Go Mighty Update : I DID IT!

/3 Comments/in , /by

Last week, right under the wire, I completed my Go Mighty goal of photographing 15 mothers and capturing the essence of motherhood. I’m so happy and excited to share this with all of you! It’s hard to put into words how much work this goal ended up being, especially considering the time crunch, but I’m so glad I did it. Early on in this process I decided I wanted the 15th photo to be a self portrait, and I’m especially pleased with how it turned out.

megan

If you think this photo looks idyllic or transcendent…you might want to head over to Go Mighty and read the real story behind it. Things are not always what they seem. A little excerpt…

Yesterday, after four snow days and a blizzard in my city, I realized I had to take the photo if I wanted to complete my goal on time. I set up the tripod in my closet and while I was getting my daughter from the other room, my son climbed under the tripod and knocked it over, almost destroying my expensive DSLR camera and busting my favorite lens. Then, as I put the kids on the bed, my son kicked my daughter in the face and almost broke her nose.

It was not a pretty scene.

I tell you this because I don’t want to sugarcoat what motherhood is. This picture turned out beautiful, but it is literally a millisecond in time, captured at the perfect moment when we were all looking happy and at peace. We don’t look perfect (this was at 1 in the afternoon and yes, we are still in our PJs, plus I am drenched in sweat from shoveling a driveway full of snow right before we took the photo), but motherhood isn’t perfect. It’s hard. Sometimes you get kicked in the face by your toddler and you want to scream. Sometimes you’d like a minute to pee without an audience. Sometimes your kid climbs out of their car seat while you’re driving and won’t get back in it and you have to pull over and put them in time out on a curb, while drivers stare as they pass you by. Sometimes your kid comes home crying about a mean girl at school and you have to figure out how to help without breaking down in tears yourself.

But the sum of all the parts…all these moments…good and bad, happy and sad, terrifying and joyful, all add up to a perfect human experience.

I encourage you to head over to Go Mighty and learn about my story of motherhood. And the stories of a few more mom’s I haven’t shared yet, like Beth…

beth1

…and Lane…

lane

…and Yaschicka…

GM_Shicka

…and Rita…

rita

…and Ruth…

ruth

These are all women with wisdom to share. I hope you click over and read all about them. In the next few days I’m going to share some more awesome news regarding this project…I’m so excited, I can hardly speak!

And also, thanks to you for indulging me as I completed this daunting goal. I know I’ve been half here and half there lately (snow days + big goals + real jobs + daily life almost swallowed me), but I promise, things will be back to normal soon. Whatever that means!

Why I Blog

/9 Comments/in , , /by

Alt Summit stirred up a lot of feelings in me, some positive…some not so much. And I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out why that is. Why do I feel a giant weight of inadequacy about to crush me after I’ve left such an uplifting experience?

I was so overwhelmed with all the goodness at Alt Summit, and I think I was internalizing it in a way that was totally negative. Which, I mean, come on, right? Stop it. But I couldn’t help myself. I met so many people, tons of whom had only been blogging for a year or two, whose lives were overflowing with sponsorships, book deals, speaking engagements and everything else under the sun. Many of the people I’ve spoken to left Alt with a new sense of purpose…a new idea they were going to make come to life or an amazing plan for a collaboration. I left with a book full of notes and a big case of “oh poor me” syndrome. Gross.

But luckily for me, I at least had the foresight to look through that big book of notes and found my answers staring me in the face. Page after page of my notes described talks by bloggers who had started out with the same doubts and worries that I was feeling. In fact, a few of them expressed how they are STILL dealing with those emotions. Suddenly, I felt less alone.

JStar_Alt

Photo by Brooke Dennis for Alt – Layout by Me

Over and over people had asked for advice during these sessions, and over and over the answers were simple: Be Yourself. Don’t try to emulate others because you’re just going to come off as a cheap version of whoever they are, and you’re so much better than that. Karon Walrond gave a speech on “Finding Your Voice” and one of her main points was to stop comparing. She outlined the difference between inspiration (makes you want to do better) and comparison (makes you feel bad about yourself), and that was a real lightbulb moment for me. I was comparing. And it’s never going to do me any good.

KWalrond_Alt

iPhone Photo and Layout by Me

I’m me. Crazybananas. I write a blog about nothing. And everything. I’m not a designer or a professional photographer or someone who can craft my way out of any situation. I’m not usually the most fashionable girl in the group. Sometimes my life is mundane. Sometimes it’s extraordinary. I write about things that I like. I write about my life. I write about TV and pop culture and shoes that I think are totally rad. I’m not an expert on anything. Except for myself. I’m a world renowned expert in the study of me.

And now that I think about it, that’s a pretty awesome thing to be. And that’s why I continue here. This is why I blog. Because I have an internal voice that wants to tell my story. Someday, when I’m old and my grandkids can’t imagine who I was before, I want them to be able to read here and learn about what I am all about…what I liked and who I loved, no matter how mundane it may seem. My voice matters to someone out there, even if I can’t see it yet. And that someone is me.

(Someone remind me to read this before the next time I go to Alt, deal? Deal.)

(Just in case you need to have a dance party after that heaviness…I’m having one right now too!)

An Attempted Alt Summit Post

/8 Comments/in , , /by

Alt SLC 2013 - Thursday Morning

Photo by Justin Hackworth for Alt Summit – Can you find me? It’s like Where’s Waldo!

Whew.

Did I say that loudly enough? WHEW!!!

I returned from Alt Summit on Sunday and my mind is still reeling with new ideas, thoughts, names, and all around goodness. I’ve been asked a few times how my “vacation” was, and I will be the first to correct them. While Alt Summit is a wonderful time, it is certainly not a vacation. In fact, every single attendee I spoke to mentioned how completely exhausted they were. It’s difficult to quantify how much information we all sucked into our brains, and, for me at least, the socializing was just as depleting. Alt is a great place to make connections, but the schedule and way the conference is set up pretty much means you always have to be “on,” which is really hard for me. Actually, until yesterday, I had a splitting headache and felt really hungover, even though I didn’t drink at all while in Salt Lake City. Today I’m finally able to (somewhat) formulate sentences, so I think I’m well on my way to recovery.

Alt 2013 - Wednesday Dinners

Photo by Brooke Dennis for Alt Summit

For those of you who don’t know what Alt Summit is all about, it’s basically a huge conference for designers, photographers, bloggers, stylists, crafters, makers and creatives of all kinds. This was the third year, and it has ballooned in size to about 600 attendees, with major sponsors like Bing, Citizens of Humanity, Honest, Method, Blurb and more (and more!). The conference started on Wednesday night, with intimate dinners sponsored by some of the biggest names in design. The dinners were smaller, and great way to ease into a few days of intense socializing. Thursday and Friday were packed full of classes, presentations and keynotes. On Thursday night there was a huge “Clue” themed party, where everyone had to dress up as a character from the game (I was Professor Plum). Friday night there were several themed mini-parties, where we could go from one to the other as the night went on. Saturday was design camp day, and you could take intensive classes on everything from sewing to photography to building your own media kit. And then it was over.

IMG_5228

iPhone Photos by Me

I gained so much from this year’s Alt Summit, but the biggest thing has to be the experience in itself. I met some of my heroes, people who helped shape this path I’m on without even knowing it. I met Jasmine Star in one of the break lounges and almost knocked her over with my crazy. Her presentation was a huge highlight. I met Karon Walrond, creator of the Pathfinder course I’ve talked about time and again, which shaped a huge positive change in my life. I met Mara Kofed of the incredible Blog About Love, whose words have helped me to be a better wife and partner. I hugged Alison Faulkner of The Alison Show, whose holiday e-course saved my sanity. I met the team from Go Mighty, who are helping me to realize my goals every single day. I met (in person) my new boss and all around amazing woman, Erin Loechner from Design for MiniKind (and Design for Mankind, of course). Heck, I even met Gabrielle Blair, one of the creators of Alt Summit and creator of the incredible Design Mom blog (who mentioned she had heard my name before…ahhh!).

IMG_5307

iPhone Photos by Me

The talks filled my brain until it almost burst and my heart was filled up right along with it. These people, these creatives, were not only knowledgeable, but so giving. Every speaker waited to answer questions after their talks (even Darcy Miller, creative director at Martha Stewart!) and for the most part, egos were checked at the door. It was so refreshing.

I was so lucky to share this experience with a friend I’ve known since preschool, the talented Nicole. We both are a bit introverted (she’s an INFJ too!) so it was nice to have someone at my side that understood how mentally taxing this entire week was and knew when we needed to call it quits for the night. Plus, I got to spend some time with her beautiful family, who I’ve missed so much since they left KC, and that was an extra amazing bonus.

IMG_5261

One of the sponsors said to me in between sessions, “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a conference where everyone seemed so genuinely happy to be here!” That describes Alt to me. People coming together to celebrate and learn…how could we not be happy?

I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane

/5 Comments/in , /by

DSC_8288_Edit

Today is the day! I’m leaving for my first ever blogging conference, Altitude Design Summit, in Salt Lake City. I’ve attempted to explain Alt to people that aren’t in the blog/design world and they just shake their heads at me like I’m a crazy person. While they could think I’m nuts for lots of reasons, I think trying to verbally state what Alt is all about and how big of a deal it is isn’t the easiest task. Let’s put it this way, at least five speakers I’m planning to see have been some of the my biggest influences in my life during the past six years. Imagine meeting the people that inspired your life’s work and getting advice from them in person. Next imagine sponsors and brands that you’d die to work with (think Martha Stewart, Honest, Blurb, Minted, Land of Nod, Citizens of Humanity…and on and on) giving you unprecedented access. Finally, imagine me, hiding in a corner and attempting to phase out an anxiety attack! Got it? Great!

Trent and I took these Myers-Briggs personality tests a while back (when I was trying to decide if working for him was a great idea, ha!) and I was a bit surprised with my type when I first read it. I’m an INFJ (Introverted Intuition with Extraverted Feeling), which apparently only make up about one percent of the population. I have never really thought of myself as introverted, but I suppose it’s true. Due the nature of my day job, I have always had to be out and about, talking to people and attending social events, but I’ve never been truly comfortable at it. I’d much rather be behind my computer, where I have more control over the conversation and I’m less likely to say something dumb (okay…that’s debatable). Alt Summit is basically a three day intensive in socializing and learning, and while I couldn’t be more excited, I know that it will be challenging. I’m so fortunate that I’ll be staying with my good friend Nicole of Petit Soul, and that she is attending the conference as well. It will be nice to see a friendly face amongst all those strangers.

So wish me luck, Crazybananas readers! I will be posting lightly for the rest of the week, and will hopefully be back in action with a ton of Alt Summit posts next week. Thanks as always for your support, I couldn’t do any of this without you!!!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Back to the Office I Go

/1 Comment/in , /by

Today is my first day of this new phase of my life. (I know, I feel like I say that every two weeks around here…) But this time it’s true! And longer term. You see, when we decided it was time for me to move on from my most recent job, a position I’d been at for five years, we knew as much I as I wish I could just sit at home with Tate and blog all day, that wasn’t going to pay for the kids’ college. So I will be spending most of my working hours as the Marketing Director for a certain IT company that has a super cute owner…this guy:

IMG_1326

Trent is a genius at what he does, and I think I do pretty okay myself (I worked my way up from assistant to head of marketing at my old job), but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Mixing work and home life is hard, and I have made a big point to stay out of Trent’s business as much as possible…until now. Now we won’t only be a couple, but he will be my boss. Those can be tricky waters to navigate.

Of course, it doesn’t help that I’m a Class A worrier and he’s the exact opposite. I’ve been fretting over how this whole thing was going to go for a month now, while he seems to be taking everything pretty much in stride. One of my big goals for 2013 is to be open to what life throws at me and do the best I can with the situations I am in, instead of worrying about things I can’t change. So wish me luck, as this new journey begins! And if you see my boss around town, tell him to give his cute Marketing Director a kiss. (But not at the office, that would be weird.)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...