You’ve lost track of what day it is, maybe even what month it is. Same here. Another month of staying safer at home meant another month of tweaking approaches to work-life balance and combating creative burnout and general fatigue.

Not even a global pandemic can prevent me from intentionally reflecting and celebrating the small wins. Let’s keep it short and sweet this month because you’re tired of reading unnecessarily long things. I’ll have a longer blog post coming out really soon recapping my first year in Chicago - we can conserve our precious energy for that one.

This fifth edition of the monthly business journal blog post is a celebration of the wins and a space of reflection on this business journey with all of you.

The Big Wins

• I successfully took a staycation. Cancelled vacation plans opened up an opportunity to take an intentional break from work and make time to reset. This much needed rest actually lead to some unexpected creativity. I highly recommend you take a staycation if you are feeling burned out, “stuck” at home, or uninspired in general.

• I launched four new postcard packs. My staycation’s unexpected creativity yielded over ten new designs plus great progress on a new series - Chronically Positive. So many people are looking for a way to connect right now, so I felt these designs made the perfect cheery postcards to add to my growing product collection.

• I made it on the local news! It was SO exciting to see the Candid COVID Cards collaboration featured in the 6pm news on WGN TV!

General Updates:

• I made great progress on Chronically Positive. I’ve been chipping away at this new passion project behind the scenes for the majority of quarantine. I’m excited to share the full project on June 1st. Currently available are both a downloadable coloring pack and a happy mail care package.

• I created a new brand graphic for Perring Landscape. Andy came back to me wanting a new supporting graphic for a new trailer. I worked on a logo and yard signs for him last year that have continued to be a big hit with this clients.

• I led a Virtual Sunnyside Chats. The Sunnyside Chats people are my people here in Chicago, so I was incredibly honored when Leigh and Andi asked me to lead a workshop on passion projects. I was so encouraged by the feedback and am working on developing what I shared with the group into an online workshop.

• I invested time in professional development. I attended a virtual conference on creating workshops, a workshop on creating more compelling sales copy, and another on refining your brand. I also spent time reading on my staycation, so I have so many ideals reeling through my mind these days.

• I was featured on She Makes Chicago. Check out the blog post and the podcast interview - I aim to inspire creatives to follow their passions and build sustainable businesses through sharing business insights and my startup story.

• I created a Virtual Career Day video with the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum. If you’ve got a child who is interested in creative careers, have them watch the video and learn to create their first logo.

• I begun monthly consulting work with a new client. Kirk Perry is a new author in Peoria who reached out to get my expertise in marketing and establishing himself as a credible author and creative. And yes, he’s Steph Perry’s dad. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, then you need to read about my favorite passion project Steph’s Stickers.

• I was featured on Simply Unstoppable. Julia interviewed me about my entrepreneurial journey and the impact of my spinal fusion surgery on my drive and business, you can read the interview here.

May offered the break I needed and time to reflect on how far I’ve come in one year in Chicago. I am happy to bring renewed creative energy back to my work and see where the next couple of months take me.

I’m excited to continue to refine what my ideal clients look like as so much in the world is changing. Upon reflecting, I’m finding that some of my favorite clients are established artists and makers who are looking to get back to doing what they love (their own craft) while leveling up their businesses (cue professional branding services). If you or someone you know would like to work on a project with me, send me a message via the website contact form and I’ll get back to you promptly.