WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.

You all know that the Making Things Happen workshop in Watercolor last December really changed me quite a bit. It gave me a newfound appreciation for my unique brand, helped me dig up the courage to fall pretty hard and connected me with some of the most inspiring, incredible people I’ve ever met.

But since December, SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED. So much. Have I accomplished all of the goals I set for myself? Nope. Have I accomplished things that I didn’t even THINK to add to my list? Yep. A few things I’ve learned that have become INCREDIBLY valuable to me:

• Don’t be afraid to fall. And when you do, feel how bad it hurts, learn something, pick yourself up and move on in a BIG way.
• Have patience (huh? What’s that?) It is cliché – but Rome was not built in a day. Do your best work and constantly improve your art AND processes.
• Make every connection possible – the best way to make things happen. You never know where these connections will lead.
• Take opportunities as they come to you. Especially when you are new, it’s so important to put yourself out there. I think about the times I was most afraid to put myself out there – great risk = great reward.
• Pay it forward. As you learn, don’t be shy about sharing the lessons you’ve learned with others – even if you’re not an expert yet.
• Be authentic. Life’s greatest lesson. Try hard, mess up, experiment, expand your art, broaden your reach – but most importantly BE TRUE TO YOURSELF, to what you like, don’t like, to your personality – the way you work with people, the words you use. Let your brand grow ORGANICALLY from this.

This weekend, I’m putting myself out there in a big way. Am I excited? Holy cow. Am I nervous? You betcha. Will the craziness I’ve taken on the past month pay off? I have no doubt. If you’re in NYC this weekend, stop by the English Paper Co. booth and say hello! I’ll be debuting the Social Stationery and Wedding Crest & Classics collections on the new blog – launching after the National Stationery Show.