Episode 15: Self-Love During the Holiday Season with Cami Zea of Zeaink
Let’s just say it right off the bat… The holiday season for creators and makers is a beast. We can all so easily succumb to the frantic scrambling not only in our businesses but also in our personal lives behind the scenes. As the demand or set expectation to produce grows, so does our perceived need to meet expectations… and a quota. It can all feel so overwhelming and out of balance. Our featured guest, Cami Zea of Zeaink, shares with us the reality of where she finds herself as a creative this holiday season.
Love Letter to Artists
Have you been feeling constantly behind and generally all over the place? Cami shares how she has come to terms with where she and her business find themselves during this year’s busiest season. After she posted her "love letter" to artists on instagram, it circled around artist communities on the internet. She wrote:
Small business owners and artists-it's ok if you don't have a lot of fresh new items to sell for the holidays. It's ok if your resources, capacity or mental health is lower than previous years. Maybe you feel behind. (You're not). Maybe you feel like you aren't good enough anymore. (not true).
The urgency and hustle this time of year demands is rarely doable for the makers, the one-person-doing-it-all shops. The artist's whose work takes time and cannot be mass produced.
Thank you for showing up with your creative offerings however you can. The world around you is better for it.
She did not expect it would resonate so deeply with those (artists especially) in her digital vicinity. She gave voice to the fact that it is okay not to adhere to the holiday push. Her words gave permission and acknowledged the validity of perhaps not having anything new to offer this season. And that kind of vulnerability not only resonates but brings audiences in. It’s a ripple effect.
You Have Permission
The holidays tend to highlight the feeling of being behind and not good enough. Why do we always feel not good enough? As artists, the world does not realize how much energy goes into owning and operating a small business alone. Cami invites us to acknowledge our capacities and to keep our expectations of ourselves in check.
When our capacity is full, we have the opportunity to choose to approach the season with calmness. This honesty is important not only for clients but also for artists. With social media, we perceive the best in others and the worst in us and we create a standard that is impossible to reach.
Can we actually do anything about these thoughts? How can we practically shift our perspectives? There is power in community and Cami deeply points to this. From her own experience, making friends who are doing similar thing tackles the narrative of “I'm all alone in this", keeps her perspective accountable, and keeps her thoughts in line. She says to never underestimate an internet friend, and to get into markets to meet other creatives.
Bring Your Audience on the Journey
Whether you're “in the zone” for the holidays, or feeling behind with the demand, it can be easy to scramble or feel like you're missing out on the product rollout. This podcast episode strives to affirm you as you are and aims to encourage you to let go of the pressure and expectation to hustle. We know how many hats you wear daily, but your audience may not. Don’t be afraid to take your audience along with you in the process. It could be an idea to be open with them and perhaps, they’ll not only appreciate your gifting more but also become educated about what it takes for you and your business to thrive.
Moving Forward
How can we protect our mental health during the holidays? Don’t be afraid to call on your communities. Let yourself be needy and people will show up for you. Asking for help is key.
It might be the year that you permit yourself to not do much. Acknowledge your creative integrity and use what you have. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Remember… frantic creating isn't cute. You are invited to not be afraid to be scrappy and show up for yourself in the way you can this holiday season.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Our creativity and art matters. There is power in the words and the art that we share online. When we share from a vulnerable resonate and gain something when you share from a vulnerable place.
The belief that we are alone and the only person having our experience are beliefs that can get us stuck. Having community and being honest with others can help bring about a perspective shift and bring truth to our circumstances.
Never underestimate the power of an internet friend.
We need to be mindful to have grace ourselves for “dropping balls” or not having everything perfect. We often are stacking ourselves up against impossible standards and this is just unfair and not helpful to our journey as artists.
You don’t have to carry everything all on your own. Ask for help and allow yourself to have needs.
Creating out of panic, anxiety, or the feeling that you are not doing enough doesn’t produce anything cute or inspiring.
Take your audience along on the journey to help them understand your process and your products.
We never need to justify making a living with our art businesses.
Cami is a hand-lettering artist, writer and illustrator. She focuses on messages of social justice, mental health, and the overwhelming amount of feelings that come with being a human. In her spare time she listens to a lot of MUNA and plays with her dog.
Visit her website at: www.zeaink.com and follow along on her instagram
