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I’D LOVE TO…
“I’m growing up, sister. Get ready.”
A word on growing up, and how fucking excited I am for that.
Today I went to a family celebration at the park, and it was ample time for me to catch up with my younger sister, 3 years my junior. We don’t hang out very often, and I was glad we had the entire day to chill in the shade, and catch up on what we did over the weekend, as well as where we were headed in the future.
My sister is a lot like me. She has this itch, this feeling that she was born to do something great, and knows that within her time, she is going to accomplish that greatness. And because she is a feisty one, I know she means business. So when she told me of her plans to move out in a year or so, take some business classes at SMC, and one day get into the fashion industry, I knew she wouldn’t stop until she got there. And she was damn excited about it. That’s when she said to me, “I’m growing up sister. Get ready.”
That was the cutest thing ever. I always think back on when I was 24, and how I wish I’d had the ‘itch’ at that age. I didn’t really feel the ‘itch’ to do something awesome until well into my 25th year, and didn’t do a damn thing about it until I was 26. Mind you, it’s not a huge gap of time, but I always sort of wished I started out with this feeling of “I need to do something awesome with my life” a bit earlier, and I’m terrifically glad she has figured out ways to act upon her passion at this age. It gets me really excited because I can’t wait to see what kind of human she turns out to be, what kind of wife she will make, and what kind of mom. I know that stuff is really a ways away, but I look forward to it, because I often sit at my desk wondering, where the hell will I be when I’m 32? And the possibilities excite me.
An update on my progress: I wrote 700 words just now in my e-book on applying for business school, and I sat through about 45 minutes of lecturing for my online HTML class. That was the best I could do this weekend, as I was out and about spending time with family, as well as traipsing around town with Adam. How was your weekend? Here’s a bunch of pictures.
My brother, the photo bomber.
Cousin and I.
Tomorrow is Monday. You’ve seen hundreds of them, so you know what to expect. Let’s go confidently, and with the knowledge that we are all children of the universe, shall we? 
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
You know how I’m always talking about having a ton of projects, not being able to plan them all out, and overall just feeling a bit lost direction-wise because of it? Well, the Brummets have a LOT of projects– and they make time for every one of them.
Lillian and her husband Dave Brummet decided long ago that they had talent to share with the world, and decided to stick their fingers in all sorts of delicious pies. They are the owners of the Brummet Media Group, in which they offer book publishing and graphic design services, among other things; they have a talk radio show called the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio; they have authored five books; and lastly, they run an eco-focused blog called the Brummet’s Conscious Blog filled with all kinds of reviews, interviews, positive thoughts, and inspiration. I decided to feature them today because they spoke to me with their passion for networking, building relationships, and ultimately making a living doing projects they enjoy.
Here is an interview with Lillian Brummet, and how blogging has made it all possible.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
Definitely, I started blogging back in the hay-day of Myspace back in 2005. There, I basically placed announcements like when a book was coming out, or where a review was published, that kind of thing. I slowly realized I could use the blog to help make a difference in the world and show support to people and organizations I cared about. It’s a great way to network, but it also keeps me writing content and thereby constantly working on my craft. The focus of the blog makes it act like another tool for helping to make the world a better place, and the blog readers encourage me to continue to pursue my passions.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
Yes, I am constantly on the look out for sharing interesting, informative content and truly enjoy networking with others. Through our blog, my husband and I are able to help others live a more conscious, green and proactive, positive lifestyle. Currently, Brummet’s Conscious Blog has about 8,500 readers per month, and most of our posts have a fresh inspiring quote that coincides with the topic of the day. It also keeps me writing content and thereby constantly challenging me to expand and grow as a writer.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
Absolutely, I love that I can create relationships with people I network with, and this often results in reciprocal and ongoing exposure to other blogs and sites. In fact, I am still networking with people I met early in 2004, so blogging can be very effective at keeping those relationships alive!
Through the blog, my husband Dave and I are able to also feature submitted articles and poetry, Q&A interviews, and also interviews on our radio show, depending on the genre. We also have a section of the blog called the Green Tip of the Day as well.
I have been truly amazed at the attention the blog has gotten – it has been recognized over the years by the Brighter Planet Organization, Green Providers, and Versatile Bloggers associations. I love blogging!
And clearly, I can relate. It’s awesome to see people pursuing projects they’re passionate about, not to mention saving the earth while they’re at it.
This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks!
See all Passion Series posts >>
Where am I putting it? I mean really. Is it going towards the right things every day, so that I will one day end up where I want to be? I’ve been reading a lot of Redhead Writing blog posts lately, and the blogger there (Erika) shows me every day that she is putting energy towards making her business better, learning from her mistakes, getting her shit together, and helping other people get their shit together, while occasionally falling apart. All of it made me realize that I need to get my shit together.
I am beginning to feel aimless again, only this time in a more relaxed sense, seeing as how I have moved to a very lively area of the city, and I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be (geographically at least). And I’m not feeling 25-year-old aimless, it’s more like I’m just feeling the need to reassess. I know a few blog posts ago I talked about cleaning up the blog a bit, (I’m sorry if you experienced a poor email experience recently as a subscriber, I’m still sort of tweaking my new email service), but I’ve also been wondering where all of this effort is going. What’s my goal here? Am I trying to gain a wider audience? Make a little extra dough? I love my blog, and I love working on it, but I’m not sure where I’m headed.
I know for sure I want to get started on my Big Adult Move now, which is to create a social platform for writers and artists. That’s one of the reasons why I applied to business school. The details of that venture will be revealed once the website is revealed, but all in all, that is the ultimate direction I want to head in.
So ultimately, I need to get a firm handle on my shit. It flies everywhere all of the time, but it’s time to get a grip. I don’t know exactly where to start, but I know a few things I can do in the meantime to get there, and putting all of my time and energy into the blog isn’t one of them.
But don’t get me wrong, the posts will flow (they keep me sane and happy), and I’m still going to find ways to make it better, but I feel like instead of spending a bunch of cash on hiring a developer and a designer to make this beautiful, I need to be putting my energy towards the QUEST, because spending money on something you don’t know what to do with is a bit unwise, and right now this blog has “I don’t know what to do with you” written all over it.
You know that song “I’m Only Happy When It Rains?” by Garbage? Well, tonight I realized I Only Write When I’m Sad, and I don’t mean blog writing, I mean fiction writing, like short story writing, the kind you do for yourself and hope to one day get paid for.
For the past 6 months or so, I’ve been working on a compilation of short stories, and when I say short, I mean really short, like a page or less. The crazy thing about these short stories is, I only work on them when something has made me upset, and it’s usually not something from the present. Almost every time I crank out a one-pager, it’s because I’ve recently seen or heard something that reminds me of a time in my past when I was upset or depressed, and the only way for me to put that depressing time to bed is to write about it. Literally, it’s the only way for me to cope with it, and I’ll admit it’s the cheapest therapy there is.
I wanted to tell you this, because I feel like it’s important to understand where our passions come from. It’s times like these when I realize that I was actually born to write, because it is the one thing I turn to in all situations, the one thing that calms me, the one thing that comforts me, the one thing that makes insanity acceptable in the eyes of society. And by that I mean I make my fictional characters insane when I’m feeling mad, and by the end of the story I am healed, and the reader has had an adventure.
If you’re feeling insane, and want to dump all of your problems on other people, fiction is the best place to do it.
But before you start getting worried, I am perfectly fine. In fact, I’m only 5 stories in, which means I have only had 5 visits from Heartache in the passed 6 months. But I mean to say that I have realized this very night, that fiction (good fiction) only happens for me when I am upset, whatever that means. And it just so happens that I can’t crank out a single thing otherwise. I’ve been told that this might be a semi-normal thing with writers though. One time, at a Bret Easton Ellis book signing, someone asked if he was working on a new book, and he said he was done writing books because….he was healed.
I knew exactly what he meant, and tonight, that’s exactly what I mean.
Now that I am mostly settled into my new place, I’ve decided to get back to blogging.
“But Monique, you’ve been posting for the past two weeks pretty regularly, what’s changing?”
The past blog posts were auto-pilot Monique. I was posting, doing some SEO here and there, but mostly just neglecting this site and my goals and my mission and my direction and my classes and just my everything in general. And I’m feeling like I need to spring into action again. So as my loyal blog audience, I’d like to share with you a few things I’m changing on the blog. Changing in the best way possible. I want to do things better around here, so it’s time to clean up shop.
First thing on the list – the way you receive my posts in your inbox. The format? It’s ugly. It just says “A Novel Quest” in the subject line, and it’s dull. The other night I switched all of you over to Mail Chimp, an email marketing service, instead of Feedburner. Now when you receive my posts in your inbox, they might be a little different. Tonight is the test run. I’m really not sure how they’re going to look when you receive them, but I’m subscribed myself, so I will see how they turn out. I’d like the title of the blog to go as the Subject line in your email, and then I’d like it to be prettier when you open it.
Second thing on the list – advertising. The best thing about blogging, at least here, is that I can be extremely candid with you about everything I’m doing. Because I work for an internet marketing company, I know a thing or two about advertisements, and how annoying they can be. I refuse to put any kind of disruptive banner, pop up, or interstitial ad on my site, as the user experience is what’s most important to me! But I have found an affiliate program that automatically links words in my content to products you might be interested in. If you buy them, I will get a small cut from that sale. So I’m in the process of creating a Disclosure section of my blog, where I fully disclose that I will sometimes make a small amount from the stuff you guys buy, if you choose to buy something ever. Which you definitely don’t have to do.
Third thing – I’m thinking of a new design. I’d really like my logo to be up there somewhere, and I’d like this place to be spruced up a bit. Given that I’m no designer (need to catch up in my classes for that), I might have to hire an expert of sorts, or download some kind of easy, elegant theme. But that is going to be a work in progress.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but right now, those are the things on my agenda. I’ve already begun using an affiliate program, but I’m not set up to disclose that properly yet, so I need to put a section here somewhere that talks about that. At any rate, those are on the agenda this month with regard to le blog.
Other than that, I just really want to focus on my business school e-book, and finishing up that HTML class I started weeks ago. I feel like since I’ve moved into this new place I’ve just been half assing a lot of the things I used to put a lot of effort into, and I don’t want that to become a habit.
In other news, it’s FRIDAY, and my friend Alyssa got her documentary funded! I am so happy for her and her next step, I can hardly breathe. When you’re finally able to fund your dream…well I can’t even imagine what that feels like.
It’s a beautiful thing. Until next time…here’s a pony dancing.
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
You know those stories you hear about people who are thrown into bad situations, only to turn those situations completely around? That’s the kind of passion we have here tonight. And I’m so happy to share her story with you.
Debbi Barnes was unexpectedly laid off in her late forties. That was the bad situation. But I’m starting to learn that it’s the bad situations that somehow fuel beautifully new and adventurous situations, and that’s exactly what happened to Deb. I’ll let her tell the story.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
I’ve always been a creative person with a passion for writing, but never really took the skill any further than what was needed in my twenty plus career as executive administrator and certainly never had plans of blogging. When I was unexpectedly laid off at 48 years of age, my life took a dark turn with the prospect of being happy and financially secure again all but impossible. Several months prior to the layoff, my cat had a litter of kittens and I was sharing funny emails about their growth process on a weekly basis to my friends and family who encouraged me to write a book about the experience. Close to losing my house and my bank account all but empty, as the weeks of unemployment turned to months, my creativity was all but gone and the thought of writing a sweet and cheerful book was the last thing on my mind.
After an epiphany moment as a result of watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show and some invaluable life lessons learned from my feline family, I was able to pull myself out of my depression and found the strength to write that book, but now, rather than a cute story about the kittens, it was more of an inspirational piece about just how incredible the human-feline bond is and the special journey I shared with them. They opened my eyes to allowing the ordinary in my life to become extraordinary and it was a liberating moment for me. I became consumed with writing about what I cared so much about, my cats, and that is how/why I became a blogger.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
When I first began blogging I was somewhat naive to the severe problem of cat overpopulation on the streets and in shelters (over 70 million homeless cats in the U.S. alone). My book was about my own experience with my cat who had kittens because I didn’t realize I could have her spayed before she was a year old. I accepted full responsibility for the kittens and love them very much, but as a result of blogging and social networking in a circle of cat peers, I soon realized that not everyone had the ability to give an unplanned litter of kittens a good home and it became my passion and purpose to educate people on the importance of spay/neuter as not only a safe and humane means of reducing cat overpopulation, but as a procedure that helps to ensure your cat live a longer, happier, and healthy life.
As a result of this personal goal, I have become an award winning blogger and have raised thousands of dollars and awareness for shelters worldwide. I also freelance for Cat Fancy Magazine and Catster.com and have become Secretary for the nonprofit Organization, Pawsitively Humane, of Miami.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
Because I have become such a strong voice in the world of cat advocacy, I am constantly looking for new ways to motivate and educate people about cat advocacy issues and I wake up each and every day with that goal in mind. Blogging is extremely important to me, but I have found a day job since my layoff, so my time is limited. I have to schedule my time for blogging as best as possible, but I also have to be flexible in order to be relevant. The most important aspect of it is the give and take that I get from my readers – their support inspires me to be a better blogger because I know that I am helping to make the world a better place for our feline friends.
It’s safe to say that Deb was thrown into a situation where she was literally forced to discover her passion, and nothing but good came from it. She also reminds me of my mom (who shares the same name) in a few cool ways: she enjoys writing about her pets, and I’m inclined to believe she also enjoys sewing/decorating. I laughed out loud at a blog post that started with, “When you need an idea for a blog post, I highly recommend you reupholster your dining room chairs.”
While more of a dog fan myself, her blog, the Zee and Zoey Chronicle Connection, has seriously made me reconsider my attitude towards cats. (The entire internet has, actually). Her blog design is insanely creative and ‘cat chic’, and her posts are incredibly attention grabbing. Not to mention all the work she has done with her own cat boutique on Zazzle.com, and all the effort she has put into making her first book happen.
I tell you, the things we can accomplish when the fire is lit.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks!
See all Passion Series posts >>
I was thinking about chaos this morning while toasting a bagel at work. I heard footsteps on the roof, heavy and strong, and knowing how my imagination works, the first scenario that popped into my head was that this heavy-footed construction worker would fall through the kitchen ceiling and crush me. I felt sorry for the little bagel I was about to cream cheese, and how after the construction worker fell on me, everyone would gather around and wonder what to do with it afterward.
Distressful imaginings. And the way reality has a way of being much worse.
I won’t be the only person on the internet blogging about how the tragic explosions at the Boston Marathon made them feel today, but my heart is so heavy, I can’t not use this post as an emotional outlet.
All day long I felt hurt. Marathons, and other similar events, are about cheering on your brother, your sister, your fellow man. It’s a beautiful way for an entire city to come together and support complete strangers in their efforts to achieve such a tremendous physical feat. Seeing those people cheering on the side lines during the half marathons I’ve run in the past…well they made me feel like I could be anything in the world. They cheer you on without even knowing you. There’s something so inherently beautiful about coming together to support complete strangers that really hits me deep, and for someone to take advantage of that with an act of such brutality brings me to my knees.
I am by no means marathon running material. I remember what it was like to cross the finish line after 13 miles, and wanting to just collapse then and there, so I can only imagine the intense combination of exhaustion, pain, adventure, and thrill those runners must have felt crossing that finish line, only to be further challenged by such jarring emotional trauma. My heart goes out to those excited bystanders, who anxiously awaited their daughters, husbands, sons, and wives to cross that finish line, not knowing what was coming. Even with all of the gruesome pictures that have surfaced online, I have been crying at the coffee cups, Coca-cola bottles, and colorful flags scattered across the blood-stained pavement. For me, they just scream no one saw it coming.
And to whoever did it, how fucking dare they.
This past Friday my friend Laura and I drove for about four and a half hours to San Luis Obispo for a Postal Service concert. Postal Service came out back in 2003 when I was a senior in high school. To my knowledge, they only came out with one debut album before the lead singer joined Death Cab For Cutie, but listening to the Postal Service was a defining moment in my adulthood, as they showed me what it meant to slow down.
The most beautiful thing at the concert, aside from the music, was this couple standing in front of us. They were singing along, and looking into each others eyes, and kissing intermittently. They weren’t crazy making out, or being dramatic, but it was all sort of sweet and I found myself smiling at their seemingly blissful connection with the music, and with each other.
After the concert, Laura and I checked into a Motel 6 and decided to romp around downtown San Luis Obispo to see what kind of trouble we could get into. We ended up meeting two girls our age that happened to be at the same concert we were, and were from the neighborhood. We asked them to show us where the nearest bars were, and they ended up guiding us from bar to bar, showing us a great time.
We decided to stay in touch on Facebook, the ultimate stayer in toucher of all stayer in touches.
Saturday I got home around 3:30pm, highly pooped. I’ve decided my body needs about 2 days to recover after a night of drinking, which never used to be the case. It used to be I could get hammered on a Friday night and be ready to go Saturday afternoon no problem. Now? Well, now I need all of Saturday, a few hot meals, and 10 hours of sleep in order to function on Sunday. Bailey apparently was in the same boat. He said after his birthday he was going to be cutting back on drinking so much on the weekends, and maybe indulge about once a month. I was thinking the same, except I think I will only allow myself one night of fun every weekend instead of three. My body just doesn’t seem to be able to tolerate it anymore.
This next week coming up is going to be what I call the ‘week of visiting’. I have a few friends coming over this week to see my new place (finally), and today I had a few of my really close friends over. We walked over for a mimosa brunch at Calendars, even though it was kind of gloomy and overcast outside, but had a really great time. Everyone really liked the new place, and that makes me glad. I really like it too, I just need to get over the ‘spook’ factor. I can’t tell whether or not this place is haunted, but I already want to write a story about it.
Later tonight I’m going to see Evil Dead with a coworker at the Grove for the second time. I sort of love that movie, and what are weekends if not lackluster days to barricade ourselves in dark rooms with lots of blood and gore.
Talk to you again in a day or two. If you’re willing.