Evernotes Every Friday

I’ve been having fun taking a break from the usual “Evernotes Every” by showing you sneak peeks of current projects and while I still have enough new projects to give you glimpses of… I want to do something different again.

Early mornings and late nights at the computer have drained my creative juices but I don’t want that to stall the quality of my design work.

At some point this has become my unspoken mantra:

And while I sure do love Tina Fey, my inability to say no has led to a continual feeling of discouragement and perpetual drowning.

So I don’t want this blog to turn in to another “to do” so in my lack of time from reading the usual blogs, I have been feeling encouraged and inspired from reading a few blogs this week that have motivated me to keep chugging away at “the list.” Next time I am in this same cycle of craziness, I hope to reference this post and I hope you can too.

1. You Are Extraordinary

I really really love Lara Casey’s blog… it’s so full of advice—Godly advice for creatives/professionals/women/wives… This post in particular is about finding your worth through God and once you realize who you are to God you can help others and truly love them. I am not in any way nearly as eloquent as Lara and this beautiful post can’t even be summed up in a sentence or two so read it in full here.

2. 2013 Goals: Progress, Not Perfection

More of Lara’s blog… here’s a post where she sums up all her motivating, goal setting and “making things happen” posts that she started the year 2013 with.

3. Activity Breeds Activity

Over this last year where I have been working from home more often than not, I have truly learned what schedule works best for me. With as much freelance work as I take on, sometimes one or two late nights—or early mornings—a week where I am feeling inspired to get things done is much more productive than trying to fit an hour in here or there. I truly thrive on deadlines and the rush to get things done (right now I just need more of a balance though).

Anyway, Nubby Twiglet wrote a post on “activity breeds activity.” Her topic is more about blogging and continuing to blog even when you don’t feel like it. I feel as though this can apply to a great many more topics though. Even non work related activities, like working out. Once I get started, I don’t regret it nor have as much of a hard time getting going the next day. Read more from Nubby here.

4. A 4-Step Plan to Feel Better

And of course, here’s a simply put 4-step plan to get motivated and moving: get sweaty, get wet, nap and drink coffee. For the details of that, check out this post on Yes and Yes.

5. Rodney Atkins – If You’re Going Through Hell

And finally, I have noticed that it depends on the project but sometimes I gotta have music blaring to get me through but other times I need a good movie on Netflix playing in the background. If I am particularly needing a jumpstart, I have really liked listening to this Rodney Atkins song if only for the chorus words “don’t slow down.”