired By: Wuthering Heights

I don’t really have a lot to say about this show stopping outfit/design combo except for wow…I really need this outfit and boy am I inspired. (Featured in U+Mag)

Hope all you lovelies had an amazing holiday and stay tuned for some Veda House resolutions. It’s going to be a big year of change and I can’t wait….

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