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| IMG Src - IMAGINE GNATS |
It's a special thing to be lucky enough to have "met" so many of you and to have made so many wonderful and truly amazing friends. People I would never have had the chance to meet in life if not for blogging. There's such a great support system online and without it I would truly not be as happy as I am now in my 30's. It helped me found out "who" I really am and to go after my dreams.
That being said I've also been lucky to watch so many dear friends careers soar! Watching others go after their dreams and succeed is pretty much as good as doing it yourself. I truly believe that when you are a creative individual the ones that understand your quirks and nuances the best are the other creatives in your life. We all need them. You know the ones that understand why you stay up all night because you "just had to sew" or "you had to finish turning your heel" or "you had a great design idea and had to sketch it all out". Those people. The ones who know why we do the things we do to feed our soul and to fill our hearts. The ones who know the happiness of creating and making. Whether it be sewing, knitting, drawing, designing, writing etc....if you create you just understand. That network of support is invaluable to us...we need it.
So today I'm showing some support to my pal Rachael of Imagine Gnats. She's going after one of her dreams and I really want to cheer her on! It's sort of my virtual "hurray" for her. Rachael is so talented and such a sweet & funny friend. When she started her sewing pattern line I was just over the moon for her! Her designs are some of my faves and the kids and I both enjoy them. She's been doing great things and her next goal & wish is to be able to release paper versions for sale of her already popular PDF sewing patterns.
How was she going to achieve this? Well, I was interested too. This is something I hope to one day do as well so I've been following along with Rachael (nagging her with questions all the time...lol...sorry Rachael) and realized it's quite a big financial investment to get them going. So Rachael has started a Indiegogo Campaign to crowd raise funds for her new business endeavor! I love when my friends do this! I feel good knowing I can do something to help their business become a reality. Even $1, $5, $10 or whatever you can contribute can help someone reach for the stars! What better way to show our kids that you can go after your dreams?
I've contributed to 2 other friends campaigns and I tell you it feels great. And no, I'm not trying to get all preachy and sales pitch like here. I'm just sayin' it feels good to help out someone you care about. You can contribute whatever you can afford and some price levels bring you fun perks too! I strongly believe you can't reach the stars alone. It takes family, friends and community to support you. To believe in you. Having that belief and confidence in your dream makes a world of a difference. If you think and believe you can make it happen you truly can.
Here's a little bit about Rachael and her campaign....
imagine gnats started as a little etsy shop, selling small sewn items to help support my family and also to give me a creative outlet in a corporate world. it's come a long way in just five years... from a hobby to a full-time job. my love of sewing and design has grown as well, and now my own sewing patterns help and inspire others to create.
i am proud to have created patterns for garments that are easy to sew and easy to wear. imagine gnats patterns feature classic silhouettes with a modern twist that incorporate clever details and practical techniques
currently, my patterns are all offered as printable pdfs. the money raised on indiegogo will help cover the costs of an initial run of paper patterns, which means sharing my designs with even more sewists and inspiring more people.
for the cost of one pattern, you can help me reach my goal AND be one of the first to get the printed pattern of your choice. for a little bit more, you can get a full set of imagine gnats printed patterns. plus, early bird specials offer even better deals for the first contributors!
my initial print run will include 500 each of my existing five garment patterns. all of the money raised will go directly to that effort. once patterns are printed, i begin the selling and distribution phase.
i would love for you to tweet, share on facebook, email your friends and family... anything that will get the word out. every share helps and is so appreciated.
So today I'm saying "you can do it" Rachael. We're cheering you on girl! You go stand on those tippy toes and touch the stars. I can't wait to see how far you will soar!
If you would like to contribute to Rachael's campaign click HERE to read all about it. You can also visit her over on Imagine Gnats and check out her lovely pattern shop here as well.
Are you reaching for the stars as well? What is your "creative" dream? Do you have a special support system in your life that helps you be "you"? Coffee's on & I'd love to hear from you!