Why am I doing this???

I was updating my website and re-read the list of things I have done in the past few years, I realized that I have ventured quite a bit both geographically and mentally. There are projects I have initiated and completed but nobody seems to know about them as I haven't been actively marketing my products. There are projects in my heads demanding to be born, and there are some which I simply dismiss as wishful thinking.

My passion and belief that 'I can' is the underlying foundation upon which I incessantly bring my projects out into the world. My likes and passion do change overtime and that is all the more reason to act on them before they become obsolete, believing that there is a message waiting to be shared and that I have the brain to make it happen. 

There has been a lot of changes, most of them challenging and involving some kind of sacrifice. Leaving the comfort zone is almost a constant but I get used to it. One of the major decisions was to let go of the need to be employed full-time in the conventional sense and to accept that it is just fine to be teaching on a freelance basis. I have more time to work on my own business and making art is now a scheduled activity. 

I can only tell you that to be doing what you love is an amazing feeling. Checking the stats doesn't interest me a bit. All I care is that if there is one person who visits my website, subscribes to my newsletter, reads my blog and feels good about him/herself, I consider my job well done. To me, sharing my thoughts and get my messages across with my words mean the world to me. I hope my efforts help my readers to be confident to be who they are, and be inspired and encouraged enough to live a different way of life.

To be completely honest, this is hard work; much harder than being an employee who simply sign in and out at specific times, without a doubt getting a paycheck at the end of the month. It is a daily effort to keep the passion burning. The hours you put in, the need to learn new software in order to make the business works, the tears and frustration when you tap on the wrong key by accident, and the anxiety of not generating an income are only a few of the many complications to put up with in exchange of doing what you love. But it is worth it.

I do believe that the world needs people like us to be unabashedly sharing our uniqueness and perspectives, inspiring and encouraging each other to be their authentic selves. I can't do this without you, my readers and subscribers who continue to read my weekly messages and pass them on to their circle of friends. Thank you for keeping my passion alive.

To find out more about my brand-new online magazine, click here.

You've got style...

There are many types of STYLE...fashion sense, lifestyle, hair style, artistic style, to mention just a few. Each of us has our very own and unique style since day 1 but forgotten or repressed as we get older by the years. 
Ask yourself: What do I love creating so much right now that it makes me come alive?
If you haven't yet found your passion, start being observant. Try out different media in your art work and see which attracts you the most. Then go crazy creating with your choice to your heart's content. 
Passion changes at different phases of life but follow your heart nonetheless. What you have picked up along the way is not wasted as aspects of each of your passions will be re-emerged and eventually morphed to become your signature style. 
What about lifestyle? This is a pretty sensitive issue to someone who is unemployed or rather, without a stable income.
Ask yourself: what kind of lifestyle do I want to achieve?
And now you have a purpose. 
And now you prioritise everything to make that happen.
The world is changing at break-neck speed and it has become an increasingly transience society, one that requires the ability to adapt, to restructure and to be mobile; thank you very much to the advanced technology. 
And it suits me perfectly. A mobile lifestyle. A nomadic life. 
So why am I stuck in Hong Kong? For reasons I prefer not to expose online.
It doesn't make sense to stay in one place when you can create a better life elsewhere.
This is easier for those who are detached from material things.
Once in a life-time experience speaks louder than staying put in my little comfort zone.
The current trend is about impermanence, our willingness to move.
Fashion. What is that?
I like to look good but to feel good is even better. 
I don't dress according to 'trends'.
I don't care what others think of me as long as my inside matches my outside appearance.
Be authentic. Be you.

What it takes to complete a giant project...

I am currently recovering from intense productivity for the past 3 months, working 24/7 on my e-magazine Potion sans Prescription which is finally launched on 2/10. It was a difficult labour which took a lot out of me physically, mentally and emotionally. There were days when I would rather spend time on housework and organization than sitting in front of the screen trying to figure out the technological aspects of putting the e-magazine together. There were days when I cried myself to understand how the software works reaching out for technological support. Frustration is a part of my daily life and it took a lot of determination and self-discipline to complete a pretty big project on my own.

To produce over 100 content pages all alone, and for someone who is a techno-phobe, removing distraction and being consistent are the rules of thumb. Instead of being reactionary, I am proactive. I limit the trivial, mindless and uninspiring work such as running errands and reading every single blog post that comes to my inbox. I find breaking up the big into the small and do it quickly really helps. Being a night owl, I accept and accentuate my personal rhythms instead of fighting them. What works for an early riser doesn't work for me so I make the most out of the nights on my project. I also don't watch much TV, if at all, and I indulge myself with a DVD every now and then for entertainment. 

Consistency has never been a personal trait for someone who is a scanner / multipotentialite. It is a lot of commitment, devotion, and dedication on my part to see this project through. Setting the frame to make sure work is being produced, albeit little, everyday, 7 days of the week. It is the first thing first and that means constantly thinking about it, dreaming about it, taking intentional and planned action on a daily basis. It is about establishing some kind of routine which allows me to get into the flow of producing. Picking up a new software is indeed something I resist but I learn to enjoy using the program as time goes on. I have come to see the many benefits of the program provides and ultimately it is the tool I use to make the e-magazine presentable. Above all, I remind myself why I am doing what I am doing, first thing every day in the past 3 months. I might only get a teeny tiny bit of work done on any day but knowing that I move forward instead of standing still is enough. 

Now, would you like to show your support to my effort and at the same time learn to love and care for yourself and have some fun doing that? Click here.