New Year, New Everything!

Wow. Here we are, three weeks into 2021. I think there was a small part of me that wondered if we'd make it to this point. I'm genuinely grateful to be sitting here writing this for you all.

The crazy thing is that the last time I talked to you guys in the 2020 and beyond episode, things were so different than they are now. I was on the precipice of a huge tidal wave of change and feeling pretty excited to be moving forward with new opportunities that were on the horizon.

I was also a little skeptical of how things were going to go for me in this new year. Would I like school? How would I be able to manage my time, given all the new expectations that school brings while also churning out content for this podcast?

Well, I'm here to tell you that I've stepped out of the pool. The water was fine, but I thought it was finally time for me to see what life had in store for me. But the thing is, I stepped out of that water into a completely different landscape. In many ways the world is still the same, but there's something different about it too-- perhaps it's not even so much my environment as it's been me who's done the changing.

I'm a little different. I'm learning more. I'm flexing muscles I didn't know I could flex (literally and figuratively). I'm doing things that bring me joy and it is so incredibly fulfilling.

Ya'll I think the ancient Greek Philosophers really were onto something when they emphasized how important the arts and culture and education really are. I mentioned in the last episode that in a roundabout way, I was slowing going to become a renaissance woman at the end of these next few months.

I can honestly say that it's a pretty accurate depiction of where I'm at right now. Being the Libra that I am, I've always loved music, and art, and challenging my brain in ways that help me grow and most importantly help others to grow.

I'm playing piano almost everyday and while it can be incredibly challenging, it's so rewarding! I'm learning about how to take impactful photos that are beautiful and interesting, and captivate the viewer. I'm also learning about how to be a savvy social media guru and furthering my marketing prowess so that I can take that knowledge and help build my businesses one step at a time.

The craziest part about all of this is that so much of this growth is happening for me during a time that is still so uncertain. The world is still very much so upside down, and honestly, this has been the best way for me to cope throughout all of it. I've gotta say if there was one thing to help me cope through these crazy times, I'm so glad that it's been school that's kept me busy.

I highly recommend any of you that are finding yourself needing an outlet or a way to channel your stress or your varied emotions, do yourself a favor and try to do something you normally wouldn't do-- you don't even have to go to school if you don't want to. You can sign up for a virtual cooking class, or heck teach yourself a new skill from Youtube. A few friends of mine recently decided they were going to take classes to learn Tagalog, as it is the language of their culture and they'd always had a desire to be fluent in it.

I'm always striving to be a lifelong learner, and I'm so glad that I genuinely love learning. Not to say that it's a walk in the park, but I know that the work will all pay off in the end.

The funny thing is that even though I'd kind of put makeup to the side for a moment so that I could focus on going back to school, being home has reignited in me that spark that I think I needed to get back to creating.

Things are still quite precarious in the entertainment and arts communities, what with Covid still being a huge factor, but I am now planning out future opportunities to get back to working and at the very least creating some fresh new content for my makeup portfolio.

In the meantime, I'll be here safe at home, working on podcast episodes, creating some fresh new content for this blog, and continuing on with my newfound hobbies.

I think this is going to be good. A new fresh start. I'm nervous, but I'm excited-- I hope you'll come along for the journey 💞

xx

Jen