DORA MAE BLOG

“Are you afraid you’ll run out of ideas?” I get that question quite a bit. Well the answer is yes. YES, because I’ve lived through a few dark nights that can best be described as a lifeless void of hopeless nothingness…aka “feeling dead inside.” To the best of my knowledge, all creatives go through this. Zero desire. Zero inspiration. TONS of fear the magic won’t come back.

 Just cause you think you’re REAL CUTE and 10 “years” in biz matches up with 10 “lessons” doesn’t mean you should do the thang. It’s called OVER COMMITMENT. And we all do it all the time cause we CRAY! It’s about IDEAS FLOWING all the freaking time without the time to actually live out all the ideas. Cause writing 10 REAL things is a LOT of things. 10 fake or basic things would have been easier. But who likes fake or basic?? (Ok sometimes I like basic.)

In small business, map-less living is a way of life. There are constantly decisions to make with more unknowns than knowns. Guiding principles? Yes. Wisdom from the older and wiser? Absolutely. But an X that marks The Spot? A childish fantasy.

Authenticity as a marketing ploy ceases to be authentic. Don’t cover up the dirt OR the sparkles. Warning, if you share the REAL story, haters gonna hate.   Dirt: Well that’s painful. Sparkle: But we move on. 

Creatives, do yourself a favor and have a creative outlet that you don't do for money OR approval. Something that is only yours and that feeds your soul.  Mine is POETRY and sometimes adding notes to the words to make songs. I posted a Mother's Day poem the other day, and it's so freeing that it didn't have to be GOOD poetry. It could just be MY poetry - expressing my heart, mind, body and soul. 

Even when you “Do what you love,” you STILL HAVE TO WORK. That stuff about doing what you love and “never working another day in your life” is a crock of $#%*!  We are in a crazy insta-age where “living your dream” and the girl boss lifestyle is so crazy glamorized. 

Damn it y’all. I’m a grown ass woman. (Two cuss words already - can y’all tell this is a tough one for me?) I have tween-agers who I am teaching to accept themselves. And yet I - wife, mom, biz owner, and accidental face of my brand - have yet to fully accept myself! There are moments of course when I may come closer to healthy perspective...but sheesh I thought being a grown-ass boss lady would feel different! 

My 6th grade teacher gave me the nickname “Perpetual Motion.” I love motion. But I’ve been trying to drop “perpetual” for years now and learn the real meaning of the word “rest.” Creatives never stop working. Inspiration doesn’t have set hours and it’s difficult to set boundaries. 

There was a particular season when fear ran my life. I was having a particularly low sales quarter, I was exhausted because I wasn’t setting any boundaries with work, I was overcome with stress having to let an employee go, and I found out there were other jewelry designers in my city whose design aesthetic looked strikingly similar to mine. 

Don’t be intimidated or threatened, rather CELEBRATE their giftedness! Help them follow their dreams as they help you follow yours! Early on, when I was defining what success meant to me, a desire that frequently bubbled to the surface was creating a JOYFUL work environment where my team can bring their whole selves (the good, the bad, the ugly) and be KNOWN fully, LOVED unconditionally, and CELEBRATED uniquely. My team has helped this dream become a reality.