Phenomenal You Series: Meet Amber

Today marks the beginning of another round of the Phenomenal You Series. This will be the second round comprised of all bloggers! First up is Amber. I e-met Amber in 2012 and I was immediately attracted to her positive light. We’ve managed to keep tabs on each other since through twitter and of course our blogs. Check out what this beauty has to share about self love and blogging!

Amber, you started blogging a few years ago, took a break and then came back with a blog centered on design, creativity and positivity  and have since become a marketing powerhouse. How does it feel knowing you have become source of expertise for many women out there? Where do you pull your inspiration from?
Wow! Well, first of all, I’m blown away that anyone would ever consider me a “powerhouse” of any sorts! I thought that was just something I called myself when I give myself pep talks in the morning –so thank you for the compliment!

The best feeling I receive comes from getting feedback from readers or email subscribers describing how something I’ve shared has helped them. I’m young, naturally and in this online content game, and I have much growing to do. However, I feel so incredibly blessed to have realized at this point in my life that a large portion of my purpose has called me to assist, regardless of myself. So even on the days when throwing in the towel seems easiest or when I want to call it quits, going back to those emails or tweets expressing thanks for what I do reminds me of why I started in the first place, and fuels me to create more.

As far as inspiration, it usually comes from the most unexpected places. I’m big on reading, and I’ve always had a huge imagination –so I pull lots of inspiration from books and magazines. The same goes for design inspiration. I had to delete the Pinterest app from my phone because I would get lost in imagery until 6am far too often!

My general rule is to surround myself with beautiful things, people and words so that those things find their way into my life and work.

Positivity exudes from your blog posts and tweets. How do you manage to maintain such a positive outlook on life? Were you always such a positive thinker?
Having a positive mindset and outlet has everything to do with choice. Choose what gets to rule your mind and heart. I’ll be honest, I have moments where everything doesn’t seem so bright, and in those moments I turn to my support system to remind me of my choice. When I wake up in the morning, I say an affirmation or intention for the day that I can use to guide me. I usually write it down in my planner, or on a post it note.

When I was in middle school, my family went through a lot of dramatic and foundation shaking changes. That’s when I first began to realize just how powerful faith and positive thinking are, and I’ve been focusing on growing in those areas ever since.

You have knack for marketing, advertising and packaging your content in a way that was so appealing to me, that I knew I had to become an avid reader. Do you ever find yourself lacking in these areas? How do you balance your love for each?
When you’re constantly creating and itching to grow, it’s hard to avoid the “what else could I possibly do” syndrome. I sometimes worry that a post won’t seem “new” or “trendy” enough and won’t do well. I think it’s important to give yourself credit for all of the great things, and try to avoid getting caught up in where you lack. Acknowledge areas you’d like to improve in, for sure! But don’t allow them to become obsessions that make what you do less enjoyable.

Balance is something I struggle with in many areas, but the guide I try to follow is that too much of any one thing isn’t good for you.

In your 5 Tips for Self Reflection you stated one should take risks. What risk have you taken for your happiness or self-worth?
Deciding that it was more important for me to do what I love and what fulfills me rather than what everyone else my age spends time doing was a big one that resulted in a lot of happiness and satisfaction. I think it’s risky any time you chose to do something that may bring about a lot of side eyed stares and criticism.

I also have a tendency to start projects when I feel the time is right, not when everything is orderly and set in place. I’m a control freak in so many ways but when I feel the urge to jump, I go for it.

What words of advice would you share with your 16-year-old self about self-esteem, self-worth, and of course, the art of blogging and maybe finding your passion?
I’d definitely tell myself to slow down, and accept that while I can do anything, I cannot do EVERYTHING. Also, to be less hard on myself, and give myself as much TLC as possible (read: get more sleep, eat more real food and drink 75% less coffee).

You recently launched your coaching sessions for bloggers, what else is next for you?
Right now I’m focusing on an ecourse which will focus on helping bloggers create authentic and original content. It’s been a long labor of love, but I’m so excited for the launch and I hope it’s as useful and helpful as I intend for it to be.

On a more personal note, I’m in my last year of college now, which means real world job hunting and finally planting my roots and establishing myself somewhere at least semi permanently. Super nerve-wracking and also incredibly exciting to be at this point in my life!