If you’ve been following my posts for the past 6 months, you may recall I launched a business last summer called Conscious Lab. The idea was to create an event space I could rent out for workshops, seminars, speaker series, AND dance parties! I signed a lease for a space in Gastown that has the most exquisite windows, exposed brick, and vintage heat registers I’ve ever seen. My friend was in the space for the past couple of years, and when she mentioned she was looking to get out of her lease, I jumped on the idea despite not having much of a defined plan.
My first few months where some of the most exciting and terrifying I’ve ever experienced. It was thrilling to launch a new biz, but it was also during the busy, crazy season for Make It. Trying to manage both, while also finishing up my first book, was incredibly difficult. As the days went on, I became more and more overwhelmed, and finally got to a point where I made the difficult decision to put Conscious Lab on hold.
Now that it’s the end of January, and the dust of the busy holiday season has had time to settle, I’ve been getting reenergized about uniting the creative community in meaningful connection. My original plan has shifted a bit – I no longer desire to rent Conscious Lab out to outsiders, but the vision and inspiration is still intact. The only thing I need to do know is start making it happen!
One exercise I know has tremendous value for many people is creating a vision board. At the start of this year I had the idea to host a vision board workshop at the Lab. I thought I could lead people through a workshop that would end with creating a vision board of what they desire their life to look like. I knew this idea would be an easy sell, and it would feel good to finally start making some money from the space – but every time I sat down to work on the plan I felt uneasy about it.
I asked myself why wasn’t it feeling right. Whenever I have hesitation about anything in my life – work, relationships, travel, home, I know there’s an important message to be received. I realized almost immediately I actually didn’t want to host a workshop for people I didn’t know, but I just really wanted to reconnect with my circle of girlfriends. I decided instead for charging admission, I would have it be free and invite the ladies that inspired, supported, and positively influenced my life.
The Friday night vision board party was one of the best times I’ve had in a while! A beautiful group of incredible women conjugated at Conscious Lab, and we snipped, glued, and sipped over candid conversation about our goals and dreams. The vibe was so intoxicating, and a few ladies stayed until the single digits (1am!!!)
My own vision board that took me almost 4 hours to create, was not what I would have expected. I’ve created vision boards in the past that have been quite literal and straight forward. I would scour old mags for the perfect image of exactly what I thought my life should look like. This time I took a much more abstract approach to it, and collected images and words that just made me feel good. Many of them have undefined meaning – or none at all, but if I like it I glued it down.
The vision board night not only allowed me to create a tangible representation of the life of my future, but it also reconfirmed how much I love bringing people to share in a positive experience. I’m still not 100% clear what my vision for Conscious Lab is, but I know if I continue to follow what feels right, instead of what I “should” do, the Universe will undoubtedly lead me in the right direction. My mantra always has and always will be trust & surrender. I may one day decide to tattoo that sucker on my forehead!
I’ve decided in 2018 I’m giving up hustling. As an event producer, I’ve hustled like a mofo to make things happen over and over and over again. This is a fantastic quality to have in the beginning phases, and I would argue that it’s necessary to get to the next level. But, what I realized last year, is I hustled SO hard that I lost the vision and the whole reason why I was hustling so hard in the first place.
Making things happen isn’t all about doing. It’s about the ebb and flow of working smartly, and allowing things to unfold in a natural and authentic way. If you work too hard, the magic and serendipity doesn’t have a chance to get in. Because I pushed pause on Conscious Lab, I now have a way clearer idea of what I do want, and what I don’t want to do with my atelier/studio/office/whatever-I-say-it-is. I don’t have the heaviness that I did initially, and I much prefer how that feels. Lightness always wins.
This weekend I’m headed to Bali for 3 weeks to work on planning and writing. I’m beyond thrilled! One of the project I’m launching this year will be an online education program similar to the Make It University that I created with the help of the extraordinary Marie Forleo. I had the privilege of being in her Mastermind, and this was the project I created. It’s now been about 5 years, and I have massive web shame…so please if you decide to look at the current site, know that I know how shitty it looks! Ew.
Bali is my place. I feel so creative and alive there, and like I can fully relax and expand into my true self. I’ve travelled to many places, but there’s something about Bali – Ubud particularly, that has captured my heart. I’m escaping the grey, wet gloom of winter in Vancouver to work on my business instead of in it. My attention span is short, and I know the work I need to do requires intense focus. And at the same time, it also requires inspiration and soul-nourishment.
I’m extremely fortunate to have set up my lifestyle so I have the opportunity to travel to gorgeous places. If this is something you want to incorporate in your own life, I recommend grabbing some old mags and creating your own vision board. When we can see and feel what we really want, the Universe conspires to make it a reality. This had happened over and over in my life so I know it to be true. Pinky swear promise.
Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll make sure to send you a Bali update (and pics) at some point over the next few weeks!