Emily Bode 1/1/18 Emily Bode 1/1/18

2017 Year in Review

2017 Year in Review: A recap of celebrations and goals met in my personal and professional life.

Last year was about celebration. This year was about growth. A recap of personal, professional, and travel highlights of the year. Recaps remind me of the magical, often ordinary, moments that I overlook too easily throughout the year. Although it looks clean and organized here, it doesn't feel that way as you're going along living your life so I enjoy taking the time to reflect and celebrate.

Also, see my 2017 Intentions.

Personal

Moved to Grand Rapids

I've talked about this a lot last year (here and here) and plan to more this year. We surprised ourselves by moving to the city because I don't think either of us believed we'd actually go through with it. Things were good where we were and it was tempting to settle into that but no, we had to go and mix it up a bit.

Celebrated our 1-year wedding anniversary

I'm still not ready for our wedding to be over! It was such an amazing weekend I want to relive over and over again. In a way we relived parts of it for our first anniversary; sunbathing at the beach where Joel proposed, dancing to our playlist in the living room while looking at wedding pictures, and grabbing free beers at a local brewery (thanks Kate & Mike!).

Belle passed away

My 18-year old kitty, Belle, passed away last Fall. Admittedly, I'm very much still grieving. We've lost a family member and my first best friend (I got her when I was 9 years old!). I remember the day I got her. My Mom decided on a whim I could pick out a little kitten from the litter (and not tell Dad until we got home). Belle was sleeping on top of the food bowl – she didn't want the food but she didn't want her siblings to have it either – and I knew she was the one for me. I miss her sass, attitude, and tough love cuddles every day, to say the very least.

Attended 4 weddings

I've been extremely sensitive and sappy during weddings since ours. It's truly life-altering and such a celebration of genuine Love, especially at the weddings we went to last year. We celebrated Love of old friends, new friends, my cousin, and one of my best friends where I was her Matron of Honor. I'm looking forward to more Love this year with my other best friend's wedding and some close friends in town!

Made new friends through blogging

One of the reasons I started Brave Girl 4 years ago was for connection with my tribe. I was about to graduate college and was really worked up one day when my favorite instructor told me, "Don't worry, Emily. You haven't found your tribe yet but you will. I promise you will."

She was right. I've met so many thoughtful and full-hearted people like these ladies because of Brave Girl. I'm so grateful for the old and new friendships that have blossomed over this last year. Without friendship and human connection, it's just writing in a black hole to me.

Travel

Austin, Texas

We traveled to Texas last Spring to celebrate my brother-in-law's 30th birthday and have a long weekend away. We flew out the same day we moved into our apartment...a big scheduling error! It was worth it once we got there though. Joel's brother took us to local hot spots and we hiked a trail on the outskirts of the city. We also saw the Texas State Capitol on a day people were protesting Trump which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Recommendations: Bat Bridge / West Sixth Street / Texas State Capitol / Rainey Street

Red River Gorge, Kentucky

Last Fall I went hiking with 3 of my best girlfriends in Kentucky. We stayed in a container cabin, hiked the Natural Bridge Trail, and sipped mulled wine while watching cheesy Christmas movies each night. It was the perfect road trip before the holiday season started. Full of laughter, deep conversations, and only minor worrying about ax murderers on my part.

Recommendations (thanks Dre!): Red River Gorge / Natural Bridge Park / Container cabin Airbnb

Ft. Myers Beach and Cape Coral, Florida

Joel and I spent the last 2 weeks of the year in Florida! We mixed work with play the first week and went mostly unplugged during Christmas break. After a challenging year trying our best to navigate the changes, we were grateful for days of sunshine and water. Most days started with coffee & dolphins and ended watching the sunset and the moon rise in clear skies...truly a dream!

Recommendations: Lovers Key Beach/ Quickie Bike Rentals / Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille/ Pelican Bay Boathouse Airbnb

Professional

No Man Left Behind Has Heart Design at Starbucks

The design I created in partnership with a Vietnam Veteran as part of Has Heart was made into sweaters, tees, and posters for a pop-up shop at Starbucks Reserve in Seattle. When Has Heart co-founder, Tyler Way, contacted me to tell me the news I was so excited! Their mission to aid United States Veterans is making this world a better place and I love how far they've spread the message so far.

Became a full-time freelance designer

Started freelancing full-time the day of the Solar Eclipse. Felt like a good omen. Some of you might not know but I was full-time freelance a few years ago. I picked up where I left off with added experience, knowledge, and chutzpah thanks to my time as an in-house designer and continuing personal projects throughout.

brave-girl_WIP-portfolio-review_02 2.jpg — photo c/o Studio Us

Design Chat at Grand Valley State University

Each year I try to do at least one speaking event around design. I'd like to do more eventually and maybe even teach a design class one day. Last year I had an informal discussion about design after college with junior and senior design students at Grand Valley. I loved hearing where they're at on their design journey and sharing mine in hopes it could help them.

Related: Creative Business Chats

Opened Brave Girl Print Shop

I finally started selling my handlettered prints last year! I was spending time with my mom one weekend last summer and she was like, "By the time you get home, I want to see your prints on Etsy".

It was the kick in the butt I needed to simply begin. Joel was my first sale, Mom was my second, and a handful of you have purchased them throughout the year, thank you! I'm now in 5 shops around town and excited to share the new Spring/Summer collection that I'm working on right now!

Woowee! Definitely not one for brevity these days. I'm grateful for the challenges and celebrations that 2017 brought and I'm looking forward to what 2018 will bring. Another year with not many plans ahead of time. There's a blessing in not forcing things, yes? Intuition and gut decisions work best at the very last second. I hope you've had a wonderful 2017 and take the time you need if you're the reflecting kind like me. Best wishes for 2018 and stay warm! xo, Em

Emily Bode 12/31/17 Emily Bode 12/31/17

January Wolf Moon

Life lately in tune with the monthly full moon cycle.

December Cold Moon – January Wolf Moon

Hello! The January Wolf Moon is the 6th post in Full Moon Monthly, a blog series that recaps life lately and what's on the horizon. The Wolf Moon is on January 1st, what a great way to start the new year! Called the Wolf Moon because it's the time of year when wolves would howl in hunger outside the villages (source). It's the first of 2 full moons this month meaning the next one is a Blue Moon! More on what that means at the end of January. The Astro Twins have 6 Ways to Dive Into the Divine Feminine during this full moon that's too good not to share, as well. Since the Cold Moon last month, there's been a lot of holiday festivities, sunshine, and hibernation.

Mystic Mamma's January full moon reading

January Wolf Moon

New Year's Day

So far it's been really calm. Joel & Tiger went to play video games with my brother, their annual post-holiday event, and I'm doing not a thing. Robe all day, movies on repeat, shitty food, and some online shopping is the plan for me. Hot cocoa mugs are still out from last night (scroll down for NYE) so I'll probably warm up with that too!

Business Goals

January isn't a power month for me so I'm looking forward to getting back into things slowly. I'm looking forward to brainstorming, sketching, and filling out my 2018 Desire Planner this month. I needed the break that December provided to really wrap my head around where Brave Girl needs to go next and the improvements I want to make with my prints and freelance work. I met my 2017 4th quarter goals which I was really happy about! I'm excited to set more measurable goals for this year.

Hygge Living

You may have heard the term hygge (pronounced hue-gah) flying around lately which is basically a term for enjoying the slower pace of the winter season. It's a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment as cozy and charming. It doesn't require major lifestyle changes or purchasing anything but rather sinking into the warmth and coziness that we're blessed to have during these freezing winter days in the North. It's what I plan to do this month – lots of reading by firelight, TV shows by candlelight, sleep, and eating rooted and green foods with lots of hot lemon water.

December Cold Moon

Anthropologie Holiday Fashion Show

So, bad news. I didn't end up doing the Holiday Fashion Show! I accidentally double-booked with Joel's work Christmas party which was on the same exact day. Either way, I heard it was a GREAT event and hope I can do it next year. My friend Tieka of Selective Potential shared her experience walking the runway and LOVE the jumper she wore.

Christmas Cookie Decorating

I decorated the cookies, Joel ate them. It was fun spending a Saturday afternoon with family decorating sugar and gingerbread cookies to Christmas music and laughter. I went the neutral route (of course) with my cookies and pretty much hoarded the white icing.

Holiday Postcards via Moo

We FINALLY sent out Holiday cards this year! I've been wanting to do it for years. I used a photo of us in front of the Moon Lodge that Leigh Ann took with our wedding typeface and got postcards printed at Moo. Joel and I wrote notes on the back while watching Hallmark Christmas movies and drinking eggnog. I also organized our address book that I keep updated on Airtable which made my Type A self very happy. My version of a GOOD TIME!

Resources: Moo Printing/ Airtable/ Adobe Creative Cloud

Florida for Christmas

We spent half of December in Ft. Myer's Beach and Cape Coral. While it was much needed R&R from the cold, it was also a test in working remotely for me. I've done a few trips in the last couple of months to work away from my tiny apartment desk and it went really well! I checked in with clients during set times of the day and logged off for biking to the beach and grabbing margaritas at sunset. I eventually logged off entirely at the end of the week because it was a set vacation after all. We watched dolphins each morning from this view of Pelican Bay and eventually met up with Joel's side of our family for Christmas break poolside in a gorgeous vacation home!

NYE 2018

This NYE was the most chill we've had maybe ever. 2017 was challenging for us with moving to the city, new jobs, my cat Belle of 18 years passing away, and wondering what's next for us. We celebrated with a couple of close friends around the kitchen island, snacking and reflecting on the last year and what we're looking forward to in 2018. I forgot to take a picture of all of us so we snapped one quick before falling asleep.

Full Moon Monthly recaps life lately and what’s on the horizon. See all moons here.

Emily Bode 12/30/17 Emily Bode 12/30/17

2017 Intentions

Brave Girl 2016 Year in Review: A recap of celebrations and goals met in my personal and professional life.

I had three intentions for 2017 that came to fruition throughout the year. I like focusing on intentions rather than goals because intentions include the why behind what you're doing. The Desire Planner by Danielle LaPorte has been the catalyst to my approach. It's a planner that prompts scheduling each month/week/day based upon desires you have vs. ticking things off a list without rhyme or reason. I'm frustratingly deep that way. So, here are three intentions I had in 2017 and the ways I met them:

1 | Dedication to writing

I rebranded my website last January and got serious about sharing my design work, handlettering, and being consistent on topics that not only light me up but are beneficial to you as a reader of Brave Girl. I also started writing 30 minutes stream of consciousness most mornings to converse with myself before I let others' tasks take priority. Maybe this sounds selfish but it ended up helping immensely to have clarity around what I want, what's bothering me, and allowed me to heal through a lot of difficult things last year.

2 | Emotional Wellness

Emotional wellness became my top priority last year. Writing each morning helped a lot with this. It seems trying to act like everything is ok only creates bigger issues down the road in a person's life...who knew? It's a pretty layered topic but all in all, I started listening within more for what my body, mind, and soul were telling me they needed (found out booze and sugar weren't things they wanted).

Hot yoga and WERQ dance class helped immensely. A simple walk with Tiger to break up the day and shutting down screens by 10pm (most nights) worked wonders as well. I hope to continue this and grow even more in listening to what I need in 2018.

photo c/o Sincerely Ashley

3 | Budget and Purge

Moving to Grand Rapids and going freelance really forced our hand with this. The people closest to me know how finicky I can be with items I allow into our home. Life with a designer, I suppose. Joel should have a separate blog where he talks about that, don't you think?! Either way, the move to a smaller space prompted us to keep only the essentials. The items we loved but weren't practical right now (like these glass vases from our wedding) found other homes meant for them now.

Budgeting was also a big challenge this year as we both got new jobs and since marriage realized how different our perspectives around money could be. We grew a lot! I'm excited for what the next couple of years may bring now that we're working together on this and have communicated our needs and perspectives better.

I'm looking forward to sharing more monthly updates, creative business chats, and capsule wardrobe posts with you in 2018. Thank you for reading Brave Girl last year and for your continued support in the comments, direct messages, and emails. I read every one and each means so much to me! xo, Em

Emily Bode 12/12/17 Emily Bode 12/12/17

Best Nine 2017

Have you heard of the Best 9 on Instagram? You may have seen people posting a grid of 9 photos with #2017bestnine. It's a generator that shows you a summary of the top 9 posts your followers liked the most this year.

2016

3.1k likes in 95 posts
33 likes/post

These numbers are neither good nor bad to me but a way to compare with 2017. What this shows me is I was kind of all over the place in 2016 – from outfit posts, trying my hand at interiors and flat lay styling, a hint of hand lettering work, and bits of chatting about creativity. I experimented a lot and challenged myself to try new things. I was also getting married, working 50+ hrs./wk, and moving to a different city. Shit, I WAS all over the place!

2017

9.2k likes in 113 posts
81 likes/post

I was more visually consistent in 2017 and think that has something to do with growing a bit but the point I really want to make is this: I didn't suddenly change what I believe in to increase my following. Only one thing changed: I started believing in myself and the message I have to share. Gaining confidence also allowed me to be honest with myself. I don't enjoy being a photographer but rather LOVE working with photographers (like Leigh Ann). This gave me more time to write, which I really love, as I'm sure you can tell by my super long posts.

Anyway, I guess I'm telling you this in case you're being hard on yourself about not being where you thought you'd be at this point in your life. Or if you're feeling pressure to grow in a direction that is cool but isn't speaking to you. You have to have years where you're all over the place, years where you're confident in who you are, and years when, who knows how you'll feel or who you'll be but it'll be beautiful for completely new and different reasons.

Let's celebrate how far we've come before we dig into the work ahead, shall we?! What accomplishment are you most proud of this year? Share it with me below.

Emily Bode 12/3/17 Emily Bode 12/3/17

Creative Business Chats: 3 Tips to Begin Freelance Design

...WITHOUT PULLING YOUR HAIR OUT

is the full working title of this week's Creative Business Chat. I'm not shy to share that the road to being a freelance designer has been rocky for me at times (here). Freelance isn't easy but there are many benefits like the quote I shared in my first Creative Business Chat.

Work and life are so intertwined for me. This kind of lifestyle isn't for everybody. I know a lot of people who separate work and life beautifully and I really admire them for it. Turning work off and turning life on with a definitive boundary line is an art form in itself. I can't find the on and off buttons like that so more flexible boundaries that freelancing allows works best for me. :)

Learning who you are and how you work best is the most important way to know if having a freelance career is right for you.

3 Tips to begin freelance design

So I want to share 3 lessons I've learned the hard way:

1 | Save 6-12 months worth of earnings

I believe in taking calculated risks, not cross-your-fingers-and-hope-it-works type risks (usually). I had 12 months’ worth of savings before giving notice at my first studio job to make sure rent, student loans, and other bills could be paid in worst-case scenarios (ie: unexpected software expenses, killed projects, or sick days). Misconception: you'll start profiting the very day you start freelancing. This simply isn't true. This leads me to next my tip...

Money-saving resources: Freshbooks / EveryDollar / Mint

2 | Book 1-2 retainer clients before going full-time

Having a couple of retainer clients will keep you afloat when other projects fall through. I worked with a great web design company designing websites and an iPad grocery store app when I first started. If your full-time job didn't make you sign a non-compete, you'll be able to overlap gigs until going on your own. Make sure whatever projects you're doing on the side isn't something unethical during this transition time. It's bad practice and disrespectful to your full-time employees to be moonlighting within the same industry they are in. You don't have to take away business from others to find your own.

These large projects kept me booked 20 hours/week. It was the stability I needed to step out on my own and seek brand and handlettering clients for the other 20 hours/week. This stability kept me confident in myself when I had to kill a project for a new business in town due to scheduling and contract issues. A lesson in boundaries for sure but one that would've hurt me financially and creatively if I didn't have other work to get me through that hard lesson.

3 | Part-time job for stability and creative breaks

Seems odd to suggest you work more to take breaks, doesn't it? I'm not saying this is the BEST WAY but it's the way that worked for me. I maintained financial stability while building my portfolio by having a retainer client and taking a part-time job.

Reduce the chances of burning out creatively by taking a part-time job unrelated to design.

I worked in a greenhouse because I've always loved plants, gardening, and nature. Tending to plants was therapeutic and made me focus on something other than design. You have to step away to refill your tanks. I did for 20 hours/week deadheading plants, watering trees, and hauling 50lb. bags of corn to customers’ vehicles. BONUS: My arms got really toned.

Resources for taking creative breaks: The Greenhouse / Meditation

This is a good time to debunk another freelance myth: you'll only work 40 hours/week.

WRONG, especially when getting started. From the 3 tips, you may have noticed:

+ 20 hrs./week after 5 pm with my own clients (and more when I went full-time freelance)
+ 20 hrs./week on brand and handlettering work for my portfolio
+ 20 hrs./week at a part-time job for financial stability and creative breaks
—
60 hrs. total/week

Chances are if you've read this far you're a motivated and disciplined self-starter so this probably isn't surprising to you. What you trade-in for the freedom you make up for in hours worked. It's why loving what you do is basically a freelance requirement. The hardest part for me was BELIEVING I could work this way as a freelance designer and knowing I DESERVE to work how I work best. Once you face your own demons of what's keeping you from starting, then you can truly begin.

I hope sharing more behind the scenes about my experience can help you delve into why and how you can begin a side gig or full-time freelancing as a designer. Comment below: What questions do you have? Or a reflection we can build upon? Let me know!

Creative Business Chats foster conversation and community amongst creatives seeking tips for getting started. Includes behind the scenes of freelance/business ownership. See all chats here.

Photos by Leigh Ann Cobb Photography

Emily Bode 12/1/17 Emily Bode 12/1/17

December Cold Moon

Life lately in tune with the monthly full moon cycle.

November Frost Moon – December Cold Moon

Hello! The December Cold Moon is the 5th post in Full Moon Monthly, a series on Brave Girl that recaps life lately and what's on the horizon. The Cold Moon is also known as the Long Nights Moon because it's close to the Winter Solstice, the day with the least amount of daylight (source). This month's moon is unique because it's the only Supermoon of 2017! Meaning you'll notice it's brighter and bigger because it's closer to the Earth than the other moons have been this year. Since the Frost Moon last month, there's been a lot of travel and visiting with friends and family.

Mystic Mamma's December full moon reading