Change Transitions & Evolution

I can’t remember the first time I came across a mention of Uppercase magazine… it might have been during my graphic/web design classes I was taking at the community college back 7 years ago. It may be more recent than that. But earlier this summer I FINALLY bought a subscription.

It was way past due.

One of the perks of this subscription, other than the quarterly magazines chocked full of beautiful design, creativity, color, and inspiration, is access to the reader community. The creator/editor/publisher of Uppercase, Janine Vangool has created a small social circle of readers where we can connect, exchange thoughts and share what we’re working on. But more importantly, she stresses in the welcome, that it should be used as a casual community, much less like other social medias have become in many of our lives. This makes it a dream to be a part of.

This month Janine posted a creative prompt for members to think and create on, and it happens to be something thats been on my mind a lot in the past few months. The prompt is Change Transitions & Evolution.

This prompt makes me think about how much my life has changed in the past few years. The catalyst was my mother’s death almost 6 years ago, and I believe that a lot of people face their greatest change/growth after an event that shakes the fabric of their existence to the core. It makes you reflect on what you individually really care about and not what you think the world wants you to care about. In the past 6 years I left all my friends and moved over 100 miles away, changed careers and began farming with my Dad, stepped into roles that I never knew I would come to love as much as I do, became proudly independent and gave my free time to things that made me happy instead of things I thought would make me look cool. This is when my creativity blossomed the most and I honed in and found quilting. I think it was learning how to listen to myself instead of various outside influences that gave me the opportunity to explore and dream. Not to create things I thought others would like or enjoy or use, but to create things I like, enjoy and use.

Additionally, my husband and I just sold my house a couple of weeks ago. It was my first house. I owned it. I paid the mortgage. I made ALL the design decisions (some of which were awful, but they still made me happy, because they were mine). But selling it marks a transition in my life. From single and independent, to married and intertwined in the life of someone else. But in a way, I’ll always have that house. The memories are those I’ll never forget. That chapter formed who I am today and I am incredibly grateful for it.

So at the end of a slightly different blog post for around here,  I want to challenge you all to reflect on the changes and transitions in your life. What do you love? What have you learned? Where is it guiding you into the future? I’d love to read them in the comments and encourage you to share them to your friends and connections on social media.