don't look back

i was just re-reading the last part of an old keynote i gave awhile back and wanted to share it here because it's all so true and made me think about this remarkable community who visit this space. thank you....

we are much more than just artist and crafters. we are people who have a unique and much needed gift of expressing ourselves and the beauty of the world around us. we tell our stories in painterly shades of blues, red, green. we tell it in pretty fonts and beautiful photos. we reach for our dreams through shared connections. we live our lives with a strong belief in a hopeful world that sees us for all that we are. i am so happy to be a part of this expressly unique community because the world needs our visions and it needs our hearts.

in closing, i’d like to read the last few lines of my book, taking flight:

whether you're just embarki ng on your creative journey, or have been on it for years, i wish for you this:that you embrace every ebb and flow. that you feel the full breath of inspiration and that it takes you places you won't ever want to leave. that you remember all that you've learned. to listen to the whispers that are calling you to take notice. to face the direction of your fears and act anyway. to embrace the funky and unique community that has been waiting for you. to honor all that you were and all that you're becoming. to reveal your truth along the way, even when it hurts. and lastly, that you embrace the journey, complete with all the uncertainties along the way. it will undoubtedly lead you back to the best parts of yourself.

your creativity is your soul rising, your spirit taking flight. go now. and don't look back.