Want to know the difference between flow and no-flow?

The perfect illustration happened for me this past week as I continue to prepare for my upcoming trunk show on October 24 at CAL in Kent, CT.

I’m working on all fronts: upgrading my website with a new downloadable gift for anyone signing up for my newsletter, adding YAPS to my Instagram posts—the videos you see with people talking right to the camera in a casual way about what’s going on—and of course, getting my inventory ready for the show.

I took a terrific ‘yap’ workshop in the city last Saturday and learned a ton. I also had the opportunity to have the instructor record me using her formula for speaking to my followers:

• Who I am–
• What problem I can solve–
• What call to action I am offering so you can interact with me.

When I received her video recording, I was stopped in my tracks.

“Who is that woman with such gray hair?” I thought.

I couldn’t get over it.

It’s not how I see myself.

I’ve skated through these senior years being mistaken for someone younger. And, just like that, I was on the screen looking much grayer than I see myself in the mirror.

I froze.

Every fiber of my body resisted sharing the video. I couldn’t post it.

No flow.

And yet, on the other front, I was working on a completely different kind of promotion for my work. 

I spent hours assembling images I wanted to represent me, wrote copy, got into the back end of WordPress to make the piece—even played a little with coding!—and came out with a ‘book’ that I’m ecstatic about.

Flow.

I want you to have a copy for being a reader already (click here to receive yours).

Yes, there were moments of hesitation during that process. But I paused, took a deep breath, made a phone call to my action partner, went for a swim, had lunch, and got back to the computer.

That’s something I’ve learned about myself. I may get stopped, but I don’t often stay stopped.

My next step on Instagram is to start recording myself yapping in my studio and other rooms of my apartment, edit the pieces and post them.

The trunk show is coming and I want YOU to know all about it, to get excited with me, and most especially, to come!!

I know how important it is for me to have a presence online, so I can’t continue to let this stop me.

I’m even showing you the original photo—the one that stopped me in my tracks—because I trust you. You already know me.

Who’s the harshest judge here?

Me, of course.

Someone who saw it—another trusted ally—asked a simple, but profound question.

“Can you accept that you have gray hair?”

I’m in that process…

I’m recognizing that that’s what flow looks like sometimes. Not immediately getting past the thing that stops us, but getting stopped… and then finding our way forward.

If you know a friend who might enjoy my POV—on art, creativity, getting unstuck, or simply figuring out what’s next—please feel free to share this with them.

And if they’d like to come along, they can find me (and sign up for future letters) at janepollak.com.

And, if you have something stopping you, I’d be curious to know.

Save the date:

Saturday, October 24
Craig Anthony Longhurst
27 N Main St, Kent, CT 06757

11am – 4pm