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Feelings, Life, Work

On Being Your Authentic Self

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(NOTE: I originally posted another version of this to my LinkedIn profile, but thought it would be a good post to share here as well – it’ll make sense once you read it.)

Hey, it’s been a LONG while! Just a quick thought today. Not that I share them often here! 🤔

I have been doing BIG brave things recently – applying for full-time jobs that offer more stability and professional development than a freelance career currently does (if you know, you know). I have years’ worth of experience and skills I know are valuable, even if I don’t have a formal college degree. It’s a tough market, job-wise, but I am pursuing opportunities I think would be beneficial for me and the companies that might want to hire me.

So, I’ve been carefully checking out companies whose values align with mine – places that truly care about their employees and the people they serve. I’ve been reading employer/employee reviews, seeing how these companies interact with the public, and so on. It’s helped me to identify places I could see myself working for many years if I’m the right fit. 🙏

And then I think, okay, but how would these companies see ME? If I’m checking them out, they’re also going to check my references and social media posts, etc, to get an idea of who I am too.

I Know You Are, But What Am I?

Should I go through every post I’ve ever made anywhere – maybe delete some of them? Or have I been honest, authentic, and human? (God knows I have been on this blog…go ahead and read some old posts if you’d like.) ✌️

I keep a fairly low profile on social media for the most part (if you know where to look, you can find me out there, although I don’t post on Twitter/X anymore – sorry not sorry, but it’s complete trash now). But, I do speak up about the issues and news that I care about. We can’t remain silent when others want to control what we think or how we live our lives. If we’re not out there speaking up, endorsing the candidates who best represent us, and occasionally clapping back at those who want to do harm and/or bully us, how does that make us look?

If we are bold enough to express ourselves, be real, maybe swear a little or say something snarky, at least we are showing we care enough to stand up and be seen and would do the same for others. 👋

So, maybe we might surprise people with a little spicy language and strong opinions (handled tactfully, of course), but if we genuinely care about the people around us, then we have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. And if a company can accept us as we are, along with seeing our potential to do a good job, well then all the better they took the time to give us a shot. 🙏

Be Yourself, But Don’t Be a Dick!

Not saying we want to be truly awful and careless out there, but to just be ourselves. And you know, by doing the right thing and acting on our best behavior in a professional setting. Maybe we’re not for everyone (especially my fellow neurospicies out there), but the right people will see and honor our spunk, our kindness, and desire to be the best we can be – in a way that can benefit everyone. In life, on the job, and everywhere in-between. 🙏

And as Wil Wheaton reminds us every year on July 29th, his birthday is what he calls “Don’t Be a Dick Day.” Something we can try to aim for every day. So, let’s try our best not to be, right? Nobody’s perfect, but as long as we’re willing to learn and grow, we’re all fighting the same good fight in this life.

Just be human, and just be unapologetically YOU. Your people and those who truly value you will appreciate, honor, and encourage you for it. To heck with the rest of ‘em. I know there are people who may not like me or agree with me, and I may feel the same about some of them too, and that’s okay. And I’m doing just fine living my life in an authentic, honest, and compassionate, way. ✌️

Feelings, Life, Work

Last Post for 2017!

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I realize it’s been a rather long, tedious year for many of us, and since my last post earlier in the year, I can honestly say I don’t have a ton to add except that I’m living life. Working, paying bills, taking time out for self-care sessions. Aren’t we all? So rather than ramble on, know that WE SURVIVED 2017 and will continue to survive despite all the chaos going on in this world right now. And that’s enough right now.

So, simple and short as this is, stay tuned, because just like it does for all of you, time marches on. Keep being you, look out for your fellow humans and animals, and live, laugh, and love often!

Smile, you made it!

Smile, you made it!

Like this image? Find it and other ladybug-inspired designs over on Zazzle!

Peace out until we meet again!

Art, Creative Writing, Design, Entertainment, Feelings, Life, Work

Holy Cow, Time Flies!

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Well, I guess it has been awhile since the last blog post…since August of 2014? Oops!

What have I been up to since then? Mostly working on projects, some of my own, several for design and content writing clients; traveled a bit, but not enough; met and greeted Josh Groban a couple more times (pictures for another day); helped plan and put on a 20-year high school reunion (WTF?!?!?)…so, taking time to write about life has sort of been a non-priority. I thought it might be a good idea to just quickly post here so 2015 doesn’t feel too left out, so a longer post will have to wait!

As for those things that made me realize my life needed redirection, and in following my own calling, I realize some things are just best left in the past. As time passes, people and situations that have caused unhappiness and unbearable stress aren’t worth worrying about anymore. People and environments sometimes change for the better, others don’t, and as it turns out, our being present or absent has little or nothing to do with it. Sometimes to walk away and keep one’s distance is the best, healthiest thing you can do for your own sake. If people don’t like what you do or how you do things, why worry; put those feelings into something more worthwhile, always. Honestly, if nothing’s going to change in the here and now, and you realize separating yourself from those unhappy/unpleasant places is what you need to finally land where you belong, whether it’s leaving a “dead-end” job, breaking off a toxic relationship, or overcoming a persistent roadblock in life (or all of the above), push forward with no regrets and don’t look back – let the messes you can’t fix fall onto someone else’s lap, focus on your dreams and goals, and keep looking up. Enough said there.

snailbowimgprofile

“Keep Looking Up” – Watercolor painting by Jill M. Sheehan, available as a print and in other formats on Society6, Redbubble, and Zazzle.

Things to Come in 2016:

  • Taking on more design and writing projects for clients;
  • Finally getting my JillthePill Design site launched beyond a “landing page” state;
  • More personal artwork projects; you’ll find several designs are currently available as high-quality art prints, stationery and personalizable housewares on Society6, Redbubble, and Zazzle. (<–Shameless plugs)
  • Working on developing more handmade pieces – some previous work is available on Etsy, but I’ll be adding new designs as I hone my artsy-fartsy skills!

And beyond that, I just have to see where things go, because holy cow, time flies.

Stay tuned – have a happy, healthy 2016 and beyond! Carpe diem! 😀

Art, Crafty, Design, Site Updates, Social Media, Work

Preparing to Launch.

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Hello! Consider this my August/September post, because I’ve been a busy bee as of late!

While I have been working on various projects for others this year, I have also been slowly tinkering away at getting my own “brand,” if you will, up and running as well. Just a few more details left to finish – the fun, business-side of things: loading up the online shop, writing up product descriptions and going over shop policies, making sure everything works properly, etc.. Yes, this means finally, for those who have been wondering when it’d happen, I have actual products in my hands, and just in time for those who might want to buy a few things as holiday gifts. You only have a few months left! 😉

It always feels good to be productive working for others, but it’s definitely another challenge altogether when it’s your own brand identity, that’s for sure. I am such a stickler for quality when it comes to my own work, though I am learning to go with the flow and not worry too much about perfection, focusing more on the art and craft of making each creation my own. I hope this will reflect in the works I will be selling – I’ve taken advantage of working outside on beautiful sunny days, and toiled into the wee hours over the past several months, and I feel like I have works of art people will really like. The hardest critic to please, as always, is the inner critic of the artist themselves, so you know if I’m content with my work, that’s saying something. I have learned and grown creatively, not just emotionally, and I am eager to share the fruits of my labor. Here’s a little sneak peek at a couple sticky note designs that will be available at launch (click the image to embiggen):

Sticky note design preview.

Tell someone to “stick it” with these notes! 🙂

My illustrative style is more on the cutesy side, although I am capable of doing sophisticated designs if people are interested. Being a smartass-at-heart, I can’t help being a little sarcastic and having fun with these initial designs, something you will definitely see regularly in my “Zom-Bee” creations. So, hang in there, it’s almost ready (I really mean it this time!), and if you have ideas of things you’d like to see, leave a comment here or drop me a note. 😀 You can “like” the page on Facebook, and comment there, too.

I’ve plugged it before, but in case you didn’t know, the design site can be found on JillthePill Design – that’s where you’ll be able to find a portfolio of my work, hire me to work on your own projects (I specialize in print design, but I can do more than that, just ask), and buy my creations as well. It’s not 100% ready, so just drop your E-mail into the form on the landing page there, and you’ll be notified when it launches – if you need incentive, I’ll be rewarding early adopters with a discount code!

Thanks for tuning in; things are getting exciting here! -Jill 🙂

P.S. – Here is a shameless plug for one of my client projects – my mom is also about to launch her fine jewelry design shop and site, VerLen & Sydney. It’s still in landing page phase as well, but you can sign up for updates, and “like” her page on Facebook, too. Thanks! 🙂

Art, Crafty, Design, Feelings, Life, Mathnet, Site Updates, Square One TV, Work

Time Marches On.

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Wow, June has come to an end already. Half the year gone POOF? What is with that? Seriously, time…just slips away, no matter where you are or what you do. Let this serve as a reminder that life and time is short, so make the most of it! 🙂

So many things as usual on the mind, recently lost a beloved furry friend (R.I.P., Mr. Biddles), but I am finding, as time marches on, that things that were giving me worries and regrets earlier this year are no longer important enough to fret over, or rather, have faded into the past where they belong. Feelings of anxiety, emptiness, anger, frustration, sadness, all that is no longer hounding me, or very rarely these days. The time I have had to focus on finding myself in my element again has been good medicine, and surely a few of those who have been following along don’t want to hear that, but perhaps the problem isn’t really me, in that case. 😉 Finding what is going to make my life the best it can be (while the show is just me) is the main task for my life. While I am here to support and care for those in need (ALWAYS), and even those who don’t need it at this time, we have to look out for ourselves first and foremost; if you lose yourself in trying too hard to please everyone else, avoiding making waves to a point you become a pushover, blankly going through the motions, getting back to YOU can be a difficult journey. But honestly, I need not go on about that, because I have found peace in the process of moving ahead, and that is giving me motivation to tackle the things I had pushed aside for a long time. Don’t like that? Too bad; nobody’s making you read this anyway, and my give-a-damn’s busted. 😛

The coming months will be busier yet; over the past months, I’ve been working gradually toward making art my (eventual) full-time life; it takes time to get everything just right, with projects and client work on all sides, but it will be worthwhile for those who have been waiting ever-so-patiently to get things launched and up for sale in my design business. If you haven’t hopped over there yet, check out my business site at JillthePill Design (currently a landing page), and track the progress, answer polls and “like” the page over at Facebook; it’s nearly launch time, but before I unwrap the site, I’m working on getting physical goods made and assembled, while also helping my mom get her stuff going, too. (If you like one-of-a-kind, fine jewelry pieces, her stuff will be right up your alley!) My aim is to avoid any bumps in the road upon opening the virtual shop doors, so fingers crossed that works out!

Spring? Plants? I hate them. I made my zom-bees months before Grumpy Cat became a thing, but if the shoe fits, Tardar would hate these, too.

This is a Zom-BEE™. Don’t you want to own one of these “happy” fellas? I think you do…

Other than that, nothing of terrible importance to report at this time; once things have officially launched, I intend to get back into tackling those personal projects that have languished for far too long…yes, that means you guys, Mathnet fans. In fact, Mental_Floss recently posted an article that pays homage to the show, and we have dropped the ball a bit with keeping things updated. Enjoy things as they are now, and know that they will be revamped one of these days…we (the fans) really want to inspire enough confidence in the folks at Sesame Workshop so maybe they’ll finally bring Square One TV back – the youth of today could certainly use it!

Okay, that’s it for this month, since it’s essentially over now. Enjoy the summer (or winter, depending where you are), and I’ll be here to yap at nobody in particular (probably just myself at this point) at some point in July. Take care! 😀