When I lived in San Diego, California, I had a vision of becoming the World's First Patron Saint of Postcards.
Instead of just brushing off the idea as crazy, I decided to become what my vision dictated. After the vision, I drew out a picture of an apron, with pockets on the front and sent it off to my aunt Bonnie to sew.
I then spent the next three months dressed up as the Patron Saint of Postcards walking all over San Diego, handing out my hand-made wacky postcards to anyone who expressed interest in them. Some I sold, some i gave away. I gave them to homeless people, drunk people, normies, and kids. I did some street performance, and had maybe the best time of my life. I was also taking Paxil, which basically enhanced my overactive imagination.
I met tons of fascinating people, and ended up on the cover of the San Diego CityBeat, having met a writer in the Pink Elephant bar who took an immediate interest in me.
Here's a photo of Enrique and myself when we met:
This journalist's name is Enrique Limon. He wrote a very flattering Linkedin recommendation for me, then friend dumped me shortly thereafter. I have no idea why. I am a passionate sometimes obsessive person, and I do scare people away on occasion.
Here's a video of me taken during the height of this phase:
Many people confused me for Frida Kahlo, as I wore an elaborate crown decked out with fake jewels, and a black wig.
I'm writing this today to encourage all of you to live out your visions. Even though people thought my vision was "crazy", it was by far the best and most adventurous thing I've ever done in my life. I don't regret anything about it, not even the fact that I was dead broke after the three months of doing this.
Adventure lies on the other side of fear. Whatever you're afraid of, or which makes your heart skip a beat, that's probably the thing you need to be doing. We are all so different and have different desires. Jump.
Cheers on this Friday night of possibility,
Stellabelle
Founder of Slothicorn
Co-creator of the Steve and Stella Show
That's totally awesome! Freakin' love postcards!
Life is so full of possibilities! I still trade old rare stamps to collectors for part of my living. For several years I was-- quite literally-- a professional beach comber; selling all manners of things you find on the beach to jewelers and artists who work with "upcycled" products. Of course, I also paint on rocks-- how great is THAT!?!
These are all my various passions which I am very passionate about because I am very passionate about working super hard at anything that effectively means that I can avoid having to get trapped by what most of the mainstream things of as a "real job." Aaaaaccckkk!
yeah, i can relate well. When i was the Patron Saint of Postcards, I dreamed of the days ahead when I would be free to create and to share. Sharing these postcards with others was actually the main thing I loved. It was not the attention of strangers i craved, but in making friends and giving people free entertainment through a gesture of giving.
@stellabelle. Really adventure is lies in the other side of fear. This post blessed me. One thing i always ask myself is a question that has delivered me many times and keeps delivering.
The question is, What would i do if i have no fears?
The answer is whatever fear has taken away from me!
Whoa, @denmarkguy trading old stamps...that's a unique and interesting way to make a living! You don't hear about a lot of people doing that. I want to see some of your rock paintings!
I also paint on rocks...and then hide them in random parts of the city for people to find :)
some people thought of me as crazy and ambitious too. i was heading on a career in the government and then suddenly shifted to art. life of an artist is hard as a lot of people would never understand us but at least we are happy. i am glad to what you have become. keep inspiring others. i will also do my part.
I think had I followed my own path sooner, I would have been an artist. Right now, I love to create art but never had formal lessons or took the time to learn because my parents didn't support it. Now I live my life how I want and not how my parents want. I wanted to study art in college though, but took the "Safe" route instead.
I've decided it's better to just follow your dreams because now I know that you can truly make a living by doing what you love. Just never give up! There is plenty of room for artists to succeed in this world :) I'm glad I changed my mindset and know this now @gailbelga
I really love your postcards do you partipated on comedian show on tv or on stage ,You have a comic sense , The world must show it.
The steemit queen i have always known you to be great from the first day i came accross your blog. I read about your story and the challenges you went through to this very moment of success. You see sometimes folks dont know what they miss out in that person they dump...
Some never know the potential in people untill they loose them. I dont look down on people. Thats humility. I found that in you.
Your story line here is inspiring and it has made me to sit up and work hard and smart to get the result you have gotten.
I am resteeming this post so others can have the opportunity to see the awesome work of a wonderful personality called @stellabelle and how influence here.
Steemit is one of the greatest things that happened to me because the blessings are enormous ranging from making money, investment and best of all have relationships that will move one to the next level..
Thank you so much for this..
I am me @brightfame.
You do have a sort of resemblance to Frida especially the last photo.
I love the message you wrote about chasing your dreams and being eclectic. You are wonderfully unique.
It's sad that a lot of people who become adults lose the magic and creativity as they need to become "responsible" to hold a job, to come "mature"
Some of the grandeur of life fades away.
Enter Steem. We rediscover our passions and talents. We aspire to develop new ones in writing, the arts and even engagement and community building.
We become our magical selves. Our awesome selves. In steem we become who we want to be.
So whenever I invite someone. I tell them come and jump with me to adventure.
Yes, we are all so lucky to be living in this time. As I look through my ten years of YouTube, I realize that my value was never properly seen. On here, we can build a community, which never seemed terribly possible on the other platforms.
as always, you're an inspiration! Keep on being you, Stella! I love it!
thank you friend.
It's 5.30 am here where I am. I woke up not long ago to read this beautiful and encouraging piece from you. Fear has kept many from utilizing their potentials and living out their vision(s). A new quote from you - Adventure lies on the other side of fear.
Sometimes, it might not really be fear, but time constraint and other factors that keep some from living their dreams at the moment. In such a case, the person just has to learn to be patient with himself/herself until the slightest opportunity presents itself to break free and fly like an eagle.
@maryfavour & @redfishpillar.
thanks for stopping by and giving me your thoughts at this early hour.
You are very welcome, @stellabelle. Cheers.
Excellent pictures, love adventure as well too. I have passion for traveling.🚎🚐⛵
Thank you so much for sharing your motivational story. I have the vision of starting my own business and I attend incubators conferences in my country. Hopefully, this vision and dream will turn into reality.
You shall get there only be focus. No matter the pebbles on your way,please dont look back,keep going. Your patro dream shall come to pass. Though,it is not easy ,the road may seem rough,but dont look at the structure of the road, keep going in it. There is a bright light at the end of that tunnel. Kudos
adventure lies on the other side of fear, I love this phrase, hope I can use it in one of my posts
I do believe in dreams, and persistence is the key if you're pursuing any dream, sometimes it might just seem like it won't come true but then this is where the phrase above comes in to play adventure lies on the other side of fear
Thanks for sharing this @stellabelle
Nice post @stellabelle.
a good story, full of obsessions and have a stout steel, an extraordinary life odyscence a lot of learning can be taken, thank you @stellabelle
Mehn these are hard words and they hit me like crazy. Sometimes we get scared of doing things and so wouldn't even want to give it a try. I fall into this category too. Sometimes we need to take the bull by the horn and tell ourselves we can do it against all odds.
Truth is , most times when we finally do those things, we become successful at them and they become part of our success story just the way you are telling yours now.
Thanks for the motivation @stellabelle
You see, living out my vision did not end up as monetarily successful. Most people would consider this a failure story, since I ended up broke at the end. For me, it was success, because I was scared of doing this. The idea of just throwing everything to the wind for a creative vision is not something that most people would do, but for me the meaning and experiences were profound. I would not trade it for any amount of money.
Exactly the point @stellabelle . Many people fail in life without any success because they fail to live out their vision. If only many will follow their vision then the world will record many successes.
This post really got to Me. My dream is to be an sfx makeup artist and I'm not working towards it. Just because of some hiccups. Thanks@stellabelle for encouraging people like me. Will thrive through to get what I want.
Do it. No one knows when life will end.
Thank you for sharing. There is self-satisfaction in living one's vision and the memories last long.
This post is an encouragement to us to leave our fears behind us.
Yes jump for you will fly. There's so much out there, beyond the confines of our familiar space, if we can but find the guts to put our feet into the water.
So many of us, me included have let fear rule us for so long that we have missed many opportunities to experience great things; jobs, romance, cultures, etc. We have stuck to the familiar sidewalk on our way to our boring work and back to our lonely homes.
I used to love to live hidden in my comfort zone. Living day in day out in zombie land. I took no risks, learnt no new thing, didn't fall in love with a pretty girl on a bus in some remote highway; nothing. All my experiences were gathered from books and films.
I have decided to change the status quo. I am travelling and I intend to visit as much cities as I can before I fall. You see I have jumped as you said @stellabelle. It is scary... Sometimes I feel like packing my bag and going back home but it's also an awesome feeling, that feeling of being unanchored; freedom to become.
Thank you for this great post. It is your zest for life that led you to become the patron saint of postcards. See the experiences you gathered in that period.
I guarantee that your life changed forever in little way after that time.
Thank you for the post. Peace.
it did. It is partly the reason I am here. That time came because of the bankers.....I lived out this fantasy when the economy split apart due to the predatory loans, and my 401K nearly dissolved before my eyes. As I broke free, during this time Bitcoin was born. It was for me the time that i began to realize that corporations cannot really fulfill us. I also knew that I would have to rely on myself in the future. This was the beginning of those realizations. It's all connected.
Yes!! I feel connected to this because I just lost my job when I discovered steemit. But before then, I had grown tired of the corporate world and the rat race and the stagnancy. I wanted out so bad that when the axe fell, I felt nothing.
I was having my bath one morning after three weeks in steemit and I had that eureka moment. I am free, I screamed. I can be whoever I want to be, do whatever I loved to do, be wherever I want to be. The feeling was unbelievable. Since that day, I have been having the time of my life.
hi stella :P @stellabelle
Noted. You are absolutely right on this one 👍👍👍
This very nice art i appreciate adventure..thanks for sharing this post ..Best of luck..
Keep doing great stuff your right you got to push for things and do what you fear
That was fun to read, people need not fear the reaper, after all it is through reaping that we feed ourselves. Not the dead of course unless we are the dead and walking, but the wheat and the rye and the barley, so reap away. Life is meant to be fun, we have plenty of time when the reaper comes to us to have all the regrets of what might have been. So fun a way.
Whatever I am afraid of whatever makes my heart beat....
That is what I should be doing.
Thanks for this
🏎 remarkable & enjoying!
👸 pleasing & awesome!
Thanks @stellabelle. I so appreciate your spontaneity and your outlook on Life. Very refreshing and the 'wackiness' and 'quirkiness' you show is so much needed and appreciated in this cynical World we live in !!
Thanks for the post :)
And I love the thing you are doing with @stevenalexander. Great stuff 😍
thank you!
Thanks for sharing this inspirational write up. I'm also living out my vision as an electrical contractor.
Courage is needed though, to begin the adventure.
Patron Saint of Postcards - only you could come up with something like that! I wonder why it didn't catch on - I can totally see patron saints of postcards walking around in every town in the world! Super cool how you went for it with 1,000% commitment, no matter what other people thought about it.
Thanks for the inspiration! Just what I needed today :)
Greetings from Thailand xx
I love your motivating publication @stellabelle, the success comes at the moment you wish to work to reach your goals, gracas to GOD I found steemit, I change my life, thanks for sharing it confirms that I am on the right path
Hy @stellabelle have justt been rading a post for Nageria but to you thanks for sporting the steemians in african hope you chack on what the tearm in #uganda is doing.
We are promoting steemit with all we can
Thats
I have heard a lot about Patron Saints but this is the first time I'm hearing of one for postcards. My grandpa used to say one's deathbed that the things that most usually regret is not the things they did, it's usually the things they wanted to do but didn't do it. I agree with him on that. So living life to the fullest and trying various things is what everyone should strive to do as it is bound to bring happiness in most instances.
Thank you @stellabelle for the rich words of wisdom, the words of encouragement, these words go a long way in encouraging us all..thank you!!! You just helped a young man In realizing he has to live out his vision, even in the face of fear, even if times are bad, make sure you live out your vision and see it come to past .... thanks so much for this .... also good work on slothicorn
Yeah!!! I remember that video :-) you send it to me for my "postcard-project".
You can still send me one if you want ;-)
Hugs
Steemitri The Mannequin
Before I apologize first, I personally salute with your post, if I may want to ask, this post in your komonitas yes, thank you, that's all I ask, @ alimartopo
If your vision doesn't scare you then it is not big enough. If people haven't told you your vision is crazy, then it is not large enough. I am glad you are living your dreams. I am ready to start leading and living mine.
When people leave, yeah, you might feel it's in part your fault but it is not entirely your fault as some part is theirs too. You know some people feel threatened when they see a strong personality. It is about their lack of confidence than it is about your possessiveness. I admit, balance is needed.
(Generosity + Adventure + Creativity) - Fake Behaviors = @stellabelle
Your adventures and story amaze me. Although I've hit rock bottom a few times, I don't think I had it as bad as you did.
Yet you made your way against all odds to be at the top.
Today, you are a source of inspiration to thousands across the globe.
I hope that someday, I can motivate people just the way you do.
I can bet you sang the first funny sounding soundtrack.
I have nothing but admiration for you and your adventure - I wish I had the energy, the time and especially the guts to do some of the things I come up with to be silly. I sometimes manage to make one of my whimsical visions come true, but too rarely. Thanks for this inspiration. YOLO!
Paxil is like real life Ever-So-Much-More-So.
Postcards - how cool is this! When I was in school, I always waited for postcards from my penpal in other countries. All received postcards I put in a folder and revised them. The last time I got a card on Valentine's Day) It was so nice and unexpected )
This post was randomly resteemed by @honeysara.
Awesome! There was a moment in time where a lady at a coffee shop (making my mocha) looks up from the counter, turns to me and says, "fear is not reality! Fear is not reality, but you'll get it, you're young." And then she looked back down and continued making my drink . Immediately I felt shock but then it settled deep within the wells of my soul and I began to find a new sense of comfort and confidence in life . It was beautiful and has changed many perspectives . What you have said here resignated with me and that moment and thank you for moving past the fear and into the power of you!
oh my gosh you do look like Frida!! And she's so beautiful! You look so awesome!
I'm sorry you got friend dumped and don't know why. That really is so hurtful. But just focus on the fact that true friend will always stay there :)
"Adventure lies on the other side of fear." So true, well said! Crazy dreams are what make life worth living!
Stay weird @stellabelle I mean that in a good way. You get more interesting all the time! :-)
I can get on board with the Patron Saint of Postcard's! This is my kinda human