What I want to be when I grow up...

Growing up has, for me, become this life-long experiment in discovering every facet of who I am and who I can be.

When I was 8 I wanted to be a painter; because that's what my parents were.

When I was 11 I wanted to be an actor. Because I had fallen in love with movies and it ticked every emotional box there was in my book.

I rode that dream through into college, getting myself a nice Theatre Performance degree, and began to find other little bits and pieces to myself that I perhaps...loved??

Post-college I did whatever I could, creatively, to earn a dollar. In addition to acting, I dipped into illustration, writing, and editing resumes. That's when I began to feel that acting alone just wouldn't cut it. So I spent two years getting my MFA in Arts Leadership; a conveniently vague title that ought to open a variety of doors right? Sort of.

I took my MFA and somehow the only field I could find consistent work in was Marketing, (which is where I am today). I focused on non-profits, and even within that field, the only doors that opened to me were marketing doors. While I've truly discovered my strengths and weaknesses in this latest career field, and I've had some changes to direct theatre, write copy, edit, and do a tiny bit of amateur graphic design...it still is not enough. Or rather, it's plenty, but it's not all the right bits yet...

...so now I find myself, once more daydreaming of what I truly, truly want to be when I grow up. And here's where I'd like to be:

I want to work from home. I want to set my own schedule. I want to write, produce, and work collaboratively on various projects. I want some of my free time to be spent sharpening my people/creative skills by volunteering on boards I am proud to be on, and I want the rest of my free time to be spent with the people I love, doing whatever they want to do!

And here is where I am so far:

I live in close enough proximity to spend any available free time with the people I love. I am on several creative boards I am proud to be a part of. I have 80% of a plan for writing/producing my own work, and I have people I want to collaborate with.

So what's holding me back from diving in head-first? Fear. Always. And a need for financial stability. What I plan to do; I know it can be financially stable, but I also know that it will take time. And I dread that time.

But what else am I supposed to do?
-Gin

Logolicious!

I recently sat down with the person who will be creating my very first logo for Fabulist Fables! She is known throughout the virtual realms as Spare Room Studio, and she is local to Jackson, Mississippi.

Getting to share Fabulist Fables with her was exhilarating and easier than it has ever been thus far. We seem to have kindred-creative-spirits, which is always a plus when collaborating, and she went on to rave about Fabulist Fables in her instagram the next day!

It is a truly magical thing to have someone believe in your work.

Fabulist Fables begins...

I've begun the process of building a website. Fabulist Fables. It's my dream in virtual form. Taking the process of storytelling and making it both tool and product in the quest for context and collaboration in this world of ours.

The hardest part is siphoning the thousand of thoughts I have down into a singular mission. I went deep into debt studying the concept of mission and vision, as it pertains to an organization, so I'll be damned if the only thing keeping me from my dream is my own thought process.

Fables: a fictitious narrative or statement.
Fabulist: a creator or writer of fables...or a liar.

Fabulist Fables. It's redundant. It's alliterative. It's cheeky. At least it is to me! Okay, first of all, the idea that "telling a story" is "telling a lie", strikes me as overly literal and abundantly hyperbolic. With that in mind, the idea of celebrating the telling of a fables and the fabulist themselves is a necessary way to remind ourselves that stories are meant to compel; NOT repel.

Fabulist Fables. I want it to be a welcoming, inspirational space for storytellers and story-obtainers alike. A place where words, visuals, and thoughts all coalesce. A place to grow and a place to rest. A place for telling stories, discovering stories, and creating brand new ideas that will one day become unique stories.

It's a workshop; a playhouse; a storytellers' club.

For now it's a website. I'd LOVE to have a physical space one day, but hey, let's start here.

fabulistfables.org