About
Welcome to "This Inspired Life". My name is Julie and this is my website. I'm a writer, photographer, artist, entrepreneur, change agent and intrepid treasure hunter, but not particularly in that order. I sort of do all of those things, some or most of the time. I'm also a domestic engineer and married to a talented designer named Tyler, and a mama to a dog named Piper.
Wait, I have an aversion to introductory labels. What might have been more pleasing and accurate is: I'm a creative person with infinite empathy who likes to spend a lot of time alone (well, Piper by my side) or with her husband (yes, I'm an introvert, but with extrovert qualities, so says my sister-in-law). I'm caring and kind; open-minded and honest; and a friend to all animals. The ocean is my muse and my place of liberation. I like to think outside the box and I am part of a growing new world consciousness. I love dancing like no one's watching, drinking fine red wine, being in nature and gardening.
The past six months has seen me on an exciting creative journey, both personally and for my career. I came to realize two important things: One, I had to create my own career and it had to be in alignment with my values. Two, I had to live my life's purpose or I would never feel normal or be truly happy. And that is how this website was born.
What's This Website About, Anyway?
This website is about LIVING AN INSPIRED LIFE. I'm sure you're wondering what that means, exactly. Well, lots of people have different thoughts about this. Some think being inspired is having a strong sense of a kind of "guiding light" or influence (a muse, if you will) that supports them through life. Others consider being inspired as having genius, imagination, artistry.
What living inspired isn't, however, is simply having great ideas. Being truly inspired is about taking those ideas, that motivation, that brilliance inside of you and taking measures to have them lift you to a higher place. Living an inspired life is about being true to the authentic and divine spirit inside of you. Being inspired is about asking questions, making your voice heard, using all of your senses in order to genuinely experience the world. It's about clearing out the clutter and creating a most remarkable life for yourself, your family, your friends and your community. It's also, of course, about sharing your amazing self with others.
From my experience, many of us can sometimes have a difficult time living an inspired life, and so my intention for this website is to provide inspiration to you, dear reader, in numerous ways: to publish fabulous of articles written by myself, as well as a roster of writers from all over the world; to share the knowledge I've learned in my own life (including all the good stuff I've extracted from books); and, lastly, offer the members a safe place where they can share their own experiences. At the core of all this? To connect people by sharing the stories of people living inspired lives.
How will this be accomplished? There are currently two of the four prime components: a magazine and my journal. Future plans for "This Inspired Life" include an online community where members can connect with others, share their artistic creations and content with their peers, or simply keep a record of their own inspired journey. An online retail store will offer products appropriate to personal growth and creative activity, such as book and art supplies. As well, in the future you'll find courses and workshops geared towards personal growth and living inspired.
“This Inspired Life” is committed to providing a safe space and online community for individuals looking develop and nurture their innate creative talents and gifts in order to make their lives more meaningful and stimulate personal growth.
That's the long of it; the Cole's Notes version? I think we might be launching a (r)evolution. Wee!
Values Statement
The foundation of “This Inspired Life” is comprised of the following fundamental values and beliefs:
1. The reason each of us is here is to have our soul learn and grow as much as possible and to connect with other human beings. (No person is an island.) We are all connected, and we are all connected to the earth.
2. Creativity is crucial to the journey of the soul; therefore it is essential to nurture our innate talents and gifts to the best of our ability in order to flourish. Creativity is a natural route for human evolution.
3. Conscious living contributes to the health of the individual, his or her community, and the world.
4. Tolerance, respect, and acceptance all foster a positive and healthy quality of life.
5. We value contribution, sharing, presence, support, intuition and love, and believe these are universally shared values.
We strive to have our decisions and actions demonstrate our values and beliefs at all times.
More About Julie...
I’ve been a writer in some form for as long as I can remember.
I loved writing stories as a child, and thankfully I had many teachers, peers and family members who encouraged my talent with words. When I began my studies at the University of Victoria in 1993, I was set on earning a fine art degree in writing: creative writing. After one year, however, I realized that I pretty much sucked at the creative part. I couldn’t write poetry very well and short stories were even harder, even though more than anything I hungered desperately to become a short story writer, like Raymond Carver or Kate Chopin. My second year I floundered, not knowing which direction to take. My grandfather had died, and later I developed OCD, post-grief disorder, and depression. I really struggled for a while.
I decided to switch my major to English and enrolled in the Professional Writing diploma minor and for the next few years I really flourished, graduating in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. During my last year, I worked for a small publisher in Oak Bay, just trying to get my foot in the door of the world of publishing. I did menial work that did not take advantage of my skill set and I was feeling pretty miserable about it. I applied everywhere I could and kept looking in the classifieds for jobs. Finally, I spied an ad for an assistant editor for Boat Journal and Nor’westing, two regional boating magazines. I knew zilch about boats, but I was definitely qualified for the job. I was only there for about eight months before the company was sold to a larger multinational corporation. They moved operations to New Westminster, near Vancouver, but they kept me on as managing editor and thus I began working from home.
Telecommuting allowed me the time to branch out and start writing for other publications and companies. In 2002 I became the managing editor of Boulevard magazine, a local urban living magazine that covers the arts, homes and food. So I had two jobs, and wrote for Boulevard periodically, for about four years. While I enjoyed the work of a managing editor, I didn’t feel that I was in “my element.” What I really wanted to do was become a photographer.
After meeting my future husband and moving in with him, I quit Boulevard to enroll in the Professional Photography program at the Western Academy of Photography (WAP). That was in 2006. After, I started my own business shooting mostly weddings and portraiture, some commercial, and a lot of personal work.
Up until recently, I wrote for Boulevard almost exclusively. Then I lost my good-paying job with Boat Journal, and decided to try freelance magazine writing and editorial photography and see if I was cut out for it as my career. I gave myself a year, but I really struggled with it. Writing is hard; sometimes, it's grueling. And I wasn’t making a whole lot of money. I was also renovating my house at the time, so I wasn’t completely focused on my career and my business.
I’ve continued to shoot weddings and portraits, and have done a variety of other work, from architectural to product photography. But taking gigs simply for the cash left me no time to pursue and cultivate my artistic passion. My self-confidence and emotional health were in shambles. Somewhere along the way, my dream of being a fine art photographer was lost. But I don’t know if I want it back. My ideal lifestyle has definitely changed.
So I’ve been reinventing myself these past six months. I’ve discovered that the act of creating and working with my hands has opened me even more than I thought possible. And my tenacious desire for personal growth is inspiring me every day.
I’ve believed since I was a teenager that my purpose in life was to teach others. And while I’ve done that in certain ways, I haven’t made that the focus of my career. One afternoon recently I was executing Steve Pavlina’s highly recommended process of “How to Discover Your Life Purpose in About 20 Minutes”, and it worked! (Of course.) I had discovered months ago that I absolutely had to have a career that was in alignment with my values, but I didn’t know how to make that happen. After about a half-hour of writing furiously, I wrote “to build a community that helps people live more consciously through art, creativity and self-development.” And then it hit me. My life’s purpose is to inspire others.
This website is the beginning of my new career, one that I hope will lead to teaching and guiding on a more regular basis. I’d love to travel, coordinating creative retreats and workshops. I’m also continuing to cultivate my art.
With a much stronger sense of self and character, and the support of my husband, I feel that I’m finally on the right journey. A journey of healing, and of being healed, through inspiration and creativity. I do hope you join me. We can't change the world without each other.
Always with love, Julie
