25 things I've learned in my 25 years

Hey there!

I'm officially 25! Every day I'm getting closer to 30 and further from 20 (which is a little weird, to be honest!) I know that I'm not completely where I want to be in life just yet, but I think I've gained a little bit of wisdom in my 25 years on this earth. So I thought I'd share 25 things I've learned in my 25 years...enjoy!

1.  God is amazing. He offers such love, joy, peace, and hope that I can't ever get from anywhere (or anyone) else. My relationship with Him continues to grow each and every day, and I'm really beginning to realize how important my faith truly is.
2. Family is very important. I've always been really close to my family, but now that I live 2,500+ miles from them, I miss them so much. I miss goofing off with them, watching my siblings grow up, and just being able to see them any time I want to. Don't ever take family for granted.
3. You can't always plan out every aspect of your life (even though I desperately try to.) We can set goals and try to change certain situations, but we can't control every single part of our lives. The sooner we learn to let go of the control a little, the better. This goes back to my relationship with God. I know that I need to be more trusting in Him and allow Him to help guide me in every aspect of my life.
4. As soon as you stop caring so much what everyone thinks of you, you'll be much happier. Brene Brown quotes one of Theodore Roosevelt's speeches in her book Daring Greatly: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." Don't let those around you whose opinions don't really matter get you down.
5. The one you end up marrying should be your best friend. (I think I've got this one covered!)
6. Joy is a state of being, not feeling. It goes beyond feeling happy; joy is a choice.  You can decide, no matter what's going on around you, to live a life full of joy.
7. The most important things in life are not found on our phones. It's the face-to-face, real conversations, the splendor of nature, being present in each and every moment. We are killing ourselves with social media and technology instead of living abundant, present lives.
8. The days are long, but the years are short. This is a very cliche line, but I'm learning that it's totally true! Some days seem to take forever, but, as I look back over the past few years, I'm not sure when time has really gone.
9. Dogs should be prescribed for anxiety and depression. For real. Sadie always knows when I'm feeling down. She really lifts my spirits, and makes me feel SO much better!
10. It's never too late to become a better person. No matter your past, you always have the ability to change your future. 
11. Having just a few really close friends is better than having a ton of not-so-great friends.
12. Water is very important. I never used to be a big water-drinker. Honestly, I didn't start drinking enough water until this past year. That's when I realized how dehydrated I had been my whole life. Drinking tons of water seriously makes you feel 10 times better. 
13. Everyone has a story. We shouldn't judge others because we don't always know what they are (or have been) going through. That grocery store employee who was a little rude to you? She might have recently lost a loved one. Just smile at her, be polite, and go on about your day. 
14. There's always something to be grateful for. Living a life of gratitude will make you a much happier person.
15. Experiences are usually better than material things. Forget the new pair of expensive shoes-go on the trip instead.
16. It's never too late to start learning something new. No, you don't need a degree first. Just pick up the pen, paintbrush, gardening tools, or spatula and experiment.
17. Gossip just hurts everyone in the long run. Be bigger than that.
18. A long walk outside can really help clear your mind and allow you to think and feel better (especially during a creative slump.)
19. Try to give people the benefit of the doubt before deciding you don't like them. A lot of the time, they'll surprise you.
20. Just because you're technically an "adult," it doesn't mean you have everything figured out. (I know this from personal experience.)
21. Spending time reading a book instead of on social media can be really rewarding and incredibly relaxing.
22. As I grow older, I realize how right my parents actually were about a lot of things.
23. Don't date someone who doesn't treat you with respect and love. You will eventually find someone who will be the exact person you need and deserve. Don't stay with someone who doesn't make you a priority.
24. Let your weird side out more often. The best people in life are a little weird.
25. You never stop learning. You may think you have life figured out, but, trust me, it'll throw some new knowledge in your face soon enough!

The Comparison Game

Okay. I'm about to open up on here and be very transparent. I know I'm not the only one who has this problem, and I think it's something that needs to be discussed.

We all do it. We watch TV, read certain blogs, scroll through social media, and begin to get that "blah" feeling. Like we're not good enough. Like there are all of these good-looking, talented, perfect people out there, and we're just...average.

I find myself feeling this way particularly when I see other artists creating amazing work. Of course I love just looking at beautiful design, and I feel happiness for the artist behind the work. However, I'll be perfectly honest...I also feel a bit of sheer panic. 

Maybe I'm jealous of them and their talent. Maybe I feel like I'll never be as good as them. Maybe I feel like I'm never going to "make it" in this industry, and I feel embarrassment for even thinking I have the talent for it. Whatever the reasoning behind my panic is, it's not good for me or for those around me.

These are thoughts that I have almost every day. Some days I'm better at being confident in myself and my work. Other days I feel like I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing....in my career and in life in general. I'm not alone, right? (Please tell me I'm not alone!!)

Why do we compare ourselves to others so much? Why do we covet what others have, be it money, possessions, talent, etc. instead of being thankful for what we have? Why can't we just be happy for others, and live our own lives confidently and happy? It seems as though we all have this notion of the "perfect" life. And when we see someone who appears (note the word appears) to have that life, we feel inadequate. The thing is, we don't know what's going on behind-the-scenes in their life. They may look like they have it all together, but may also be struggling in some other area of their life. 

This is a problem that I'm constantly trying to fix in my own life. I have to constantly remind myself that most of us only portray the good side of our lives on social media. That artist whose work is absolutely stunning? Maybe she has been working for years to find her own perfect style. That blogger who seems to have it all together? Maybe she never thought she'd end up where she is today, but she persevered and made it happen slowly over time. That mother who is always showing off adorable photos of her kids? Maybe she went through two miscarriages and years of grief and prayers before having those precious children.

Instead of looking at pretty Instagram photos at face-value, we need to remember that there is a story behind every single person. Everyone has their own struggles, temptations, triumphs, failures, and victories. Life isn't simple...it comes with all kinds of bumps along the way. There's no one specific way we are all called to live. 

I started really thinking about this after listening to the most recent podcast from Kelly Rae Roberts. She mentioned the quote below, and it got me thinking about how comparing ourselves to others robs us of all our joy and peace. We are all in this thing together, and we shouldn't be so quick to make comparisons. So let's stop comparing ourselves to others, and live our lives as fully and as positively as we possibly can. 

Summertime is the best time

Hola!

I know....it's been awhile. Like, a long while. I've been pretty busy the past couple of weeks laying on the beach, my skin burning (don't worry...it's starting to turn into a tan now), and not having a care in the world. We spent two weeks in Alabama visiting family and friends: one week in Cullman and one week in Gulf Shores. I needed the beach in my life. It had been about three years since I've been to the gulf, and I desperately needed to be there. All in all, it was a great trip and a very relaxing vacation. However, now it's time to get back to business and create some stuff.

I'm starting a project that will last for the next 50 days-until August 1st (because that's when I start the Make It In Design Summer School, and I'll be super busy in August.)

I'm going to create one summer-themed design every day for the next 50 days. This will hold me accountable for constantly creating new work, and will hopefully be an inspiration for others to start their own projects this summer. I'll publish each new design on my blog here, as well as on Instagram and Twitter. I'll be working on patterns, hand lettering, and illustrations that revolve around summer in some way. I love summertime, so this should be a really fun project! I hope y'all enjoy it too!

Here is my first design for day 1 of #50daysofsummerdesigns

I'll see you here tomorrow for day 2!

fresh start

Even though changes usually make me a little (or very) anxious, I truly love the start of something new. Graduating from college was nerve-wracking, but I was excited to start my career. Moving across the country was terrifying, but I anticipated the chance to start over. Quitting my 9 to 5 job to chase my passion was (and still is) scary, but I'm feeling happier and more fulfilled every day.

I also always get this sort-of-anxious-but-mostly-excited feeling at the end of every year. Even though tomorrow is technically "just another day" it marks the ending of one year and the beginning of another. The end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. I'm a firm believer in viewing life as chapters, or seasons, always changing, never staying quite the same as the one before. This mindset has helped me overcome tough seasons and not get "too big for my britches" in great seasons. (Sorry, y'all...I'll limit myself to only one Southern saying for this blog post.)

2015 was a big year for me. I left my job in advertising to pursue my dream career. I still don't know exactly what I "want to do with my life," but I'm not wasting any more time just following the well-worn path of mediocrity. (That's not to say that the advertising industry is mediocre-I actually love the industry. It just doesn't get me as excited as design does.) I want to make my own path, and I began that process this past year. 

I'm looking forward to 2016 for several reasons, one of which is to learn more about design and illustration, and hopefully turn this into a lifelong career for myself. I also have many personal, physical, and spiritual goals as well. I'm not a huge fan of resolutions, just because they tend to be forgotten by the end of January (we all know it's true), but this year I'm going to be centering each month around a specific word. I don't know yet what each month's word will be; I'm guessing that I'll know when each month approaches. My word for January is "habits." This is a pretty obvious word because it's very broad, but specific in that I want to be able to focus on clearing out unhealthy or energy/time/life-draining habits and load up on new habits that will help me grow physically, mentally, relationally, and spiritually. They say it takes three weeks to break an old habit or make a new one, so this gives me a little over four weeks to set my intentions on this and make it happen!

Fresh starts can be scary...like starting a new job, going to college, starting a family...but without fresh starts, our lives would be extremely boring. Here's to a fresh start and an awesome new year!!

Cheers!