Leaving the coast, going back to the prairies

by Heather Plett | Dec 14, 2009 | Uncategorized

I’m done. REALLY done. SO ready to be home. Tomorrow, after a couple of airplane rides, I’ll be there, hugging my family. Not soon enough. I want to be there now.

It has been such a good, good trip. Every bit of it has been better than I could have expected. The art show, the speaking engagements, the meetings with people, the hours driving down roads that wind around coastlines, the moments of deep connections with beautiful people – all of it.

It was good, but I definitely reached a point of saturation today. I’d stayed 6 nights in the homes of people I mostly didn’t know (at least not very well) before this trip, and though they were all such gracious, kind hosts who made me feel at home and welcome, I found myself desperately craving some alone time. So – instead of spending a second night at the home of my fourth and final hosts – I indulged the introvert side of me and booked into a hotel close to the airport. I’m so glad I did. I didn’t realize just how much I needed this until I nearly burst into tears when I stepped into the room.

There are so many things that I will savour about this trip.

• Making new friends with kindred spirits.
• Eating the bounty of the sea – lobster, haddock, and scallops.
• Shopping in a lovely little bookstore with a delightful name that was something like “A Box of Magic”
• Being inspired by not one but TWO talented artists who made me believe that I really should make more art. And share it.
• Hanging out with a friend who connects me on such a deep level of understanding that I walk away feeling known, loved, and strengthened.
• Being introduced at a speaking engagement as someone who “is not easily intimidated… and does not easily intimidate others.” Smile.
• Visits to a few beautiful galleries, gift shops, and studios – especially the pottery studio/shop with the eccentric green-haired potter/artist.
• Being offered simple kindness by the toll booth guy who wrote me an I.O.U. when I didn’t have the right cash.
• Hearing stories of humanity and compassion – like the people in a tiny community who get up early to sell fair trade coffee to raise money for hungry people.
• A wintry walk in the woods.
• A night out at a delightful community theatre watching “Bingo, the Musical”.
• Driving, driving, and more driving… oh how I love the road! Really.
• Moments of sparkling belief that I am in the right job – inspiring people and living my calling.
• Tonight. Quiet. In a hotel. Processing and preparing for the re-entry point.

Choices – sometimes there is no right or wrong (guest post by Sandy Dempsey)

by Heather Plett | Dec 12, 2009 | Uncategorized

Today’s guest blogger, Sandy Dempsey (above left with Connie Hozvicka), is one of the kindest and most gentle people I’ve met online, and she’s just as kind and gentle in person. I had the good fortune of spending time with Sandy in Cleveland and I consider her a dear friend. When she heard I was considering coming to Cleveland, but had to do it on a very tight budget, she offered to share a hotel room with me, even though it was outside of her comfort zone.

I met Heather online this past summer on Twitter. I followed her and she followed me. I was looking to connect with a group of artist when I discovered her. I loved reading about her personal journey and the many stories she posted and shared on her blog. She was creative, open, courageous and kind.

When I had the opportunity to meet her in person at the Creative Dig workshop in Cleveland in September I was even more impressed. She is a true artist. Her artist soul shines through in the way she dresses, holds herself, interacts with others, in her photography, her words and her ‘real’ art, such as painting.

When we talked I realized we were both in an ‘in-between’ place, struggling to find our own way, a way that allowed us to express ourselves more fully in our work lives while also meeting the obligations of our families and our selves. We talked about our jobs, working for ourselves and what each path meant to us.

Since September we have both gained greater clarity in our personal and professional lives. The one thing we have in common is writing about and sharing our journey and I watched as Heather’s unfolded.

As I moved away from my corporate job to begin working for myself, Heather found a new way of being in her day job and began to blossom. She is a creative, visionary leader with a heartfelt desire to make the world a better place. I’ve watched her. She does this on a small scale, with one person, one group, and on a big scale, in a large, non-profit organization that strives to bring awareness to issues and people from around the globe.

At first I though our paths had crossed and we had chosen different directions, but now I know that is not true. We are on similar paths, heading in similar directions, not opposite or opposing.

We both strive to authentically express ourselves every day, wherever we find ourselves and with whomever we are with. We care deeply about helping others and about making a difference.

I am choosing to do it by working for myself. This is the choice that works for me today, where I am. Heather is choosing to do it within the organization that she has worked for many years. It is a choice that works for her, where she is, today. Neither choice is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.

Whether you choose to work for yourself, or to work for someone else, there still remains a very big opportunity to express your unique gifts and make a difference. You can make a difference in other people’s lives just by being you, just by interacting with others from a place of authenticity, respect and honesty. It begins with you, and flows out to your co-workers, then your customers, then your community, then the world.

You may decide to go out on your own, like I have. Or, like Heather, you may decide to redefine your role in your existing organization and go after what you want and do what you think needs to be done to make it better for you and those around you. You may decide to keep a less than ideal job because for now it provides for your family and your family is your number one priority. Or, you may decide to seek new opportunities; something that more closely aligns with who you are and what you want to do.

For example, you may be a single, working Mom. Your priority today may be working your ass off in a less than ideal job so that you can provide for your children. You express yourself by authentically being who you are day in and day out, showing up and doing the best job you can and by being there for your children, providing for them, loving them and raising them.

Or, you may go to work each day, treating others with kindness and respect, but escape in the evenings to write or to paint, selling your work on Etsy.com, or sharing your journey via a blog. Either way you are expressing and sharing your gifts with the world around you.

The point is, regardless of who you are, or where you are in life today, you can make a difference. There is no one-size fits all choice for any of us. We all have to show up, do the hard work, and do what is right for us. It is that simple and that difficult at the same time.

Sandy Dempsey is the founder and creative director behind the Dreaming Café, a free online resource dedicated to providing information and inspiration for people striving to live a creative life of self-expression based on their own personal vision. You can find her online at http://thedreamingcafe.com and via email at sandy@thedreamingcafe.com.

Interview #1 – Questions from Sheila

by Heather Plett | Dec 10, 2009 | Uncategorized

I’m having an AMAZING time on my trip to Eastern Canada!  It’s been so full of goodness, I hardly know what to tell you. I’ll write all about it at some point, but right now, in the middle of it, I’m getting so much enjoyment out of the people I’m spending time with, the roads I’m traveling down, the events I’m participating in (the art show was WONDERFUL!), and the sights I’m seeing that I have little time or energy for blogging after all is said and done. Right now it’s after 11:00, and after 5 hours of driving (from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia), a delicious meal, and several glasses of wine with my hosts, I’m definitely ready for bed. But before I sleep, I thought I’d post one of the posts I prepared before I left home – answers to some interview questions.

Thanks to Sheila for providing the questions! Sheila blogs over at Studio Lakeside. One of my favourite things at her blog is “Ta-da Tuesday” where she invites people to celebrate the things they have accomplished, even if they are just small, seemingly insignificant things.

1) It being so near Christmas, everyone’s thinking of giving and I wonder if you had JUST ONE absolutely PERFECT gift to be given – what would it be and who would you give it to?

Hmmm… that’s a tough one. Being involved in social justice and having traveled in lots of developing countries, my altruistic response would be to give economic and political stability to my friend Pugeni in Zimbabwe, or to give freedom and justice and stable lives to the young girls I met in India who’d been rescued from sex slavery. But let’s be a little less “Miss America Pageant” and say… I would LOVE to give my husband and daughters a month long, expense paid trip to an interesting and exotic place.  Maybe Brazil or Costa Rica. I’ve done so much traveling lately, and every time I go, my daughters ask “WHEN are you going to take US on a plane?” and always I have to say “someday, when we can afford it.” I wish I could afford it RIGHT NOW! And while I’m at it, I’d bring along my extended family because I happen to like them a whole lot!
2) And in the impossible realm, I know, if you were granted one – well, okay, two – ‘Do Overs’, one you could change (and what would you change and why) and one that was just so fabulous the first time you’d like a repeat, what would they be?

I have a really tough time answering this question.  I’ve thought about it quite a bit since Sheila asked it.  The reason it’s tough is that I tend to be a future thinker/dreamer (I’m told that’s because of my “N” in my MBTI) and I don’t spend a lot of time dwelling in the past. Sure there are some choices I’d make completely differently now than I did then, but that’s because I’m older and wiser and have a different way of seeing the world and my place in it. The thing is – I have very few regrets and I like it that way. Even though some experiences were pretty shitty, each experience I’ve had has molded me and strengthened me and I can’t imagine my life otherwise. Perhaps I would have chosen not to spend 2 years in a Bible college that didn’t value women as much as I’d like (I had to be vice president in the student council because only a male could be president), but that experience enriched my life despite some of the ways it wouldn’t fit the person I am now. Perhaps I wouldn’t have spent as many years working for the federal government, but I did a lot of learning there, and really grew as a leader, and that was all worthwhile. I probably would have taken art classes earlier in life, but then maybe I wouldn’t have appreciated them as much as I do now.  So I can’t honestly say what I would do over.

As for a repeat? Almost any of the trips I’ve taken. Oh to spend a few more days at the magical resort near the Serengetti in Tanzania! Or to get the chance to hang out with my sister on a beach in the Mediterranean again! Or one more early morning kayak trip with my brother in the Pacific Ocean near Thetis Island! Oh… and another romantic weekend with my husband in Quebec City would be delightful! Oops… I was supposed to name just one… Maybe the very first time I flew over the ocean and the whole world opened up to me!

See that step right in front of you? Take it. (by guest blogger Darrah Parker)

by Heather Plett | Dec 9, 2009 | Uncategorized

When Heather asked me to be a guest blogger, I said yes immediately. I adore Heather and have enjoyed witnessing her journey. I admire her honesty, her authenticity, and her ability to express all of it with grace. What an honor it would be to be a guest in her home!

But when I sat down to write this post, I found myself unsure of where to begin and fumbling for words. I guess I came to the right place!

I recently embarked on a new life and took a leap of faith, quitting my job and starting a business. It is all very exciting, but if I’m completely honest, it is also frightening – like the “Holy crap. What have I done?” kind of frightening. I know I have made the right choice and that I have what it takes to live the life of my dreams. But for every thing I feel confident in, there are ten other things I don’t feel confident in. For every moment of victory and joy, there are just as many moments of uncertainty and fumbling.

This whole idea of “fumbling” got me thinking. After all, isn’t that what we are all doing? We think that everyone else has it together. Everyone else has it figured out. Everyone else knows more. Everyone else is two steps ahead. But guess what?

They’re all fumbling.

And if they’re not fumbling now, they were fumbling at some point in the past and they will certainly fumble again in the future. Just having the knowledge that I’m not alone in my fumbling makes me feel better. Breathe deeper. Go easier on myself.

So the next time you witness greatness and those “if only” thoughts start creeping in (i.e. “If only I could be that good at X” or “If only I had more time for Y” or “If only I knew more about Z”), remember that everyone had to start somewhere. Even the best of the best fumbled. But instead of crumbling under the pressure, they pushed through, they dug deep, and they succeeded. You want to know why?

They believed in themselves.

They believed in themselves even when the odds were against them. They believed in themselves even when they were scared. They took one step at a time and believed in themselves even when they knew there was a long road ahead of them.

So, fellow fumblers, it’s time we embrace fumbling as part of the process, trust that we have everything we need, and enjoy the ride! After all, nobody ever got from point A to point C without going through point B. And point B is a mighty juicy place to be.

Darrah Parker is a latte drinking, often giggling, Seattle lovin’ and livin’, creative path exploring, mac ‘n’ cheese eating, husband hugging, camera toting gal with a dream. She shares her photography and writes about living a creative life on her blog, artcetera.

we are all creative beings: a creative prayer (by guest blogger, Andrea Schroeder)

by Heather Plett | Dec 8, 2009 | Uncategorized

i relax into my heart, i relax into my self and i open up.

i open wide.

wider than that. i open up and i dive in to the delicious creative energy that surrounds me in every moment.

i am a creative being.

i am positively bursting with creative ideas. i know that every single act of creative expression, no matter how big or how small, is important and valuable and needed in this world. i know that my creative ideas and expressions are important and valuable and needed in this world.

so i take my beautiful creative ideas and i let them out, i share them with the world, i allow them to touch the hearts of other creative beings and inspire them to share their creative ideas more fully. we inspire each other, we nurture each other, and we all grow creatively together.

we are all creative beings.

together we create a world of creative freedom, of inspiration and delight. a world where each one of us is supported in creating lives that nurture and support our unique creative expression. a world where each person’s unique creative expression is valued and honoured as a gift.

we create this world as we dive into the delicious creative energy together.

Ready, set, GO!

by Heather Plett | Dec 7, 2009 | Uncategorized

Laundry finished and folded so that the family can find clothes when I’m gone? Check.
Groceries bought so that the family can eat while I’m gone? Check.
Christmas tree up and decorated? Check.
Pants hemmed for Marcel & me? Check.
Rental car booked? Check.
Winter parka purchased for oldest daughter so that she doesn’t freeze when the weather starts to drop? Check.
Funky bag picked up from Joyce and packed full of travel goodies? Check.
Underwear packed? Check.
All other necessary clothing items packed? Check.
Hostess gifts and orientation material for new volunteer packed? Check.
Passport picked up from the post office? Check.
Haircut? Check.
Book to read on the plane? Check.
Flat Madeline safely tucked in my carry-on luggage? Check. (By the way, if you’re one of the gracious people who offered to host her, I’ll be lining up some visits when I’m back from my wandering.)
Camera, cell phone, laptop, mp3 player, and all the necessary chargers, download cords, etc. packed? Check. (Well almost – I have to put the laptop in the bag when I’m finished typing this.)
Taxi booked for the morning? Check.
Guest bloggers and interview responses lined up and ready to post when I’m gone? Check.
Powerpoint presentations prepared for trip? Uhhhh… nope. Guess that one will have to happen on the plane.

Guess I’m ready to go. All that finished, and it’s only 10:15! (No, I’m NOT staying up to midnight to work on the presentations that didn’t get finished.)