resources for building a world

an big picture overview of my 3 core themes and daily practices, these last 8 years, and how everything fits together.

the how of making art and money — broken down into a cyclical, ongoing step-by-step process flow

how to give your wealth in order to receive wealth in return.

a mindset that changed everything in how I approach art + business — by inhabiting my whole creative self

on growing a creative business as an emotionally-driven artist — dealing with moods and energy, creative procrastination, paralysis inertia, and guilt.

a simple structure for working on anything in your life

on knowing the art of restraint and letting go

only three elements you need: motivation, momentum, pleasure

trusting in the resonance of wants / needs / highest good

reflections on my year and musings on the process - what I learned, how I suffered, and how I grew as an artist and human being in 2019

a list of things I learned from my first six months of being a full time artist-business-human being. (well, all at the same time.)

Why and how I strived to break the wake up-check phone impulse, and created more mindful, focused mornings. This rule has made the biggest difference in my productivity and wellbeing. 

a process i adapted for myself for overcoming inertia

I started my design and coaching studio last fall— chipping away on it during early mornings before work and on weekends- but it’s only been 3 months since I left my job to do this full time. Since I try to be so deliberate about planning my goals, I see the review process as the closing of that loop. At the end of every month, I sit down to look at what I’ve accomplished, and I articulate the lessons to take with me as I continue to grow. Here’s what I learned from months 1-3. 

I grew up in a risk adverse, immigrant culture in which the idea of finding the work you loved was always counterbalanced by the idea of having a stable, steady career. When you’re young and uncertain, the easy choice is the one right front of you. It’s the path you fall into out of convenience, as in: This is what I did for two summer internships, so, this is what I’ll continue doing.

on growing a creative business as an emotionally-driven artist — dealing with moods and energy, creative procrastination, paralysis inertia, and guilt.

a process i adapted for myself for overcoming inertia

following the flow vs. keeping house

in order to make the most of a day, a life, an endeavor?

only three elements you need: motivation, momentum, pleasure

why learning the creative process will help you do anything

a methodical roadmap for people who have lots of ideas, goals, and intentions for their lives, but struggle with consistent follow through —

Why and how I strived to break the wake up-check phone impulse, and created more mindful, focused mornings. This rule has made the biggest difference in my productivity and wellbeing. 

When you’re driven and ambitious, the natural thing to do is to set really high standards, and be hard on yourself until you reach them. Growing up, I dreaded — then learned to love — unsmiling, disciplinarian Chinese or Russian-style teachers. The standard was perfection. Good work wasn’t to be rewarded, it was to be expected!

But since graduation, getting a 9-5 job, quitting my 9-5 job, starting a business, and growing into myself as a full-time creative, I’ve changed my mind about the way I frame hard work and expectations. 

the antidote to overplanning, creative paralysis, and time pressure— to live in the creative flow.

why you’re feeling stuck, and how to get back in creative flow — by aligning with your creative metabolism and workflow, and tuning into creative birth/death cycles.

on growing a creative business as an emotionally-driven artist — dealing with moods and energy, creative procrastination, paralysis inertia, and guilt.

vulnerability is a muscle of accepting potential pain

ways of combating the feeling of “not enough” when you’re addicted to sweet taste of accomplishment

When I first started doing creative projects, I would often get sucked into this corrosive cycle— grandiosity, inertia, guilt— and eventually become paralyzed. In this post, I write about how the paralysis happens, why it happens, and some strategies I've used to overcome it. 

trusting in the resonance of wants / needs / highest good

trusting yourself is the confidence and comfort — that there is an “infinite” you always taking care of you, and being able to let go, to surrender.

reflections on my year and musings on the process - what I learned, how I suffered, and how I grew as an artist and human being in 2019

I wrote a personal piece about feeling like a fool while learning to dance, perfectionist tendencies, and being overly apologetic as a creative person. And some wise words that helped me with my creative confidence. 

If there's any lesson that's struck true to me lately, it's this: that we can't predict, anticipate, and plan for the infinite possibilities of the future. As much as I like to set up structures and routines for myself and my growth as an artist, I try to remember to let myself trust in the unfolding mystery that is my life.  

I grew up in a risk adverse, immigrant culture in which the idea of finding the work you loved was always counterbalanced by the idea of having a stable, steady career. When you’re young and uncertain, the easy choice is the one right front of you. It’s the path you fall into out of convenience, as in: This is what I did for two summer internships, so, this is what I’ll continue doing.

on cultivating a visual brand for a feminist writer — expressing her softness and strength.

on the nature of carving a niche, serving our audience authentically, and building a “brand” for oneself.

As a creative, it’s at first hard to think about (let alone talk about) the idea of building your “personal brand” without feeling like you’re full of bogus. It has something to do with a fear of conveying an inflated sense of self-importance, only to have someone tell you hey, you’re not as good / interesting / talented / cool as you think you are.  

Doing the work is already hard enough, without the pressure of needing to constantly prove and promote yourself. While creative work originates from a deep place, the idea of conveying a “personal brand” comes off as superficial, salesy, and pushy. But it doesn’t have to. 

reflections on my year and musings on the process - what I learned, how I suffered, and how I grew as an artist and human being in 2019

a list of things I learned from my first six months of being a full time artist-business-human being. (well, all at the same time.)

I started my design and coaching studio last fall— chipping away on it during early mornings before work and on weekends- but it’s only been 3 months since I left my job to do this full time. Since I try to be so deliberate about planning my goals, I see the review process as the closing of that loop. At the end of every month, I sit down to look at what I’ve accomplished, and I articulate the lessons to take with me as I continue to grow. Here’s what I learned from months 1-3.