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Have you found your authentic path yet? Here's how I found mine...

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Have you found your authentic path yet? Here's how I found mine...

For most of my life, I followed the rules.

I was a good student.

I never missed an appointment.

When I needed to learn something, I started from the books.

Basically, I was a good little girl who had faith in society, traditional education, and the people enforcing both. I had faith they would bring me somewhere. However, they brought me to a miserable place. A place where everything was predictable and boring. Where people were like robots with certifications who never stood out and who always did as they were told.

It's why for most of my life I have done creative projects on the side.

A part of me just always KNEW I would never be happy if all I was was a good little girl who followed the rules. That is why I was a rebel in my free time. I started collaborations, projects, and blogs that reflected who I really was.

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Don't confine yourself into a niche. Find your Core Message first.

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Don't confine yourself into a niche. Find your Core Message first.

YOU’RE STARTING SOMETHING - A BLOG, A BRAND, A BUSINESS - AND THE EXPERTS ARE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING: NICHE DOWN.

Which you don’t really want to do because:

  1. You’re a rebel and you don’t want to put yourself in a box;
  2. Even if you did want to do that, you wouldn’t even know where to begin!

Listen, I get where you’re coming from because I’ve been there. More than once. And the truth is that I have listened to the experts more times than I would have liked. But there comes a time when you stop listening to the experts and start listening to your own gut or internal compass or whatever you call it.

There comes a time when you need to do what works best for you.

Now let’s see why this is really bad advice...

I did a Tarot reading for you and rebels are saying it's creepily accurate.

I did a Tarot reading for you and rebels are saying it's creepily accurate.

Dude...

I have never in my life done something so radical.

Which reminds me. Apparently saying you do Tarot readings is a bit tricky, and you're supposed to say that you're doing it for entertainment purposes.

*So this Tarot reading was done for entertainment purposes.*

I have done Tarot readings for friends, family, and strangers at hen parties (so much so that every girl at the hen party lined up to wait her turn), and they have all experienced the same thing - insight. I'll be honest and tell you why that happens - because the cards reflect what you think back to you.

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Rebelify your website - because it's YOURS.

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Rebelify your website - because it's YOURS.

It's rebelifying time!

Again.

Because once you start you cannot stop. I should know.

This time we're looking at your website and how you can make it more YOU. How you can finally let go of the expectations of others and the expert advice. How you can stick your flag on the Moon.

Oh yeah, almost forgot...

Some people ask why they should have a website, and even though I am not one to set rules for others - or use the word should - I will admit that I don't understand the question. 

It's like going to the Moon and not sticking your flag on it.

In Merlin's name, why.

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Are you rebranding? These 5 creative rebels can help.

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Are you rebranding? These 5 creative rebels can help.

OK, they didn't help me personally but...

If I hadn't had access to their wisdom, my brand could be different now.

And I am NOT saying that I ignored myself (again) so that I can listen to a bunch of experts tell me what I'm supposed to do. You know me better than that.

I'm saying that their rebelliousness gave me great rebellious ideas.

That's just how rebellion works. It's contagious.

So let's look at the 5 rebels who helped me relaunch my site and rebrand it, and bring to you this new site that is the most authentic I have ever been.

Why creative rebels need to stick together.

Why creative rebels need to stick together.

Apart from the obvious 'birds of a feather' thing...

You know how you grew up with people calling you "weird" and making faces behind your back? How you were always the odd (wo)man out? How trying to fit in somehow made things worse and when you finally did, you still felt out of place?

Congratulations, you're a rebel.

And I get your frustration, I really do. I lived that life, so I get how hard it is to be different. Except you're not different, you are unique - and by the way everyone is - and the difference you perceive is in the way you think, compared to other people.

What is a creative rebel?

What is a creative rebel?

I get this question a lot. 

The other thing I get a lot is people saying they're NOT rebels.

Thing is, when I look at the people who say they're not rebels, they're the biggest rebels out there, and they're just insecure because "rebel" sounds like some sort of activist or revolutionary who changes the world and breaks rules on a daily basis.

Nope. A creative rebel is nothing like that.

Forget the numbers and focus on the work.

Forget the numbers and focus on the work.

Yesterday was a peculiar day.

First I got a clear rebel call to action on twitter from Jason Zook.

He said,

Ask yourself this question: "Is anyone ACTUALLY using the social share buttons on my website?" If the answer is no, remove the damn thing! Mediocre content doesn't get shared just because you slapped social sharing icons on your site. Great content gets shared no matter what.

Which made total sense and had me reexamine why I was using Sumo.

You say you're different? Prove it.

You say you're different? Prove it.

There's a big difference between talking and walking the talk.

In the first instance you can say anything you want. Make yourself look good and professional. Even pronounce to the world that you're "different."

What you can't do, however, is fake walking your talk. It's just not possible.

If you're saying you're different, next we want to see from you HOW you are different (and if we can't find proof you're different, we'll know you're just talking). Is your brand original, does your copy scream you, or is your business model all wacky?

Something you do - or all that you do - needs to be different if you say you are.

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Have you lost your joy? Let's make your creative business fun again.

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Have you lost your joy? Let's make your creative business fun again.

Instead of throwing the usual daily tantrum:

Waaaa, I don't wanna do this today! and Work is boring, when do I play?

Now I find myself feeling more excited than frustrated:

Wheeeeeee, I can't wait to start tomorrow, and enthusiasm-related insomnia.

Don't get me wrong, work is still work, but I feel like I stumbled upon something that really helped me design a life that is more fun than it is work. It's a simple exercise, which you can try for yourself after watching the short video below.