EP14 - How to Make Fear Your Friend with Meera Lee Patel

Do you feel overwhelmed with your life? Does the thought of achieving balance feel like a joke? Or do you think balance is only reserved for a select few - the super-human or those who have a perfect life and have it all together? Are you tired of hustling and falling short of balance in your life? I believe there’s another way. In this episode I share my thoughts about balance and how to achieve it. How to flip how we think about balance  on its head, and give you practical tools and questions to ask yourself so you can take back the reins of your life. Join me for a thought provoking episode! In addition - I share with you what’s next for the Highlight REAL podcast while I achieve balance in my own life.   TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Define what balance means to you Define what is most important to you Get clear on what is actually achievable and what your next right step is Create a plan for your balanced life Stop shoulding all over yourself Gain clarity and courage so you can own the reigns of your life   FIND HOST JOSEPHINE KIMBERLING HERE: Josephine's Website @josephinekimberling on Instagram   FOR MORE OF HIGHLIGHT REAL: Visit JOSEPHINEKIMBERLING.COM/HIGHLIGHT-REAL-PODCAST  for the show notes  Follow @letshighlightreal on Instagram

Are you dreaming of one day starting your own business? Are you considering going into business with a friend but aren’t quite sure? Today’s guests Carrie Kiefer and Morgan Georgie of Ampersand Design Studio share their creative journey and how they are truly - better together. To call these girls close would be a serious understatement. For years it’s been Carrie & Morgan, Morgan & Carrie. The name of their design venture says it all — Ampersand, which is the symbol that with one single stroke, connects two formerly separate elements.    Ampersand quickly became known for combining graphic and handmade marks to create bold patterns in refreshing color palettes. Together they create and collaborate on every design with paint, pen and ink, cut paper and anything else they can get their hands on! Their artwork appears on products ranging from textiles to stationery to home décor to fashion for companies such as The Land of Nod, Windham Fabrics, Giggle, and Tiny Prints in addition to their own line of products sold in shops across the world.   These days, Carrie & Morgan not only work together, they live five minutes apart with their sweet, (and very supportive), husbands and adorable kids. Whether they are playing with their children or painting in the studio, their mission is always to create looks and lives that are creative, harmonious and happy. Ampersand is where color and pattern come to play!   TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Take the leap from a stable job to starting a business See negative surprises as opportunities for something new  Work with a business partner when you both overlap on a lot of skills Put friendship first over a business partnership  Respect each others opinions when working together Leverage what each person brings to the table, to make something stronger, together   FIND CARRIE AND MORGAN HERE: Ampersand Design Studio’s Website @AmpersandStudio on Instagram Ampersand Design Studio on Facebook Ampersand Studio on Twitter   FOR MORE OF HIGHLIGHT REAL: Visit JOSEPHINEKIMBERLING.COM/HIGHLIGHT-REAL-PODCAST  for the show notes of each guest Follow @letshighlightreal on Instagram

Do you have a lot on your mind and on your heart? Are you having a hard time figuring out how to process it all? In this episode Jordan Sondler shares how visual journaling can help you work through your feelings.    Jordan Sondler is an illustrator living in New York City with her Pomeranian, Ramona Singer. She designs many things, including murals, television sets, 90s nostalgia diaries, and beyond. Jordan has a weakness for gummy candy, growing her plant family, and collecting soul records.    Her clients include The New York Times, Google, Nickelodeon, Simon Malls, Pottery Barn, Ban.do, Starbucks, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Resy, Urban Outfitters, Hallmark, Kotex, Maisonette, Papyrus, Food52, Adult Swim, Barkbox, Harper Collins, Random House, New York Magazine, Le Chocolat Des Francais, ABRAMS Books, Fishs Eddy, Fisher Price, Time Out New York, Artisan Books and more.    TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Work through your feelings with visual journaling Be more introspective Give therapy a chance See singleness as a chance to grow in self-sufficiency Confront the things you don’t want to confront Just be, just accept, just go through things and deal   FIND JORDAN SONDLER HERE: Jordan Sondler’s Website @jordansondler on Instagram Jordan’s Book: Feel It Out: The Guide to Getting in Touch with Your Goals, Your Relationships, and Yourself Jordan’s Skillshare Class: Visual Journaling: Drawing Your Feelings    FOR MORE OF HIGHLIGHT REAL: Visit JOSEPHINEKIMBERLING.COM/HIGHLIGHT-REAL-PODCAST  for the show notes of each guest Follow @letshighlightreal on Instagram

Do you feel yourself shifting and evolving yet are afraid to move into something new? Are there things in your life that are no longer serving you? Flora Bowley is an artist, author, and gentle guide whose soulful approach to the creative process has touched thousands of lives.   Blending over twenty years of professional painting experience with her background as a yoga instructor, healer, and lifelong truth seeker, Flora’s intimate in-person workshops and popular online courses have empowered a global network of brave painters, while creating a new holistic movement in the intuitive art world.   Her first book, Brave Intuitive Painting, provides a luminous documentation of this innovative approach, while Creative Revolution dives even deeper into the transformational potential inherent in this way of creating. Her third book, The Art of Aliveness, will be released in early 2021. Flora’s own vibrant collection of paintings can be found in galleries, shops, and printed on unique products around the world. Flora lives and creates in Portland, OR.   TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Let go of the plan you have and what you think you want, and remain open Practice being in the present Follow in the direction of what is feeding you and stay really honest with yourself Create when you don't feel like it Let painting be a source of healing   FIND FLORA BOWLEY HERE: Flora Bowley’s Website Flora’s Online Art Classes Flora’s Book’s Flora’s Together Apart Virtual Gatherings & Replays ($5)    FOR MORE OF HIGHLIGHT REAL: Visit JOSEPHINEKIMBERLING.COM/HIGHLIGHT-REAL-PODCAST  for the show notes of each guest Follow @letshighlightreal on Instagram

Have you let someone’s negative opinion of your work hold you back? Do you have dreams of what you would like to put into the world but feel discouraged? Today's guest Andrea Pippins shares her story of how she broke through these two questions to take the reins of her creative journey to go after what she wanted for her life and make her dreams happen.   TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Keep going after what you want, even after hearing “no” Discover your visual voice Go with the flow and let go of expectations Use your creative talents to empower others  Find ways to protect your spirit during Covid-19   FIND ANDREA PIPPINS HERE: Andrea Pippins Website @andreapippins on Instagram   ABOUT ANDREA Andrea Pippins is an illustrator and author who has a passion for creating images that reflect what she wants to see in art, media, and design. Her vision is to empower women and girls of color as well as people in under-served communities, with visual tools to own and tell their own stories. In addition to being an author and illustrator of many books, her work has also been featured in Essence Magazine, The New York Times, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She has worked with brands such as Bloomberg, ESPN, Lincoln Center, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.   FOR MORE OF HIGHLIGHT REAL: Visit JOSEPHINEKIMBERLING.COM/HIGHLIGHT-REAL-PODCAST for the show notes for each guest Follow @letshighlightreal on Instagram

Do you feel like you are living small? Do you have ideas of what it is you want to do, but are afraid to take that step? Today, Meagan Morrison shares how she boldly defined what she wanted her life to look like and made it happen. You will leave feeling inspired and hopeful for your own path.   More about Meagan:  Meagan Morrison is a Canadian-born, New York-based fashion illustrator and the creator behind TravelWriteDraw, where she travels the world and illustrates her journey through a fashion-art lens. She received her Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University in Montreal Canada as well as her AAS Degree in Fashion Illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She partners with the world's leading fashion and travel brands to create custom artwork for various campaigns, collections, products and installations. Select clients include Dior, DVF, Calvin Klein, Montblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, Emirates Airlines, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, E! and W Magazine. She has been featured as a top fashion illustrator to follow in publications such as the New York Times and InStyle US & UK. When she isn't on a plane, she is making fashion-art inspired by her travels, in her Williamsburg studio.   TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Cultivate the type of life you want for yourself Not let your fears stop you Embrace who you are Focus your energy on the things you can control Live boldly   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Fashion Illustrator: Bill Donovan Fashion Illustrator: Jordie Lavanda Blog: Sea of Shoes Blog: The Style Line Fashion Illustration Gallery    FIND MEAGAN MORRISON HERE: Meagan’s Website Travel Write Draw Travel Write Draw on Instagram @TravelWriteDraw on Twitter @TravelWriteDraw on Facebook   FOR MORE OF HIGHLIGHT REAL:   Visit JOSEPHINEKIMBERLING.COM/HIGHLIGHT-REAL-PODCAST  for the show notes for each guest Follow @letshighlightreal on Instagram    

Do you feel like you are on a roller coaster in your creative business? Are you struggling to figure out your business's purpose and the north star? Today's sister duo Eunice and Sabrina of Hello!Lucky, an award-winning letterpress greeting card and design studio, pull back the curtains and share how they started and grew their business and let their passion and purpose guide them throughout the journey.  TODAY YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO Ride the ups and downs of a creative business Define your businesses north star Use your purpose to add meaning to others lives Use the skills you have to make a difference Figure out which of your clients to focus on most Stand up for yourself and say no when something is not a good fit FIND HELLO!LUCKY HERE: Hello!Lucky’s Website Hello!Lucky on Instagram Hello!Lucky’s Info for Small Business Owners Hello!Lucky at Paperless Post FOR MORE OF HIGHLIGHT REAL: Visit JOSEPHINEKIMBERLING.COM/HIGHLIGHT-REAL-PODCAST  for the show notes for each guest Follow @letshighlightreal on Instagram MORE ABOUT HELLO!LUCKY Hello!Lucky is an award-winning letterpress greeting card and design studio. It officially came into being in 2003 when Eunice, a gifted illustrator, got obsessed with the craft of letterpress, which creates beautiful, tactile prints that offer a humanizing counterpoint to our fast-paced digital world. Sabrina, a creative entrepreneur, dove in to get Hello!Lucky off the ground with its first collection of letterpress printed greeting cards, which pushed the envelope with exuberant illustrations and fun puns.  Now, years later, Hello!Lucky is an award-winning design studio working with dozens of partners to design products ranging from best-selling children’s books to bedding, ceramics, socks, stationery, custom photo albums and more. Hello!Lucky is founded in the belief that creativity, positivity, humor, and kindness are the key ingredients to a life well-lived. They believe in bringing playful exuberance to everything they make, and to creating products that deepen connections between people and their loved ones.  They also believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to express themselves and to live in a world that affirms beauty, diverse experiences, and kindness.

This episode focuses on host Josephine Kimberling's Top 5 Tools for Greater Self-Discovery and also shares with you the future of the Highlight REAL podcast. Do you struggle with trying to figure out what makes you unique? What your strengths are? What lights you up? The meaningful work you are put on this earth to do? Host Josephine Kimberling shares 5 tools that have given her a different piece of information about herself, and have each helped her in her life journey. They have helped her navigate career moves, opportunities to grow, and help her find and follow her own north star. In addition - after 1 year in to Highlight REAL, Josephine shares what's next for the podcast.   TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Discover what type of Creative you are Discover your strengths  Discover what lights you up Discover what your blind spots are Discover what energizes you and what depletes you   VISIT THE SHOW NOTES AT LETSHIGHLIGHTREAL.COM FOR The TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS from today's episode Additional RESOURCES mentioned  Visually designed QUOTES to inspire you, and for you to share on Pinterest to inspire others A PROMPT to help you go deeper and get a little more real with yourself Be sure to follow us and connect further on Instagram & Pinterest!

Do you find fear gripping you and holding you back? Do you feel you are living a tiny life? Today’s guest, Meera Lee Patel will help you make fear your friend, so you can let it be your compass and source of encouragement. Meera Lee Patel - writes bestselling books that help explain who we are. She is a self-taught writer and artist from the east coast living and working in Nashville, Tennessee. Meera is interested in exploring the intricacies of human connection, and uses her work to unearth the small yet vibrant stories found in everyday life.  Meera Lee Patel is self-taught artist and writer who believes that anything is possible. She is the author of My Friend Fear: Finding Magic in the Unknown a beautiful meditation on fear and how it can help us become who we really are--if we let it.  She is also the author of two journals: “Made Out of Stars, a journal for self-realization” that encourages the belief that we are already whole. “Start Where You Are” is a journal for self-exploration that is designed to help others understand that the answers they are seeking are contained within themselves. She is currently a columnist at Spirituality & Health, where she writes and draws about mental health.    TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO Choose multiple creative lanes Let fear be your guide and source of encouragement Take more chances Figure out who you really are – when no one is looking Know that there are always better things ahead Practice. Practice. Practice.   FIND MEERA LEE PATEL HERE: Meera Lee Patel’s Website @meeraleepatel on Instagram Meera’s Book: Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration Meera’s Book: My Friend Fear: Finding Magic in the Unknown Meera’s Book: Made Out of Stars: A Journal for Self-Realization   VISIT THE SHOW NOTES AT LETSHIGHLIGHTREAL.COM FOR The TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS from today's episode Additional RESOURCES mentioned  Visually designed QUOTES to inspire you, and for you to share on Pinterest to inspire others A PROMPT to help you go deeper and get a little more real with yourself Be sure to follow us and connect further on Instagram & Pinterest!

Do you get stuck when you hear negative feedback? Are you dealing with Imposter Syndrome? Today's guest, Lisa Congdon shares helpful advice for how to see pain points in your creative journey as opportunities to push yourself and grow. Lisa Congdon is an Illustrator and author who is best known for her colorful, graphic drawings and hand lettering.   She works for clients around the world including Comme des Garçons, Crate and Barrel, Facebook, MoMA, REI, and Harvard University among many others.  She is the author of eight books, including the starving-artist-myth-smashing "Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist" and her latest book "Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic" which recently hit shelves in August 2019.  Lisa was also named one of 40 Women Over 40 in 2015 and she is featured in the 2017 book, 200 Women Who Will Change the Way you See the World.  Lisa lives and works in Portland, Oregon.   TODAY YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO Conquer Imposter Syndrome Accept and Learn From Struggle See Feedback as Information Work Through The Pain Points of the Creative Process Embrace Your Audience   FIND LISA CONGDON HERE: Lisa Congdon’s Website Lisa Congdon’s Classes @lisacongdon on Instagram   VISIT THE SHOW NOTES AT LETSHIGHLIGHTREAL.COM FOR The TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS from today's episode Additional RESOURCES mentioned  Visually designed QUOTES to inspire you, and for you to share on Pinterest to inspire others A PROMPT to help you go deeper and get a little more real with yourself Be sure to follow us and connect further on Instagram & Pinterest!