Superwoman

I have never been the kind of person to "wait for life to happen".  I have always MADE life happen by taking on new adventures and keeping busy.


My sophomore year in college proved no different.  In fact, I was involved in so many organizations that I would get 3 hours of sleep....only 3...every night...all year.   I was the lead photographer for 3 organizations, President of GAP (Group Activities Programming which organized events monthly if not weekly), in Campus Ministry, a candidate for a scholarship which involved completing over 75 hours of community service, a full time student, a photographer on the side (outside of school) taking senior pictures, engagement pictures, etc.  and a new girlfriend trying to impress her new boyfriend...


How I thought I could manage all of this? I couldn't tell you...


Half way through the school year, I got mono....lucky me.
I took care of myself for about... 5 days, then decided every other activity was more important than my health.  So I carried on.  Today, I still feel the impact of not taking care of myself by feeling extremely exhausted half the time.  But I manage.


I felt like Superwoman.
Everyone was happy with me, because I couldn't say no.


I just learned how to say no this summer when the Apple guy tried to sell me stuff I didn't need.  (I'm in sales now, I know those tricks ;) )


I am, and will ONLY be, involved in 3 things this year....
1. School
2. My current money makin' job
3. mark.


1. School::: My last year of college. Holy. Smokes.  Where have the others gone?! I'm still deciding what to pursue...Counseling? or opening my own art shop for kids? (any input would be much appreciated)


2.  My current job is the most relaxing job I could have.  Peaceful music.  Wonderful people.  And an understanding boss. :)  Love it.


3.  mark.  This one is brand new, but I can't wait to tell everyone about it.  I made a pact to myself a while back that I would surround myself with people who I can learn from and become a better person from, and also to be involved in things that help others.  mark. is a beauty and fashion line (two things I LOVE) that helps our world, not just us.  In developing countries, it's common practice for farmers to be paid less than a living wage and for children to be forced into farm jobs in order to help feed their families. Each purchase from the mark. body care collection with Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients helps promote a different kind of farming, where fair labor conditions are mandated and farmers are not only empowered but are also given the support to help lift themselves out of poverty. 

By choosing this Fair Trade Certified™ product, you are directly supporting a better life for farming families through fair prices, direct trade, community development, and environmental stewardship. www.fairtradecertified.org

Check out this video:

No only is mark. helping global farmers, but the m.powerment line is helping stop domestic violence.  

STUDIES SHOW ONE IN EVERY FOUR WOMEN WILL EXPERIENCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN HER LIFETIME.

m.powerment by mark. is dedicated to breaking the cycle of dating abuse and partner violence. All funds raised are awarded as grants to programs and organizations that are making strides in breaking this cycle.

At the launch of m.powerment by mark. in 2008, seven incredible organizations were chosen. loveisrespect.org, created their award-winning Love Mashup App with the funds they received. Another recipient, NYC Healthy Relationship Training Academy, has helped countless women through their counseling programs. Click below to listen to them answer commonly asked questions on dating abuse.

Since 2008 more than $725,000 has been raised and now 23 recipients at colleges nationwide have been awarded grants to support programs that will provide preventative training and education.

I've been the one in that statistic.  But I'm doing what I can to help others not go through that.  Although I don't have a million things going on in my life right now, I still feel like superwoman BECAUSE of being a part of mark.  The fact that I can help with causes like these, makes me feel like I'm the impact this world needs to see.  

I'm still Superwoman.  

I challenge you to find what makes you Superwoman or Superman because I KNOW you are one.  Everyone is.

<3

If you would like to help with these causes, you can go to www.mymarkstore.com/amyrichardson

If you have any question, feel free to inbox me on Facebook or leave a comment here.

Much love this week is all you do.

    

I Quit Quitting A Long Time Ago

While innocently shopping in an all natural "mom and pop" shop, the manager seemed like a nice lady.  She answered my questions about any product and then went about her day.  While checking out, we got to talking.

She was in her late 50s and ran the shop every day.  The topic of conversation soon changed to what I was doing with my life.  (Kinda deep for a check-out conversation if you ask me...)

"Are you in school?" she asked. 

"Yes I am."  I said.

"Oh good! What are you majoring in?"

"Art Therapy."

"Oh. Wow. Ya there's no job out there for any Art majors.  You should change that." 

The End.  Awkward silence.  Took my receipt. Walked out.

I'm a firm believer in doing what makes your heart happy.  Since when did money become so important? I get that we need to pay bills. And taxes. And car insurance. Life insurance. Mortgages. Phone bills. For clothing. Blah blah blah. But what's the point of switching my major if I don't at least TRY to succeed in the one I'm working on now?  There isn't one.  It's not about the money or job opportunities for me.  It's about changing other for the better. I'm, as you know, doing an Art Therapy internship right now and ATTEMPTING to sell art on the side (when I find the time) here http://www.etsy.com/shop/ohohamyjo?ref=pr_shop_more (not much success, but some nibbles).  But the point is: It seems like everything revolves around quitting these days instead of TRYING.  

I found a really good article today about Art Therapy that may help demonstrate my point:

When BRC's Street Homeless Outreach teams first made contact with Damian he was "living" alone under a bridge in West Harlem, in a homeless encampment named The Bat Cave in an article on the front page of The New York Times. It was the spring of 2006, and Damian appeared lost, a shell of a man, his eye vacant, his affect depressed, and his behavior paranoid and untrusting. Damian expressed feelings of devastation and shared that he frequently contemplated ending his life. But he quickly came to trust the outreach worker with whom he developed a bond. In June 2006, Damian agreed to take a ride in the outreach van. The plan was to spend a few nights in BRC's Drop-in Center on the Bowery until a bed became available in BRC's Reception Center, a residential program for homeless men and women struggling with mental illness. At both locations, Damian would have access to medical and psychiatric care, as well as a safe and caring environment, and food cooked on the premises. After two nights at the BRC Drop-in Center, Damian moved to the Reception Center, where he resided for the next 6 months.

Upon entering the Reception Center, Damian was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder (depressed type) and Polysubstance Dependence. In other words, Damian was not only homeless, but battling severe mental illness and drug addiction. Damian shared that at the age of 27 he had become addicted to crack, which led to him being arrested and incarcerated and becoming estranged from his wife and children. Now almost 10 years later, Damian felt hopeless and found himself running out of options, and hope. But he wasn't ready to give up on himself just yet.

While at the Reception Center, Damian participated in the art therapy program. At first, he did not share much. Soon, however, he began to find the value in engaging in art as a way of processing one's pain and finding a positive way to achieve future success. With this renewed sense of hope, Damian also agreed to participate in individual art therapy sessions. With tremendous courage and perseverance, Damian engaged in the process, unveiling the origins of his addiction, homelessness, and trauma.

The isolated man who barely uttered a word is now a respected member of the BRC community. His artwork and spoken words inspire other residents, offering a sense of hope and resilience as was evident in his poetry reading at BRC's Art Show this Fall. Damian has now been clean and sober for 6 months; and, in December, he moved out of the Reception Center and into his own home, stable in his health and sobriety, and confident in himself and the future. He returns to BRC weekly to participate in the art therapy program and other activities, as he manages his new found independence, taking on life with rediscovered confidences. No longer a BRC client, he is still a part of our family, and we are a part of his, and BRC will always be there for him.    Credit : http://www.brc.org/success_opal.php 

I'd like to be someone who doesn't believe in quitting.  Damian didn't quit and he went through way more than most of us will ever go through.  

I want to do Art Therapy for this reason (and many more).  There's always a silver lining to every cloud, but quitting something will never lead you to it and ENCOURAGING someone to quit, well, just makes you look kinda stupid.

One of the last days of my  internship, I asked the kids to model out of clay their favorite activity they have done at camp...

                                                         I got to keep this one.  'Nuff said.

I'm A 64 Color Crayon Box

John Mayer once said:

“Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you're really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I've got a few missing. It's ok though, because I've got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8-color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation.. so when I meet someone who's an 8-color type.. I'm like, "hey girl, magenta!" and she's like, "oh, you mean purple!" and she goes off on her purple thing, and I'm like, "no - I want magenta!"”

What has 11 letters and is supposed to prepare you for your future career?

-Internships.

This summer, I interviewed for (what I thought was) an internship for Art Therapy.  I don't need it to graduate. I didn't need it to pass my time in the summer.  I didn't need more experience working with kids (or so I thought). So...what was I thinking?....

My Pre-Internship Thoughts:

-This is going to look so good on my resume!

-I get to help with kids who have emotional and behavioral disorders! (I love special needs kids)

-I get to see what Art Therapy is all about!

-I'm so excited!! 

I nailed my interview and was offered the (unpaid) internship on the spot.  I accepted.  For weeks I planned each day, each activity, and each lesson.  Week 1 would be about coping with their emotions. Week 2 would be about keeping healthy relationships. Etc.

Day 1 Finally arrived.

As the first group filed in, butterflies found their place in my stomach.  Each group had 45 minutes to complete their activity/lesson.  So, I got started right away.  5 minutes in, the screaming began.  20 minutes in a fight broke out.  This was DEFINITELY not what I signed up for....

Next was group 2.

All was well...until one child thought he messed up his project.  Every one take cover.  Chairs were thrown, other projects were destroyed, tables were nearly broken, and the room had to evacuate... from one child.

Holy smokes. 

Group 3 (the little kids...)

Needless to say, this group was as smooth as the last two..aka..train wreck.  

I left my first day of interning with tears running down my face. I wanted to quit.  

Thoughts After First Day:

-How do these kids know so many cuss words?

-Why is there so much hate?

-That wasn't Art Therapy at all.

-I quit.

As I cried to my parents and boyfriend, I remembered... I'm not a quitter.  

For weeks now,  I have been driving 25 minutes to my unpaid, scary, sometimes dangerous internship.  Though most kids didn't phase me, after the first week, one child really got under my skin. 

 The littlest one.  

Every day, this little 3-foot-nothing boy would act like he's a 30 year old, 10 foot tall, hot shot.  He knew every cuss word.  Every gang sign.  And every nerve to push on me (and every other worker there).  I LITERALLY could not stand this little booger.

Today. July 11th, 2011.  I grew up.

I noticed I had been acting like a 30 year old, 10 foot tall, hot shot, too.  Whenever the little one would act out, I would either 1. turn my head and calm down (which solves nothing) or 2. Yell (which solves nothing).  

Today, I recognized that these kids probably are never sat down and talked to.  What they do wrong is probably never explained to them, but probably beat out of them.. So, I worked with the little trouble maker, one-on-one.

I've never seen him smile... until today, 5 Weeks in.

SO.

As I was saying.  John Mayer's analogy of the 64 crayon box is completely spot on.

I have been looking at all of these children as 8 crayon boxes, when there is so much more to them.  They're not just purple.  They're Tickle Me Pink, Magenta, Fluorescent, and any other color that's super awesome.

Water Your Flowers

Just the other day, I was watching the Tyra Show (re-run since she's cancelled *sad* ) and she was doing a show on relationships.  Girl after girl came on the show talking about how she loves her Best Friend BUT she's a lier.... or she tells everyone her secrets...OR she's obsessed with herself.  I noticed how fragile friendships can be, and how precious the good ones are.  They need constant attention and affection to grow.  

I see it like this: Relationships are like flowers, they need daily water in order for them to grow into something beautiful.  Without the care, they become nothing but dust.  

I have noticed in the past few months that good friends are terribly hard to find.

Over the past few years, I have been going through so many changes.  Changes involving who I want to be. What I want to be. How I want to act and how I want to spend my time. These changes ended up affecting every part of my life.

I realized who I wanted to spend my time with, and places where my time has been wasted.

I chose to surround myself with people who challenge me to be a better person.
People who always encourage.
People who are accepting and loving, no matter what.

It's so hard growing up in a school where you are basically matched with people who you end up being friends with because they're there and they're all you've known, and then drifting from the "safe zone" of friends into the real world.  The real world's scary.  This transition left me in a state of limbo, not knowing where to turn or who to be.

Luckily, that's why God invented Moms.

She taught me to never settle for anything less than the best.  I didn't know, however, that this also applies in relationships.  She also taught me (within the last year) that a shallow relationship isn't a relationship at all.  "It takes two to tango"--i.e. it's all about give and take.  If you're giving all the time (or taking all the time for that matter) then it's not a "relationship" at all.



Today,  I have a few strong relationships built on a solid foundation of genuine care and love.  I know who I am.  Who I want to be.  And where to focus my energy.

I regret no relationship I have ever held with anyone because it has morphed me into a person I like being.

But it's my new goal to, "Water my flowers".  I guess the only question left is, will you water yours?

-AmyJo

Etsy is my new favorite place to shop (and sell!)

I LOVE Etsy.com
Why you ask?
Because everything is either handmade or vintage.  People are so creative.  I can only feel inspired when I shop there.

I have FINALLY opened my own Etsy shop.
It's brand-spankin' new.
I'm just now learning all of the tricks of the trade there, but I'm having a good time doing so.

Most of my jewelry is made from antique buttons handed down to me from my Grandmother.
All are unique in their own way.

These are my favorite so far.  The spheres are buttons from an old jacket.  I'm guessing from the 50's or 60's.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ohohamyjo?ref=pr_shop_more

Me.

The first post of any blog always seems a little awkward to me.
Nobody knows who you are yet.
Nobody knows what you do.
Nobody cares.
..yet..

So.
I guess to get the awkward little blog out of the way, I'll just give a little background info before we get to the good stuff.

I surround myself with people who challenge me to be my best.
I am never without my cell phone and a nice bottle of water.
Chocolate is my best friend.
My favorite tea is my own blend of Earl Grey and Red Hots.
I paint my dreams, photograph my world, and sleep in between.

I live.
I love.
I dream.
I am Amy Jo.

Nice to meet you.