Monica 💃 The Creative Beast

Monica 💃 The Creative Beast

From the Village, Member Stories

by  | May 5, 2020 | 2020, 30 Women 30 Stories

Meet Monica The Creative Beast

Multi-passionate artist. Deeply connected to my Creative Instincts. Loves trees, dogs & popcorn, in equal measure. A book reader, binder and eventually writer.

Community + Creativity + Connection = Cure for Uncertainty and Isolation

Uncertainty

Uncertainty is such a challenging thing to cope with. It’s definitely unhelpful with feeling groovy! Many years ago, I experienced a period of great uncertainty in my life, and it was not fun, I can tell you. I was frustrated, I was angry, I was upset. My frustration, anger and upset became compounded when I would express my feelings to others, only to be met with people telling me I should ‘be grateful for my circumstances’. That kind of response is dismissive, it is patronizing, it is unhelpful. It’s definitely unhelpful with feeling groovy! You see, the situation I was dealing with was a horrible office job, and I was unable to find a better opportunity because the economy had tanked (this was around 2008/2009) so there were few jobs available that were close to home, that fit my values, that offered better pay, which is why some people thought it was okay to dismiss my feelings of upset at my circumstances with the order to ‘be grateful I have a job’. I was carrying a huge workload that eventually gave me burnout and a nervous breakdown, compounded with a pay cut under the disguise of ‘state budget issues’. Yep, overworked and underpaid. Definitely NOT conducive to feeling groovy! To add insult to injury, our office was moved to a location that put me in ISOLATION and my misery was multiplied.
Uncertainty + Isolation = MISERY to the Nth degree.
NOT a good formula for feeling groovy! I’m not sure how I was supposed to be grateful about ANY of that. How should I be grateful for a pay cut, grateful for being burned out, grateful for being isolated? So I learned to keep my feelings to myself, which was not a great idea, as it built up a lot of anger and resentment. The uncertainty of when I would be able to remove myself from this situation was a large part of my troubles, and being isolated from others, all day, nearly every day, was more than I could take. I’ll be honest – there were days I was literally screaming at this work situation
I may even have done a little damage to my vocal cords with my screaming in frustration, but I’m not a professional singer, so I’ll live with that. 😉 I KNOW it’s not easy to keep up one’s spirits when facing a challenging situation that is beyond your control with no firm end date in sight. Facing the uncertainty of when my horrible job would be over, multiplied with the isolation I endured nearly every day, was one of the most challenging things I have ever dealt with, and it went on for two years.

Creativity

But this is where my Creativity came into play, to help me work through my frustration, my anger, my upset, in the form of an art book. While I continued searching for a new job, I began to create an art book that I refer to as my “Office Art Book.” I created it as a way to turn my cubicle inspiration board into something portable, should I happen to find a new job. I could just grab the book and GO! But how did I cope with the ISOLATION? I began a blog, and an online creative community was forged
 I connected with artful creatives from places as far as England and Australia. I occasionally shared about my office woes and got support and camaraderie and sympathy in return. Though many bloggers I connected with were located far away, their connection and energy was real, the sympathy was helpful and the support lifted my spirits. Then one fine day, I got the news the program I worked for was going to be permanently closed
which meant I would no longer be working under the horrible circumstances
and there would be unemployment if I was unable to find another job before the last day of work. There were only four months between me and FREEDOM!

I Can See Clearly Now

I had an end date! The uncertainty was OVER! I hinted at the good news on my blog by sharing the song “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash since I couldn’t share the final end date publicly until the actual announcement was made
and I had a hand in writing up that announcement, oh the irony! Through the last months of employment, elements of the isolation continued but I now had an online support network of creative bloggers, which helped. But I began to wonder how I would cope with the last weeks and days of work. I sensed I would get agitated waiting for that final day, and I needed a way to keep my spirits up during those final weeks. I hit upon a creative idea
 I would put out a call to my online blog community and ask for some MAIL ART to be sent to the office address, with a firm deadline, to ensure I would receive every single piece of mail before my final day of employment. It worked! As the last weeks and days of my employment unfolded, I received wonderful postcards, and little gifts, much of it I still have to this day. I was so happy with each piece of mail art that arrived, happy to know that people in my blog community were rallying behind me to pass the ‘finish line’ of that last day at the horrible workplace. I began to feel groovy again! It wasn’t so hard to go to the office knowing there just might be a surprise waiting for me. There usually was. I continued to add to my Office Art Book, which also became a record of the awful days of employment. I still have it though it’s been over 10 years since those events occurred. Here are some things I’ve learned since that awful office job:
  • I’ve learned that COMMUNITY can be created anywhere, at any time, even online!
  • I’ve learned that CREATIVITY can go a long way toward lifting the spirits, whether YOU are the one being creative or by watching the creativity of others.
  • I’ve learned there is always a way to be CONNECTED, whether it’s being connected to a community of kindred spirits or to your own Creative Instincts.
Let me leave you with a favorite quote from one of my favorite characters in the film The Matrix: The Oracle, played by Gloria Foster:

“We’re all here to do what we’re all here to do. I’m interested in one thing, Neo, the future. And believe me, I know: the only way to get there is together.”

If you’d like to watch a flip-through video of my Office Art Book, you can view it below and many others on my YouTube channel Video
This video is longer than most of my usual flip through videos, just under 50 minutes (!) I begin with some explanation of the work circumstances that lead to the burnout, to the isolation, the uncertainty, and the original purpose of the art book along with a few details about the work environment I was dealing with. Then I go through the book with details about nearly every page, and how they related to my whole work situation
including how I was the one to write up the announcement letter informing our department our program was getting shut down!!! đŸ˜±đŸ™„đŸ˜‹ ahh, good times!

Monica loves When Can I See You Again from “Wreck It Ralph”!

More about Monica

I am a mixed media, multi-passionate artist who is deeply connected to my Creative Instinct. It is my mission to help adults reconnect and rebuild their creative instincts so they can access more Joy in their lives. My Creativity ranges from drawing, to knitting, to sewing, to dancing, to painting, to writing and so much more in-between. I love allowing my Creative Instincts room for play in whatever field moves me. From childhood I have been deeply connected to two things: my Creative Instincts and Story. My connection to Story began with reading at an early age, then expanded as I grew to see Story in many forms such as Dance, Theatre, Music, Song and Performance Art. However, books have a special place in my heart, so it was inevitable that I would one day learn to create books of all kinds, from art books to art journals to altered books. In my creative world, Art and Story are very real beings, as are Magic and especially Creativity. Every single one of us is born with the Creative Instinct and I help adults reconnect to their Creative Instincts through workshops and creative play. I love nature, dogs, reading books, making books, altering books, and I love buttered popcorn, not necessarily in that order!

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Jo Casey 💃 Mentor for Meaningful Business Owners

Jo Casey 💃 Mentor for Meaningful Business Owners

From the Village, Member Stories

by  | May 3, 2020 | 2020, 30 Women 30 Stories

Meet Jo Casey

Yellow shoe-loving coach and mentor, tree-hugging lefty feminist who loves nail varnish and thinks nothing is sexier than kindness.

Video
[02:17] “
the first weekend of a training course and we did an icebreaker
 This icebreaker was to pair up with someone that we’d never met before and we had to talk about what we did for fun. I couldn’t answer the question.  I remember thinking – almost like having that out-of-body experience – I should be able to answer this – but I had nothing. Nothing. A signpost for you know the fact that things weren’t things weren’t going quite as well as I thought
” [06:05] “
 and then it was at that point I fell apart because I had been doing I was already full up to capacity I had no room for anything else and then my daughter needed me [06:45] “then I kind of hit the deck emotionally physically just had to take months off my business
” [09:26] “
and then I also realized that I needed to get a life as well as a business yeah and so I did things like I started doing hobbies again at first it felt really awkward and really clunky
 doing something just for fun
” [Video 14:29]

My song has to be Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite

More about Jo Casey

Jo Casey helps coaches and healers get more clients without sacrificing soul or sanity. She is a certified coach, speaker, trainer and host of The Meaningful Business Podcast.  In addition to being British, Jo is slightly nerdy and determined to help women overcome our feminine conditioning so we can step out, be seen, and thrive. Jo specializes in helping service-based business owners do the self-development work needed to flourish in the online world, get more clients and build meaningful businesses – all without resorting to the dark arts or sleazy marketing tactics. She believes that we need a new way of doing business – one that allows us to create companies that are sustainable financially, emotionally and energetically. Founder of jocasey.com and The Meaningful Business Academy, creator and presenter of The Meaningful Business Podcast, speaker, and writer for Coaching Blueprint, Mind Body Green and Tiny Buddha (among others).

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joy agcongay 💃 gentle marketing

joy agcongay 💃 gentle marketing

From the Village, Member Stories

by  | May 2, 2020 | 2020, 30 Women 30 Stories, joy agcongay

Joy Agcongay 💃 Gentle Marketing

Meet joy agcongay

fierce appreciator. curious gardener. creative contemplative. explorer. introvert. science. gentle marketeer w/an unhealthy aversion to uppercase letters.
 

settling into silence to listen

years ago, i realized i had gotten lost. too much input from the world. too much consumption of information and too little of whatever not consuming was. i found a silent retreat and felt called to try it.

loved it.

silent retreating became my personal creative pilgrimage twice a year. once, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and in late winter around my birthday. the weight on my shoulders lightened each time i drove down the windy coastal highway to Big Sur and navigated the switchbacks up to the cliffside hermitage. while the physical distance was important, i should mention that at this particular monastery, the location made it impossible to call out. no internet. no cell phone reception. if i told you i had a blissful weekend of gorgeous silence, that i savored each full moment of solitude or got lost in meditation, i would be lying. i did it often enough that i recognized my personal patterns and over time, accepted them: panic two days before. drive carefully to make it in time to check in but arrive before dark. unpack. walk back down the switchbacks to stretch my legs. collect my meal from the communal kitchen and eat. set up my desk for writing and whatever creative activity i had packed in the car. cue the unknowns: hours, sometimes a full day, i would struggle. a lot. couldn’t focus, couldn’t write. agitated. shouldn’t i be enjoying this? what a privilege to be able to take time to nurture myself! eventually, the inner voices protesting, panicking and criticizing would quiet. i eased into a tentative friendship with solitude and silence. i could be present to what was happening. i didn’t need to worry about other people, or taking care of other people. i let myself choose how i would spend my time without external pressures and let myself trust this renewed connection as a safe place to be. and yes, each time i had a fully restorative experience. i might not have meditated on the mountain, but i could let myself dive deeply into that time: on my creative practice, walking as meditation, listen to nature
things which bring joy to
me, Joy.  

#gardeningismytherapy

i’ve been a gardener most of my adult life after college. i confess i have always chosen where i lived based on the garden potential. i’d walk straight through the house into the backyard. my father transformed our San Diego backyard from a hard-packed clay hillside into a lush, terraced year-round food garden. bittermelons, Asian greens, summer and winter squashes hanging from our old swing set and ethernet cables he repurposed. he mulched and composted long before it came into vogue. as he got older, the annual vegetables evolved into a fruit tree orchard with varieties of avocado, bananas, sapote, cherimoya, citrus, loquat and persimmon. their friends would regularly visit to pick up bags of produce to take home. i let my gardens languish as i got busy with my career, probably a symptom of when i start to feel more lost in my life. when my father became ill, i took time to be with my family, completely neglecting my own garden. my mother, sister and i tended to him. when he passed away, i reconnected with gardening. i’d applied to become a local master gardener before he became ill and returned home just in time to take the classes. i threw myself into gardening, keenly aware it was part grief therapy, part staying in connection with my father. from afar, i’d instruct my sister and mother to do certain tasks in my father’s garden. it was a new personal practice and creative pilgrimage, except i didn’t need to drive anywhere. i found solace in the solitude and silence in my own home.

marketing as a creative & spiritual practice

i primarily grow food, but have incorporated native plants, flowers and herbs into my garden. i keep experimenting. i never stop learning. i work with nature in my garden, rather than forcing it. but sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate and you get peach leaf curl on your stone fruit trees or your tomatoes get blight. or you find a banana slug on your Napa cabbage! or the irrigation system gets blocked and your tender seedlings die.

things happen.

i’ve found my two practices of regular silence and daily gardening are useful metaphors i use to keep perspective in the marketing work i do. if i’m not nourishing myself, if i get worked up and distracted, i stop hearing my own truth and wisdom. then doubt creeps in and i listen to others more than what my inner voice is saying, or override what i know to be true about the way i operate in the world, i’ll struggle more than i need to. when i work with clients, we both feel when we’ve hit a boundary that they are not ready to cross. AND THAT IS OK. i don’t push. we flow like water around the obstacle rather than spin in the eddy behind it. you don’t have to change who you are. work with who you are, with what you have right now. that’s enough. we’re fortunate to have access to tools and platforms we didn’t have even a few years ago. you can find an authentic way to market your business in a way that works for you. i don’t expect anyone truly exploring their entrepreneurial path will have a joyful-meditation-on-a-cliffside-monastery-overlooking-the-Pacific experience. if you’re stuck with your marketing, try a different approach: develop listening practices: one for your inner voice and another with your audience. listen when you feel that “hard stop” boundary emerging and be curious. honor who you are right now. marketing tools and strategies can be learned. if you practice listening, i promise you can market your business like a badass.
🎧 Song: Gene Wilder singing Pure Imagination

joy agcongay

gentle marketing

i’m an introvert and nerd who has made a living as a marketing professional. i will never claim to be a marketing guru. however, i am a marketing generalist with depth and breadth of successful experiences, working with creative entrepreneurs, authors, startups and large corporations in a variety of marketing roles. while i have stepped into a corporate environment as a marketing “utility player” to initiate marketing programs or manage product launches, i love to teach my entrepreneurial clients how to think like marketing professionals. marketing is essentially about cultivating connections and then deepening the relationship. as entrepreneurs, we have access to many platforms and channels that didn’t exist until recently. each one of us can find our marketing voice and express it! i make it sound easy, but i also have a deep appreciation for how hard it is to make things happen for your business, even if you love what you do. Follow joy: joy in Athena Village https://members.athenavillage.com/members/570224 🔗 https://gentlemarketing.com @www.instagram.com/adventuresofjoy
Meet me in the village!
Theresa Halvorson + Kirsten Kounovsky 💃 Co-Founders, Midlife Narrative

Theresa Halvorson + Kirsten Kounovsky 💃 Co-Founders, Midlife Narrative

From the Village, Member Stories

by  | Apr 30, 2020 | 2020, 30 Women 30 Stories

Theresa Halvorson + Kirsten Kounovsky 💃 Co-Founders, Midlife Narrative

Meet Theresa + Kirsten

We are two best friends taking on life, rediscovering who we are and sharing our journey with the world.
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“Theresa: “”Oh Happy Day”” from Sister Act 2 – I love this song and the meaning behind it 2. It shows how empowered one becomes when given support and confidence and a platform to shine 3. Is an example that “”Together we are More”” which is one of my core values. Kirsten: Good As Hell, Lizzo, Ariana Grande”

Theresa Halvorson + Kirsten Kounovsky

Co-Founders, Midlife Narrative

Theresa Halvorson, Owner, On Going Education and The RedKey Real Estate Group of Keller Williams Roers Realty My name is Kirsten Kounovsky, my friends call me Kiki. I am originally from a small town in Minnesota, but have lived in Fargo, North Dakota since my college days. I have two beautiful daughters and a fantastic son-in-law. I have been married to the love of my life for almost 30 years. I went to Concordia College in Moorhead for two years and finished up my degree at Minnesota State University Moorhead. I earned a B.S. in Paralegal studies and worked as a paralegal for almost 20 years. I recently “”retired”” from that position and am working on creating a social media platform with my best friend. Midlife Narrative is about connecting with and learning from women from all over the globe. It’s a celebration of our knowledge and experience through the years. It is our goal to inspire and uplift through our social media platform.Kirsten, also known as Kiki and Theresa, also known as Terri, are two middle aged best friends wanting to figure life out and build a tribe. We want to have real conversations, learn with one another and get great tips on mental, physical, and spiritual health. We are all stronger together! FOLLOW THERESA AND KIRSTEN: Theresa Halvorson in the Village https://members.athenavillage.com/members/3419162 Midlife Narrative website https://midlifenarrative.com/ Midlife Narrative on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/midlifenarrative Theresa’s Website https://www.facebook.com/KellerWilliamsInspireRealty/
Meet me in the village!
Kelly Pratt 💃 founder Athena Village + So Do It! Salons

Kelly Pratt 💃 founder Athena Village + So Do It! Salons

From the Village, Member Stories

by  | Apr 30, 2020 | 2020, 30 Women 30 Stories, Kelly Pratt

Vibrant Bohemian. Artist. Cultural Creative. Guide to women ready to make sh!t happen. Goofball. Book Lover (audio or paper). Sister/ Auntie/ Daughter/Stepmom

My Story

  I’ve always had mojo. At least I thought I did in my own mind. I never wanted to blend in. But I didn’t exactly want to stand out either. That’s what they call a conundrum! I did small things like wear weird ‘bicycle jeans’ when everyone else was wearing Levis. Or listen to “I’m a  Hog for Ya Baby” by the Siegel Schwall Band when others were listening to “Spiders and Snakes.”What a rebel! But I chose practicality over my own essential self when I entered college and chose to attend business school. My parents didn’t push me either way – although I’m sure I heard a sigh of relief when I chose business courses.  But then came Dr. Reed, my Psych professor.  He called me on it when he wrote three little words on a paper.

So, do it!

I was minding my own business, studying business – accounting actually – and he pulled out of my paper a something I’d not even realized I’d written. I said I wished I’d pursued dance instead of business. This wasn’t something I’d been mulling over. Just something that flowed from my subconscious into Dr. Reed’s paper. And he said “SO, DO IT! Wow! Really?  Could I actually do that?  Well. OK. So, I did!  I walked across campus that day. Enrolled in Eddie Gasper’s “Dance for Stage” class and it changed my life. I auditioned for his new company and never looked back. That decision seriously rebooted my mojo. I took a right turn into “the creative economy” – a world of performance, theatre, dance and loved it. I wasn’t drawn by the LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION of it all, but the creative process. The artists.  The imagination. The stories. after working in several different jobs in “the industry” I eventually landed at the Film and Television Board. I was in my element! Creating community.  Advocating for creatives and commerce.  It was fabulous
But‚ wait! I forgot to get married! I forgot to have kids!

Screeching Halt.

So in 1995 I gave all that up married. I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I gave up my mojo and my essential self in the process. (Now one BIG lesson learned is that there are amazing things that happen in these side trips.  I became a step mom to two fabulous kids. And a “sister mom” to their mom.  We created a community – an extended family that was very cool
 but
) Flash forward 10 years, 40 pounds, lots of depression & much poorer and in 2005 I found myself divorced and in the process of reinvention. I know I’m not alone in having experienced a “ring of fire” (Martha Beck’s term). A painful, growth-ful, never-want-to-go-through-it-again time of my life.  It’s something we all experience in some form or another. And these experiences are how we get to our right life..

And then one day


Then one day, a couple of significant things happened. I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do.  Interviewing for a J.O.B. which I knew was not for me when they told me they required all women to wear panty hose (!) NOOOO! So I slinked away and, like a good digital nomad, I found a bookstore where I could work, drink coffee, and wander the aisles for inspiration. Perusing the fiction section, art books, business books, architectural books, spiritual books.  I love books. My first nudge came when a phrase on the cover of an O Magazine popped out at me. It said  ‘We Should All Work Like Dogs, All the Time.’ The article was by Martha Beck whom I’d never heard of.  Her Rule #2 was to “do as dogs do.”
“
we should do what comes most naturally, reflexively, effortlessly‚
 my first and last sales principle is this: Love sells better than hate. Find a way to package what you can’t stop doing‚
Use the work-like-a-dog principle to make your career and time-budgeting decisions. Should you? Only if it makes you salivate with desire.”  – Martha Beck O The Oprah Magazine
Great advice! The next nudge was when I found THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR. Again, it jumped out at me. The spine of the book is orange and purple and the title combined the words ‘creative’ with ‘entrepreneur’ WOW!  The author’s methods for planning your business involved visual journaling. This is something I’ve been doing since I was sixteen. I’ve always kept journals. I have dozens of them. In this book, author Lisa Sonora uses visual journaling and mixed media and other creative means as tools to plan your business.  Now that doesn’t sound like work, that sounds like play! This started me thinking‚ visual journaling makes me “salivate with desire” – maybe there’s something to this. I bought the book and O Magazine. I went home with my mind percolating. How can I incorporate everything I love about the careers I’ve had and serve both myself and the world? (Did I mention that I was in the middle of trying to sell my house? Yeah, it was 2008.) So, as I was packing to move and percolating on what I’d  read, I found a folder “1998 Personal Coaching”  10 years ago!  Hmmm? What is that? Google here I come, and guess who pops up as “the best life coach in America” and also has a training program starting in a month?? MARTHA BECK!!

OK, Universe! I’m listening!

I signed up for Martha’s next session and I was off. And, Lisa Sonora was doing something called teaching “online” (whatever that meant!) So I started taking courses from her too.

12 Years Later.

Flash forward 12 years, I’m now a certified Martha Beck Coach and Lisa Sonora is a good friend.  (the photo below is my workspace at her creativity retreat just before the aha moment when I knew my calling was all about re-booting mojo. So there you go! Thanks, Martha! Thanks, Lisa! And thanks bookstores! Still my favorite place to go to percolate (my antonym for procrastinate!)”

Song:

My song?  – sooo many! Sometimes by Michael Franti or James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing!” and “dance til you feel better!”

but I’ll have to go with Danny’s All Star Joint by Rickie Lee Jones because it’s about “your people”

Kelly Pratt

founder + co-creator of Athena Village

Kelly Pratt is
 :: Founder of the Athena Village + head SalonniĂ©re of the So, do it! Salons. :: making sh!t happen in the So, do it! Salons + Society :: an artist :: a life and “genius art coach” according to Martha Beck (O Magazine columnist + author) :: the creator the Lift Vision Kit, designer of the Creative Rhythm Planner :: an auntie, sister, (step) mom and the oldest child of a poet and a pilot; Kelly Pratt was
 :: half of the team Variety Magazine named “hot in Hollywood” for attracting dozens of movies to Minnesota in the 90s :: the director of a regional theatre and put more than 15,000 butts-in-seats in its 1st season :: named one of 12 people to watch in the Arts by Minnesota Monthly :: a dancer with a regional jazz company for 8 years :: an elevator operator, a parking lot attendant and part owner of a construction company Kelly believes
 :: believes that feminine leadership styles and creative commerce will revolutionize how we live. :: that creative women crave connection and it is the solution for isolation inertia :: that she’s hardwired to get you clear, and get you there and loves that journey. And Kelly is having a difficult time shutting off her brain. It’s 3:43 am.  Time to PUNCH OUT!  😜
Susan Brauer 💃 Founder Brauer Consulting Group

Susan Brauer 💃 Founder Brauer Consulting Group

From the Village, Member Stories

by  | Apr 29, 2020 | 2020, 30 Women 30 Stories, Susan Brauer

Susan Brauer 💃 Founder Brauer Consulting Group

Meet Susan Brauer

Chicago transplant, and lover of The City of Lakes. World traveler, writer and speaker. Biker (pedal), skier (downhill), shower singer, and living room dancer.
 

“I have reinvented myself several times in my lifetime. So I kind of feel like I could write the book on “getting my groove back.”

 

Rock and Roll

In the 1980s, I sang lead in a pop/rock cover band. We traveled all over the US before getting booked to work overseas for two stints for the Department of Defense. It was thrilling – all of it! From playing at venues in Iowa, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado (to name just a few), and then entertaining the troops at US military bases in the Philippines, Okinawa, Japan, and Germany. Even when I think about it now, I have to pinch myself. I got to spend nearly 10 years traveling the world doing something that a lot of people only dream of, actually make a living, entertaining people every day.

Move to Minnesota

In 1992, after spending 3 years as the Marketing Manager for a company in Chicago, I met and married my husband and moved to Minneapolis. The move was difficult at first because I looove Chicago. However, 28 years later, you’d have a hard time budging me from this beautiful, “City of Lakes” in Minnesota. I also started a career here, working with a company that designed and built the trade show displays for 3M. I was again in a job that had me traveling all over the US, which I loved. One of the things I did during this time, was to develop a program that my clients desperately wanted, which helped them measure return on investment (ROI) for their shows. It was from my success with those programs, that when I was downsized in 2005, I started Brauer Consulting Group, working as an Independent Event Manager which, 15 years later, is still up and running.

Dabbling in Writing

  During all this time, I dabbled in writing (some bad poetry, short stories, and started my business traveler blog (biztravelerworld.com) mostly for my own entertainment. However, at some point, I realized that I truly loved it and began to take writing classes to hone my skills. I began to think that maybe writing was something that I’d like to do more of. I also decided that my niche would be Travel Writing. This would combine my love of traveling the world, with telling stories about the places I’ve been and sharing ideas and tips with fellow wanderers.

So, Do It!

So, I took a deep breath and made Travel Writing my “It” during one “So Do It” 13- week session with Kelly Pratt and a wonderful group of women. By naming my passion and sharing it with our group, I found myself able to get more focused on what I needed to do to make this writing dream a reality. As it continues to become more exciting and real (I’ve had several small pieces published so far), I’ve actually rolled it into my business model. I have also added in-person travelogue presentations to the mix.

Writing Days

I couldn’t be happier! I love waking up on my “Writing Days.”  I get my cup of coffee, pour over photos and notes from some of my travels, and tap away on my keyboard, reveling in the process of getting my stories and art icles to take shape and form. I’m still working as an event manager and love my work, but having my writing become a more significant part of my life has truly helped me “Get My Groove Back!” Susan

Images:

  • Minneapolis City Lake
  • Santiago, Chile
  • English Garden (Cotswolds)
  • Paris, France
 
 🎧 Song: Turn the Beat Around (Gloria Estafan version)

Susan Brauer

Brauer Consulting Group

Susan Brauer is an Independent Corporate Event Manager with more than 20 years of experience working with organizations to help them create meetings and events that focus on set goals and objectives to maximize return on investment (ROI). She is also a Freelance Travel Writer with several published articles and the author of BizTravelerWorld, a blog that focuses on helping business travelers enjoy their travel more. When she’s not working on events or writing, she can be found walking or biking around the lakes in Minneapolis, finding a club to listen to live music, or traveling the world with her husband Mark. https://members.athenavillage.com/members/646213 https://www.Biztravelerworld.com www.instagram.com/susanbr619/ www.linkedin.com/in/susanbrauer/
Meet me in the village!