Shake it up then.

I started 2020 with a plan. A plan to shake up my life a bit. Richmond is forever home, but I was beginning to feel stagnant. I love my job. It was my dream job. But even that was starting to feel less fulfilling. So, I came up with a plan to take a giant leap. Start a NEW job, in a NEW city, with a fresh set of career goals. YAY! 

Then COVID. I feel like we all have a “but then COVID” story. This is mine. 

Suddenly, I was anxious about the future of everything. The responsible person inside of me made the final call that it wasn't the time to be making any hasty life decisions.

So, I renewed my lease.

Pause in the story. 

God still planned on “shaking up my life. It just wasn’t the way I envisioned it. 

“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail” 
Proverbs 19:21 NLT 

HE blows my mind every time. 🙌🏾

*praise break*

The following weeks,I was bored. There is only but so much social media + Netflix combo’s a girl can take. 

I was scrolling on Instagram, when I saw an image that I wanted to recreate. So I grabbed a piece of printer paper & a pencil. The next day, I went to Walmart for a sketch pad. A week later, paint & oil pastels from Amazon. Before the end of the week, I planned out everything I would need to start practicing digital art.  

Somewhere between adolescence & early adulthood, we buy into the idea that we should stick to what we are good at. Anything else would be a complete waste of time & energy. Then College comes around, & you are told to narrow your focus even more. All of your mental capacity is jammed into building the life-long, money making career you need to fund your dream lifestyle.

I feel like I’m in the process of finding a part of me that was cut off a while ago. Cut off, partly by choice & partly by necessity. 

I wonder how many of us cut off the pieces of us who would have written a great novel, created a revolutionary invention, or founded a Fortune 500 company?

A month ago I had no idea, inkling or desire to create my own Art or start my own business. Now, it’s all I can think about. 

If you have a creative desire inside of you, FOLLOW IT.
Take the invitation. Fan the flame. What harm could it do? 

Yes, you may suck at it. 

Or you may be the next Beyoncé, who knows?!

It feels SO good to explore that "thing" to the fullest extent possible. It is the purest form of self love.  

Here's to exploring all the parts of ourselves & being vulnerable enough to share those pieces with the world. 

-K.Ligg