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How to Live Your Best Life and Be a Success Symbol in Any Industry | The #CreativeBossBae series

It's the first month of 2018 and the #CreativeBossBae series is finally back!!! The most recent segment, 8 Steps to Becoming the Woman of Your Dreams, premiered Summer 2017 and goes hand in hand with this one, so the continuation of the sequel was long overdue. Because my creativity has been heightened by the ambiance of a new year, I figured what better time than now to bring this series back. 

 I created this life guide of sorts, because I'm surrounded and inspired by so many creatives in varying fields. The whole purpose of this series is to highlight some of the things I'm constantly learning on my own creative journey. Hopefully, it inspires someone who is actively seeking insight on what it takes to chase dreams the creative way (because the "right way" doesn't necessarily exist). With that being said, I present my 7 tips on how to live your best life and be a success symbol in any industry: 

Photo Credit: Melissa B. Cortez via Unsplash

01. Live on Your Own Terms 

We all have the freedom to define what success means, whether it's having a bomb career, taking care of a family, both, or something completely different from the norm. Who cares if everyone thinks college is a waste of time and money? If education is important to you, pursue it. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, do that. If your only aspiration in life is to work, read, and travel the world, do that shit. On social media especially, we're so exposed to so many different opinions about how people should live their life, but at the end of the day, it's your life. Your dreams - no matter how crazy they are to outsiders looking in - are valid, so don't allow society to alter what matters to you. It's all a matter of...

perspective.

02. Experience Life in Real Time. 

Speaking of social media, don't forget that there's an entire universe outside of the internet. Life extends beyond what's trending on Twitter. For most of us, our entire livelihood is based online, however, it is okay to unplug every once in awhile to get a fresh look of reality beyond the computer screen. Live offline. Listen to play list that keep you alive and podcast that keep you motivated and inspired. Explore the beautiful world around you, even if it's just to have ice cream with a friend, to recharge and reconnect with the things that truly matter in this life. Like the lovely Mara Hruby once stated: 

"We create within our own experience." 

I completely understand why Ms. Hruby lives by that simple, yet powerful mantra, because I believe that to be wildly true. Exist out loud. 

03. Pay it Forward. 

Success should build character, not create a superior complex that prevents you from helping others. There are so many people who lose so much of their identity in their career, that even a small inkling of success makes them believe they are better than the person on the come up. Strive to climb as high as possible, but take advantage of opportunities to help someone who aspires to be where you are, but is also willing to climb with you. Keep in mind that everything you've worked so hard to achieve can turn to ruin in an instant, so it's important to stay humble. Plus, self-made is a myth. No one - and I mean no one of your favorites - achieved what they've been able to achieve alone; not Yara Shahidi, not Issa Rae, not Tracee Ellis-Ross, not even Beyonce. 

Photo credit: Hannah Grace via Unsplash

04. Believe in your Dopeness. 

Confidence is purely magnetic. Not only does it attract opportunities that align with your purpose, it attracts genuine people who are aligned with your purpose as well. In the age of social media, it's easy to get lost in the game of comparison, but it's vital to never lose sight of the things that make you unique. Always believe that you are more than enough; whatever/whoever fails to see that may not be for you, but that doesn't take away from the value of your beautiful, authentic self and what you do bring to the table. Boss up & prosper, beloved.

 05. Never Be Afraid to Try/Do Something Different. 

Sometimes we're faced with decisions we are almost forced to make on our own. Mom is telling you one thing, best friend is telling you something different, and it feels like the whole world is depending on you to stick to one thing. It doesn't matter that your whole family expected you to become a lawyer, you are not limited nor obligated to live up to everyone else's expectations. No matter where you are in life, you are allowed to change your mind/career direction the way you see fit. 

Photo credit: Ovayo Ntlabati via Unsplash

06. Marry Your Dreams; Success Will Follow. 

Be a passion chaser. What I mean by this is completely immerse yourself in the things that fuel your spirit daily. Do those things that make you jump out of bed each morning and look forward to each new day. By applying the concept of marrying dreams, you are actively and intentionally creating your own success story, consciously shaping the world you exist in. Work smart, be/stay consistent, and never give up on yourself. 

 07. Allow Failure to Refine You. 

Resilience is key. Despite what field you're in or what path you choose, failure and disappointments are bound to happen. How you respond to the inevitable, however, is completely up to you. Generally speaking, learning how to bounce back from failure with grace determines how far you go in life. In addition to how you respond to failure, stop allowing potential failure to stop you from going after something you truly want. In essence, fear doesn't really exist. 

 Follow me on Twitter + IG: | ♡ @ChymereA

5 Tips on Staying Creative, Maintaining Balance, + Finding Peace | The #CreativeBossBae Series

photo credit: Chymere Anais. iPhone 7+. Sun in My Belly Cafe ATL

Lately, it feels like I've been in a creative funk, where I haven't been able to focus on much of anything or refuse carve out time to dedicate to the projects waiting to be completed. Even this post was something that was put off for a while, because it felt hypocritical in a sense, because I wasn't at peace with what I was building and creating.

Now that I'm in a much better place creatively, I figured what better time than now to release my personal thoughts on staying creative, as well the introduction to #CreativeBossBae, which is a brand new blog series that aims to be a go to guide for inspiration, motivation, and resources for the art of the hustle. Not sure if this will be bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly; I'm still working out the kinks, but hopefully it's something consistent.

The most important thing is to allow things to flow, although this just might be one of those easier said than done things. We all have deadlines, whether they are implemented by our boss or ourselves, so things need to get done, but it's better to think about quality and not rush through something half-ass. 

Learning how to work on a strict schedule is tough. For freelancers, 12-16 hour days to work on their own dreams may not even start until they clock out of a full time day job. And then having somewhat of a social life and getting a decent amount of sleep is added to the madness. It's the age of the hustle for most millennials, I get it. Your go hard or go home work ethic and steadfast ambition will take you places, but it's still all about balance. Take an hour or two per week to evaluate your schedule and find ways to level out the playing field more efficiently to avoid driving yourself completely insane, ultimately burning out while neglecting other important things in the process.

In other words, stop and smell the roses. Often times, creatives tend to trap themselves in caves until they finish an assignment. I certainly do this, especially when I'm super invested and my motors are running, because I don't want to lose my idea or slow momentum. However, I'm learning that simply going outside to get some fresh air helps me focus a lot better. Go for a walk. Find a quite place to gather your thoughts and relax your mind a bit. Catch up with a close friend over brunch. All of these things are rather simple ways to stay balanced and not get so caught up in work that you forget that a world exist outside of your work/creative space.

Gather your belongings and change the environment in which you work. Sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery. Most coffee shops offer access to free wifi with any purchase. When I lived in Greensboro, NC, I loved to go to places like Geeksboro to fulfill task I could quite do at home. It may even be a helpful to do things the old fashion way using pen and paper and brainstorm ideas outside or at the park.  Perhaps, you live near and are able to afford renting out creative/work spaces like Nex Atlanta, WeWork, or Jig+Saw, so it may be a good idea add that to your monthly budget. Take a day or two to explore your local town or city to find some cool places that provide a cozy atmosphere that you are able to work in. 

I'm super bad at this, because I'm obsessed, but it's definitely something I'm working on. We all know how addictive social media can be, especially when there are so many different applications (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) to sort through, but try to be cognizant of how much time per day you're essentially wasting scrolling through and refreshing your feeds. Actually, it can be a barrier that's stopping your own thoughts/ideas to flow freely as they could, as well as disabling you from getting shit done. Because the internet can totally be a distraction, breaks are absolutely necessary.

Listen to an uplifting podcast read a book by an industry expert and/or celebrity you're personally inspired by without distractions. Have a conversation with someone in your support system or someone you can exchange ideas freely with. Allow other reliable people to guide you in a more positive direction.

I truly hope this guide helps. Although it can be quite challenging to stay focused in such a hyper active realm of technological advancement, always know your ideas matter. Yes, there's a world that is waiting to receive what you have to offer, but protecting your peace is just as important as producing quality work and what better way to respond to your purpose than to start with peace of mind?

Book recommendations:

• Hustle: The Power to Change Your Life With Money, Meaning, and Momentum by: Patel, Vlaskovits, Koffle
• How to Be a Bawse: a Guide to Surviving Conquering Life by: Lilly Singh
• Deep Work: Rules for Success in a Distracted World by: Cal Newport
• You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by: Jen Sincero