The lure of beauty

And it is all true.

If you’re like me, you know how important it is to have a profession that fills your day with positive emotions, with the joy of great ideas and seeing your clients happy with what you’ve come up with. Like any creative field, most creativity is geared toward making people happy and that reward is great.

With all this you may find yourself thinking oh, I can get this done, I can go on my own, be my own boss and make people happy all the time because I have lots of great ideas and not only that! I know how to make them come to life!

Go for it

And then you may find another client and another, maybe even some with decent fees so that you actually think you make money – because, guaranteed! in the beginning, you will have no idea if you actually do – but with all that, inevitably, the day will come when you’ll have some doubts, when you will not get the project you wanted when your favourite idea will be rejected when you will be behind on many things when you will work too many hours and … when it will not all feel as happy as it should.

Stay emotionally resourceful

1. Just let go

Don’t get too attached to the expression of an idea but to the idea itself. That you can sell to a client in many different forms. And if all else fails, move on to another idea – what’s the big deal? You have zillions, right?

2. Embrace rejection

It’s all about the numbers. You have to get in touch with 100 leads to get the 10 projects. This is one piece of advice that I’ve ignored for way too long: rejection is there to stay. Rejection is actually good because it opens up other possibilities but you will not get that until you will see it happen. So for the time being, embrace rejection and collect your losses as little stepping stones. When you’ll be big and famous you can look back and thank them all for nudging you toward the path you’ve taken.

3. If you want in, get in

You know the old saying: she/he got kicked out the door and came back through the window? Do it. Don’t think about it, just find the window and get back in. If you want in, this is how to do it.

4. Master resourcefulness in any form, way or shape

I cannot stress this enough. There is no other skill you will need more. Practice on everything. Scheduling a trip. Buying an outfit. Organizing the best party. Dealing with Service Ontario. Source hand-made napkins from Southern France. Everything and everywhere is an opportunity to get better at this.

5. Know yourself and stay true to who you are

The better you know yourself the better you will be able to grow professionally. From knowing what you like to know who you can or cannot work with from recognizing what you’re bad at and what are your strengths you are who you are and it will be easy to embrace that than to fight to change yourself. Unless you don’t like something of course.. but that’s a different story…