Attending the Creative at Heart Conference was a game changer for me. To be quite honest I was feeling nervous and overwhelmed with my thoughts of "Michelle, what are you doing?" "This is only for real creatives that have their stuff together."And I most certainly do not. I mean looking through the list of speakers was nerve-wracking enough. These people have been groundbreaking in their fields and have been inspiring others for so many years, what was I doing attending this thing? I'm just me, a somewhat new creative who likes making pretty things with flowers. Well...when I say game changer, I mean it. To be in a room filled with 80 girls (and 3 guys!) who are just like you or have been just where you are is unlike any feeling I've ever had. Two full days jam packed with information on blogging, small business ownership, and creating the life you want was incredible, but you know what was better? The sense and overall feeling of community. "Compassion over Competition." I've always thought that because the wedding industry is so saturated there had to be competition. I had to show I was better than them. Nope, wrong, SO wrong. We're in this business to be a part of other people's lives, why wouldn't we be just as open with others in this industry? We Can. To the creative that walked right over and wanted to get to know me, thank you. And thank you to the creative who let me get to know her. Thank you to the creatives who joined me for lunch and dinner those 2 days. It seems so silly to be scared of putting yourself out there, but we are. We're human. I loved what Kat of Dear Sweetheart Events said during her talk and I'll never forget it. She said that it seems as though you're being a fake when introducing yourself as a wedding planner, photographer, or floral designer. It doesn't seem like a "real job", but OWN IT. That's who you are, don't be ashamed. Put it out there. We're in this together and we'll have so much more success in our own businesses if we are kind and welcoming.
A huge thank you to Kat and Taylor of Letters of Grace Calligraphy for making your dream of this conference a reality. The Sunday night pajama party with cupcakes and Taylor Swift blasting was amazing and the gift bags were fun and the decor was gorgeous, but seriously, thank you. You brought planners, photographers, graphic designers, calligraphers and other creatives together to support one another and lift each other up. And we did and we WILL continue to. I left Creative @ Heart a totally different person and I'm so ready to take my business to another level, but more importantly take others with me and support, encourage, and cheer them on. There's nothing better than that.
Love,
Michelle xoxo
