And the Bloggiversary Giveaway Winner Is...

Drumroll...

Linda! YAY!

Let me know which print you want Linda, and I'll pop it in the mail for you. : )

Thanks to the others for your wonderful wishes, and for playing along.

Happy Wednesday!

Integrity First, Strategy Second

Like a thunderbolt to the psyche, those four words.

I wish I could take credit for them, but I heard them in an interview between Kate Swoboda and Danielle LaPorte last year (at about 12:19, if you're wondering). They jumped out at me; I've had them on my whiteboard ever since.

Integrity first, strategy second.

~ Danielle LaPorte

Whether you're sitting in a corporate cube, struggling to get your business off the ground, or managing a Fortune 500 company: integrity first, strategy second.

At least in my book, naïve as it may be.

I'm in the midst of a regroup, a refocus of sorts. I've been coveting strategy for the past several months, trying to ship out, write good copy, come up with a good minimum viable product, essentially, make money.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to make money, nor is there anything wrong with wanting to ship out, write copy, or develop a minimum viable product. In fact, I still intend to do all of those.

To fulfill my personal definition of meaningful work, they must be built on a solid foundation of truth – my truth (notice I didn't say the truth, here). So I'm taking a bit of a step back to make sure that's what's happening.

Integrity first, strategy second.

Woman Sitting, Blue (prints available here)

Living my truth in business means extending parts of me in a way that sits well in my gut, if you'll pardon the visual. In a way that feels right.

It means providing the best content I can provide – whether that's on my blog, my online shop or to my mailing list, and being the best colleague/acquaintance/service provider/collaborator/person I can be.

It doesn't mean I avoid selling or marketing my products, or strategy altogether for that matter. It means I do it deliberately, picking and choosing the pieces of the formula that work for me and replacing the ones that don't with something else.

Integrity first, strategy second. It means all of that.

Thank you Ms LaPorte for articulating it so succinctly.

~~~

If you haven't entered my bloggiversary giveaway yet, there may still be time! The deadline is 6pm EST, Tuesday, January 29th. Enter here for a chance to win a print of your choice from the shop.

A Happy Bloggiversary Giveaway!

Another year, another bloggiversary! Would you believe I've been blogging for SEVEN years? Woot!

I started here, where I decided to document my journey as a first-time urbanite living in a colourful 1920's gem of an apartment (I loved that apartment!). It also corresponded with my going solo after seven years of marriage, which means it was quite a journey indeed. Voici, my first every post:

Introducing ...

Hi.

I’ve joined the masses and started a blog. My intent is to document my experience as a first-time urbanite, but I suspect other things might creep in. There will likely be many firsts for me to share this year.

I’ll fill you in on how I got to be an urbanite a little later. Bottom line is: this is my first time living in a truly urban environment, smack dab in the middle of downtown. When given the opportunity a few months ago, I decided to take the plunge and start my own Urban Living Experiment and see where it leads me. I plan to document my findings here, and see where that leads me.

Enjoy.

Incredible, where it all led me.

In-FREAKIN-credible.

~~~

To celebrate, I am having a good ol' fashioned GIVEAWAY! It's my way of thanking you for joining me for the ride. I LOVE having you here!

THE PRIZE: One 8x10 print of your choice from the shop, or in the case of Giselle, one 12x12 print.

THE DEETS: Leave a comment on this post by 6:00PM EST Tuesday, January 29th and I will add your name to the pot. I'll put all the names in the giveaway basket and ask D. to pick one. I'll announce the winner here Wednesday, and he or she can send me a note through the blog's Contact page and we'll go from there.

Sound good?

~~~

A little taste of what's in the shop, to pique your interest...

What She Seeks, for the fan of all things vintage

Giselle, for the bold and the feisty

Gaia's Plea, for the earth lover in all of us

See them all here.

~~~

So go!

Leave a comment by 6:00PM EST Tuesday, January 29th, introduce yourself if we haven't met yet, and stay tuned for the winner's name on Wednesday.

Thanks again for joining me here, I hope you win!

Steph

xo

On stillness, work, and insights...

Bit by bit I'm getting increasingly clear insights on the projects and products I'd like to create this year to continue the work transition I started in 2011*. I'm not sure they'll all come to fruition, but I certainly can't deny their presence.

* For all posts related to my work transition journey, click here.

Words, titles, and images are asking to be acknowledged.

tea and candlelight: tools for creative biz planning

One morning journalling session produced an outline for an entire online course or program; another revealed an idea for a new booklet. An evening dedicated to business planning saw me complete the sentence "2013 will be the year that..." with "... I create and submit a book proposal."

WTF?

I also keep coming back to a series of mantras, or tenets, to guide my creative biz work this year. These are short phrases I can't seem to shake, so for now I'm choosing to go with them. (Stay tuned for another post, specifically on these tenets.)

The moral of this story, you ask? Two things jump out at me:

Insights, guidance and even more prodding questions come when we take time to be still, ask the questions, listen for the answers, and acknowledge them.

Some insights call for swift movement and adrenalin-filled action; others may ask for a more gentle approach, with more value gained by letting them percolate, or taking small, next right actions to see what unfolds.

Either way, we move forward.

~~~

What practices do you have in place to receive insight and guidance?

Are any of your ideas or projects calling for quick completion? On the flip side, are any of them calling for a more gentle approach?

Easing Into 2013

I am called to rest and putter, stepping away from creative work and play to sink into quiet time, books, hearth & home.

I'm tidying up my physical spaces, enjoying movies and documentaries like this one (if you're an artist, you'll love this insight into a painter's mind and process), this one and this one. I'm sleeping, reading, and doing a lot of research for a certain trip to PARIS. <giddy>

post-Christmas goodies from Amazon

It hasn't been all idle though.

I've been crafting a new website, feeling the time has come for a fresh look. Stay tuned for that and a bloggiversary giveaway (seven years!), the latter later this month.

a fresh new look for my website in progress - coming soon!

I also wrote this article for Scoutie Girl, about claiming our path into 2013 and honouring our transition pace into the new year. No one's keeping score on how quickly we make the switch.

My part time work is keeping me preoccupied and heading into a busy, challenging-to-me period.

All the while I'm reflecting on last year's accomplishments and lessons, dreaming of work and projects for 2013, still unsure of how I will convert my dreams to action and let it all unfold.

Life is uncertain. Life is good. Life is full.

~~~

How about you? What've you been up to?