Category: Pursuing Passions

Pursuing Passions

10 Classic Holiday Movies to Inspire the Creative in You

Rhiza3 Comments

Originally published in 2017. But.. it’s that time of the year so I’m bringing this up. ;)

Growing up with about a hundred cousins, Christmas gatherings and family reunions were huge parts of my childhood. I enjoyed the company of my cousins and somehow that made me believe I was a party-going social butterfly and Christmas parties are the only way to do Christmas.

I couldn’t have been more wrong about myself. As I got older, I realised I prefer Christmasses to be quiet, intimate, and cozy.

Late night movie marathons with my husband when the twins have gone to sleep is pretty high up on my grownup Christmas list. Give me cups of hot choco, a blanket, and the faint glow of a twinkly Christmas tree and I’m so there. 

I did a quick Google search for movies to watch this holiday season and I’m surprised to find Christmas movie lists that don’t really suit my taste. And by “my taste” I mean, (1) family-oriented (2) romantic comedies, (3) usually set in some of the most iconic cities in the world, (4) with fall or winter season as backdrop, and (5) with main characters that are more or less in the creative field. 

So I started making this Christmas movie list!

Let’s get to it.

1. You’ve Got Mail

While I don’t really intend to rank these movies, it felt right to place You’ve Got Mail at the top of the list. Y’all know that the plot actually started in the Fall (ehem, “Don’t you just love New York in the fall?“) and ended sometime in Spring, where we find Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) smooching at Riverside Park.

But some of its prettiest moments happened in the Christmas season.

Who would forget Kathleen putting up Christmas lights by her book shop’s window display (“Meanwhile, I’m going to put up more twinkling lights“), or when they had a “first date” at Cafe Lola? Uhm, not me.

You've Got Mail Shop Around the Corner

You've Got Mail Cafe Lola

What inspires me

Every time I watch this movie I feel like wanting to put up my own shop around a corner somewhere! (Tell me you feel the same way.) What Kathleen went through as a small business owner, competing against big “theme park, multi-level, homogenize-the-world mochaccino land” brands, is something relatable to us creatives. The love story is the icing on the cake, but Kathleen’s journey as a passionate, book-loving, female shop owner living in New York City (who occasionally lurked around online chatrooms), is everything in this movie.

As Frank so eloquently typed on his typewriter, she was “a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce.” (I am seriously typing these lines from memory.) She sold children’s books not only to make a living but also because it was her passion, her family’s legacy.

And then, of course, we know that she had to bravely close shop, and don’t we all find ourselves in that same crossroad every now and then? Closing chapters and letting go to make room for, you know, life things?

You’ve Got Mail is a classic, and yes, it just had to be #1 on my list.

2. Serendipity

These first two movies are probably my most favorite romantic comedies of all time (is it just me the rom coms of the 90s are the best??).

The movie started during a busy holiday season, where Sarah Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) met in the middle of a jampacked Bloomingdale’s. And y’all know that the story ended a year later, on a cold December night at the Wollman Rink in Central Park.

On a personal note, there’s something incredibly inspiring about being in New York in the last quarter of the year! The cold weather, the holiday rush, the lights, the fashion, Central Park, Serendipity’s frozen hot chocolate. Ahh. <3

Serendipity

Serendipity Movie Casiopia

What inspires me

There’s a lot in the movie that inspires me, but I want to specifically cite Jonathan’s pretend-eulogy, written by Dean, his obituary-writing best friend, “Even in certain defeat, the courageous Trager secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. But rather, its a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan.”

Sure it was about a boy and a girl serendipitously meeting each other in the most romantic of cities, letting each other go, and somewhat finding each other again. But underneath the love story are so many other things about life, and passion, and knowing that, yes, life is not a series of meaningless coincidences. Everything that happens in our journey—the good and the bad—ultimately leads us to the center of Wollman Rink, whatever Wollman Rink represents in your life.

3. The Family Man

I’m surprised to know that not a lot of people I know are familiar with this one. It’s a Nicholas Cage drama, and I suppose we’re all not used to Nicholas Cage being, well, a family man? (Here’s the 2000 trailer.)

In the movie, he played Jack Campbell, a Wall Street investment broker who had everything he wanted in life until he was given a glimpse into what he was really missing. By some magic, he woke up to a life he would have lived if he chose to marry his college girlfriend Kate—a tire salesman living in Jersey with two kids—which is a million times different from his luxurious Wall Street lifestyle and bachelor existence.

I love Kate Reynolds (Tea Leoni), both her “glimpse” and her present self. In the “glimpse”, she was a nonprofit lawyer who chose family over a high paying career. In reality, when Jack didn’t marry her, she became a successful corporate lawyer in Manhattan and had a bright future waiting for her in Paris. I think she would have lived a successful and passionate life, either way. :)

Family Man

familyman2

What inspires me

The story was all about the sacrifices that come with choosing family life over career, or vice versa. I think that regardless of the path they chose, both Jack and Kate would end up living passionate lives anyway; and as it is a fictional love story, they would end up together anyway. And I like that!

My husband and I talk about these scenarios a lot. Like, what if we had set aside our life together for a few more years, didn’t marry each other (yet) and prioritized our careers… Would we have ended together still? Would we have a better life? Or then again, would we have missed out the adventure of pursuing our dreams together?

Point is, I’m not one to say that family life is better than a career, or being married and having children is better than being single. I think regardless of our statuses and seasons in life, kids or not, single or married, we can always choose to be content and happy and passionate.

Well, that went too deep too fast. You should really watch The Family Man!

4. Stuck in Love

This one’s a story about a family of writers who struggled with their creative processes in the midst of their challenges as a family. William (Greg Kinnear), a world-renowned writer with several bestsellers under his name, was separated from his wife Erica (Jennifer Connelly). Quite the stubborn ex-husband, William spent the past two Thanksgivings setting up a spot in the table for her, believing that someday she would come back.

Meanwhile, their children Samantha (Lily Collins) and Rusty (Nat Wolff) had to witness all of the drama and to live through their weird family dynamics. Sam, who has become cynical about love and marriage, hated her mother for leaving their father, eventually writing her first fiction novel with true-to-life references to her parents’ failure at love.

She and Rusty grew up wanting to be writers, mostly because of their father’s pressure and influence (and quite possibly genes) but had to struggle through their father’s high expectations. As William pressured his children to write, he struggled with writing himself.

In all of these, everyone in the family ended up finding love, and each other. And then of course I love the soundtrack. And Kirsten Bell’s cameo.

Don’t let me give out all the details! (I’m stopping.) Here’s the 2012 trailer, btw. I really like watching this movie and talking about it. Again, not a lot of people I know have seen it. (Have you? Seen it? Talk to me!!)

Stuck in Love

Stuck in Love

Stuck in Love

What inspires me

For obvious reasons, I love that this was a story about writers and writing—the real-life inspiration behind writing beautiful stories, how writers draw ideas from personal experiences, broken hearts, joy, pain.

William quoted from his favorite books when he gave words of advice to his children, and he had a pretty inspiring speech himself during Sam’s book launch where he addressed other young, aspiring writers. (Here’s the clip.)

“.. I’m not sure I have much to say about it (writing) that could benefit you. I still find it all very mysterious, years after I wrote my first book. And I’m not sure what it is that compels a person to continue to play make-believe even after they’re an adult. 

My favorite book is a collection of short stories by Raymond Carver called What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. In the closing lines of the book, Carver says, ‘I could hear my heart beating. I could hear everyone’s heart. I could hear the human noise we sat there making. Not one of us moved, not even when the room went dark.’ 

And I think that that’s what writing is. Is listening to that beating heart. And when we hear it, it’s our job to decipher it to the best of our abilities.”

Finally (ok, ok I’m done), the story was about different manifestations of love: Love for the art of writing, love for family, love for life. It was about husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers. I love that Stuck in Love ain’t your ordinary love story. It tackled realistic situations that make or break a family, and I’m glad that in the end, they all decided to let love win.

5. While You Were Sleeping

Another classic, I remember watching this on the big screen with my mom and I think it was about the time I started getting “into” Hollywood romcoms. (Thanks, Mom!) And I probably shouldn’t talk about how I crushed on Bill Pullman for about a year after watching this flick.. yes, you guys, at 12 years old.

It’s one of my most favorite classics to watch, and the Callaghans have become almost like those distant relatives you really like seeing on Christmas.

There’s a bit of everything in the story—about growing up without a family, belonging to a family, dreaming of Florence since you were a little girl, doing a monotonous job that makes you die a little each day, figuring out what your real passion in life is, going through what you thought was just an ordinary day not knowing that it would change your life forever.

While You Were Sleeping

While You Were Sleeping

What inspires me

While Lucy (Sandra Bullock) was the main character of the story, I like Jack (Pullman)’s side-story, where he told his father that he didn’t want to continue doing their family business anymore, instead, he wanted to start his own. A skilled carpenter and furniture designer, Jack decided to do his side business full-time. Relate much? :)

And then there’s Lucy’s closing lines, of course, forever engraved in our minds. “So I had planned to marry Peter, but I married Jack instead. I guess my father was right. Life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned. But Jack, Jack gave me the best gift, a stamp in my passport. He took me to Florence for our honeymoon. I guess you can say he gave me the world.”

Hearts all over my eyes.

6. Time Travelers Wife

This one’s maybe too heavy for Christmas because there’s a bit of a tragic death in there (it’s not like you don’t already know what happened). But even with that significant plot twist, the story had a lot of happy and funny and heartwarming moments.

Not to mention, Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. Also, who doesn’t like a love story with a bit of time travel?

Time Traveler's Wife

Time Traveler's Wife

Time Travelers Wife, Clare's Studio

What inspires me

I love the little detail that Clare (Rachel McAdams) was an artist and a few scenes were taken in her little studio by the garage. I think artists have a special way of seeing life and raising a family, and I love how that played out for Clare’s character.

But most of all I love that the story was about appreciating life, and every fleeting moment we get with our loved ones. There’s a moment when Henry, Clare and their daughter Alba sat together by the Christmas tree that just triggers all the feelings. As Henry (Eric Bana) was living on borrowed time, Clare and Alba knew that it was their last Christmas together and there’s no time to lose. It was bittersweet in so many levels, but they did get that rare opportunity to make every moment leading to his death, count.

Makes me think about my own life and what I’d do if today was my last and I had nothing to lose. Brb.

7. The Holiday

Two heartbroken women found each other online: Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), a movie trailer producer who lived in a mansion in Los Angeles, and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet), a column editor who lived in an adorable English cottage in Surrey. Agreeing to trade houses for the holidays, they each found love in the most unexpected ways and their lives became more entangled than they imagined.

And what a treat, to see Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black in one film!

The Holiday

The Holiday

What inspires me

Watching this movie has always inspired me to take risks and to allow myself to make those impulsive decisions sometimes. Amanda and Iris were both heartbroken at the start of the story, which reminds me how breaking up with someone could feel like it’s the end of the world. (It’s not.)

Being married now, I’m glad I never have to go through that kind of pain anymore. However, I do remember that, while breakups could bring about the saddest and most paralyzing feelings ever, it could also feel quite.. liberating. Like you’re given a clean slate and you could start over.

Oan, I was in my early twenties when I first saw this movie and I remember seriously thinking about living in a faraway place and immersing myself in the culture there. Which I somehow did, in a way, when I stayed in New York City for about 2 months in 2010. I would never trade that experience for anything! And by the way, I could definitely have some of that winter. Cameron Diaz’s winter wardrobe is so dreamy!

8. No Reservations

Am I the only one who misses seeing Catherine Zeta-Jones in the big screen? No Reservations was about a control-freak, obsessive-compulsive, strong-willed woman who worked as the executive chef at a restaurant on Bleecker Street. She was passionate about perfecting her recipes and obsessed about her routines. She was also occasionally visiting her therapist to help her process her thoughts and emotions.

Therapy aside, Kate (Zeta-Jones) got everything in her life under control until Zoe (Abigail Breslin), her orphaned niece, and Nick (Aaron Eckhart), a guy she worked with, disrupted her life. She started freaking out and pushing Nick away and dissing at customers and generally making a mess. And don’t we all feel that way sometimes when we lose control of things?

No Reservations

No Reservations

What inspires me

Watching the movie makes me want to master Italian cuisine, or to enroll in a culinary class or something. Kate moves around the kitchen with so much grace, like she’s floating or dancing. And I love how culinary is portrayed as an art in this film, and how the kitchen became the common ground that brought Kate, Nick, and Zoe together.

It’s a rare thing, to find a career that you and your life partner are both passionate about. The end of the story had Nick and Kate quitting their jobs and opening their very own restaurant. Doesn’t that make you want to take a leap of faith too and just do that thing you’ve always wanted to do?

9. The Vow

This isn’t the first time I’m blogging about The Vow. I happened to have seen it when I was pregnant (and excessively hormonal) and blogged after watching it. Which is, by the way, why you don’t want to blog while you’re excessively hormonal.

The Vow was as millennial as any story could be, with two young people defying the norms and leaving behind comfort zones to pursue a life of passion. Paige (Rachel McAdams) left law school to enroll herself in an art institute in Chicago. Leo (Channing Tatum), on the other hand, opened a small recording studio when music production was a dying business. Meeting each other and having an instant connection, Leo and Paige fell in love and got married in a museum (I just love their no-fuss speed-wedding and their beautifully written vows!)

An accident took all of these away when Paige suffered a brain injury and had an amnesia that erased all of her memories from the recent years—which includes Leo, art school, and all the friends she’s made in her “new” life. Leo worked hard to make his wife fall in love with him again, except Paige had no recollection of their life together. They ended up with a divorce.

As Paige figured herself out, she ended up making the very same choices she made before the accident—enrolling in art school, moving back into the city, becoming an artist, ultimately bringing her right back to Leo.

The Vow

the-vow-movie2

The Vow

What inspires me

The Vow was based on a true story, and that to me made the movie really special. While these moving images are carefully styled, shot, edited and produced, you just know that stuff like this does happen in real life.

More than Leo’s unconditional love for Paige, seeing both their lives as artists is quite inspiring. Their love for each other was adorable, and their respect for each other’s artistry was just beautiful. Leo supported her in her art, and Paige encouraged him in his music business. There’s a unique connection when two creative people fall in love with each other, I think it’s a blessing when you know that your spouse completely gets your passion.

Yep. The Vow is a must-watch rom-com if you need some creative inspiration. ;)

10. Marley & Me

It wasn’t just a story of a dog’s life. It’s the journey of John and Jennifer Grogan (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston) who raised Marley as they raised a family.

Both of them writers, the earlier parts of the movie showed them working as reporters for competing newspapers. When Jennifer got pregnant with their second baby, she resigned from her job so she could raise their kids. Eventually, John’s writing career picked up. He started writing his own column, and his column served as a (sort of) memoir of his dog and his family.

I thought it was brilliant that they used the family’s milestones as markers to Marley’s life—from the time they got married to the time they were trying to have babies, and to actually raising babies. Through shifting careers and earning promotions and leaving jobs, to buying new homes and moving to different cities.

It was beautiful to watch the various seasons in the life of a growing family.. and how an adorable and insanely playful labrador stood as a witness to it all.

Marley and Me

Marley and Me

Marley and Me

What inspires me

I wasn’t married yet the first time I saw this movie, and it didn’t have the same effect on me now that I have my own family. Although I’m not a dog person, I love watching John and Jennifer grow together and stay together through the struggles of marriage and family life.

Jen leaving a career she loved to focus on motherhood, and John passing up on some job opportunities to prioritize family—the story hits close to home for us, family makers. The mechanics of balancing family life and career, of being present for your kids and providing for them at the same time, of moving to a different city for a job opportunity and carefully considering your children’s future while making all of these choices.. hands down, #truestory to many of us.

And then, of course, there’s the dog. I think Marley was a representation of loyalty, companionship and unconditional love—we all need a Marley in our life!

Edited: December 2018

2 More Movies for the Musically-Inclined

The past few years gave us movies we’ll keep watching and singing along to for years to come! I’m adding these two to my list!

11. The Greatest Showman

12. Lalala Land

I think I may have gotten carried away writing this one! I hope you enjoyed reading this post, but most of all, I hope you’re able to take a nice long break from all your busy-ness this holiday season, prop your feet up, and enjoy watching!

How many of these movies have you seen? Which one is your favorite? Anything else you’d add to the list? :)

Inspiring Movies this Christmas

Inspiring Movies this Christmas

The Best of Chasing Dreams: A Look Back at the Past 10 Years Blogging

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It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging for a decade now here at Chasing Dreams; blogging for two decades if we count those early years hopping around various blogging platforms before settling down on this one.

Back then I didn’t have any concrete plan for this website, except to become a journal of sorts. Which is basically what blogs were in the day. A place to vent, a breathing space, a creative expression.

Eventually, I had to force this blog to “grow up to pay the bills”, but even then I was very picky. I didn’t want to monetize these pages with keyword-generated ads, I chose the brands I worked with, and I worked hard to keep this space personal, passion-driven, and purpose-centric.

If you’ve been following this journey for a while you’d remember that this space doubled as a Web & Branding Design Studio for a good number of years, and then a hub for all things Pursuit Manila, and then a blogging resource site (which eventually became The Purpose Blog). Basically a launch pad for many of my passion projects and creative ventures.

It’s funny how I kind of grew up on this blog too, and how the blog naturally evolved through seasons of my life. From falling in love to getting married to being a mother, from being at the peak of my corporate career to becoming a work-from-home mom, plus all the dream-chasing in between.

Today for all sentimental reasons I thought I’d look back at some of the highlights of this blog, which are also easily some of the highlights of my life.

Join me as I take this trip down memory lane? Yes?

(A quick note: Some of these posts are super old, apologies in advance for some broken links here and there.)

The Early Beginnings

I did a major purge at the start of this year, removing a big chunk of old posts from this blog’s public archive (because cringe? lol). Still, there are a few ones that I think represent those early years, like—

This post that started it all.  Hello, 2009 Riz.

A glimpse of my old apartment. My aesthetic obviously changed so much haha. How did I survive having too much red in my house again?

My weird obsession with typewriters. Did you know that there was such a thing as “typecasters” back then, long before there were instagrammers and bookstagrammers? No? Fine! I. Am. A. Dinosaur.

Does anybody remember The Dreamerie? It was my first ever experience launching an online business, and I can’t even remember how many launches I had since then!

And then there are my blogger friends. Joni and Mae, easily some of the best friendships that came out of blogging!

And that weekend I spent with my childhood friends in Singapore. One of those defining moments in life where I knew everything would never be the same again.

Falling in Love and Being Happily Married

There’s no denying that one of my greatest inspirations in writing this blog is this boy named David, and our roller-coaster, on-and-off long-distance relationship which, I’m happy to report in case you missed that part, ended at the altar.

Lately, we would laugh about how this blog played a bit of a role in our relationship. How, on his side of the story, he was able to know me better through my posts (or stalk, more like haha). Or me, how I occasionally dropped hints and riddles about him here and there, thinking maybe he’d happen to read them. Classic ligawan of our time, what can I say. Haha.

Here are some posts from those years that (at least) have not gone off my personal cringe scale. Read at your own risk. :D

Blogging with my heart at the tip of my fingers. That moment when I knew that David was (is) the only guy I would ever gush blog about.

That Central Park date, ahhh, easily one of my most favorite New York City moments.

What September reminds me of. A quick summary of our love story, in reference to the month of September.

The wedding. The honeymoon. This blog was all about weddings for quite a while!

Moving into our first home. From being in opposite sides of the planet to living together on a rooftop apartment—what is dream come true?

Turning 28, and finally celebrating our birthdays together.

Being happily married. Seriously though, I happened to have married a chill and happy person, and God knows how much I needed that in my life!

More of David and this married life here.

The 30-day Blog Challenges

I’ll always be a believer of 30-day challenges because I’ve seen how truly effective it is in creating a habit and, let’s be honest, in populating content for a blog!

Which is why I did this challenge 3 times in the first few years blogging here. The idea is to publish content every day; and to make it more methodical for me, I worked around a fun theme for each round.

First round in 2009, where I blogged 30 awesome things, inspired by this guy‘s 1000 Awesome Things.

Second round in 2010, which was all about our wedding. For sure, one post about our wedding was not enough, I had to talk about it for a month! Lol.

And the third round in 2013, which I dubbed “30 Days of Gratitude” from when I was adjusting to my new life as a mom, and all the thoughts and feelings that motherhood came with.

Some of the best lessons about blogging I learned from these 30-day challenges, which reminds me, I really should do this again soon!

Twin Blessings

The biggest surprise of our life was definitely when we found out that I was pregnant with twins. So even when I never really considered myself a “mom blogger”, blogging about Dawn & Rain was something that happened organically.

In other words, not only did the babies take over my life and schedule, they took over this blog too!

This is when we found out we were having twins. The best April Fools joke, ever.

A series of posts during my twin pregnancy. Seriously feels like a lifetime ago!

That November morning we took the girls home for the first time, and life was never the same.

Dedicating them to the Lord. 3-month mark. First birthday. Second birthday.

The story of Dawn & Rain’s names.

I’ll stop here but you get the drift, this blog houses countless photographs and stories about Dawn and Rain. I mean, I bet most of you are still here for them! :)

That 52-Week Project

The height of Dawn & Rain’s “blog takeover” happened in 2014 when I joined a 52-Week Photo Project. It was a photography project started by a blogger named Jodi, where mothers from around the world took portraits of their children, once a week, every week, all year.

That was a fun year! Challenging but fun. The best part was having documented that year in Dawn & Rain’s life in a special way, and having all of these photographs for the wall and the family albums.

I highly recommend you do something like it too.

All the 52 Week Project posts are here.

I can’t even pick a favorite, I love and treasure every single one of them!

The One Words

In 2014 I started skipping the New Year’s Resolutions and doing the One Word challenge instead. The mechanics of the One Word challenge is simple. Instead of coming up with a list of resolutions at the start of the year, you pick one word that will represent the dreams, prayers, and goals you have for that year.

Amazingly, not only did these words serve as guide as I go about my year, in hindsight they also served as markers. Until now, I can still casually talk about the highlights of a specific year just based the word for that year.

“Passion” in 2014.

“Pursue” in 2015.

“Remain” in 2016.

“Seek” in 2017.

“Trust” in 2018.

I still sometimes laugh at how easily I picked those big words “pursue” and “passion” in the first two years! And how, as I age, I find myself choosing words that feel more quiet and slow if you know what I mean.

This 2019 my one word is PURPOSE.

I’m feeling it, y’all. I do!

Pursuit Manila

2015 was the year Pursuit Manila was born, and wow what a year that was! In a nutshell, Pursuit Manila is a community of Christian creatives who desire to honor God in their businesses, family, and passions.

Every month in 2015 we gathered women from across the metro to learn, fellowship, and connect. This blog became the hub for everything Pursuit Manila—

How it all began. I remember posting this scared that no one would show up. But the first group of women did, and every month the group just kept growing!

All the monthly gatherings are archived here, every single one documented with beautifully styled venues, inspiring loot bags, and pretty little flatlays. Everything you’d expect when you put creative women in one place!

Ending the year with Thanksgiving. Consider this one a quick roundup of everything and everyone that made Pursuit Manila what it is.

Although Pursuit is no longer actively meeting since 2016, the friendships and connections we’ve built, the passion projects that were launched, and the lessons learned will surely last a lifetime. <3

Oh The Places We Went

I haven’t been to that many places, to be honest. Contrary to the image a self-proclaimed “dream chaser” might portray, I’m really mostly a creature of comfort. I’d pick a book over an adventure any given day. I find that my energy easily runs out whenever we go on spontaneous trips that I basically need to take a vacation after taking a vacation.

I realized in recent years that as much as I dream of the next big destination, I’m really mostly drawn to places where family is.

Like Sydney, where some of my favorite cousins are.

Or Singapore, where my childhood friends were.

And of course, New York, where I fell in love.

Ah, those feelings I have for New York, all preserved on these pages.

Lately, traveling for us is more about creating core memories for Dawn and Rain.

Staycations are aplenty at this young age, we often book a hotel or an Airbnb just for the swimming pool! (These two are mermaids!)

Boracay. Batangas. Tagaytay. Baguio.

All within the Philippines, for now.

Looking forward to adding more places to this list. :)

Endless Ruminations About God and Life

Many of my readers I got to know a bit well because of these posts. I published plenty of posts on what I’ve been learning about God in this chase of dreams, this perpetual search for meaning and purpose.

You can find them all here.

“God replaces what he takes away,” says my naive 21-year-old self. Trivia: This post remains to be the single most viewed post in this blog. And isn’t that mind-blowing, how literally every day, people around the world turn to Google to find answers to questions about why God takes things away? It’s a bit sad, if I’m honest, but what an opportunity to dig deeper and seek more! I pray every day that this post will somehow lead these internet strangers to the right answers, if not completely answer them.

There’s so much ground to cover! God taught me so much!

On saying goodbye to friends. Learning what it truly means to be still. Seeking and finding. Selah.

There’s also my Hillsong story, what “chasing dreams” looked like for 16-year old me.

And the 30 lessons I learned in 30 years, a mere attempt to list them all down, because obviously there’s got to be more than 30.

Chasing Dreams Today

At some point in recent years, I struggled to keep up with this blog.

I was uninspired.

I struggled to blog about motherhood.

I then started to call it for what it really is: anxiety.

And I constantly have to redefine what this “chase” truly means for me.

In that note, I’m just glad that this is exactly what’s unique about blogs. They are personal websites, after all, and they grow and evolve with the blogger.

Today this blog is stripped back down to its roots—a space for telling stories, of practicing intentionality, of living a creative life, of seeking God in both the big and small things, in relationships, and places, and passions.

Maybe it will evolve again into something different someday like it always does, but for now, I’m letting this place just be, and I hope you’ll stay around for that too. :)

Here’s to the 10th year of Chasing Dreams!

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Redefining What it Means to Chase Dreams, Year 10

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Redefining What it Means to Chase Your Dreams, Year 10

Rhiza2 Comments

The actual “dream chasing” has been going on longer than 10 years, but right now I’m referring to this blog which is officially 10 years old this month! (Cue the confetti!) But first things first, if you landed on this page because you were scouring the web for inspiration re: dream chasing, I thought I’d disclose the fact that I was just sifting through Google the other day searching for the same thing!

High five, dream chaser! We’re already more similar than you think.

I also thought I’d let you know that when I registered this domain name 10 years ago, I was totally clueless what I was swiping my card for. I just wanted a space to blog and a catchy name to go with it, if I’m being honest. It wasn’t until several years later that I started to feel the responsibility of it all—of being an (accidental) advocate of this actual chase of dreams.

In other words, it was all fun and games until emails and comments started pouring in from people seeking advice (or a listening ear) as they chase their own dreams. And if you know me, I take these types of interactions quite seriously.

The first couple of years were alright. I got answers ready for every FAQ. After all, I reached the peak of my career at a young age, left my corporate job to travel and to work remotely, launched several passion projects, married the guy of my dreams, and enjoyed the freedom of chasing the next big thing whenever I felt like it.

Textbook dream-chasing stuff, pretty much. 

But then I became a mother and everything sort of became.. messy. I had to #konmari the heck out of my dreams to make room for two little humans, and it was only then that I realized that I barely scratched the surface of what it truly takes to chase dreams.

Don’t get me wrong, being a mother now is everything to me and quite possibly the best dream I never knew I had. It’s just that everything I knew about chasing my own dreams was challenged, even shattered.

And so I wondered over and over if “chasing dreams” still applies to me in this season of my life.

What does chasing dreams look like for us anyway, mid-30 creative women with little humans to feed and raise?

This question floats around like a dark cloud above my head, especially when anxiety hits. There were times when I struggled to balance it all and I was almost sure that I was so done here.

And yet somehow, year after year, whenever I thread my way through this seemingly dead-end road, I find myself having a stronger resolve and a deeper grasp of the purpose of this blog, what it can grow into, and why I should keep going and trying.

And now I stand on this 10-year mark knowing full well that I was forever changed by God in this journey, simply because I kept finding the courage to show up and to allow this space to evolve and grow as it should.

More so, because I learned to (albeit reluctantly) acknowledge the seasons and honor the process.

Chasing dreams is the intentional pursuit of the big, audacious dreams that God has placed in our hearts. But more often than not, the chase looks more like planting and growing a tree than running and winning a race.

It means being willing to take both the big leaps of faith as well as the small and unseen everyday steps.

It means going through seasons of both hustling and healing, of both stretching and slowing down.

And sometimes it means letting God hide you like a seed because that’s the only way to grow your roots.

All this to say, if you’re here hoping to find inspiration from someone who already “made it”, I hope you won’t be disappointed to know that I’m actually writing this from the trenches of my own glorious and messy chase.

The ducks are far from being in a row. The bags are unpacked indefinitely. The dreams have yet to come true. But I do know that the best lessons are learned from the messy and hidden parts of the story, and that’s what I hope to continue to share in this space on this 10th year.

Thank you for staying around for it all, and may you find on these pages the inspiration you need to—quietly, slowly, steadily—keep going too.

Love, Riz

Photos by Sheila Catilo. <3

You might also want to read

The Best of Chasing Dreams: A Look Back at the Past 10 Years Blogging

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Coming to Terms with My Blogging Fears

RhizaLeave a comment

Took me a while to identify these as “fears”, really. I thought it was something else that kept me from publishing content like I used to. Like writer’s block, maybe. Or lack of time. Or motherhood.

I thought, maybe I’d get my momentum back when I’m inspired enough. When I have more time. When the kids are older.

Maybe when I find the right web host and finally solve those annoying technical issues.

Maybe when everything is perfect and running smoothly.

And yet, for the past two years, I couldn’t seem to get out of it. That perpetual state of wanting to quit this whole thing altogether, of questioning my capacity to pull off a blog project even when, come on Riz, you’ve been pulling this off for your clients for years!

And it wasn’t like my circumstances stayed the same. One by one I tackled the external factors that I thought kept me from blogging like I used to—

  • Technical issues? Solved. Siteground is perfect, and both Chasing Dreams and The Purpose Blog are in tip-top shape.
  • When the kids are older? Sure. The twins turned 6 years old and although still needing a lot of attention, they have their own routines now, most of which they can do without us helping or watching over them.
  • Need more time? Got it. I resigned from my 9-5 and now I definitely have a lot more time to get creative.

I had no more excuses left.

Still, for the past months, I sat in front of my laptop every day, staring at a blank WordPress page, waiting for the words I thought I’ve already written out in my head to freely flow. Nothing.

Why is it so hard? What is wrong with me?

And that’s when I realized that something deeper was holding me back.

Behind all the excuses and roadblocks that kept me from creating content and owning up my creative work, there were deeper things that needed to be dealt with.

A paralyzing inner fear that’s bigger than writer’s block.

Artists call it “creative anxiety“. Psychotherapists refer to it as “inner critic“.

If there is such a thing as “blogging anxiety”, this is probably it.

There’s the fear of rejection

I’m going to start with the mother of all fears, this fear of rejection.

Once upon a time, I blogged with my heart at the tip of my fingers. I didn’t care what others thought of me or what I wrote. I didn’t care if anyone was reading, even. I spoke what’s on my mind, blogged about whatever struck my fancy or whatever I felt in the moment.

But more importantly, I was confident of who I was and who I wanted to be and no unsolicited opinions and commentaries could take that confidence away.

Until the commentaries started coming in, specifically from certain groups of people in my inner circles.

And that’s just the thing. Often the harshest commentaries are not from strangers. They’re from family, from old friends, from people you thought you could trust.

Let’s just say I had to deal with a lot of mockery, sarcasm, and negativity. I was blocked off Facebook, unfriended, outcasted, became the subject of gossips (or what church people would usually call “prayer items”). And while these were all happening behind my back, you and I know that stories have a way of being passed around until it reaches us through another source.

On top of these are many other life-things. My husband and I were constantly managing people’s expectations; criticised for decisions made from our pure desire to choose what’s best for our family. We showed a brave and united front, but things like these are internally damaging.

These may not be confined to blogging per se, but that feeling of rejection trickled down to practically every aspect of my life—spiritual, emotional, mental, but most of all, it affected my confidence in myself and in my creativity.

I overanalyzed every single thing that came out on my online pages, for years, afraid of what they’re going to criticize or laugh about next. I always knew these people affected me negatively but I didn’t realize until later that it affected my creative process in major ways too.

It’s still a daily battle I have to face but I’ve made progress. The fact that I can openly talk about this now only means that I’ve processed this intensively and I’m recounting this experience from a healthier place. A place of understanding and forgiveness and acceptance, that I may not be able to change the way others see me but I can change the way I see myself.

The fear of being a “blogger”

I’m seeing a pattern, somehow. It’s not unusual to come across old-time bloggers struggling to keep up with the shifts in the blogging landscape, eventually deciding to quit. The stigma is real and bloggers are put under too much scrutiny these days.

“It’s not a real job!” “Blogging is dead!” “Nobody reads blogs anymore!” “Go to school and get a real education!” “Bloggers are not real writers!” “Blogs are nothing but glorified PR!” “We don’t need bloggers, we need journalists!”

The reality is, anyone who talks about bloggers this way does not really understand the kind of work that goes into starting and growing a blog. 

They don’t know that bloggers have to work their way up too, just like in any career. They don’t know that bloggers started somewhere too (from zero page views) and they deserve to make a living off their hard work, just like anyone else. They don’t know that bloggers have to work double-time to develop creative and technical skills beyond their comfort zones, just like any professionals aiming for career growth or promotion.

I just wonder sometimes if people realize that it was the bloggers who paved the way for this billion-dollar industry and introduced this new form of livelihood for thousands of people. (Go ahead and check the history of the internet if you want to verify this statement.)

And I do understand where the stigma is coming from. An industry such as this one is bound to be corrupted, just like any industry.

But even though, admittedly, some bloggers are in it for the money (because it IS good money if you know what you’re doing), there are still plenty of us who are in it for the artistry.

And there are many of us who, quietly and relentlessly, never stopped believing in the power of creating content and how it can make an impact and change lives.

And this is why, even with the rise of vloggers, social media influencers, and podcasters, I still proudly and intentionally wear the title “blogger” on my profile like a badge of honor, no matter how scared it makes me feel sometimes.

But that also means I have to learn to rise above the stigma, every single day, and not give in to the fear.

The fear of “pursuing my passion”

When I started The Purpose Blog last year, I got to really explore big words like passion and purpose and how these concepts play into doing creative and meaningful work.

Naturally, as I study those words, I happen upon articles that talk about how following your passion is not exactly a wise thing to do. There are plenty of them these recent years—research and studies and TEDtalks telling the young generation NOT to follow their passions. Let me link up some of them:

I’m not saying I disagree with these studies (they do have a point). But flashback to a couple of years, our generation was told differently.

We were told to quit the 9-5 and be our own boss, screw the cubicle, travel/blog/create for a living, pursue what sets our souls on fire. So if you’re in the middle of doing just that and you read research studies telling you that it’s not wise, you start questioning whether or not you’re walking the right creative path.

There are many layers surrounding this topic! And I’d be lying if I say I didn’t lose sleep pondering upon this concept over and over and over, when I should have poured those hours into actually pursuing my passion, instead.

After all, maybe we’re just seeing a generational shift in messaging. Semantics, if you will. (Maybe a discussion for another time.)

And although these types of articles are meant to warn us about the dangers of recklessly pursuing passions and chasing dreams, I speak for myself when I say that it’s also equally unhealthy if we take in too many of these general advises and allow them to plant fear into our minds, just like I did.

My 2 cents on this matter:

In the same way that we were warned about following our passions, we should also take with a grain of salt those advises that tell us we shouldn’t or we couldn’t. 

Every day I come across people online who’ve successfully turned their creative passions into their livelihood. It’s not for everyone, true. But it’s up to you if “following your passion” is for you or not.

Chasing Dreams is turning 10 years this month, hiatuses included ;) #justkeepingitreal

The truth is, I don’t think this blog would have even existed until now if I didn’t “follow my passion”. Because if I just wanted a job that would pay the bills (and potentially earn more), then I could have just focused on my corporate success and genuinely enjoyed it too.

But “passion” has always brought me back to this space, and I have to keep learning the best ways to monetize this “passion” if I want to keep doing it.  I’m putting the P-word in quotes because I’m not sure what else to call what’s keeping me here, really.

All this to say, I have to remind myself that this journey is my own and that random TEDtalk speaker doesn’t know my journey like I do. They may be right that pursuing passions is dangerous, generally speaking, but most times what’s true for the bigger population is not always what’s true for some of us.

How to overcome your fears blogging

As I end this long rumination on blogging anxiety, here’s a recap of the things that have helped me overcome my fears, in case you need them too:

First, work on the things within your control

There are many things about blogging that you couldn’t possibly cover all at the same time, you have to tackle the ones within your control. Declutter your old blog and freshen up your design, or maybe consider starting a new blog if you feel like you’re at a dead-end with the old one.

Restrategize. Start dreaming again. Work on one item at a time, one small step every day. The world does not need to see your progress, the most important thing is you see your own progress and you honor it.

Then, train your mind to only listen to the right voices

Review your WHY and remember to whom and for whom you’re doing this for. And choose the voices that you will allow to influence or affect you in your creative process. In this digital age, you will always find someone who will disagree with the way you do things (especially if you spend so much time scrolling your Facebook feed). You don’t need that kind of distraction. Log off Facebook or delete the apps from your phone if that’s what it takes.

Which brings me to my last point.

Maybe it’s more than just about blogging

The problem with not seeing these fears for what they are is, as creatives, we become too hard on ourselves when we couldn’t get ourselves to create anything. But when we acknowledge the existence of these fears and finally understand what’s draining our creativity, then we know how to deal with them and how to actually overcome.

Just like any type of sickness, without the right diagnosis, you only end up on a wild goose chase, aimlessly experimenting on cures to no avail. But with the right diagnosis, you’re able to administer the right cure and the right path to healing.

So maybe it’s not just “writer’s block” or “creative drought” for you too. Maybe there are traumas and deeper layers of anxiety that are making you paralyzed to the core, affecting your creative process, and thwarting your ability to create.

More resources on mental health and anxiety

If you’ve read up to this point and deep inside you know you feel the same way, I want to share with you two podcasts that have been instrumental for me in my own road to healing:

  1. Nobody Talks about This by Elise & Scott Grise 
  2. Therapy & Theology by Proverbs 31 Ministries

I’ve been learning so much about mental health and trauma therapy lately, and I’m more convinced than ever how important it is for creatives and bloggers like us to talk about these things, too.

If you’re up to it, I would love for us to start a conversation about mental health. I personally have not done any form of therapy (yet), but I do find content related to mental health (such as the ones above) helpful in my own journey. And if you find these materials relevant to you too, I would love to hear from you! Send me a message or sign up for my list below. Let’s talk!

What’s Better than a Good Cup of Coffee?

RhizaLeave a comment

Talk to me about coffee and dreams, you bet, I am so there.

Launched just this November, The Dream Coffee is a single origin coffee locally sourced from the farmers of TBoli, South Cotabato. “Wake up to the dream in your cup,” they like to say. The ultimate dream? To produce coffee with a dream-like taste, and to positively impact a growing number of farmer families in the mountainous communities of Tboli.

Let this be said. If there’s anything better than enjoying a good cup of coffee, it’s enjoying a good cup of coffee while making a contribution to another person’s dreams.

This is what The Dream Coffee is about. They directly trade and partner with 75 farmer families who are not only given livelihood but also training on coffee production and processes, as well as essential life skills like saving and financial management.

As a coffee drinker AND an advocate of pursuing passions and chasing dreams, The Dream Coffee hits it very close to home for me.

I personally know Iya Joson, owner and founder of The Dream Coffee. Two years ago, sitting across from her in our weekly Victory group Bible study, I remember observing Iya as she beamed with love for Jesus and a wide-eyed excitement for God’s Word. Even then I just knew that she’s meant to change the world!

I’m so proud of Iya for what she’s built, for her leaps of faith that made The Dream Coffee come true, and for her journey from being a beauty editor to an enabler of dreams.

There’s much to learn from her story and I took the liberty of asking her questions creatives (young and old) can find inspiration from.

Listen up, dream chasers, and take notes. ;)

 

1. What made you jump ship from beauty to coffee, from corporate to social entrepreneurship?

Tell us about that one moment when you know it’s time to leap!

IYA: “It’s funny. The changes in my career from being an editor to a brand manager to an entrepreneur never happened because I wanted to leave the industry where I was. I think I’m the type of person who likes to stay put in a place and space that she knows she’s good at, but the changes happened anyway, because I knew in my heart of hearts that it was simply time to move on.”

“I’m certain it was God orchestrating all of that! It was in January of this year when I just had an intense feeling of displacement in my gut—I knew I was meant to be somewhere else, even if it made a lot of sense just to stay where I was.”

 

2. Tell us what a day is like as an entrepreneur, in comparison to when you were a brand manager of a beauty brand.

IYA: “When I was both a beauty editor and a brand manager of a beauty brand, I was working for companies and that meant days spent working in an office, meeting people elsewhere, and attending or mounting events.”

“When you’re an entrepreneur, you have more leeway to dictate your own schedule. Leading up to our launch last November 15, I traveled a lot, on a couple of trips to T’Boli where the farmers we work with live, and also to other places just to get my mind to open up to the potential and possibilities of starting a new business. Now, I like to dedicate a couple of days a week to meeting people, and then for the other days, I’m either just at home doing all the glamorous things one does in a start-up—running bank errands, processing the orders coming in—or driving around to get deliveries of raw materials done.”

“Unlike in the previous jobs I held, now I’m hardly ever dressed to impress, in heels, or even in makeup. Those things are fun, but I also try to see the magic in doing every single thing in a business that’s just begun, no matter how small of a task it is. It’s also very exciting in its own way.”

 

3. What’s your advise to other young professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to chase after their dreams?

IYA: “I want to be able to say, “Just do it,” but I think just going after your dreams point-blank isn’t all that there is to consider.”

“I think you have to get to a point where you can just be honest with yourself and really get to the core of why you want to go after a certain desire in your heart—because if it’s just to make a name for yourself, I don’t think that will get you very far, but if it’s to make an impact on others’ lives, then that’s a dream that could be worth your time and effort to chase.

“It’s so easy to build yourself up. But the world needs more people who aren’t only after seeing their own dreams come to life, but who are also more than willing to put in work that paves the way for other people to see the reality of their own dreams, too.”

“Another thing would be to build yourself up for success. Don’t pursue anything without excellence. And in my experience, a good way to do this is to learn, learn, and learn. Wherever you are right now, even if it doesn’t feel like the most fulfilling thing in the world at the moment, I truly believe you’re meant to be there and one of the reasons why is so you can learn something that will be so crucial to the plans God has written out for your future.”

 

4. Share with us a Bible verse that spoke to you in a special way during this process.

IYA: “There are so many! I’ve been extremely dependent on God and His Word throughout this whole thing. Actually, if you really want to build your faith up, start a business! Haha. But seriously, a recurring one would be:

“Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” (Psalms 77:19)

IYA: “It was a constant reminder from God that He is working on something new and different through The Dream Coffee. It’s a way of doing business without its own blueprint yet, but so long as He’s behind building it, we’re standing and working in faith to see His vision come to life.”

 

5. How do you like your coffee? :)

IYA: “Black. Especially when you’re drinking very good coffee, you don’t want to get anything in the way of that dream-like taste!”

The Dream Coffee

Shop The Dream Coffee today, know more about their story and support the cause!

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Dream Chasers Series

This post is part of a special blog series where I feature passionate creatives, travelers and dreamers who have made a choice to chase their dreams and pursue what makes their hearts soar.

I believe in learning and finding inspiration from other people’s stories, which is what this series is all about. I hope that as we get to know these dream chasers’ lives and visions and challenges, we find valuable lessons and inspiration that will help us in our own journey.

How to Balance Your Family, Career, and Creative Passions

Rhiza1 Comment

Being a mother is a balancing act. You walk a tight rope—shaping lives of little humans while doing house chores, cooking meals, managing the family budget, keeping tabs of everyone’s schedule, doing the laundry.

Now add working from home and being a creative into the mix and you can just imagine the internal (and external) riot.

I bet putting these words together is already stressing you out:

(1) Creative (2) Work-at-Home (3) Mother

Well, I see you, woman. Hold my hand, I know what you’re going through.

I know because, for the past 6 years, this has been the story of my life.

I have been working remotely ever since our now 6-year old twin girls were born, and I’ve had my share of ups and downs and love-hate with my work-from-home situation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond blessed to have a job that allows me to do what I do while spending as much time as any parent could ever wish to have with her young kids.

However, if you’re a work-from-home mom, you know that there is a very thin line between work and life—a line that is ruthlessly crossed by cute, clingy and demanding little humans on a day-to-day basis. I’m not one to deny, I sometimes miss having a regular location-based job where office means work and home means everything else.

And I have to put a special emphasis on being a creative mom.

As creatives, there’s this restlessness inside of us that makes us want to create something—whether art, or music, or photographs, or a piece of writing, or a website. It’s a restlessness that doesn’t go away, even after we birthed babies and our days are suddenly filled with domestic and motherly duties.

And so we have to carve a space for creative expression in our lives, or else we would be stuck feeling just like that: restless.

Have a peek into the life of a work-from-home, side-hustling mother of twins

I got a full-time job in a digital marketing agency when our twin girls were 5 months old. Six years later, I’m glad I’m still able to provide for my family while also keeping a career.

Our girls say hi! :)

It’s the best of both worlds, and I never take this opportunity for granted.

However, I can’t also ignore that creative restlessness I was just talking about. I know I can’t stop creating, so I have to intentionally make room for it even when it means a lot of hustle.

My husband and I started a Dessert Buffet business when our twins were 1 year old. This had a good run for a year until we decided to close it down (a story for another time). I launched my Branding & Website Design Studio when the girls turned 2. I pioneered the Pursuit Manila community when they were 3 years old, and produced several Chasing Dreams merch around the same time.

I also didn’t stop blogging until two years ago when I hit the proverbial wall and needed to take a much-needed creative break. And so I did, and I talked a lot about this when I relaunched Chasing Dreams.

But even when I was on a “break”, my mind did not stop reeling with new creative ideas, maybe for a new business, or a new brand, or a new product. I also thought a lot about relaunching Chasing Dreams, or maybe resuming Pursuit Manila.

Itching to create content, I launched a new passion project last year, The Purpose Blog, where I’m sharing everything I know about purpose-driven blogging and making a living from home.

Our creative giftings are deeply engraved in our beings, and being a mother or a wife doesn’t change that.

There’s this restlessness inside of us that pulls us to create things and to connect with people.

And so we have to live within that tension—of balancing marriage, motherhood, career, and creative pursuits, and knowing well that since we couldn’t set aside marriage and motherhood, we sometimes have to set aside career or creative pursuits instead.

As someone who’s right smack in the middle of it, here are some of the things I’ve learned.

1. Acknowledge that being a wife and a mother is a calling.

I am well aware of the fact that I’ve been using the word “career” and “job” instead of “calling” prior to this point; consider this a conscious use of words.

A job is a piece of work or a set of tasks that you do for an agreed salary in a specific period of time.

A career is a job or a set of jobs that you’ve been doing for a long time, whether you’re passionate about it or not.

Calling, on the other hand, is something that goes beyond salary or time. This is something you know you would do even when you’re not paid to do it. I have always believed that our past experiences, skills, gifts, even our past jobs—everything that has happened in our lives, in totality, is preparing us for our calling.

Marianne Williamson said it best—

“Jobs come and go, but a calling is something you were given the moment you were born. You can lose a job but you can’t lose your calling.”

Calling is something you will do for the rest of your life.

For us mothers, it’s our life’s calling to love, to guide, to provide for, and to raise our children until they’re able to stand on their own feet. But even when they can stand on their own and have their own families to raise, motherhood doesn’t end. It’s our life’s calling to continue to love, to pray for and to support them as they figure out their own paths.

Once you’re a mother, you’ll always be a mother. It’s not a “season” or a “phase”. It’s what you are for the rest of your life.

We have to remember to see motherhood in this light, especially in moments when we feel like we’ve been robbed off of our careers and passions and strength and time. Or times when we have to put our business ideas on the shelf, or when we feel like we lost our will to chase our dreams.

When you have embraced motherhood as your calling, you realize that everything else—your schedule, your goals, your dreams, your ministries, even your career, and your job—should support this specific calling and not take you away from it.

2. Your creative passions will haunt you, you have to do something about it.

I’ve already said a handful about how this creative restlessness inside of us is something that will not go away, even when marriage and motherhood come into the picture.

You know this, you’re familiar with this. It’s the thing that keeps you up at night and keeps your mind reeling throughout the day. You know this because it hurts deep inside of you. And even when you do a good job at concealing it, you know it’s there somewhere eating you up.

It might be an idea for a creative business, or a book, or a product, or maybe a song playing in your head. It might be a burden for missions, an advocacy, a community.

It’s the thing that fills up the pages of your journal, the thing you wish you would do when time or budget or life is not in the way.

I tell you, whatever that is, it will hunt you every single day. On some days it would almost feel like you can live without it, but there are days when the pull is so strong you know you have to do something.

I say, go for it, make the first step!

And no, I don’t mean you risk all of your savings to a business idea you haven’t tested out. Take baby steps. Write a business plan. Buy that domain name. Share your idea to a friend. Test the waters. Dare to pray about it relentlessly.

My Pursuit Manila story

When I came across Pursuit Community in November 2014, it made me restless for days. I knew in my heart there’s a need for a community of Christian creatives locally so I prayed about it and sought the Lord’s guidance. And then I did the one thing that started the ball rolling—I emailed Karen Stott, the founder of Pursuit Community, to ask if they’re willing to make room for a local community in the Philippines. (Hint: She said yes.)

I then reached out to some ladies to see if they share my desire to build a community for Christian creatives here in Manila. I emailed some very close friends, people who knew me since I was a kid. I shared to them my vision and asked if they’re willing to do it with me. Some of them were on board and excited.

I also emailed people who didn’t know me at all. I introduced myself and shared with them my dream. I asked them it’s something they would be interested to be part of, or if they could at least help me promote or refer me to their friends.

And well, the rest is history.

Take note that^ all of that started with hitting the Send button on a piece of email.

I don’t know what “the first step” looks like for you, but I bet it’s something you can do while your children are taking a nap. I say you owe it to yourself to give it a try. And maybe you’d find out later on, that the world needed you to make that first step.

3. Embrace the changing seasons.

Each story is different, but our seasons as mothers are more or less within the same playing field. We’re all going to care for babies, maybe resign from our jobs to raise our family, or maybe close up shop to focus on our young children’s formative years.

There will be a time when changing diapers, cooking dinners, or attending school plays are more important than growing a business, writing a book, or pursuing a dream.

The thing is, seasons are often fleeting. They come as fast as they go. And this is evident in the way babies seem to grow so fast. We know it and we wax poetic about it—wasn’t it just yesterday when they were so cute and small and needy?

We should know enough to embrace these seasons or else we miss out on the beauty of each one.

We only have a small window of opportunity to shape our children’s hearts and minds.

However, if we approach this season with a present mind and a creative strategy (maybe a project or a business that involves our family), then we might be able to do this without ignoring our own creative dreams.

The Ultimate Challenge for us Creative Moms

The ultimate challenge, I believe, is to find that sweet spot where our family life, creative passions, and career intersect.

For me this means doing a job (Content Marketing) that is not far off from my creative passions (writing and digital design) while working from home.

For Liza this means DIY-ing bows and accessories for her own little girl and scaling her production to create several more pieces to sell.

For Joana Gaines this means creating a business around creating beautiful homes for families, while she raises her own.

I don’t know what it looks like for you, but here are some practical action steps that you can do today:

1. Make baby steps everyday.

There are things you can do one hour in the morning (while the house is still quiet) and one hour before you sleep (after you tuck in the babes). Or things you can do while the kids are taking a nap or watching TV. The important thing is to keep going, no matter how slow or how small the progress is.

2. Consider starting a blog.

A trivia: Joana Gaines was discovered by a producer because her beautifully styled home was featured in a blog.

As a creative mother, you may not have time to start a business, but sure you have an hour or two each day to start a blog. Or maybe you don’t know yet what kind of business you want to pursue, in such case I think blogging may be a way for you to discover all of that.

3. Invest in getting help.

As work-from-home mothers, we have non-negotiables. Things like giving baths, homeschooling, tucking the girls in. And then there are things we can pay others to do, like maybe laundry, cleaning the house, ironing clothes.

Consider the tasks you enjoy doing and can do yourself and the tasks you can outsource. You’d be surprised at how much free hours you have in a day if you ask help from others.

This also translates into launching a creative business. Know what your strengths are and invest your time there. And then outsource the tasks that would take you hours to do because they’re not your expertise to start with—maybe tasks like copywriting, brand design, website development, or social media management.

When you outsource these to those who’ve been doing it professionally, you find that they don’t only make your business look good, you also have more time to focus and do your job better.

Hope this helps! If anything, I hope this post assures you that you (and I) are not alone in this journey. Nope. Not at all! :)

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