Life really has a habit of getting in the way of our plans, doesn’t it?
Opening Up
Anyone that knows me personally knows I’m a fiercely private person. It’s part of the reason social media is a total mystery to me most of the time. I try to keep things light, informative and fun, but I’ve had some recent insights that have been especially helpful for me lately. I’m hoping it might help others out there, so now seemed like a good time to open up a bit.
I was raised in a pretty isolating situation where it always felt like the sky was falling and I was forced to be responsible for so many things that were completely out of my control. It feels eerily similar to our current situation in some ways, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to work through a lot of it. I’ve had enough therapy over the years to know that worrying about everything is a dangerous path for me to go down. When you grow up in those circumstances, the only thing you ever feel is helpless. I was taught that I was responsible for the actions of others, and it was a losing battle no matter what I did. I may not have been the best kid in the world, but I bent over backwards constantly to try and fix everything all the time and it never worked. It’s not an emotionally sustainable situation for anyone. Much less a kid. I’ve worked hard through the years to overcome those circumstances. I feel pretty good most of the time, but anxiety and depression have been lifelong issues for me as a result of that environment.
And that’s when things were normal. These days, you barely have to get out of bed before it can feel like everything is spinning out of control. (Especially if you’re like me, and reach for your phone while you’re still in bed.)
Maybe you know the feeling? I’d say it’s something like… a mix of total helplessness sprinkled with a genuine fear of the unknown. It’s not fun place to be.
But I found a little trick that helps me, and I want to share it with you.
Balance and meaning are there. You just need to look in the right place. Go down the right path, and you'll find it.
Taking control like that was empowering. It’s also entirely new for me. Especially considering everything that’s going on right now. I feel surprisingly calm a lot of the time, and for the first time in my life, I feel genuinely grateful that those difficult lessons early on are helping to guide me through this.
The thing is, I finally realized I’m in control of my own world. Even now. I’m beginning to understand that the important part isn’t the plan at all; it’s the process.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen so many people at every level of panic, and I totally get it. People are not great at figuring out what to do when we have no idea what’s coming. That was my life growing up, and I feel that collective energy so deeply right now. It’s in my bones. It runs through my veins. It’s part of me.
But for now I’m choosing to draw on that feeling of empowerment, and I feel like you can too. Everywhere I turn, there’s a surge in creativity, and that has the power to help bring balance back to our lives. Even though everything feels totally off kilter right now, creativity is thriving underneath it all. People may not be great with uncertainty, but we are resilient. We’ll find our way.
New Projects + Updates
While my brick and mortar shop at Studio Herzberg is closed and I’m working from home, my online shop is open. I am so grateful to have your support, and appreciate everything you’ve done so far. As a thank you, I want to pay it forward. I’ve set new projects in place so I can give you a little support during these historically crazy times. I’m still active on social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest), so you can always see what’s up and connect with me there. I’ve also been writing blog posts, making videos and jewelry tutorials to help everyone at home pass the time.
My next big project? Online jewelry workshops! So stay tuned for more info on that, and if you have any thoughts, I’m all ears.
I’d love to connect and see what you think about the new projects I’ve started. If you have any questions or suggestions for new videos and topics, let me know in the comments.
Take care out there, and be well my friends.