diy costumes for college be sneaky ninja

Lesson #1: Feel the doubt but just keep writing.

So no it wasn’t exactly the white linen outfit by the sea! But still I wouldn’t trade it for anything and here are some lessons I learned. I learned to prioritize what mattered and developed the essential skill of becoming a delegation ninja. It was a season of life where many things were less than perfect.

The most important part of writing was creating the space to do it both personally and professionally. I wrote in spurts and blocks all over the place but never anywhere remotely glamorous. To top things off we decided to throw in a major move the same week that my manuscript was due. Yes I was purposely trying to make myself crazy. Most of this book was written while I was juggling ten other commitments, creating seasonal capsule wardrobes, struggling through one of the hardest years of my life with health issues (not to mention Covid!). Guess how many words I wrote? Exactly zero. At one point early on I was in West Hollywood for a speaking engagement and booked a cute little bungalow in which I fully intended to do some serious work on the book. Well, let me tell you this book writing process didn’t look anything like that. When I’ve done vision exercises to picture where I’d like to be in ten years I always saw myself in a white linen outfit (WHY?, I don’t even wear linen!) at a condo at the beach, writing my book as I watched the waves roll by. Through the years I realized that I’ve always had a book in my heart. (Side note: never underestimate the impact of words of encouragement). Her acknowledgment that I had some talent as a writer has stuck with me to this day.

She left me with some encouragement to keep writing and advice that I am so grateful I decided to follow and that’s my practice of daily journaling. I answered I wasn’t sure but secretly I felt totally unqualified. During a one-on-one discussion at the end of the semester she asked me if I’d considered being an English major. I breezed through her class and easily ended the semester with a high A. We explored more creative writing and it didn’t feel like work. I always loved writing in high school but this felt very different. One in particular was my first college English professor. In my two years there before transferring to main campus those professors made some of the biggest impact on my college career. The branch campus didn’t last long and if it hadn’t been there, I’m not sure that I would’ve graduated from college. I often wondered what short end of the stick they drew to get that assignment but regardless, I’m eternally grateful they did. Our professors made the 90-minute drive from Indiana, PA to teach us. It was an experimental campus in the rural county where I grew up and most kids didn’t go to college. But first let’s step into the way back machine…įall 1991, I was a freshman at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s branch campus in Bedford, PA (aka the Bedford County Library). I thought it would be fun today to share some of that emotional process with you along with some of the nuts and bolts of the process of becoming a published author. If you want to learn about all of your fears, insecurities and shortcomings, then I highly recommend opening a Word doc right now and starting your very own manuscript!īut seriously SO much of the process has been an emotional one and I honestly wouldn’t trade it for the world.Īll of our journeys are not about the end result but who we become along the way. It was truly one of the most soul bearing things I’ve done in my life. “Behind the scenes” has always fascinated me so for a little fun today I’m sharing some of the process of writing this book. The Ultimate Book of Outfit Formulas: A Stylish Solution to What Should I Wear releases on September 14th, 2021

Diy costumes for college be sneaky ninja