Anxiety and the creative journey, with Ciara Sames

Are you a creative entrepreneur who struggles with anxiety? Ciara Sames and I have been blog friends for a really long time. This episode is a little bit different; we recorded the first half live together at Designer Vaca, but then Ciara had some really cool things start happening after that conference. She began making some really big life changes and we wanted to update you on all of that. In the Designer Vaca portion of the episode, we go into a conversation that we had off-camera and thought was really important to share – even though it makes me nervous. We both share about our experiences with anxiety and what we’ve done to help ourselves feel better. And then in the second half, we really go into the changes that Ciara is going through since Designer Vaca and how these conferences can really change your perspective and your life.

Topics we cover:

— Ciara’s journey of venturing into graphic design as the practical option to pursue her creativity professionally and her experience of taking internships after graduation and eventually getting her first paid jobs
— Why she shifted her career ambitions for the time being so that she could take some time for herself and avoid burning out
— The unexpected things I learned at the conference, including my budding interest in tarot
— Our experiences with anxiety and the circumstances that led me to seek help from my doctor despite my urge to “woman up” and get through it on my own
— Dealing with the stigma around medicating mental health issues when you know that’s the help you need
— Our bedtime rituals that we do to take care of ourselves
— Ciara and her husband’s decision making process for choosing the location of their next move
— How Ciara transitioned to starting her freelance journey and pitching a major client – within the span of a week!
— The major life changes that can occur when we go to conferences and connect with our people in person
— The myth that doing creative work means that you’re inspired everyday
— Staying flexible about what you want and what you’re open to
— Having something that personifies your mantra to you (and Ciara’s amazing example of this!)
— Great advice for getting through a difficult time when you’re not sure if you can do it
— Keeping a “nice things” folder to give you a boost when you’re feeling down
— Breaking major life events or projects into manageable to-do lists
— Don’t forget to go to Audibletrial.com/PinegateRoad and sign up for your free trial

Show Links:

— Inman Park Squirrel Census
— Episode Two, Working Through Transitions in Business and Life as a Creative Entrepreneur, with Maggie Waller of Type and Title
— Westworld
— The Crown
— Invisibilia
— The Importance and Power of Affirmations
— Being Boss
— You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Tweet it!

Tweet: There is no shame in seeking help for mental health challenges. You are not weak. You do not need to do it alone. http://ctt.ec/6EcDm+

Tweet: There’s a calm, quiet centre to the creative cycle; it’s not all doing and hustle. http://ctt.ec/qZLuU+

Tweet: You don’t need to be a freelancer or business owner to have a fulfilling creative career. http://ctt.ec/a6kJ4+

Tweet: “Kill it, be an entrepreneur, be your bad self… but definitely in that, take care of yourself!” – @ciarastrujillo http://ctt.ec/2meyZ+

Tweet: “Know when to press pause.” – @ciarastrujillo http://ctt.ec/GbiQL+

Tweet: “I am a badass lady and I can get through this.” – @ciarastrujillo http://ctt.ec/Hme9b+

Connect with Ciara:

— Website
— Blog
— Instagram
— Twitter
— Pinterest

Connect with Pinegate Road:

— Instagram: I’ve been LOVING sharing some daily happenings with the new stories feature — hope you’ll follow along there!
— Pinterest
— Facebook
— Twitter
— Are you interested in becoming a client? Get in touch about working with Pinegate Road to build your brand foundation!