Overcoming Excuses and Investing in Yourself
I am just a few days away from starting a month-long artist-in-residency at Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project. I am so incredibly excited, and during my preparations I have been reflecting a lot about what it means to be making this investment in myself. There are a lot of costs associated with attending this residency including travel, materials, having someone watch my animals while I am away, investment in new tools, and the opportunity cost of taking significant time off of work which limits my income. Then of course there is the emotional impact of being away from the comforts of home, my husband and friends. I even sacrificed another trip I had planned to be able to attend the residency. There are always a million reasons why NOT to do something. I had enough excuses to comfortably turn down my acceptance and say “maybe one day”, but I am grateful that instead I said, “The investment is worth it to me, and I will figure out how to make it work”.
To be fair, I have turned down plenty of opportunities, some of which I really wish I would not have talked myself out of. I, like everyone, am guilty of limiting my own growth because of my unwillingness to invest in myself. I invite you to pause and ask yourself:
What have you missed out on because you weren't willing to invest time/money/effort into yourself?
When was the last time you invested in yourself/your growth/your skills? How did it feel?
What in your life right now requires an investment from you to come to fruition?
If you are in the habit of talking yourself out of your needs and desires, I urge you to download the Creative Reset and use the exercises within as a launching point to overcome excuses and invest in your passions and growth. The Creative Reset takes the lens of creativity and expands it to apply to all your interests, artistic or not, and alchemizes your self-discovery into a concrete plan to live a full and empowered life. I know that personally, without working through the questions and exercises in the guide, I could have easily turned down this Artist’s in Residency, or frankly, may not have applied. That being said, are you willing to make a $15 dollar investment into your growth today? Can you show up for yourself and take the time to work through 28 reflection prompts, creative exercises, and hands-on activities? I hope you can boldly say YES!
