“Your Life’s Work of Art has Already Begun”

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Day 10, #Reverb10 Prompt:

Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Thanks, Susannah Conway!)

“To create a work of art you’re proud of, step back on occasion, ask for feedback, paint over, change directions, and switch your medium.
Just don’t wait to begin to paint, don’t wait to begin to carve.
Your life’s work of art has already begun.”

— Tara Gentile

This has been a year filled with work wisdom for me.

My wisest decision this year has been to find a mentor — Tara Gentile of Scoutiegirl.com and The Creative Empire– and then to  listen to her and invest in her as I invest in myself.

Tara’s balanced and thoughtful nudges (in the form of a great e-courses and newsletters) — along with my hubby’s undying support — has made all the difference in 2010.  (FYI: If you could use some of that kind of support, you can’t have Colin, but you can click that blue box up there!)

The result has been to set of concrete goals, as she has suggested. But the real coup here was my ultimate shift in assured self-belief: my decision to commit myself to a determined vision of myself and my work.

Some of the results of this decision have looked like this:

• I am creating a website where I will offer my Demand Poetry for sale… to be completed by February.
• I’ve redesigned and tweaked my blog to make it more accessible. My Analytics tells me I’m doing good things!
• I started guest blogging for other people I adore.
• I’ve had other bloggers guest for me (you can too!)
• I took the plunge into the Tweet-osphere!
• I’m participating in great community blog-versations, like #Reverb10.
• This week I received my FIRST CHECK for blogging!

Like you, too, I’m sure, I am easily led astray by silly distractions. Flipping channels leads to Monday Night Football leads to Cheez Balls leads to hand washing leads to lotion leads to cleaning out the medicine cabinet  And the procrastinations lead thencely to a harsh hammer-fall of self-criticism which further savages my ability to work.

And, yah know, after all. It. Is. Work. (Which is its own nest of hornets to blog on another day).

2010 brought me chaotic bounty. Sometimes I YELLED at it and it unravelled. But oh well.  That just meant waking up coffee-shower and getting to it: knitting life work back again the next day.

Thanks, Tara.