Episode 5: The Complexity of Decision Making with Alyssa Black of Drawn to Ecology
Alyssa Black is the founder of Drawn to Ecology and a self-taught ink and watercolor artist. The focus of her art is anything nature-related. Her passion is to blend science communication and scientific illustrations to create pieces to help people understand how to recreate responsibly in the outdoors. Sells to national parks, and her website, and also runs a community called the "Outdorker Community."
Her art process is known as "stippling" which can be seen in the way she makes trees and landscapes. This process ignited an idea to host “Meditative Art Sessions” when she realized the process of stippling helped her move through stress and anxiety and let go of perfectionism.
Big Leaps
As Alyssa was gearing up for big transitions in her life such as getting married and buying a home she made a big "leap" by hiring her first hire which was a virtual assistant. Her second big “leap” was moving into a studio space without knowing when the money would be coming in to support this decision. She made these big decisions with the help of community, which helped her see herself as worthy and capable of making these big changes.
It was when she started to realize that others believed in her more than her belief in herself, that she prioritized her business and herself. Surprisingly, when she made the space to listen to herself, prioritized her business, took the leap, and made margin for more opportunities she soon started to get the biggest clients she has ever gotten.
Alyssa reflected that she had made a beautiful foundation in 4 and a half years of business to be able to take this big leap and trust in herself, and encouraged others to build a strong foundation before jumping into something like a studio rental. She also explained that she feels that part of the "big leap" is trusting and knowing you have laid a good foundation for your business.
Scared Verses Smart Decisions
Every single decision is a big leap of faith and Alyssa says every time she has made a big decision it has always been a little outside her comfort zone financially.
She reflected on two stories of decisions that have been pivotal for her business. One was turning down a Mastermind in the beginning of 2020. Later, this ended up being a decision she was so thankful for because in February her best friend committed suicide and then the pandemic happened. Not being in the Mastermind allowed her the space to step away from her business, focus inward, heal, and create a lot of artwork that ended up sparking her "Mediative Art Sessions."
The second big decision came about when her Mom got breast cancer and she couldn't take the time off work to be with her. So she took the leap of faith to quit her job and start her business with the money she had saved. Alyssa believes this is one of the best decisions she has made.
Alyssa stated that it can be hard to evaluate if you are being scared or smart when making decisions and it takes time to learn how to access these things within yourself. The best thing you can do is to ask yourself do you have faith in yourself and your leap? Not believing in yourself and your decision could be the root of what may be holding you back.
Practical Tips for Decision Making
-Mediation and centering yourself to allow yourself to disconnect from what other people think and their opinions
-Asking yourself "What feelings are attached when you look at numbers and projections for your decision?"
-Asking yourself "Are you making a decision out of fear and/or scarcity or is there room for more? If you let go of the “how” what would the decision look like?"
-Trust your gut and intuition
-Ask yourself "How can your business work for you and not you for your business?"
-Remember that making decisions is a balance of trusting your feelings and also looking at data
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Are you keeping yourself small?
How much do you believe in yourself?
Are making a “scared” decision or a “smart” decision?
“If you let go of the “how” what would your decision actually look like?
How can your business work for you instead of you working for your business?”
Find time to quiet yourself so you can trust your gut rather than only relying on other people’s thoughts and opinions.
Trust that you have made a foundation and done the work to believe yourself as you take your big leaps.
It’s ok for your values to change in your business over time
Artist, science communicator, and mental health advocate Alyssa, the outdorker behind Drawn to Ecology blends scientific illustrations with whimsical anthropomorphizing of species to allow every adventurer to learn about the places they recreate and tap into the healing powers of nature through the use of art. Their products are made in the USA- sustainably and a portion of our proceeds go to support the planet and our public lands.
Pairing a critical eye, science, nature, and artistic whimsy to illustrate and highlight important topics from threatened species, responsible recreation, to depression and grief. Drawn to Ecology uses science communication to inspire, educate, and help people connect using hand-drawn nature-based illustrations that are made with the planet in mind! We hope to rock your world!
Find Alyssa at www.drawntoecology.com and on Instagram @drawntoecology
Find out more about the Drawn to Ecology: Outdorker Community- Meditative Art Sessions, Sticker Club, and more!
