Got Leisure + Benchmarks? They Show You What’s Convivial + Possible
The last two weeks have been fun for me. First, I got away to Vegas with my luvuh (aka hubby) and a couple friends for some much needed unwinding.
We enjoyed a night out as the participating audience for the show, Zumanity- the sensual and naughty side of Cirque de Soleil.
This show is definitely not for the conservative in you. You’ll walk away feeling naked and exposed for the sexual being that you naturally are, but if you’re all about exploring your inhibitions, then join the audience!
I loved the show, but the best part of my experience was seeing my husband laugh out loud as much as he did. It warmed my heart to see his joy and I found myself leaning even closer to him and squeezing his arm a couple of times. Hmm…the effects of the show or a simple moment of endearment? Maybe both!
We stayed at The Venetian and had some convivial times with our friends while dining at such places as Public House, Emeril’s Delmonico, and we couldn’t pass up good old dessert on the Vegas strip at my fave P.F. Chang’s.
Leisure brings about inner calm which fuels your creativity
I’ve come to appreciate the importance of giving in to leisure, to relaxation, to living your life in order to spark your creativity. The last few months have been transitional for my family and I with the whole move to Austin and when I’ve wanted to get to work on an idea, my family’s needs have proved to be paramount and so ideas sit pretty, waiting on me to give them life. But many things haven’t been possible lately, but I know that doesn’t mean they will never be possible.
Within the last year, I’ve learned a lot about patience, acceptance and balancing my ambitions with certain things being out of my control.
What keeps me going are the dreams-turned-reality that I’ve witnessed firsthand by the benchmarks, mentors, and convivial company I’ve carefully selected. They are the folks who inspire, lead, and show me all that is possible..
One such benchmark I want to especially mention today is the visionary author, Danielle LaPorte.
I made it to the bookstore for an early writing date with myself and to pick up a copy of Danielle LaPorte’s newest book, The Firestarter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on your own terms. Today’s the official release date and I’m flipping through my copy and can say its a beauty.
If you’re at a crossroads in your life, this would be a great book to grab.
In case you aren’t familiar with her, she is the creator of the site www.WhiteHotTruth.com. I discovered her blog in 2009, have met up with her twice- in Austin and New York- and have felt her vibe and demeanor to be similar to my own. She’s a cheerleader without the exclamation points and high pitched voice. Her words are deep and intense just as my own sense of being can be. She also happens to be an introvert.
I’m a true fan of her work, because her work affirms within me that my own dreams are real and possible. She’s simple yet hits the mark. Maybe she can do the same for you and the dreams you are holding onto…
Dreams are all around us. Yours included!
Surround yourself with convivial company-
the fearless and crazy kind.
Pick up their books,
hop on a plane to visit them,
dial their numbers regularly, or…
choose to be one yourself.
Convivially yours,
Ready To Show The World How Unrealistic You Are? Join the Convivial Club
Are you at a point in your life where you’re ready to show the world who you really are? What you’re really capable of? The impact you can truly make? Well, let me ask you this.
How willing are you to be seen by others as someone who is…
crazy,
ridiculous,
unrealistic,
unrelenting,
defiant,
heretical,
unrelatable,
incomprehendible,
seemingly not of this world,
naked,
foolish,
ridiculous,
incompetent,
invisible,
untouchable,
uncaring,
nonsensical,
and
at times,
a success,
while
many many other times,
seemingly,
and
undoubtedly,
a failure?
The above mentioned traits, symptoms and sentiments plague yet bring about prosperity among many artists, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who make the conscious choice to be on the front line of changing the world.
It’s only by experiencing, exercising and exhibiting such behaviors and reactions from the world that you can begin to truly walk your path, show the world what you’re here to do, and thus create a convivial life for yourself and others.
Awaken and tap into the defiant creative spirit within you today,
[PHOTO: At a vintage shop in Chicago’s Wicker Park with my dear childhood friends, Cecilia, Carmen, and Lissie. I’m the ridiculous looking one in the middle.)
(Be sure to share in the comments below your thoughts and insights, and if you can think of any more traits that I didn’t think of, add them to the list!)
TweetThe Entrepreneurial Spirit + Living Your Convivial Dream in Increments
It warms my heart to see all of the entrepreneurs out there spreading their message of hope and perseverance through their very example of living it. I know it inspires me every day.
I sit at a cafe and just outside the window, I see a van parked with decals that advertise catering and entertainment services. There’s nothing fancy about the van- in fact, I can see a few scrapes and dings in it.
The letters from the decal are starting to peel off, but the person driving this vehicle, and perhaps running this business is obviously not concerned with the condition of his van…his priority is on having reliable transportation for the chairs, tables, and bounce houses he’s offering in exchange for the cash that goes straight to his bank account. Ah…I see him driving away and silently, I wish him well in his endeavors.
(Note: Not the real van, but play along with me!)
What he is concerned about is paying his bills with the income he has created for himself, about how he’s going to get the next customer, and secure their business.
He’s not sitting in some office, whether it be leased or at home, waiting for the phone to ring. No, he’s hustling to get that business. How he goes about his hustle is what sets him apart from his competition.
Everyday that he is in business for himself, he makes the choice to wake up and face potential risk and rejection, one after another, because he believes he can achieve a sale, and provide a service derived from his own imagining, and deliver happiness.
He believes in himself, even when he doesn’t have all the answers. And believe me, as an entrepreneur, a visionary, an artist, you won’t ever have all the answers. (more…)
TweetRoaring Thunder, Fierce Lightning + Late Night Emails
Hey Yo!
It’s nearly 2am,
the rain is pouring outside
and I’ve just gotta let you know this bit from the depths of my soul:
Give yourself credit for the little things you do EVERY day. Though the results may not show or reveal themselves as quickly, you must work toward your goals with the belief that EVERY thing you do does contribute to the big picture.
Want to live a convivial life? Don’t know how to make it happen or what that actually looks like for you? I hear ya, because I work at it day by day myself. Here’s what I have to say to that…
Trust in that which is unseen,
unknown, and (dare I say it)
uncertain, and
give in to the craziness of your dreams.
I look myself in the mirror every day and fight to heed the words of naysayers. Wanna hear something really outrageous? These naysayers don’t even exist. They are figments of my imagination. They are puppets of my insecure, unrelenting ego- one aspect of me that encourages me to avoid sharing any experience and expression of my vulnerability, my humanity. But the ego is losing right now as I pour my heart out in the form of flowing words for you to read.
Perhaps only an hour before I felt inspired to share these words with you, I was experiencing self-doubt about my abilities and talents. And what brought that on? Spending time watching what someone else was creating vs. creating myself.
I was about to send my mopey ass to bed, but my thoughts were just too much to allow me to get some shut eye, so I gave in to a task that was lingering in the Draft folder of my inbox.
I completed it, took a deep breath before hitting send, then felt the weight lift off of me as it disappeared into cyberspace. The very next moment, I felt different, acccomplished, content. Proof that you’ve gotta get the work done, whatever it may be and you’ll feel better. Et voila!
One simple thing can contribute to the fast progression of your dreams.
I continue to believe that I am here to do something big, something meaningful. The same is true for you! Are you awake to what that “something” is?
I’m grateful to know what I am here to do, but its an ongoing struggle to know the “how” of getting it done. The answers will come for me just as they will for you, so have no worries.
Though it may seem lonely at times, you are never alone in your experience. You simply need to reach out and ask for guidance, help, directions, a tissue, a hug, a laugh.
The lightning is pretty fierce outside right now, the rain is coming down hard, and I sure would hate to find out in the morning that I left the windows down in my car, but for now, I sit here compelled to tell you to BELIEVE in the worlds that exist within your imagination…they are meant to be created and brought to life. Even if its one task at a time, one day at a time, while the rest of the world sleeps.
Sweet dreams,
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Convivial Mementos and Connections Made
The Interactive conference part of SXSW is over, but the film and music festival are only beginning.
I plan to take my kids to a family event on Thursday and perhaps to some free music shows (before their bedtime, of course!) so they can get properly introduced to the SXSW scene in their new hometown. It makes me so happy to know they will grow up in Austin!
I have these mementos to take home with me along with some new connections made.
Proof that I was here and this experience was real…no need to pinch myself;)
Thank you SXSWi peeps.
See you next year.
Who wants to come with me?
Billy Corgan, Lady Blogs, and Grilled Cheese
My second day at South By Southwest Interactive Conference (SXSWi) was a combination of talks on the state of the ever-changing music industry, and the business climate in general, pissed off artists trying to figure out new ways to put their art out into the world and be appreciated and rightly compensated for their self-expression, and fashion blogs and their links to big company advertising.
It was all very interesting and went down like this…
Before going into my first talk, I stood in line for “The Original Grilled Cheese” and met Myra who recently moved to Austin. She worked in the Gaming industry and was thinking about becoming a mother. We talked about the tough choices women have to make when the time comes for us to sacrifice in the utmost way that we are put on earth to do.
I told her the same thing I’ve said to other woman contemplating motherhood- “There will always be a reason to put it off, so just jump the cliff and join the club, girlfriend.”
I recommended that she read the book, Creating A Life: Professional Women and the Quest for Children. Before I had children, I never thought about anything passed the labor experience (you know…like who would take care of my kids and how I would fit work into that equation) and this book gave me reason to think beyond that.
Soon after, I was sitting in the third row, waiting for Brian Solis, one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media and lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan to begin talking about The End of Business as Usual (the same title for Brian Solis’ book which I will read once I finish the stack of books currently staring at me from the top of my kitchen bar).
As Billy Corgan sat on stage, I instantly thought of my dear friend, Cecilia. When I was 12 years old, she was the one I danced and twirled around with when Smashing Pumpkins’ sang Today. All I have left to do is meet Johnny Depp, Larry David, Julia Roberts, and Laura Pausini. Then I can go to heaven.
Billy Corgan is cool. He not only drops plenty of F-bombs, but is a man of strong convictions and personal integrity. He won’t be exploited; and that manner of being is why we as fans have such wonderful memories with his music, because it was pure heart/art.
I headed back to the Blogger’s Lounge and grabbed some food and to my heart’s content, got this picture and autographed book by author, Hugh MacLeod.
This was a serendipitous moment for me, because it was only two weeks ago that I was at BookPeople doing some writing when I came across a book called Ignore Everyone by this very man. I spent the rest of my time at the bookstore devouring his book and became an instant fan of this writer who now lives in Alpine, Texas.
This gal offered me a ride to my next presentation and was as friendly as any Austinite can be. She’d just spent the past year living in Ecuador and was back home and back to work.
I arrived to the Intercontinental Hotel to hear Indiana Adams of Adored Austin and Alessandra Colaci of the Republic of Wow talk about Blogging: Why So Many Women Are Doing It.
The girls were sweet and my takeaway was this: big companies are looking to work with bloggers to reach audiences and potential customers on multiple platforms. If they see a good fit, they’re willing to work with individual bloggers and pay them. Proof? Folks from Victoria’s Secret and Tide sat in the crowd.
I am convinced this is the conference to attend every year. And lucky me that I now live in Austin!
(my shadow throwing up the Peace sign)
Next on my agenda: convert my husband, Martin from Sunday football watching to Seth Godin reading. Then hopefully, he can be eager to attend SXSWi with me next year and we can make it a couple’s affair.
Night night,
South By Southwest 2012: Day One
The introvert in me was at work on the first day of the conference. No, I wasn’t being shy. I was hesitant to go at all!
Considering the pretty penny I spent to get a ticket, that was crazy to even think, but true. I felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of people that were potentially going to be in town for the week- newspapers reported 250,000- and I was wondering how I was going to get there and back home, because I imagined gridlock on the roads and no parking spaces and I was not about to get stressed looking for a spot to park my Chevette. (Just kidding)
Then I looked at the schedule and saw the number of sessions that were available to me. Ahh! I wanted to be many places at once, because there were over 20-30 great topics all happening at the same time and in different hotels!
And here’s another big factor…
I was set to go solo.
Now THAT takes some courage. I always have the faith that I am going to meet kindred spirits and like-minded people, but this was my first time to the conference and I am pretty new to Austin, so it’s not like I had an entourage of friends with me.
So I went and I’m happy to report that I made a wise decision.
REMINDER: Don’t give in to fear that comes from inside your head.- that one’s fake. The fear that’s felt in your body…listen to that one. That one’s instinct.
I was taking in the sights: gals wearing skirts with vintage cowboy boots, funny t-shirts (saw a guy with a shirt that said “You’re not punk, you’re just dirty.”), eclectic eyewear, food trucks and tattoos galore.
I made my way to all the events I wanted to attend starting with a panel of five women discussing Everyone’s a Bloody Entrepreneur! Or Are they? .
It was a fantastic example of women entrepreneurs in diverse positions and industries, sharing knowledge across the board about what is needed to truly be able to call yourself the E word.
Next, I headed over to the session For Better or For Worse: Married to an Entrepreneur. The description?
How does someone who is obsessed live peacefully with someone who isn’t? That question—posed by an entrepreneur—elegantly summarizes the quandary faced by company founders and their spouses.
Gary and Meg Hirshberg, owners of Stonyfield Yogurt, the world’s largest organic yogurt makers came together, to stand as the couple that is still standing after creating a behemoth company to talk about the struggles that couples go through when one or both spouses are an entrepreneur.
This is a topic that certainly hit home for me and many others in the crowd, because creating your own business and trying to get your loved one to get on board and feel as passionate about the idea as you are, to be involved and have a presence in the journey that you face as an entrepreneur is never easy.
Meg Hirshberg wrote the book For Better or For Work, which covers the struggles her couple faced while building Stonyfield Yogurt along with numerous other equally obsessed entrepreneurs and how they made it, in every sense of the word. This is yet another book on my buying list.
I also got to meet and interact with co-founders, William E. Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur of Mental Floss Magazine as they discussed how they took their publishing idea From The Dorm Room to the Boardroom. They’re very funny guys, which means they represent their magazine’s brand well.
Here’s magazine editor-in-chief, Mangesh Hattikudur in speaker mode
This was my last talk of the day, but not my last connection made.
I’ll leave you with a few photos I snapped while out and about
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The Convivial Woman at South By Southwest Interactive 2012
Today is the first day of Austin’s South By Southwest Interactive Conference (SXSWi), a much anticipated event that draws entrepreneurs, innovators, and creative folk of all sorts from all over the country and world each year.
I’m grateful to be attending this year. There are myriad speakers and events to pop in on and I’ll be sure to share my takeaways from the events and give you a glimpse into some of the notes I take right here.
For now, I leave you with this reminder as always…
You are a Masterpiece. Live accordingly.
Take Your Dreams One Convivial Day at a Time
I’m at Starbucks trying to uncover the gems I seek for what will eventually become chapters of the convivial book I am writing.
I won’t pretend to be fearless. It scares me to say that I’m writing a book. Such a daunting task for a busy mama, but its what I desire.
I refuse to believe in the impossibility of my dreams.
It’s so easy to just exist, to get by, but defiantly creative spirits won’t let up and don’t get comfortable, so day by day, I take steps to be resourceful, to connect with people who can guide and be part of making this book a reality.
Declaring what you want to the world takes cojones and holds you accountable.
Once you make your dream known, you have a choice to follow through or disappoint…yourself. After all, that’s who you’re creating for, right? If that isn’t the focus, then forget it. Your art is not about anyone else but you. By being true to you, to your art, that’s how you serve others.
And the world- upon hearing your dream- now has the choice to believe you, (eagerly) watch you fail, or become part of the process. Ask for help. Show up for the unknown.
Failure is inevitable, a gift, something to embrace.
In Seth Godin’s book, Tribes, he says, “You’ve got to be willing to be wrong in order to be right all the other times in your life..” Words like that fire me up and make me want to go make a writing fool of myself…in private. If I show up and do the work, I’ll eventually clear the junk and find my treasure.
That’s how art and the process of creating it works. It’s hard to see the initial results of your labor, but if you keep faith behind your efforts, you’ll get to the good stuff.
I am in the beginning stages of this book project. Unfortunately, writing for me can’t begin until after 8pm each night, and I can’t always dedicate every day to creating a new sentence for the book, the blog, or simply for me, because family life takes first place, and many nights, my body fails me. My boys take a lot of my energy throughout the day, and even though I’ve got passion for this convivial empire brewing and bubbling beneath the surface, sometimes I just don’t have enough energy to keep going.
This is me, the convivial mama in action.
I’ve learned very quickly, and painfully, that you are nothing without your body. You must take care of it.
I used to stay up late into the night writing, researching, creating plans with my muse, but those days seem long gone. Nowadays, my body seems to crash around 3pm and I’ve not even done anything! It’s frustrating since the lack of energy cuts into my creative time. Scoliosis and a 34 degree curve in my lower back are the big culprits. I’m working to get that driving force of energy back. My next holistic move to heal myself is Cranio-sacral massage. I’ve been wanting to try it for years now. Intuition’s leading me there and I’m finally listening.
For now, I take it day by day. I avoid comparing myself to others who are birthing one creative project after another, because I know my story is not their story, and my path is my own. Being gentle with yourself is essential to pushing through the slow times, the times when you’re full of creative ideas, yet seemingly stagnant. It’s like you’re standing idle, in some imaginary, never-ending line, waiting for your turn to come.
This is every artist’s struggle: making the time and having the energy to create.
You get knocked down, find discouragement almost anywhere, at times lack clarity of vision, struggle with self-acceptance and self-belief, yet you keep at it, keep believing in what you are compelled to do, because that is what convivial minds who are artistically committed do.
Sometimes I don’t know why I feel the need to show up for the blank page and write my journey, sometimes I am not sure what difference it all is making, but I do it anyway, because I don’t know how NOT to write what I feel, what I believe, desire and dream. Some of it I share here, some I keep just for me, but I know one day, it will all come together. One day…this I believe.
Wishing you the best health for your next creation,
Redefining Art, one convivial word at a time
Last year, The Convivial Woman and my efforts with The Convivial Supper Club centered around the general experience of being a woman- the things we go through, struggles we face. As the year passed, I found myself needing to narrow my focus a bit further, so I sought time alone to do some inner searching.
That inner reflection gave me the courage to switch gears and realize that my purpose here is not only to share my experience and struggles as a woman, but ultimately as an artist, a creator, a dreamer, a doer.
The convivial shift has gone from the feminine to the overall experience of the ever evolving, artistic homosapien. Sounds very Planet of the Apes, but you get my drift.
When you think about the word “art,” what comes to mind?
Someone standing at the easel, ready to paint as Picasso and Dali once did? Someone sitting at the kitchen table ready to write the first draft of a great story as Stephen King still does? Or do you envision the Mona Lisa and all other world masterpieces lined up on the museum walls of Le Louvre in Paris?
Those impressions are pretty common, and it tends to cause people to feel isolated and discouraged from pursuing any creative endeavor simply because they find it hard to view themselves on the same level, in the same light.
Here’s the truth: I’m no different than the Greats and neither are you.
A work of art resides within you, within us all- its simply a matter of time, awareness and effort before an awakening can occur to express the creative genius in you.
Once you see yourself as an artist, a creator in your own right, it is only then that you can pursue it and attract who and what you need to create a life around it.
To bust through any glass ceiling of creative self-limitation, you must consider and question the definitions of art.
Wikipedia says…
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect…
Britannica Online defines art as…
the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others.
Goethe defined art as…
a second nature.
I want you to consider a more expanded version of what the “A” word means, what that encompasses so much more.
The Convivial Woman’s definition of Art is anything you… (more…)
TweetThe Full Circle Experience, Artistic Achievement & Bradley Cooper’s Tears
The actor, Bradley Cooper. You’ve seen him play the a-hole preppy boyfriend in Wedding Crashers. If you’re a woman, you’ve definitely noticed his blue eyes, and would bypass an autograph any day to run your fingers through his dirty blond, wavy hair instead…right? Riiiiiiiight. And I have no doubt that you really became familiar with this actor after his brilliantly raunchy performance in the blockbuster hit, The Hangover. After that film, his star, um, shall we say, skyrocketed?
On a drive back home after visiting my grandfather in Odessa, I came across a video of this handsome actor making his first appearance on The Actor’s Studio. I’ve watched the likes of Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, and Steven Spielberg walk across the stage and share their experiences as actors, as artists, but more so, as the people they are deep down inside. So this is quite the accomplishment for the young, talented, still very much up-and-coming Bradley Cooper.
Host and creator of The Actor’s Studio, James Lipton covers the actors’ before and after stardom experience, insight into each person’s unique take on the creative process (which if you notice, many answers can apply to various aspects of life and art); he also inquires about the struggles and moments when the actor was simply like every other aspiring artist…committed and determined, many times uncertain…seemingly unrecognized, without fame, merely trying to find their way, their place, in this sometimes chaotic, constantly changing world.
We all want to hear these stories, because they humanize the artist and give us hope and motivation to tap into our own genius and push forward with our dreams.
I’m not an actor, and you may not be one either, but you are a creative human being who desires to create…something, for yourself, for others, for money, for nothing…you simply want to express the life and beating heart within you…to feel that you’re alive. By pairing that desire with outrageous self-belief, unstoppable will and a vast resourcefulness in your efforts, you can create any life, and accomplish anything.
The desire to create, to understand ourselves, the world, and share that openly with others is to understand life, to figure out our way in the world is fundamental to being human…
and I have no doubt that we can find inspiration is everyone’s experience and all learn from one another no matter what form of art they may be pursuing.
Watch Bradley Cooper’s full circle experience in artistic achievement come to life
He is overcome with emotion about his obvious success, in disbelief about where he is sitting, who he is talking to, and it is simply inspiring, endearing, and humbling to witness his pinch-me-’cause-this-can’t-be-real moment in time.
Bradley Cooper’s emotional return to the place where he learned to act. From March 14, 2011
Follow your heart…commit to your art,
P.S. The video is part I of a series of videos, so if you’re intrigued enough, just click through the sidebar afterward to find the rest. I hope you enjoy the video as much as I did! I just love this sort of inspirational stuff. Real life!
TweetDetails by La Mari of Chambao
I came across this song on Pandora and the sound, the lyrics, and most of all, the singer, La Mari’s voice penetrated me to the core. Just a beautiful song to share. It’s in Spanish, so I happily translated it to English for those who may not speak as the Spaniards do.
While listening to the music, I felt at peace, hopeful, encouraged, and inspired. I think I even remember physically feeling myself expanding from within, like my body was happy with what it was hearing.
So, whether you’re sitting down to polish up a story, perfecting a presentation, preparing for a photo shoot, growing a miracle inside your womb, or whatever other creative act you have planned for the day, the rest of the week, or year, I hope this song has similar effects on you…Enjoy!
DETALLES / DETAILS by Chambao
Oh…I don’t know…
how to start…
No, I don’t know…how to
Dream,
Grow,
Begin,
Take the step already.
Oh…I don’t know how to start…
No, I don’t know…how to
Dream,
Grow,
Begin,
Take the step already.
To share my yearning to help others…
I give of myself this fresh and new opportunity
Working with
passion,
determination,
and respect…
the light of my conscious
that fills me with peace.
Opening my eyes real well
Paying attention to the details
Awakening my senses,
Uniting my being with the air
Opening my eyes real well
Paying attention to the details
Awakening my senses,
Uniting my being with the air
Escape from time and live without fear
Contemplate life and all of its mysteries…
Listen to the silence and lose myself within it
Find answers among the whispers in the wind
Opening my eyes real well
Paying attention to the details
Awakening my senses,
Uniting my being with the air
Connect with myself and wake up/wise up
Project my happiness, observe
And liberate my mind
To feel with clarity
That there is a new world
And enjoy the present.
Opening my eyes real well
Paying attention to the details
Awakening my senses,
Uniting my being with the air
Opening my eyes real well
Paying attention to the details
Awakening my senses,
Uniting my being with the air
Uniting my being with the air
Uniting my being with the air
Oh, I don’t know…
Here’s to inspirational, motivating sounds,
