2009 Update: This Blog, She is a Changin'

I've had a brilliant flash of the obvious. The blogs I love and read the most are less business-formal and more blogger-personal. I just don't think most of my readers really know who I am and what I do on a daily basis and I think that is an enormous mistake.

My Mission To empower people to live the life of their creative dreams (and make a living while doing it) while I do the same.

My Dream Votre Vray means your truth. I strive to learn all that I can about living the creative life running from a day job. (Day jobs: Boo! Hiss!) Then pass on the information.

My Work

• My primary business and personal focus is information sharing -- teaching people how they can live their creative dreams while using experts in their field as exemplars. I do not pretend to be an expert at anything other than teaching, but everything I learn, I teach.
• I have TWO blogs that teach - this one & www.schoolroomtoboardroom.com
  
• I'm striving to learn all I can about how to have a successful creative person's business and I read dozens of books, interview even more people and watch listen and learn all over the place in social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.
• I am a storyteller and public speaker who has taken the information I've learned and my experiences and turned them into a one-woman show called "Shout: Kiss My Art."

My Spiritual Side

• I promote equality, kindness, honoring your spirit and from time to time I'll post things that really tug at my heart. For example, you may have heard of the Richmond Jane Doe who was brutally gang-raped. You can reach out to her here.
• I'm a Reiki master teacher and a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, specializing in beginners and primary series practice.

My Gift (and Bad Habits)

• My greatest skill in life is generating new ideas and enthusiasm. Biggest problem? Finishing what I started because I have more ideas than time or expertise.
  
• Oh, and to be honest, I'm a potty mouth and have an Irish temper that cannot be equaled. One step from a berserker, I have to learn calm and patience in this lifetime. I expect if I live as long as the lesson takes, I'll be around another sixty years or so (I'm 40 now).
  

Personal Life
I'm happily married and have three bunnies. I cannot have kids. (Why must people ask, "Do you have children?") This is sometimes not an issue for me at all but some days, it spurs me to tears. I had a hysterectomy and it saved my life. That said, my mission to help others is made even more serious because I cannot teach my offspring my knowledge. I only have you. Everything I share is all that I know and I give it with love and hope for us all.

Creatives and Truth Seekers Must-Haves for 2009

Welcome to 2009...okay, so we're in the second day of the year...but your resolutions and momentum should just be getting into gear. This is an excellent time to look at what resources are out there that will help you hone in on what your best path for 2009 is.

First Resource:
Other people who are on the path you want to be walking, running or rocketing down. Make friends, build relationships, watch, listen and learn. Are you on LinkedIn? Do you tweet on Twitter? What groups are you in on Facebook? Are you where the sonic-speed movers are? If you want to be, these online networks might be a good place to lurk (or as my best friend says, stalk those you want to be like). Oh! When you get there, connect to me and I'll be happy to help in any way that I can. Anytime.

Second Resource:
If you haven't figured out exactly what your strengths are or what you want to achieve, lurking on forums won't help you very much. I've never seen a tweet that says, "Hey! This is the perfect choice for the rest of your life!" One book that I strongly recommend for creatives is Carol Lloyd's Creating a Life Worth Living. This is actually more useful than The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron for those who aren't sure they are an artist. (However, if you're certain you're an artist, you can't afford to not read Cameron!)

Third Resource:
Your own personal network of like-minded individuals. If your mom thinks you're wasting your time by not becoming a MBA, don't share your dreams with her. In fact, you might want to get her a copy of Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future because Pink is sure the MFA is the new MBA of this century.
No one around who is "like minded"? Go back to resource number one, the social networks, or better yet, go to a conference or event that caters to people in your dream industry. You're bound to find kindred spirits and the only way you'll live your dream is to find it, claim it and live it!

Until next time,
keep creating.
-Mel.

Votre Vray on Twitter...

Votre Vray is now also on Twitter! Follow me and...if you're a Votre Vray kind of person...let me know your Twitter name so I can follow you. Tweet away!