Tonight, on my way to church choir rehearsal, I listened to a podcast episode that talked about blogging as a profession, and it really drew me in. I’m an avid reader and an entrepreneur at heart, so I’ve listened to many podcasts and read a great deal about blogging before this episode, but for some reason, tonight’s talk dotted all the “i”s and crossed all the “t”s for me to really begin to take this little hobby seriously. The blogger being interviewed was a child psychologist by profession, but she found her true passion through blogging about crafting. She explained how becoming a child psychologist was just a path she thought she should follow, but she was never really that jazzed about it. It never really lit her up or fulfilled her. When she started blogging, she discovered that she really felt alive, and eventually, despite all of her formal, rigorous education, she gave everything up she had known to become a professional blogger.
I can so relate to this woman in a lot of ways. I guess the main difference between her story and my own is that I followed the path of music teacher/singer as opposed to some conventional, sure-to-make-an-actual-paycheck profession, and for a time, that path did light me up, despite how unpromising it was in terms of actually being able to pay rent with the money I earned from it. (ha!)
Truth be told, I’ve always loved the music. I loved the art form of singing and relaying someone else’s message through song and making it my own. I loved the profession of musician, or, at least I thought I did. Or maybe I just liked the illusion of it. Have you ever heard someone say, “So and so was in love with the idea of marriage more than the person he or she actually married”? Don’t get me wrong — I’ve always loved music and learning how to make it. And I’d like to think I’m pretty good at singing by this point in my life. I’ve also enjoyed honing my craft and working with amazing teachers and coaches. From the time I was a little girl I was always singing. I was even brave enough to sing in front of our huge church congregation a number of times and try out for every possible school musical or solo. I took voice lessons as early as middle school and on into high school. I was in all the high school choirs and even competed nationally and won an award with our high school ensemble! There was a time I even composed music and dreamed of being a worship leader or having my own record. And then, of course, I studied music in college and got, not one, but two degrees in music!!
But, as time has gone by over the years, as I’ve gotten older and I’ve had children, the pomp and circumstance of it all has worn off. That’s the big kicker, isn’t it? HAVING CHILDREN is the deciding factor above all deciding factors regarding whether or not something is worth your time…or not. Since I’ve had my kids, I’ve just realized that, while I love singing and love teaching, the hoopla and grandiose feelings they once brought me have been reduced to just sort of meh at best and downright resentment at worst…mainly because of the commitment level and times of day that these activities tend to happen: Evenings and weekends — a.k.a. times when my kids are home — a.k.a. times I want to be with them and they want to be with me (at least for now).
But take blogging, for instance, and I can tell you that literally every time I hear about it or read something about becoming a blogger as a profession, it lights me up and brings tears to my eyes in as much the same way as music always has (and by the way, these are good tears!). I haven’t really thought about why this is, but now that I really contemplate it, I think it has something to do with the similarities blogging actually shares with music. When you’re singing or even teaching, you’re giving a part of yourself away. You’re sharing your most vulnerable self with your audience, and you take a huge risk in what they will think of you after you share it. But the point is not what they think of you as much as it is the fact that you shared it. Does that make sense? I can honestly say, after singing for many years as well as teaching singers, the authentic sharing of yourself is something so few people in this world actually get to experience, but it honestly makes you feel so alive. It’s like you’re saying to the universe, “I’m putting myself out there, like it or leave it, but this is me. This is who I am and I’m not apologizing for it anymore.” I did not mean to start an earworm from The Greatest Showman here, but if you feel like singing that song to yourself, by all means…you may pause now from reading this and sing your heart out.
There. Are you back? Feelin’ good? Awesome.
As I was saying…I feel that blogging is, in many ways, like what I’ve always done as a singer. But with blogging, I can choose when I write and you can choose when you will read what I have to say instead of me having to stand in a cold theater until 10 or 11pm rehearsing night after night while my kids are being read their bedtime stories and tucked in without me there.
One thing I know for certain is it makes me really emotional when I think about lives I can impact and people I can reach with this vehicle called a blog. And when I get highly emotional I usually know it’s because this…right here…is what I’m made to do.
So, without going into my whole bio, which you can read in the “Bio” section of this blog, I wanted to just bullet list all the things I’m interested in discussing here and speaking to groups of women about, the reason I really need to get my words out there for others to read/hear, learn from and hopefully relate to, and the main focus or shape I hope it will eventually take on.
Here goes:
- Embracing Imperfection. For starters, I’m not at all even close to near perfect and neither is this blog. Although I’ll do my best, you might have a hard time finding Pinterest-worthy photos here. I guarantee you I’ll mess up on some things and raise my hand to show you how much I’ve messed up, because, I’m still learning and have a long way to go. The point is, we all do! And my mistakes and learning process can hopefully show you that you, too, can learn how to do things you don’t currently know how to do.
- Intercultural Marriage. I’m married to an Austrian. Which means my kids are half-Austrian. And we live in Texas. Far far away from any of our family and friends we grew up with. Sometimes, we feel really isolated and lonely. Our household can get kinda funny and quirky with our intercultural marriage and family dynamics. Things get misunderstood often. I also correct my husband’s grammar often, which, thankfully, he’s learned to accept and be a good sport about. But it has its challenges.
- Being an Artist. I never used to consider myself an artist, but I most definitely am. And we have temperaments and feel many times like we’re going crazy. I want to explore resources on how to channel that artistic nature and teach my kids to do the same. I also want to explore topics about living a balanced life as an artist, a creative being, who is also a very busy Mommy.
- Motherhood and All Its Glory. I love being a Mommy to 3 sweet and very charming and challenging kids. They keep me on my toes. I love them with my whole heart, and I mess up a lot with them too. I struggle with my temper, and patience, boredom, and having genuine interest in what they’re telling me for the 10th time, and yet, when I look at them, I’m astounded by how quickly they are growing and how wonderful God has made them. I also want to explore topics about screen time for kids, self-care/me-time, preoccupation with our own devices and unhealthy relationships with food, alcohol and spending money we don’t have as coping mechanisms.
- Being Content. Man, this is a hot topic, but it’s one I feel like needs to be talked about more in our day and age. We are not content. We are constantly looking outside of ourselves and comparing our lives with those around us. We are constantly wishing things were different and guilty of thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
- My Decluttering and Organizing Journey. It never seems to end, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it after two solid years of doing it nonstop. I’ll talk here about how letting go of things and organizing our home has made a huge impact on how I see the world around me and how I show up for my family.
- God. Last but certainly not least, I want to share my faith with you here and there. But this is not all the blog will be about. Not because it’s not THE most important thing to me ever, but because I want to hold it sacred and also respect my readers and their differing opinions. First of all, I don’t know all the answers. I just know a few. And I want to steer away from political or controversial issues on this blog, so it’s not something I’m going to go into depth with. But I do believe in Him and I take my faith and His power (not my own) very seriously.
And this is just the beginning of some things I want to really spend time diving into and discussing in our community here.
I also want to cover some fun areas of personal interest that I happen to enjoy and maybe even know quite a bit about:
- Singing. It’s what I’ve done my whole life, and it brings me so much joy. I’ll share basic insights on singing, how much it’s brought to my life and how important it is that I still do it — even though trying to fit it in has become more and more challenging over the years.
- Cooking. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but I love making a meal my kids and my husband and I can equally enjoy! I also love making and eating meals that have a lot of flavor, but not a lot of calories. Even though our family doesn’t adhere to any strict guidelines regarding food, I want to explore healthier options that everyone loves as well as our family’s journey on a path of no longer eating fast food. Yikes! Did I just write that outloud?
- Bargain shopping. It’s one of the best kept secrets that I’ll share with you! I’m not only a great bargain shopper, but I, along with my husband’s help, am learning ways that our family can find amazing deals on things we need (and want) and actually even resell some of our items to earn a profit. Guys, it’s not hard! I’ll show you how you can earn extra money and save buying just about anything way below MSRP.
- Refinishing and Reupholstering Furniture. It’s not as hard as you might think! I got into refinishing furniture by attempting to refinish the table and chairs I inherited from my grandparents. While that specific project has been given the not-so-endearing name of “the neverending project from hell” (sorry, Lord), I have actually enjoyed picking up other pieces whenever and wherever I can find them and refinishing those to resell or brighten up a room in my own home. Another potential income source! I have also tried my hand at reupholstering seat cushions, and one day, I hope to learn more about reupholstering even more elaborate pieces. My Uncle Chris and my brother-in-law, Larry, are upholsterers, and I’ve always wished I lived nearer to them, so they could show me the ropes. For now, I’m relying on books, YouTube and my own trial and error to teach myself how to reupholster. It’s fun and the best part is, if you don’t like it, you can always try again!
- International Travel. I explore places that may not seem as accessible and fun as they actually are. I’ll talk about what you and your family can do there and how to plan for it. I also talk about the differences in cultures and how to prepare for those differences before you even begin to pack your bags. Bon Voyage!!
- Hand Lettering and Illustration. I have just started learning about this in the past year, but I absolutely love it and want to teach you how to do it too! I’ll share my own techniques and challenges I continue to work on, tools I use to make it easier and what resources I use to get better and learn even more!
- Helping Small Businesses. Guys, this is no joke. I literally LOVE looking at small business practices and helping small businesses grow and be all they can be. I’m not a guru or an expert in this. It’s just something I thoroughly enjoy. I think I have something to offer and it’s something I plan to do more of as time goes on. Wow. There. I said it.
- How an MLM has changed my life. Seriously. I know this causes some people to run for the hills. So, honestly, and I mean that, I’m not going to talk about it all that much other than to say that I WORK WITH THE BEST COMPANY OUT THERE!! No, but seriously. I love working with R+F, and I am so grateful for what it’s done for me and my family — let alone, my skin!! But even more than the company, I love my team that constantly encourages and uplifts one another, and even more than all of that, I love the confidence and all I’ve learned from doing this business. It’s truly been a blessing that fell into my lap!
- Fitness. How much I hate it, but how much developing the discipline to workout has changed my life and made my body strong, but also my mind.
So, there’s a mouthful right there! In a nutshell, this is who I am. I am someone who never gets bored (how could I?) — at least with things I could be learning or doing. I’m always striving to be better and learn more about whatever it is I’m doing. I never want to tire of learning. To me, opening up a book or taking a class is one of the most fulfilling activities I personally could ever engage in. I’d take a class before I’d go to the movies. I’d read a book about how to do something before I’d read a novel.
Anyway, that’s about it.
Looking forward to sharing with you!
xoxo,
Amy
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