Do you ever think about what’s stopping us doing the things we love?? It’s FEAR – fear that we’re not good enough is usually the strongest one and we are usually our own worst critics. Another fear (among many) is fear of rejection – let me tell you little story how I faced it and what change it made!

I’m very lucky to have my own shop with our spacious workroom – it’s a place where I create but also display my creations and they are seen by our students, customers and browsing visitors. They comment on my work and praise it and admire it, so I know that what I do is appreciated by others which is my big advantage to people who create at home and have the same desire to create for others – for sale. Their only audience is loving family who will be always supportive.

But we all fear to come out and show our work and face the rejection.

I have read somewhere that sometimes what we fear is exactly the thing we need to do! Sometimes to face the fear is the only way to move forward. Can you think of the time in your life when you “bit the bullet” face what you were so afraid of and it was the best think you could have done?? (Like approaching the guy you like so much who you are now happily married to 🙂 )

I may have awards on my quilts and people praising my work every week, yet even I was afraid to approach a gallery or some place which could display and sell my work. We’ve been in Suffolk now nearly year and a half and since the day one I knew of a place on the way to Lavenham called Inner Guidance. It’s a holistic retreat center – they run weekly yoga and meditation classes, special residential retreats, different therapies and B&B. You can always check their website www.innerguidance.co.uk for more info. With all my Chakra, yoga and spiritual inspired work I felt that usual gallery might not attract the right kind of people who would be inspired and fall in love with the deeper meaning of my work but I thought this place could be just the one. It took me all the year and a half, following their blog, getting weekly newsletters – there it was with every newsletter I thought “I still didn’t contacted them!”.

 And so I did it, I bit the bullet and wrote them an email and finally we went to meet Jo and Dom on Tuesday. It was so nice finally meeting them in person and the best part of it is they love our work! They’ve been running Inner Guidance last couple of years and until now they didn’t meet a person whose art work would fit their ideals and philosophy as well as our – they were literally waiting for us!

It is so liberating! I feel so good and have endless energy to create more and more and more!! Straight after coming back we took out a drawer with unfinished Chakra pieces and the mass production has started! It’s just so much easier to create when your work is being appreciated but I wouldn’t have known that if I didn’t face my fear!

So what are you afraid of?? What have you been keeping on hold?? And most importntly when are you going to do it?!?!?!?!

thank you for reading

Vendulka