Turns Out, I Could – Stories from August 2019
Last week I ran a small community project on Instagram, inviting people to share a story of something they never thought they’d be able to do, but did; something it turned out, they could. What everybody who contributed created was nothing short of magic. Reading through all of the stories I chortled out loud at some, shed a happy tear for others, I learned new things and had a few a-ha moments of my own. Below I have reproduced all of the stories shared so you can read through them in one place – if you ever feel overwhelmed and like you’re just never going to get there (wherever ‘there’ is for you), I absolutely promise that you will find stories here that will resonate.
Before we dive in though, I wanted just to pull out a few things I noticed reading through the stories. There was such variety in the contributions, from work journeys of learning new skills, wrestling with qualifications or finding a calling, to more personal tales of grief, body image and physical and mental health issues. Throughout them all, the practical breakthroughs and the mindset revelations, were some common threads.
So many of the stories began with a drive for something different, even if it didn’t make sense in the face of their noble or sensible job, or if it fell outside of the internal and external expectations they’d always had. Very often, the main thing that was holding them back came from inside them – it was our own self-talk keeping us down. I know that this probably doesn’t come as a surprise and we all sort of know that we let these stories sabotage us to greater and lesser extents. But there was something about seeing this repeated over and over in so many lives that made it really hit home.
Never in these stories is someone explicitly told by someone else that they aren’t capable. Over and over again we say we’re not this enough, or we’re too that to do something; we don’t have the qualifications, we don’t deserve it, we’re not ready; too old, too young, too unhealthy. A veritable torrent of, frankly, abuse from our own brains that time and again in these stories is proven to be utterly untrue. Seeing it like this makes me mournful for all those things we’re still not bringing out into the world because we’re believing the self talk; although the stories also show that overcoming it is a process that can’t be rushed.
Some found, for example, that they ended up doing those things they never thought they could almost by accident – just doing tiny, tiny things everyday meant they got to a happier and healthier place in spite of themselves. Others had cheerleaders in their family and friends who provided the support and belief that they were lacking.
What strikes me most, however, is how for most of us, there is an intangible something that just one day made you do it. The phrase “something clicked” came up over and over and over again! I got the sense for so many of us, myself included, we were going through life ignoring the thing, until we just couldn’t. Somehow that ‘click’, that something, had the power to overcome our logical reasons. It had us googling and noticing signs and returning to things we thought we’d said no to. I like to think it was intuition, our subconscious, knowing that it was time to take back control from our conscious brain.
And what was wonderful about so many of the stories was that it unlocked progress to other things. Perhaps public speaking lost it’s fear factor and opened you up to more work opportunities, or once you’d made one thing you could make more, or once you’d plucked up the courage to share a photo you started to think about making it a business. @elin.loow couldn’t have put it better when she said “What happens when you do things you don’t think you can do, is that you start to prove yourself wrong. Then comes that intriguing thought – if I could do this, what more can I do?”
Thank you all for your honesty and your stories. We had happy endings of books closing, happy new beginnings of business just starting out, and happy half ways of people not quite where they wanted to be yet but pleased with their progress so far. If you didn’t get to join in the project this time, I will be running it again at the end of December as we all start to review our years. You maybe reading this thinking “well I’m never going to be able to do the thing I want to do”. I’d love to invite you to use this as an opportunity – if there’s something you wished you could have shared this time, make it your mission to be able to share it next time. No pressure to be perfect, no pressure to have it all together; just be able to say “it turns out I could”.
The Stories
Kelseymech I remember this day so clearly. I stood at the top of this mountain overlooking the beautiful Howe Sound and I picked this little piece of fir and held it up to the blue sky, watching as the breeze rustled the needles ever so slightly. It was summer solstice and I was alone.
I haven’t, historically, been good at doing things alone. To be honest, I would not say I am yet good at doing things alone. I have leaned on other people to meet my needs, particularly romantic partners (hey ya’ll) more than I would like to admit. But I’m learning and I’m growing in this regard. And it’s painful. And is taking a frustratingly long time.
We cannot expect anyone else to meet all our needs. It is NOT the job of our partners or friends or family to meet all of our emotional needs. It is especially not the job of any ONE person to meet all of those needs. For some of us, this comes naturally. For some of us, especially those of us with deep childhood wounding, this is incredibly hard.
And yet like any muscle, in order to strengthen it, we need to work it. We need to practice being in our loneliness and being okay. We need to practice going it alone, climbing the mountain alone, staying home alone, and be okay. We need to practice finding evidence that we can handle being alone. And we need to learn to believe that taking time for ourselves does not mean we are disconnected from those we love. It just means that we are taking care of ourselves, they are taking care of themselves, and we can be even more deeply connected in the future.
How do you feel about being alone? What do you do to support yourself when you’re feeling loneliness?
lookwithneweyes Inspired by Kayte’s inspiring hashtag #turnsouticould19, I thought I’d share the story of how I’ve ended up living in the Lake District. Because it oh so nearly didn’t happen.
Returning from South America in February, instead of feeling the usual excitement of a brand new chapter, I felt terrified at the prospect of change, a feeling which was so alien to me.
Now in my 30’s, with no job, no idea where I wanted to be or what I wanted to do, newly single, and saddled with a reoccurring bug I had picked up in Peru, I had a sense of worry and anxiety I’d never experienced before, for someone usually so happy and upbeat.
Despite this, I still managed to apply for a job in Keswick and invited to interview . I feel in love with the place straight way, but I slept so badly and my illness had resurfaced overnight. I sat in the cafe supermarket in floods of tears, unable to know what to do with the anxiety I was experiencing, and sense of panic and fear had set in.
Thankfully, my best friend was on the end of the phone, calmed me down, focused me for the interview, which amazingly went well. I was offered the job the following week. But I had already convinced myself I mentally wouldn’t be in the right space to take the job. Until it occurred to me, that perhaps I just needed to try. After everything that had gone wrong recently, I was terrified of messing up again. But what was the worst that could happen?
And so I took the job.
Over the last 4 months, I’ve met some truly inspiring humans, who have reminded me the importance of self belief and to just try. After living & working with crazy fell runners, it inspired me to restart the running challenge Couch to 5k, and this week, 8 weeks of commitment later, hit my goal. I’ve fallen in love with hiking solo, moving the bar a little bit higher and higher each week. I’ve began to write again, to notice and write about those tiny details & moments which mean the most, which are so easy to forget.
This is a bit of long and round about story – but it’s a reminder that if you are in a dark, lonely or sad place, that it will get better, that you’ll find the light again.
silver_nutmeg So I finished my little Viking amulet inspired pendant today. I was going to keep this quite simple (see previous post) – a hand pierced, textured silver shape, which I was going to hang with some Iolite (Viking’s compass) beads. .
.
But I decided to be brave and risk making some changes. Instead of the Iolite beads, I’ve added a faceted Iolite cabochon. And the best bit of all – I set it in (recycled) gold, complete with two tiny gold discs. .
.
This is the first time I’ve soldered silver and gold together, and after a couple of weeks of self doubt I’m really pleased that I risked trying it. So it seems appropriate to post this joining in with @simpleandseason and #turnsouticould19 .
.
Have you managed to do something you never thought you could? .
.
Huge thanks to @charlotteberryjewellery for a good dose of general encouragement last week!
At school I didn’t study art past the three compulsory years, because I wasn’t good at drawing, despite being creative. When it came to picking options I chose purely academic – I wasn’t engineering-minded and I wasn’t good at drawing so this ruled out any creative options available. .
When it came to choosing, I opted for a degree in teaching. I was good at the academic so why not? All the time I studied, wrote my application, attended my University interviews I was photographing. It wasn’t just a hobby, it became a way of seeing and being – it became who I was. .
Then something clicked – in amongst a bit of a breakdown, I realised that I didn’t want to be a teacher at all. So I withdrew from my place at University and spent a year out reapplying for a degree in Photography and creating a portfolio. Many of the Universities wouldn’t accept me as I didn’t have a Foundation Degree in art, but I kept photographing and creating. One of the Universities I liked the best asked me to interview, and I felt like I fitted – like minded people who loved creating, like me.
.
I got the place and spent three years creating whilst studying the philosophy of photography and visual medium. I met my now husband. I created things I never knew I was capable of. I graduated with a first. .
Admittedly it wasn’t easy – it required a lot of soul-searching. But despite thinking I couldn’t because things hadn’t gone my way to start with, it turns out I could. You can too, don’t think you can’t – you get to choose. #turnsouticould19 .
I’ve been eco-printing for a long time now, but I’ve had some kind of block against discharge printing (a type of eco-printing where fabric is dyed a solid colour, then certain leaves are placed on top, which ‘discharge’ the solid dye when the bundle is cooked, leaving a leaf print surrounded by colour). I just couldn’t get my head around it. And I wasn’t interested in working with silk, which is what most people do discharge eco-printing on.
A few years ago I worked out how to do discharge printing on paper. But something has recently clicked in my mind and I have been starting to get discharge eco-prints on cotton. And in hindsight the process is so simple and obvious, but isn’t everything?
This top is geranium leaves with logwood dye. I wasn’t going for an even, uniform appearance with isolated, clear leaf prints so I love the different patches of this. It reminds me of night skies and fireworks and magic.
This post was inspired by @simpleandseason Kayte’s lovely challenge for this week, #turnsouticould19. Turns out I can do discharge eco-printing on cotton after all! Figuring out a new technique is always such a fulfilling part of my work.
rosieoneilluk When I left university, Architecture degree in hand, I felt beyond lost. I knew (and had known, if I’m being honest, for at least half the course), that architecture was not the career for me. After that, I tried: an academic research internship; a secondary school teaching taster session; a vintage fashion work placement. No, not this one, I felt after finishing each one. This is not my calling. Maybe I don’t have one? In amongst that, I started my online business – selling handmade products on Etsy and Not On The High Street. Nearly – my heart said. Getting closer.
.
.
With the launch of my mentoring services last week, my online space is slowly shifting into something new that feels terrifyingly like it could be my purpose. I really believe in the power of creativity (discovering fiction writing transformed my life) and I want nothing more than to support writers, artists and creatives as they overcome the things holding them back on this journey. .
.
It turns out, I could find a purpose.
They key – finding something that feels a little scary, yes, but in a good way. Finding something that makes your heart race a little, that connects the things you love with the things you’re good at. .
.
#turnsouticould19
I never thought I’d have a podcast. Verbal communication isn’t exactly my strong suit. I’m an introvert with aspergers and social anxiety. I’ve always been a writer, photographer, artist… anything that lets me express my ideas without speaking them aloud.
.
I loved *listening* to podcasts, but never had any desire to start my own.
.
Until I did.
.
It was winter of 2016 and I was burned out. I realized everything I was creating was for external validation and something had to change. So I deleted my blog. I quit monetizing my work. And I remembered how much I loved gardening and cross stitch and creating for the joy of creating.
.
But I missed my podcasts. Turns out they had all been about running a creative business. Listening was like handing an alcoholic a drink. It would send me into a spiral of shame and I’d start flailing around reinstating Twitter accounts and envying book deals.
.
So I unsubscribed. I searched and failed to find something to fill the gap. Creative people talking about their work outside the context of business. Chatting about the creative process itself. And when I couldn’t find what I was looking for I decided to create my own.
.
And so Kindle Curiosity was born. Twenty episodes later I’ve spoken with creators about filmmaking, foraging, writing, drawing, sewing, painting, and so much more. The podcast in turn inspired me to return to blogging, but to approach it from a lens of curiosity. Trying something new was just what I needed to reignite my curiosity and creative spark. Thanks to every guest who said “Yes!”, to every listener, and to my supporters on Patreon. I didn’t think I’d ever start a podcast. Turns out I could.
.
#turnsouticould19 @simpleandseason
I’ve posted this before and wanted to post this again for the @communitywhp_ hashtag challenge #communitywhp_unapologeticallyme and @simpleandseason hashtag challenge #turnsouticould19 .
Hope this inspires other people the way I was inspired by others to #reclaimhappiness 💫
I had worked in the educational industry for 15yrs. The last 8 I kept wondering if this is what I want to do for the rest of my life…The last 4 years were awful… zero motivation, extremely underpaid ( and sometimes the monthly salary was not paid on time).
In 2012 I started my part time business of handmade baby accessories and educational fabric toys. I used to think that in the mornings I’m living my dream and in the afternoons I’m back to reality…
Although my desire to quit my job was strong- fear and doubt kept crawling back and made me stay still…
What if I’m too old for this? What if I’ve done this sooner before becoming a mother? It would have been easier… However this summer the feeling changed- Quitting and trying something else was something I just had to do- I just couldn’t tolerate anymore being only a thought- I had to take action and give it a try!
So after long conversations with my partner ( who strongly supports my journey) and my spiritual coach I took the terrifying leap of faith. I found myself a business coach, a new business idea and business model that suits my character and lifestyle and became a woman entrepreneur.
I am almost a year down this journey which is more like a roller coaster ride but one thing is certain- I do not regret it.
Change is scary but you’ll never know until you try.
And one last thing I’ve learned this past months is that your career doesn’t define who you are. Neither people’s opinion.
You get to choose your own journey and everything else fits in – or not❤️
Love and light
Maria
Any project, no matter how complex, begins with a single tiny step. That tiny step is followed by another one, and then another one and after a certain time and many tiny steps, there you have it – your very own idea brought to life.
I started “Pantarul at Home” #pantarulathome in a very lazy, unadventurous way – with a recipe I’ve made so many times I can prepare it with my eyes closed and using a composition (for the photo) which I’d used many times before.
As I’d learned some lessons from my first book #whatscookingindubrovnik – I knew that writing a cookbook was complex and time-consuming. After the very premature birth of our baby girl, I wasn’t sure if it was the right moment to commit to a project of such a scope again. But my cheerleader/husband had no doubts whatsoever. “You can do it, we’ll figure it out as we go.” And after a very long break, I took out my plates, backdrops, tripods and camera and got down to business.
Day by day, recipe by recipe, one tiny step at a time, and a year and a half later the book is now done. All those ideas are palpable, on 344 pages in between hard covers. Today several set off to Zagreb, and one all the way to Chicago. I watch them go as a mom watches over her children.
So, despite all the what-ifs and existent and non-existent obstacles, it turns out I could. @simpleandseason
My point actually being – if there’s a creative/business itch – scratch it. Make that first tiny step – that’s the most difficult part, the rest will follow. And if it’s not top-secret level, share with me: what is it you’re dreaming of?
If you had told me this time last year that I would have quit my job to become a full time potter, I would have laughed at you.
.
For over a decade, working with refugees across 9 countries and 4 continents defined my life and my identity. Working with displaced communities across the world was the most inspiring, rewarding, and challenging of experiences. Letting go of it was necessary, but heartbreaking.
.
I miss it every day. And I am in awe of my colleagues who keep on keeping on, and most of all of the refugees who again and again prove that it is possible not only to survive in the face of the unimaginable, but to thrive.
.
Although I still wasn’t sure what the future held for me, it was around this time last year that I began to emerge from a debilitating episode of PTSD, depression and anxiety. As the clouds lifted and the pieces began to fall into place @themindfulpotter was “born”.
.
It is still early days; everything is still a work in progress; I still don’t know what the future holds. But I am grateful everyday for the privilege of being able to live a life “by design” – intentionally and based on my own priorities and choices.
.
If there is one thing I have learned over the past decade, it is that this is a rare privilege -particularly for women- and one to be cherished and fought for.
.
I have taken decisions in the past year I never thought I could take; made choices I never thought I could make. All I can do is be grateful for the support I have received along the way from loved ones near and far and from this beautiful online community.
.
You know who you are – thank you 🙏
.
Huge thanks also to @simpleandseason for masterminding this community project encouraging creatives to reflect on how far they have come #turnsouticould19 🙏
S u n d a y________w a l k.
🌿 I gasped as I walked into this field behind Charles Darwin’s house as I was totally overcome with joy at nature’s beauty. #turnsouticould19 feel joy and hope and true happiness again after the darkness of grief. Nature has healed me and continues to everyday. What was the last thing in nature that took your breath away?
.monti.pots
When I started my ceramic journey something like one and a half year ago, I wouldn’t have thought it will become such a big part of my life. That I will have a wheel at home and spend my weekends getting muddy. That I could learn a new craft and there will be people (other than my mum!) who will like it. That I could sell any of my creations!
.
Turns out I could 💪 and I’m so grateful that you follow this journey! It’s just a beginning but a really good one and I hope there is so much more to come.
#turnsouticould19
annaconsidineuk
If you like psychology, you will like the game I’ve just shared in my Stories – it’s under the Highlight “Three Questions” on my profile, for you to come back to whenever you’d like!
.
Although the exercise is a fun one, I remembered it when I was thinking back to before my psychosis. I was talking to my bestie yesterday who said that a friend of his, who I’d met a couple of months ago, actually knew me when we were growing up but I had no memory of who she was.
.
I’m very, very good with faces, so I remember looking at her at the time and wondering why she seemed so familiar, and who she reminded me of – and prior to having my episode, I would have known who she was in an instant. (I used to be the queen of telling you which actor was in what film when they popped up in a TV show.)
.
She’s the second person I’ve met this year who I recognised but didn’t remember, and before this it always happened with the crisis workers who helped me when I was at my worst – so it unsettled me that it had happened again.
.
But, then I (ironic use of the word) remembered that it was, overall, the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I wouldn’t be this brave, this caring, this grounded without it. I wouldn’t be able to understand as many people; I wouldn’t be able to help them in the same way either.
.
And that’s why I’ve been fascinated with psychology ever since: our brains are big, beautiful, bumbling and yes, sometimes literally bonkers, and I love that there’s so much we’ve yet to learn 🧠
.
Any other psychology buffs in the house? 😉
.
#annaspsychosisjourney
.whyisthisnamestillfree
I remember how I looked up after some time and suddenly noticed a feeling I hadn’t had for years: forgetting the time.
It was my first drawing after a break of three years that felt like a spark again. A break which didn’t feel like I had chosen it, that felt paralyzing and bland, but of course I only realized it in hindsight. You know that sensation when you understand that some sorts of discomfort, the ones that come with trying at something again and accepting the frustration of relearning, turn out to be so, so rewarding? Rekindling the love you once had for an instrument? Oh, the impatience! You provably do know.
But just like me you probably also forget to hold still for a second and celebrate the progress you made.
So this one‘s for you: hold still, and cheers!
I know now: I actually can spend my time doing what gives me joy.
Turns out, I could. .
.Thank you Kayte from @simpleandseason, for creating this brilliant community project. Turns out, I needed it. 😉 .
.
#turnsouticould19
thursdaystribe
Kayte of @simpleandseason is running a community project this week. Using the hashtag #turnsouticould19, you share a story about something you thought you’d never be able to do, but did. Here’s mine… For those of you who don’t know this, my background is in law and copy editing – both fields where there isn’t really room for getting it wrong. You work behind the scenes until something is 100% right before putting it out into the world.So when I started learning photography last year, I wanted to follow this same approach: Learn everything there is to know and work furiously behind the scenes before sharing my perfect work with the world… Yeah. So much for that 😂
You see, the thing is, creative projects just don’t work that way. The fun is found in the process, in trying 100 different things 100 times over until you find what works for you.So the thing I thought I couldn’t do, but am doing right now, is simply DOING, even though it might not be the ‘best’ way, or the fastest, or the most effective, or proven… you get the point. Just trying a bunch of different things and seeing where that takes me. All while simply (shock, horror) enjoying the process, even when there is no specific goal or the outcome is uncertain.Where are my fellow recovering perfectionists at? 🙋🏻♀️josephinepbrooks
I recently found my New Year’s resolutions for 2014 and on that list was ‘to get closer to leaving my job’. For so many years it had been a pipe-dream, something I didn’t have the confidence or courage to do but finally, five years later I waved goodbye to my 9-5. And that’s what I’m taking a moment to celebrate as part of Kayte’s @simpleandseason community project #turnsouticould19 It turns out I could; escape my 9-5!⠀
~⠀
I’m not saying my business is earning what I did in my 9-5 quite yet, I’m not saying it was easy (it wouldn’t have taken five years if it was). But, I am saying that taking the leap was the best thing I’ve ever done for my happiness and my mental health. Now I get to live the lifestyle I ached for, for so long. It’s a slow and simple one, but I couldn’t be happier.
~
A few things that helped me get there;⠀
• Firstly, I started taking my business seriously and got intentional about planning ahead and steering the ship in the direction I wanted it to go.⠀
• I got Kayte’s help with discovering my purpose and creating a marketing strategy. I started being much more open about my business and told my friends, colleagues, family what I was working on. I even started voicing my plan to make it my full-time gig.
• And finally it was taking those little leaps. Taking the leap isn’t this one big momentous occasion. It’s a process of taking lots of small leaps one after the other that add up to the ‘big leap’. It’s constantly showing up and nudging the boundaries of your comfort zone, taking one small step closer to your vision of the lifestyle you long for each day.⠀
~⠀
What big leap would you love to take next in your life or business? ⚡️
davidbartonmus
It was really lovely last night reading through some of the posts in response to @simpleandseason’s community project, #turnsouticould19.
.
There were so many heartwarming and life-affirming stories of things people have overcome in their work and lives. If you’ve not seen any of these posts, I do encourage you to click on the hashtag and check them out.
.
Quite a few of the posts were related to mental health, and as someone who’s had depression and anxiety as a constant companion for many years, these resonated with me.
.
Someone once told me I should keep my mental health offline because it would have a negative impact on business. It didn’t take me long to decide this was a lot of nonsense. If people are that bothered by it, and by me sharing my experiences of it, then they’re probably not the kinds of people I would want to be working with anyway.
.
I’ve always tried to be true to myself in what I share online. Authenticity, and being authentic is one of my values. I want those who read my posts to feel confident enough, should they wish, to be able to share the same same.
.
Watch out for a new blog post this week, along with my monthly newsletter, Creative Notes, which will be hitting the inbox of mailing list subscribers next Sunday.
storisse
UNAPOLOGETICALLY MEHello, new and not so new lovely followers.
This is me.I grew up among books and eclectic Parisian buildings, in a capital city in Eastern Europe.I’ve always loved new projects and to explore the world around me, but did so largely through books and my own imagination. I think in images and colour.
More recently, I have discovered I love to explore while travelling, too, and not just on my own, but with husband and three children in tow.
Even more, instead of new projects, I am at the moment enjoying taking my time and going over old, familiar places.
Used to my fervent curiosity, friends and family ask what my newest project will be.And though something was baking before I left on this trip, at the moment it’s the stillness in every day well lived that truly invites me.
Tell me about you? What incites you at present?
somedayslower
Turns out I could change my life, just by changing my life
–
Turns out I could get rid of the belongings that were getting in my way and ruling my day. Turns out I could rid myself slowly of the invisible clutter, that I didn’t even know I was carrying
–
Turns out I could be more present with my family, by shutting out the noise that didn’t even matter. Turns out I could take myself out of the depths of depression to make a simpler life for myself, where I not only saw the slithers of light but delighted in it
–
Turns out I could do all of the above, even when I thought I couldn’t do another thing. And if I can, then please realise that you can too
#turnsouticould19
katie.kennedy.collins
Turns out all I can do today is sit still & rest. Not exactly exciting summertime fun. I thought—probably like many people— that you get a diagnosis, do the treatment & feel better. What I know now, is there is a long time for all of those steps. And I mean a long time. Most people don’t want to know you’re not well, still complaining 🤦🏻♀️ but a few like all the details. And it’s nothing I can wrap up in a newsletter or a lunch, like it’s been a trip to New Zealand that I loved. It’s learning every single day what I can & can’t do, and then not feeling bad or too discouraged. Yet there are good things that come with •s l o w i n g d o w n.• Wishing you a nice slow Sunday & a slow August!
anna_dunleavy
Some four years ago, the thought of doing wedding photography as my full time job seemed almost inconceivable. It was a small inkling of an idea, a hope that maybe, just maybe, one day I’d be able to make this passion of mine my actual job. ✨
Three years later, I took the business full time, and never looked back. In the worst moments of doubt and comparison, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do it. I wasn’t good enough, my work wasn’t good enough, and I simply didn’t think it’d be possible. ✨
Today, I can proudly say it #turnsouticould19 and if there’s anything to take from this, is that you can do it too. It may take hard work, determination, perseverance, and a support network of your personal cheerleaders, but whatever your dream is, you CAN do it. It’s all within your grasp my love. All you have to do is believe it. That and surrounding yourself with a community of others who understand the pressures and challenges that running a business can bring. ✨
What’s something you never thought you’d be able to achieve, but you did anyway? I think you have until end of today to still join in @simpleandseason summer project, and I’d absolutely love to hear your stories too.
theflourishingpantry
TURNS OUT I COULD 🌟 Kayte @simpleandseason has been running a community project this week encouraging people to share a story of something you never thought you’d be able to do, but did.
I don’t want to sound arrogant but if there’s something I want to do, then I’m usually fairly determined. I believe that I’ve got the intelligence and sticking power to learn how to do it and I just keep going 🤣
But what’s really struck me about my journey particularly this year is how I never thought I could become a business owner, and yet here I am 🤷🏽♀️
Many people’s stories in entrepreneurship are about how they’ve always known and wanted their own business. That’s not the case for me 🙅🏽♀️
If you’d met me aged 21 I was totally convinced I was always going to work for other people all my life. I was going to run an orchestra or a festival or a venue. But always with a boss. Within a structure.
Having your own business was something other people did. It was like this weird reckless thing to do, or a joke when I heard what they’d chosen to offer “They’re doing WHAT?! How do you make money doing that?!” As a path for myself it wasn’t even on the radar 📡
But moving to Ireland two years ago and quitting my job put a whole new spin on things. And the realisation last year that actually I was sick of working for other people and wanted finally to do MY thing was powerful 👊🏼
I had no idea how I was going to do my thing. I had no idea what I was going to offer or produce. But I was damn well going to work it out 😬
And I have. It’s taken time. But I now say in the middle of 2019 I have my own business. I offer services to other people, I promote them, and people pay me for what I offer and appreciate what I do. I’m one of those people that runs their own business.
Turns out I could.
What did you never think you could do, but managed to achieve? A mindset? A skill? A qualification? A job? Use #turnsouticould19 to take part today 🌟 I’d love to hear your stories! 👇🏼👇🏼
photogrid.by.me
T u r n s o u t I c o u l d ✨
You probably heard about the expression a picture is worth more than thousand words.
➖
I have always been fascinated by pictures and colours. I bought my first camera when I went to high school. But some how when my life became busy with work and family matters I almost forgot to use my camera. Until one day when my daughter bought a new one and yes I had a professional camera in my hand. Now it was time to refresh my memory and starting to shoot my first images after decades av pause.
➖
I started this account in 2017 just for the practice and with the purpose shoot more often. Who would thought that I would participate in a blog competition two years later with a blog about Greece? But some how there are much more to tell about a picture and every place has a story. The travel blog was released the following year.
Life leads you sometimes in unfamiliar situations but I am trying to enjoy it despite that new experiences forces me to get out of my comfort zone no and then.
I am glad that you are following my steps with this hobby and who knows what the future brings…
➖
Encouraged by Kayte @simpleandseason and her community project #turnsouticould19My blog 👉 www.photogridbyme.com
malibu.tides.pottery
Making the decision to leave a career I deeply cared about in marine science and conservation and pivot into a new career in pottery was difficult. Why risk career & financial stability and the positive impact I was contributing to ocean conservation? I’ve spent a life immersed in saltwater and I can tell you there’s nothing subtle about the sea and it’s wild refusal to stand still. But in this movement is where I find the space to breathe and the freedom to create and the beauty in life. So it is time to shift my creative focus to pottery and bring the designs I’ve had in my head to life in rich clays and vibrant colors that evoke the beauty and freedom of life by the sea. After a lot of push back, trial and error, and perseverance, it’s exciting to be about six weeks away from opening my online shop! It turns out I could 💜 Be brave, not perfect.
#turnsouticould19
.
Thank you Kayte @simpleandseason for this community project! .
veritygaida
TURNS OUT I COULD | When I was unhappy in my London office job, squirming to live a life outside a suit, all I dreamed of was travelling. I’d travelled in my #gapyah and uni holidays but there was (is) still so much more to see! But I had no savings – so googled ‘working abroad’ over & over. ‘Teach English Abroad’ it said. No way – I could never teach! I didn’t have the patience, confidence or knowledge. I’d be a terrible teacher!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Then one sick day, when enough of my friends had flown far away and were taunting me with it online, I stumbled upon teaching in South Korea. My first thought – ‘Wow, you get paid really well!’ My second, ‘umm, where’s Korea exactly?’ I took my poorly body to buy the guidebook, read up on it more and BOOM. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Within 2 weeks I’d booked a TEFL course & within a month had secured a job in Seoul, after one simple telephone interview (not recognising at the time how absolutely my white privilege secured it for me). I quit my job & arrived in Seoul 4 months after that sick day. Halloween 2010 was my first day teaching and guess what? Turns out, I could teach. It immediately felt natural, bringing out a confidence in myself I’d never had. Plus, the kids were adorable, which helped. (Lion & dolphin class forever @ashleighbartz).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I taught in Korea, Vietnam & London until my maternity leave in 2017. 7 years in a job I’d thought I could *never* do. Who’d have known?! I flew to the other side of the world to a country I didn’t know and a language I didn’t speak to do a job I’d never done, not knowing a soul. Even now, I’m still so proud of myself for taking that chance & remind myself of my bravery anytime I’m feeling incapable or scared. Because it wasn’t nothing, it was actually huge!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Telling ourselves we could never do something may well turn out to be a lie – it may be fear disguising the thing that will change your life. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What’s the one thing you could never do? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
(But I will *never* skydive. NOPE.)
jane.fullman
Just taking some time to reflect on my jewellery business. The last few months have been about setting up my business, creating a website, making lots of jewellery, the next few months will be about getting out and about and attending my first craft fairs. It’s been a few months of lots of firsts, its exciting and a bit scarey, but feels like I’m doing the right thing
bea_mangar
A POEM ✨ | Poetry has always been the best way for me to express deep emotions, and a way to make sense of life. So I’d like to share this poem, which I wrote today, with you:Too afraid to wander alone out of the house
Because of all the terrible things that await
Crawling back for safety into a tiny hole like a mouse
And this, she thought would be her fate.And then the day came when she yearned for more
There was a whisper in her heart
Which she nurtured and listened to until it became a roar
That’s when she decided to live true to her art.It meant letting go of what did not serve her
Even if it was great for everyone else around
Because she knew she didn’t need to fit in – she needed to become more “her”
And when she did, everything turned around.She redefined her work, and bid farewell to the office with the grey carpet
She stopped hiding, and used her voice even when they told her to shush
She knows it is OK to go after her dreams, live from her writing, and on her own terms even if this makes other people fret
While this poem is about me, I feel it connects a lot of us, and you may just need a little pushSomeone to encourage you to pursue your dreams, for nobody else but you
Because as afraid as I was, #turnsouticould19 – and so can you.
.
.
_
Thank you Kayte @simpleandseason for this wonderful community project. I’m enjoying reading from all the other creatives joining in ☺️✨.
hollyrlandis
Few things have ever come naturally to me. I’m sure those seemingly endless nights at the dining room table with my dad, crying over my maths textbook because I couldn’t understand it, have been the most amount of time we’ve spent together outside of holidays.
—
But here I am, at 27, starting my own business and 3 weeks away from beginning work on my master’s degree. Never in a million years did I think that my life would look like this.
—
There are things that I thought I would do by 25 that never became reality. But I’ve made peace with that and realised that it only means “‘not yet” instead of “never going to happen”.
—
Then there are these. The moments that I wish I could bottle up and run back into the past to tell 16-year-old Holly “keep going, it’s going to be fine. You’re going to take huge risks and be braver than you ever thought possible and YOU are going to be fine.”
—
So onward I go to the next big adventure. Working just as hard as I always have until I’m maybe, hopefully, somewhere close to getting it right.
—
Thank you to @simpleandseason for inspiring this little reflection for #turnsouticould19
laura.in.devon
Good morning everyone and happy Saturday! I am aware that I have been absent on insta for some while, but today felt like the right time to come back and post something towards @simpleandseason ‘s hashtag project.
Showing up is particularly hard to do when you’re fighting any mental health issue, such as depression. I’m talking here about showing up in everyday life – accomplishing simple tasks such as washing dishes and going outside – as well as showing up creatively or in a work sense. Creating anything is really hard work when you’re in the mind fog of depression. It dulls so many senses that it’s difficult to notice all those things around you that usually trigger inspiration or give you a feeling of connectedness to the earth.
This post isn’t intended to be a place to complain but rather to celebrate my own inner strength and to hold space for anyone else who is feeling a little mentally or emotionally fragile too. Instagram doesn’t need to be a highlight reel, if we really want to use it as a storytelling platform for our real lives.
You see, although I have experienced – year on year now for as long as I can remember – a summer season of low mood, I have a quiet belief even during these low times, that things will level out and I know what I need to do to realign myself. The answers are already inside me, and I know which steps I need to take to care for myself and nurture myself back into the space where I can show up fully again.
I had a discussion with the lovely @missgingerfreckles this week about how mental health is circular, not linear. I have heard her talk on her page before about how we shouldn’t aim to get ‘back to where we were before’ but rather accept ourselves in all states on the journey we are on. I couldn’t agree more.
So this is me, walking on the beach, paddling in the water, doing what I need to do to feel a bit more like me again. Taking time away from any pressure to post on Instagram is another of those things. @lucysheridan ‘s wonderful video earlier this week felt like a big permission slip to do that too.
Turns out even when it felt impossible, I could, and can – and will – bounce back from grey skies.
#turnsouticould19
ceramicmagpie
A simple handmade pot… Must be fairly easy, right?
.
Well of course, like most things in life it wasn’t easy initially. But through stubbornness, practice, persistence and tears I’ve developed porcelain thrown items that I feel proud of.
.
I still love their earlier cousins, swipe across as they are part of this journey and thank-you to everyone who has supported me here. I’m sure I wouldn’t be tapping this out if it wasn’t for you lot. I think it’s taken me about 2 years of consistent throwing most days to reach this stage. To make life more difficult for myself I chose porcelain which isn’t an easy clay body to work with. But I’m glad I kept going with it.
.
And this journey has also given be back some of the self-confidence I had pre-kids days. Throwing pots for me is everyday therapy and I’m even happier that I’m making items that I know people will treasure in their homes. .
As well as hours of practice on the shape lots of time goes into choosing, testing and developing the glazes I use.
.
New moodier colours coming soon, which I’m so excited to share, but just working through commissions first. Sign up to my newsletter to be the first to know…
.
I was inspired to share this today after seeing friends post #turnsouticould19,
a hashtag initiative by marketing coach, Kayte @simpleandseason. Have a look – it’s a lovely way to ease yourself into the weekend.
Ware Herts
It’s hard to believe that a few years ago I seriously thought I could never run my own business. Turns out I could.I didn’t think I had it in me to start working for myself, and if by some miracle that happened, I didn’t dream for a minute I could make it successful enough to pay the bills.But it turns out that if you mix the right combination of hard work and experience, add a huge dollop of self-belief, sprinkle on a little good luck and garnish with a few brilliant friends, you can make something really special. Who knew… Big thanks to @simpleandseason for making me reflect 😊 #turnsouticould19 📸 @ajburrowsphotography
amandabrawnjewellery
Turns Out I Could
.
Is there something you’ve achieved that you never thought you’d be able to? This week Kayte @simpleandseason is hosting a lovely community project encouraging us to share stories of something we never thought we could do.
.
Having absorbed a belief from childhood that anything less than 100% was not going to be ‘good enough’, would not meet expectations, I’ve always been a terrible procrastinator. Holding myself back from trying, for fear of falling short of perfection.
.
Mastering the ability to take better images of my work may not be exactly life-changing, but it’s something I really wanted to be able do better. I had a DSLR camera but, for whatever reason, something literally never quite clicked.
.
That is, until I took @themelias.co wonderful Lost in the Light Class. The way that James and Jo explain it suddenly made everything fall into place. Finally, I began to understand what I was doing, and the prospect of some decent photographs in my camera roll seemed less like a random lottery win.
.
Still lots to learn, and I really need to get out there and practice more, but after believing for so long that I couldn’t take the photos I wanted, turns out I could.
.
How about you, is there something you’ve done that you never thought you’d be able to?
mariawiggeart
I really want to chime in with Kayte’s (@simpleandseason) challenge #turnsouticould19. I’m reading such beautiful stories of overcoming fears and even though many of you know my story I want to share it in this group as well.Growing up, my very talented mother was the artist in the family. I’ve always loved to paint as well but I did it in private, making sure no one saw what I did as I was certain it wasn’t good enough, terrified of being ridiculed or compared.Last fall though, after binge-listening through @me_and_orla podcasts and reading ”Playing Big” by @tarasophiamohr something started shifting and the decision to start an Instagram account took form.
Now, this is a lifetime worth of fear and shame so imagine the the anxiety of letting this out in the world. The support and encouragement I received right out of the gate was amazing though, and in a few weeks I’ll be calling myself a full-time painter!
wearestardustuk
Last month I launched a set of limited edition starling murmuration prints that sold out in 2 weeks (all 15 A5 size prints sold out in half a day).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Inspired by Kayte Ferris’ @simpleandseason new community project (see her latest post), I am telling you this because when I started We Are Stardust in 2016 I never thought I’d be a person where things I created would sell out, let alone so quickly. I had mindset blocks when it came to scarecity and I thought my work wasn’t good enough because I’m not a trained artist (I only studied it up to A level). To be honest I still struggle with these mindset issues.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Take this design for instance. In 2019 I wanted to spend more time nourishing my creativity and decided to sell a new original artwork in my shop every month. This design was done in May…and I haven’t listed it yet. What’s stopping me? Perfectionism and procrastination. They try to keep me safe “it’s not quite how I’d like it so others probably won’t want it so I’ll just wait and do another one…at some point…maybe…in the future”.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This illustration represents the ability for trees in ancient woodland to support each other through their root systems via mycorrhizal funghi. This support only happens in old woodlands where trees have grown organically for years. I like to imagine that through our shared DNA us humans are also deeply connected, even though it may not always seem like it. Certainly this community on IG (where I also found @ray_dodd ‘s amazing Membership group) helped me overcome my mindset issues enough to let my starling murmuration fly out of my studio and into the world. #turnsoutIcould19
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
p.s. As a result of the starling murmuration print sell out I am considering starting a small membership – the Stardust Society perhaps – who will be the first to get any newly released limited edition prints. What do you think?In 2019, turns out I could: (1) reach out to a local florist to propose a collaboration, (2) make a cold-call to ask if I could join the vendor line-up for an event, and (3) start pricing my work in a way that is more fair and respectful to myself.
.
.
.
Looking back, I realize that the business side of my creative business is more of a challenge for me. I feel a lot more confident making creative decisions like trying new ceramic forms or pushing myself to improve aspects of my work. I’m trying to move at my own pace and just push myself a little further each time into the unknown waters of marketing and business and, so far, I’m happy with how that’s working out.
vanilla_papers
Do you know those travel bloggers and digital nomads who quit their corporate jobs to travel the world? Who end up making six figures in a year? I’m not one of them. My first days of freelancing were spent in bed. I knew I hit bottom after watching Lora Croft: Tomb Raider in its entirely, too apathetic to change the channel. I told myself I was too old to change paths now. I told myself I had no place in the online travel world because I wasn’t tan and blond. Then I got angry and I got going. I launched a website, I landed my first freelancing gig, and I learned how to use Twitter.
.
I wasted a lot of time, too, on things that didn’t work. And I used the work grind to escape deeper questions like: what the ef am I doing? But after a year and a half of working hard, listening to podcasts late at night, letting go of perfectionism, improving, always planning.. well, I’m still not travelling the world or making six figures.
.
But more importantly, for the first time in years, I’m proud of the stories I’ve written and the photography I’ve shot, the people I’ve met and the projects I’ve done. Most of all, I’m excited about what’s coming up.
.
Because, it turns out I could. #turnsouticould19 @simpleandseason
kathryn_ho_
If I’m honest, I’m usually pretty confident in my ability to achieve what I set out to do. Sure, I might be scared or intimidated at times, but I don’t tend to doubt my abilities to get something done if I set my mind to it.So when I read Kayte’s @simpleandseason post about her community project, Turns Out, I Could #turnsouticould19 I found myself immediately thinking back to the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to face. I was in two minds about whether to share this, as I understand it’s an uncomfortable subject. However, it’s also a big part of my truth, and it’s a huge part of what drives me and informs the way I live now.At one point in my life I suffered from severe depression. For a number of years, it put my life on hold. A lot of that time in my life is a blur, and I don’t really want to remember parts of it because it was so awful. I did my best to alienate everyone I knew. I told myself I was an evil person. I was so depressed I didn’t want to live… but I didn’t have the conviction to die.Working my way through and out of that depression was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I remember thinking it was like standing on one side of a huge canyon, knowing I had to get to the other side, and seeing absolutely no way across. It felt that impossible.And yet, somehow, I did. Somehow, with support, patience, time, and determination I didn’t even know I had, I made my way through it.Knowing that I can change things for the better even when I may not believe in myself, is one of the most important lessons I’ve ever had to learn – and is something I will always hold with me.Even when we cannot see it, there is something inside us that knows we are capable. There is something inside us that will guide us even when we are full of doubt. While we question and battle with ourselves, it knows to keep going. It believes even when we don’t. It knows we are worth fighting for 💛
Photo: @photosbyzoe
placebeyond_
‘Turns out I could’
My journey – I’ve been making soap for about a year now, but only launched last week. I’ve been back and forth thinking shall I launch my soap… The journey felt like forever, due to testing, assessments, and changing the ingredients on many occasions. However I made the right choice and I’m so glad I did.
Thank you for following me on the journey.
#turnsouticould19 hashtag
by @simpleandseason
Thank you to Jo @firain_shop for her wonderful inspiring post.thefoodiecorner
•
Athens, Greece 9 Today I’m joining a community project by Kayte from @simpleandseason. It’s got nothing to do with figs. It’s all about encouraging ourselves and one another to see how far we’ve come. So we’re sharing a story about something we thought we couldn’t do but, as it turns out, we could.
.
I’ve spent several days trying to come up with a good story. You’d think it would be a no brainer, what with my actual real-life cookbook being released in September. Did I ever think I could write and photograph a cookbook? Of course not. But it happened, without much time for me to wallow in self-doubt. I just had to get on with it – I was accountable to the publisher. It took just under two years to agree on terms, develop recipes, test them, cry, test again, have others test them, photograph them, write, edit, have others edit, edit some more, cry again, wait, do marketing stuff, and now wait a tiny bit longer. Under two years. Do you want to know what took me 6 years to finally do? Send a simple newsletter. For a long time it was a niggle in the back of my mind. I couldn’t decide how to start or what to write. I couldn’t decide what language to write in. I thought about it way too much. I also couldn’t face learning how to navigate mailchimp, not because I can’t find my way around such platforms, but because it would take too much time from my everyday stuff. Because for my newsletter, I was only accountable to myself, and that means it got pushed from year to year, from to-do list to to-do list. I finally sent my first newsletter out a few weeks ago, after some help and a little nudge from Kayte. It wasn’t so difficult after all. What is difficult, and an ongoing process, is learning to spend time on the things that are just for me and my business. Those things that keep getting pushed to the next to-do list. Maybe next year we’ll do a #turnsouticould20 and we’ll see how that went 😁
.
Why did I post a picture of figs? a) because I’ve already posted my book cover b) because I post foodie things c) because I shot the photo with a macro lens which has been a struggle to get used to. But as it turns out, I could get a decent shot with it after all!
firain_shop
Boundaries🙅🏼♀️ In the spirit of the community project ‘Turns out I could” from Kayte @simpleandseason, I’ve given some thought to the healthy boundaries I’ve tried to establish so far this year. My natural tendency to whoosh into situations, saying ‘yes’ to people, activities, commitments, deadlines and responsibilities that I really don’t want to do or have has left me feeling utterly depleted🌿
•
So this year, whilst trying to not be self-sparing and still trying to buoy others where I can, I’m learning to slow things down. To establish boundaries. To say “I am working to capacity right now”… “thanks for the opportunity. I’ll have a think and get back to you”… “I can get that done if I can have a little more time”. It feels healthy to nudge things off my plate, even if they remain in a heap for later. I’m gradually, at my own pace, finding a new rhythm and accepting the shifting sands 🏄🏽♀️
•
If you struggle with boundaries of any kind, you might find it helpful to ask, “will this add or subtract to my spiritual, physical or emotional health/ my relationship with that person/ my energy levels/ my well-being?” Take your time. Be mindful.🌿
•
If you’d like to share how you set healthy boundaries, comment below, DM me or join in on the #turnsouticould19 project🤟🏽
novelandkind
✨Coffee shop musings ✨I started this week feeling guilty. A self-imposed guilt because I haven’t written this month’s newsletter, and I haven’t posted to my blog in over a month, and I haven’t been consistent on Instagram.
But while running this morning, I stopped and gave myself a serious talking to, and reminded myself to focus what I have done, rather than what I haven’t.
I set myself a goal to write a short story each week of the summer. And I’ve done that. I set myself a goal to submit my creative nonfiction to local literary magazines. And I’ve done that. I set myself a goal to start brainstorming and prepping for the novel I want to write. And I’ve done that too.
When I reframe my perspective, I’m actually pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished in my time “off”. It’s also been a learning experience: I have found (surprise, surprise 🙄) that I can’t do everything. My energy for writing is finite. I can’t write a blog a week and a newsletter and a short story and Instagram captions and prep for a novel all at the same time.
I’m learning to be okay with that. Because when I celebrate my achievements, acknowledging my very human limitations feels freeing.
I’m working on ways to share my ideas online without draining my energy reserves, so stay tuned. And if you’re still around after my intermittent radio silence the past few weeks, I’m so happy to have you here 💕
#turnsouticould19
_twome
Since the start of the summer holidays I have been posting only once a week and it feels so good! I 💗 Instagram, but I have now reached a staged where I don’t feel I need to be present in the grid all the time. •
Some days I want to engaged with people on their feed.
Some days I want to get inspired and not worry about the best hashtags.
Some days I don’t want to see what everybody is doing on stories.
So today I posted a photo of what I am working on, no pretty flowers, my badly tanned feet and my lovely string. At the beginning of the year I would have spent 1/2 hour or so wondering if it was worth posting this photo, if people would have liked it, what was the message behind the picture bla,bla,bla… these days I am much more relaxed and this is a HUGE win! 🙌🏼
Because I want to enjoy my time on Instagram and allow myself to feel free to post what I like when I like it- stress free 😊. #thisismetoday
gabrielletreanor
Do you remember last week I posted about talking on a panel to a group of my peers – 60 coaches – and how nerve-wracking I find doing this kind of thing? Well, I’ve written a blog post all about how I come to do public speaking, even though I find it super scary, and how I deal with the fear. It has a lot to do with worrying about how I’ll be perceived by those who asked me to speak as well as the audience I’m speaking to.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’ll be talking more about it in the live session I’m doing tomorrow for The Calm Mind Club members because this month we’re focusing on worrying about what other people think. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s all interlinked and I didn’t even plan it that way!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So, have a read through the link in my bio and if you want to get access to the live (or the recording) as well as ALL the material, resources and goodies you get to help you feel calm, confident and more able to deal with your overthinking, come join me in thecalmmindclub.com.
thesimplicitystrategist
In November 2017, I’d recently achieved my big life dream of living near the sea, I had a thriving freelance editor business and I was living a lovely life with plenty of friends and a loving family
🌿
But I felt completely lost – I knew I needed some sort of purpose or passion to get my teeth into
🌿
And then I found coaching 🙌
🌿
But the thought of being a beginner very nearly stopped me from doing the training. I’d not been a beginner in anything for years – in fact I’d actively avoided it!
🌿
The more I found out about coaching, the more I became passionate about it so I jumped in with both feet and signed up for not one but two diplomas!
🌿
It turns out I could become a beginner again – it was life changing. Fast forward to now and I actively seek out things I’ve not tried before! Learning and awe are two things that I’ve realised are essential to my personal happiness, so I’ll continue being a beginner where I can 🌿
📷 @paperdreamprintco with many thanks
Until I reached the age of about 10, I loved being on stage. I’d quite happily get up and speak in front of a crowd, and act my part in the school play or the class service. I had no desire to be the star of the show, but I was certainly prepared to play my part.
.
Once I reached the age of 10, the bullying started, and essentially lasted, in one form or another until I left school at 18. By this time, I had retreated into my shell. I still loved being part of the school productions, but was quite happy to remain backstage where I somehow felt useful.
.
In the spirit of @simpleandseason’s ‘Turns Out, I Could’, encouraging us to share stories of things we never thought we could do, it’ll come as little surprise that for me, that’s public speaking.
.
I avoided it at all costs until 2016 when I was asked to present some of my PhD research at a conference in York. I could think of no valid excuse not to go, so that was it. I had to face the fear. It was a terrifying prospect, but it seemed inevitable.
.
And, you know, the really ridiculous thing was when I got up there, I rather enjoyed it. I came away wondering why I had spent nearly 25 years avoiding it. I can’t say I’m at the front of the queue to do it on a regular basis, but now I know it’s possible. Perhaps this is a reminder to believe that even the impossible is possible.
.
Can you think of of something you’ve overcome?
giuliawrites
What is something you have done that you’d never thought you’d do?
I considered writing about that time I went skydiving in New Zealand, or the time I moved to Beijing with no chinese – but I realised that these were all things that even though I was scared of doing them, I still believed in doing. Those decisions were scary but felt right and were my decisions, wholly and truly.
Instead I want to talk about something that never really seemed like the right move, but I did anyway.
It’s a topic you will all be familiar with if you’ve read my writing before.
The whole post is on my blog (link in bio).
This was written in response to @simpleandseason #turnsouticould19 challenge. If you have participated I’d love to see your response and give it some love, either in the comments or please link me to your post. I’m a little addicted to stories of overcoming your fears and insecurities and can never get enough of them.
thehippochronicles
Joining in with @simpleandseason storytelling project #turnsouticould19 .
Last week my eldest daughter @___amymay had been out for the day. She was dropped home as I was mooching about in the front garden snipping back a few blooms that had been damaged in the recent rain.
.
She got out of the car and I waved, like a middle aged cheerleader, holding two huge hydrangea flower heads in my hand.
.
She bounded up to me;
“Mum you look so good standing there. That white top with the flowers and the red lipstick! Let me take a photograph of you!”
.
A year ago I would have struggled to take the compliment, to hear her say I looked beautiful. I definitely wouldn’t have posed in the back garden for photos.
.
But me and my body have made friends over this past year. I no longer pinch and pull at my flesh wishing it was thinner or firmer or younger. I appreciate it. I cherish it.
I never used to be in the photo- I was always the one taking it. I was happier making other people look good. I didn’t hate my body, I just didn’t want to see it, or think about it. .
I didn’t think it was possible for this to change. I’ll be 40 next month, part of me wondered what the point would be. .
But I have changed. I have been on a journey of self-acceptance which has altered everything.
I am in the photo. I appreciate my body, I might even go as far as to say I love it.
#turnsouticould19
thesimplechapters “Self-doubt is real. Everyone has it. Having confidence and losing confidence is real too, and everyone has been in that position.” — Venus Williams 🌈
Self-doubt. This is my number one show stopper whenever I want to start something creative like writing. But then one day, once I realized that the creative journey is for myself, that I will learn the best when I am actually doing the job, I went for it.😊
I started my blog, it was hard work just to start but the support from my family and you, my friends means so much to me! ❤ The most important thing, I felt such a huge sense of relief because of this new found creative freedom. And I’m loving it. I feel that my older self will be so proud of me when she looks back in the future. Turns out I could do what I wanted as long as I put my heart and soul into it. As long as I removed the self-doubt. That means allowing myself to be free to write without overthinking.✨ #turnsouticould19 @simpleandseason
What is something you did that turns out you could? 🌸
simpsonsisters
At the beginning of the year I wrote down some of my aspirations and some steps I could take towards them. One of these was learning more about photography. I read online, took books out of the library and explored new hashtags. One thing led to another and somewhat incredulously I found myself applying for a place on a BA course in Documentary Photography. ⠀
⠀
I never even made it to A levels at school in the ‘80s and felt genuinely nauseous as I submitted an application and portfolio to the University. I was invited to interview and quite astonished to be offered a place on the course there and then. I have struggled with self doubt all my life, so @simpleandseason’s community project this week couldn’t be more apt as in fact #turnsouticould19. Now, let’s see if this will apply to making a new website too 😂Xx
elin.loow
When I started this Instagram 3,5 years ago, I didn’t think I could take good enough photos for my feed to be a pretty one. It wasn’t until after 1,5 years that I even started trying to take better photos, because I thought the goal was too far off.My photos aren’t perfect, but I’ve come so much further than I thought I ever would. It’s much easier to take a decent photo now, and it’s a craft I truly love.What happens when you do things you don’t think you can do, is that you start to prove yourself wrong. Then comes that intriguing thought – if I could do this, what more can I do? And to answer that question, you have to try.It’s a thought I hold onto as I approach the things I’m still not sure I can. What do you want to prove yourself wrong about?Thank you @simpleandseason for asking us to share these stories! #turnsouticould19
julejulson
These beauties are not the only treasures I carried all the way back home to Germany from Croatia. The most precious thing in my bag are 15 hours of a video interview in Medjugorje (oh Medjugorje 🧡) with an amazingly impressive woman who gave me the permission to write the book about her a publisher kept asking for. And this is what I‘ve been doing. 🖋 📚 🤓
I have been waiting and to post this one for so long. I guess, after falling off the wagon due to my health I forgot the very lessons I learned while doing this 100 day project in the first place. ‘Don’t wait for it to get perfect, don’t passively procrastinate the whole day and get nothing active done.’ Well, I also promised myself to take it all very slow just to allow myself to heal and take the time it needs so I guess, I’m still trying to find the balance somewhere in between there.
For now, I just want to say, how h.a.p.p.y I am to finally share the 100th painting with you all. It has been an amazing experience doing this project publicly and having the support of this community.
Getting myself to paint was on top of my list when I decided to build a creative work and life practice that would work for me. I was super scared and kind skeptical if I could really pull this 100 days of unapologetic painting mainly because I was safe to not show up, hide and keep on dreaming instead. But I guess I just wanted it more than I wanted to keep on holding on to those feelings of safety by staying stuck in one place forever.
I now have done a 100 day project twice and I have become a fan of it mainly because of the results I have seen afterward.⠀
⠀
I’m sharing all the takeaways that I have gained insights into after having done a 100 day project twice on the blog. (Link in bio)
If I’m really honest, this post has taken me longer than any other post I’ve ever written. Mainly because of the story that I was telling myself regarding not being able to follow through publicly even when I did follow through in-person/ privately. Considering why I was unable to follow through publicly wasn’t something I had any control over (due to health issues) but the perfectionist in me wasn’t really okay with how everything turned out. I talk a lot about building a creative work and life practice on your own terms and in your own time and in a way that works for us and I really felt like sharing this emotional rollercoaster that I have been on for a past couple of weeks. It is not a linear process. It is ups and downs and it is only human… Any one of us can get stuck in the messy middle every now and then but what is important is to push through somehow (by figuring out what’s standing in our way) while still being kind and compassionate towards ourselves. I believe as a creative coach it is my responsibility to share the truth and the real side of the creative process and its ups and downs.
A few of the take aways I have shared on the blog includes:
– it really is about trusting the process
– less pressure and more doing
– the power of rituals and routines
– helps you figure out your natural tendencies and motivations to keep doing what you want to do
& many more on the blog (Link in Bio)
P.S. Swipe left for the 100th painting #the100dayproject 👉
#creatingwholeheartedly
#tobravelyshare
#turnsouticould19
kutuu
I’m not quite sure that I ever do things how you are “supposed to” do them. I’d rather start my day with a chapter of a book than end it, I miss half the ingredients out of anything I ever bake (with varying success) and I’ve never even seen a business plan, let alone written one. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When it comes to the making and having no training in any of this, it means a lot of trial and error but this also means finding out that I can do things I didn’t think I could. Wax carving looked impossible in the beginning and I am definitely making it up as I go along, even more so when it comes to the challenge of transforming the wax into metal, but it’s all part of the process – right?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Sharing this today as part of the lovely #turnsouticould19 hashtag project by @simpleandseason. 😊️⠀⠀⠀
katiephills
*little brag alert*Today, along with some other lovely ladies, I taught my first yoga class ☺️ and I really flipping enjoyed it.It’s part of the training I am doing to become a certified yoga teacher.I started the course for my own practice, but after today (especially as I got to make the playlist and the essential oil to go with the flow!) I may change my mind 🤷🏽♀️. Holllllllllerrrrrr at me if you want to be a guinea pig. (FYI – I’m more about corpse pose and gentle flows than contortions and handstands)
nu_shearman
Turns Out I Could… I came across a post this morning by @simpleandseason… positive things, things that you’ve achieved that you didn’t think you’d be able to do, celebrating working at something and achieving… it’s funny because that rings true with a post that I was planning on writing about this yarn.
On the right is a lovely floppy little chain plied skein that I started 2 (possibly three) years ago, it was spun on my favourite Turkish drop when I had no idea what I was doing but I was having fun. On the left is an 80g fine spun and chain plied hank of glory! It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve spun and it’s certainly the finest single I’ve ever spun. I’m thrilled with it. I never thought I could spin this consistently or chain play this well… I’ve really really lost any confidence in myself recently I’ve bottomed out but this is a little bump of happy and confidence. Spinning is bringing me so much joy at the moment I’m fortunate to have had a little time to indulge in it the last couple of days.
The funny thing is that it’s never just me that makes this happen… I do the physical work yes but the motivation came from watching @vanawillemiel and @knittingexpat blogs, from chatting through cross lacing with @spindlesandstitches and @amyflorence as well the brilliant and really clear video on chain plying by @classysquidfiberco who’s technique just clicked with me and made it so much easier to understand and do. So many talented women ❤️ and on this occasion it really Turned out I could do it!
Fibre – Happy Monday from @spindlesandstitches merino tencel
Photo – arkward hand selfie (not calling it a handie that’s something completely different!) taken by me
Lovely bit of wall that’s not covered in plant but full of tiny wee fossils – models own.
jodiefernjewellery
Turns out I could!🌠 Today this post is in honor of the @simpleandseason community project encouraging people to talk about how far they’ve come. The aim of the project is to identify something you never thought you’d be able to do and share it with others.🏋️
.
.
#turnsouticould19
I’ve always loved and worn handcrafted silver jewellery but never ever dreamed that I would be able to make it myself, let alone sell it to others. Whilst its very easy to compare my small business to other amazing jewellers and artists, it’s really important to remember how far i’ve come and the techniques i’ve learnt.
.
.
@londonjewelleryschool posted something recently stating ‘don’t wait for perfection, show up as you are’ and they talked about the importance of understanding that it‘s ok to sell your work even if you are a work in progress. So thanks to everyone who has supported me so far! I’m currently taking the leap to becoming (part-time) self employed and appreciate all your love! 💕💕💕💕
katiemorwenna
Didn’t think I’d be able to make ends meet when we dropped down to my single salary for 9 months. Turns out, I could.
Wasn’t sure I’d get any work if I decided to work for myself. Turns out, I could.
Thought I’d never find a work-life balance that felt good. Thought I’d never earn as much as I do. Turns out, I could.
Didn’t think I could make an apple crumble without a recipe in front of me. Turns out, I could.
And it’s all gone damn well, actually.
#turnsouticould19
mrs_bertimus
Sometimes it can be easy to forget what you have achieved and become focussed on what you can’t get your head around (right now I am really struggling with how to set up a mailing list and use mailchimp, but I’ll not think about that for a while!!!) Kayte of @simpleandseason has just introduced the brilliant hashtag #turnsouticould19 which reminds us of what we have achieved, even when we thought we couldn’t do it. This is a screen shot from my website, something I never thought I could have in a million years! It’s very basic indeed but I did feel a tad proud when I finally pressed that publish button! ( Thanks @ab0utemma for the photo xxx) When you have a mo, just have a think about what you have tackled and triumphed over X
pears39
“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.” .
.
Nostalgia.
.
I was transported back to my carefree, childhood French holidays the moment I glimpsed this heavenly, hydrangea highway. .
.
It was so reminiscent of the paradise of IIe de Brehat. So with a book in my hand I swirled, twirled and danced, like no one was watching. .
.
Story behind the photo.
.
.
Earlier on this year I was asked for a photo that included my face for a website. I panicked so much and very nearly turned a wonderfully opportunity. .
.
So I put a cry for help out on here, asking for advice. This wonderful community did not let me down. You gave me some invaluable advice. .
.
Many of you pointed me in the direction of the beautiful and talented Kika @kutovakika. I learnt so much from watching her You Tube videos. They are works of art in themselves and so incredibly informative too. .
.
As I result you have seen so much more of me in my feed this year. I will discuss this further on a future post.
.
.
This photo was actually taken at the end of this part of my five week holiday in one day. This driveway was on the way in, so I returned when I knew it would be quieter.
.
.
Many photos were taken. This was my favourite ~ it’s the second to last capture. I was actually just walking back towards Mr P saying ~ “Lets go now. I am hungry. I want to head to the beach, enjoy some fish and chips and watch the sunset on this perfect day”
.
.
So this is the natural, unposed, unedited me ~ happy inside and out after a magical day with Mr P. .
Nostalgia #inspire_and_create .
gaynormarshalldesigns
Writing a book was something I always wanted to do but never actually thought I would. –
It may only be little but it’s jam packed with useful information as well as lots of fun sewing related facts. –
The link is in my bio if you’d like to get a copy. ✂️☺️✂️
ditchperfect
My first memory is of me on my 5th birthday thinking: “5 years old… that’s nothing?! I want to be older!” This is typical of how my perfectionistic, ‘never enough’ mind works.
.
.
When I graduated high school, I’d already set my sights on university. I didn’t think much of renting my first place + living on my own for the first time, because I knew I wanted to be a home owner sooner rather than later. When I was working my first job after uni, a job that I loathed, I couldn’t have imagined working for myself one day because I didn’t think I was “that type of person”. When I became a full-time business owner, I never thought I could build my own website, do the scary tech stuff + dabble in CSS, SEO, and all of the other imposter syndrome-inducing acronyms. Until I did. But the thing is, I never enjoyed any of it.
.
.
As a perfectionist, you live in the future. Chasing after impossible standards, trying to live up to unrealistic expectations, hustling for other people’s approval + avoiding criticism, rejection, and hearing “no”. And, in the future, you always come up short.
.
.
@simpleandseason ‘s challenge this week has got me thinking about how, back then, I wish I’d known it was okay to just enjoy the present instead of always focusing on the future. That, even if I wasn’t yet where I wanted to be, I could still be grateful for all the steps I’d taken to come to where I was at that specific moment. There’s power in chasing after a goal and, at the same time, enjoying where you are right now.
.
.
So here’s my challenge for you: what can you do today to focus more on the present + on being okay with the “not yet” of your current situation? #turnsouticould19