2016 was my Fear Year, but it was also a year filled with creative moments big and small. I'd like to highlight a few that I especially want to remember.

Both happiness and bravery happens there, in the small moments.

To sell is scary. There's the responsibility and the risk of messing up. There's feelings of turning into a one of those super-salesy persons you hate. There's the fear that you're creativity isn't worth paying for.

Let's have a look at the fears that come with selling, all fears I had before I opened my art shop. These are fears turned into objections that can keep you from being able to put your creativity out in the world, if you're not swimming in money and can give it all away.

Opening a little shop on my website has been an act of turning dream into reality.

It's saying yes to a tingling idea, to a longing tugging my heart.
But it's also saying yes to learning to do things I've never done before.

It's giving my dream a chance.

This is what I've learned about the process from idea to reality.

Is it possible to be scared of a word? Yes, yes it is.
Even if that word isn't Voldemort.

I'm scared of the word art. Of what it implies, of calling myself an artist, of choosing a label for myself.

Silly? Maybe. Common? Yup.

She opened her eyes.
Found herself all alone on a big stage.

Uncountable pairs of eyes looking straight at her.
A sea of white eyeballs.
Dead quiet. 

All she could hear was her heart, beating like a hammer.
Du-dunk. Du-dunk. Du-dunk.

Have you lost you creative inspiration? Everything feels boring or hard? Don't panic, read on!

I want to tell you a story.

Inspiration and I were out and about, skipping and singing, life was a blast, my head was in the clouds. Some hippety hops and suddenly the world changed. I looked around - grey grey grey - and inspiration was gone. Poof.

You just... can't.
You want to, long to, but you can't. 

Something is standing between you and creating, and it's a big, fat block. 
Telling you over and over not to create.

Sitting down to create gives you anxiety.
You feel lost and have no idea how to go on.
Creativity becomes so hard, it's practically impossible.

It's a state that wrecks projects and kill dreams.
Let's break it together, before it's too late!

My creations are not good enough for the world.
I need more practice. More time. 
There's no room for me. 

I'm not good enough. 

I will hide from the world, because I fear that the world will tell me what I already know. That it's bad. That I'm bad. That I should keep quiet.

Sounds familiar? 

Sharing your creativity is scary, but there's a reason you should do it anyway. 
What you've made matters to the world, whether you believe it or not.

It's easy to dream of a creative life.
To build one that fits with everything else in your life is harder.

A sustainable creative life is one where you can keep creating and keep living, without burning out. I'm not talking money here, I'm talking life.

Finding creativity among dishes and bills. Creating in spare moments when you're tired and overworked. Getting out of procrastination mode when there's endless other things you could do. Not pushing yourself so hard that life becomes stress. Making time for making.

Let's design your creative life. Let's find a plan that helps you create, in real life and not just in a perfect fantasy world.

Do you fall prey to the perfectionist mindset from time to time? Does it keep you from exploring your creativity, from putting your art out into the world, or from even creating at all? Let's have a look on what the perfectionist mindset looks like, what it really is and what the antidote is: the draftist mindset.

Do you have an idea calling for your attention? A voice in the back of your head, whispering and tugging, telling you there's something you want to do? But for some reason, you haven't gotten started yet?

Then I have to tell you something: you're ready. Now let's get started.