Express Yourself

As many of you have noticed this past May for me was all about tackling some BIG SCARY DREAMS!

So when one of my clients told me they run a photography business with their twin, I sort of had to take them up on the opportunity for a photo shoot, even if it was a bit out of my comfort zone.

So I set it up, channeled my inner Dwyane Wade, and absolutely nailed a SLAM Magazine tribute, complete with a C-Apparel pineapple hat.

Now before I move on to the purpose of my AHA💡Moment, I want to shout out Twintage Photography owned by the twins Lisa and Karen! Definitely check out their awesome work using these links and please book them for any summer photography needs! IG Twintage Photography

These two are wonderful humans, with great style and even better vision and they did an amazing job they helping me create my own crazy vision with these photos.

It was creative, it was fun, it was a bit uncomfortable, but it was worth it!

Now back to today’s AHA💡Moment

Alongside starting my own business last year, I also launched my own apparel line which, was a deep personal achievement! I love being creative, and designing things and throughout my life that has crossed paths a lot with clothing.

For example… in high school I designed 2 pairs of my own basketball shoes. In university, I actually designed a hockey jersey logo for the Fergus Devils and throughout the years I have designed a few t-shirts for other groups I was a part of.

Thankfully this passed year I was lucky to have amazing support, new style influences, and an opportunity to get back into clothing. So I decided to seize an opportunity and see what clothing my big brain could come up with!

Last week I talked about how FEAR keeps us from doing the things we love. Well, this week I want to revisit how that FEAR also comes from how we define and limit ourselves.

How many newsletters do I have to write before I am a writer?

How many reps does it take until YOU are a “gym person”?

How many KMs does it take to be a runner?

And if I sold a few t-shirts and sweaters does that really make me a clothing designer?

Well yeah, it kind of does 😎

The moment you start something you have the opportunity to give yourself that title, so why don’t we? Everyone is scared to tell people they workout until they are awesome at it, but we all started at the same place, ground zero.

Lebron James may get to have “professional” in front of his basketball player title, but I still put years of my life into basketball and love, play and follow the sport, so I am still a basketball player.

It’s no different than calling yourself an artist! Is your art in a gallery? Maybe not, but maybe you also have a super successful Etsy store. Well that means you are an artist!

To be honest I don’t care if you just knit socks for your not even born yet grandkids, THAT MAKES YOU A KNITTER.

Whatever you spend your time on in this life, is who you are. Not everything requires a credential or certification, but if it does you can go get that too!

My apparel isn’t going to be GymShark or Nike, nor does it have to be, but it absolutely can be something I passionately make on the side, and guess what that means I am a clothing designer of some sort right?

I still struggle to say it, but I had trouble calling myself an entrepreneur for the first year, so what does that tell you?

So let’s keep dreaming here for a second, what else do you want to be?

Well after leaning back into the culture of sports and streetwear, I came up with this big idea about advertising my new clothing line through “pregame” outfits.

Every sports fan has seen their favourite athletes rock iconic, far-fetched, super stylish pre-game outfits and a lot of us also go damn, that is so cool I wish I could do that.

So I brought that dream to life and dawned some outfits that I had recently been wearing and that had been inspiring some of colours in my apparel. Then I paired them with a bag and did my own pre-game walk-in fit.

Clothing is all about self-expression and that expression can evolve as we do, even change as our emotions do. Which is why clothing can also renew our positivity and reinspire our excitement!

My business goal is to improve people’s health and sense of self and I think clothing can be a fun part of that.

So designing clothing and creating an exciting, positive feeling will always be a part of my purpose.

Don’t stop dreaming or experimenting because of FEAR.

Try new things because that is the only way you will find some excitement in life! Comfort will always lose its luster.

Also, notice how old trends always come back into style?

Don’t be afraid to lead and don’t be afraid to follow your own path. You will soon notice how others will join you along the way.

Explore something new this week!