frequently asked questions- how do you cope with failure?

I get all kinds of email and asked TONS of questions about all sorts of creative things and once in a while I will take the time to answer many of the frequently asked questions here on my blog!

Something I get asked A LOT is how I cope with failure, rejection and dead ends. While I am not an expert (in anything), I do have experience under my belt when it comes to the challenges that come with these things. I've experienced more rejection, failure and dead ends then I have success and today I thought I would share some of my insight, experiences and the best advice I can give when it comes to coping with failure.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
I have always known I wanted to be an artist. I am not sure the exact age but art and creativity have been in my blood since the beginning. I have two parents who are potters and ran their business from home. This meant creativity and self employment was a big part of my life. Thankfully my parents fostered my interest in art at an early age. Growing up I took drawing classes, participated in art shows, contests and sold my art at craft fairs.

It wasn't until I graduated from high school that the concept of being an artist became real for me. While I had always identified myself as an artist, I fell in love with art in college. From that point on I knew I would do whatever it took to pursue a creative career. Like most, I worked lots of day jobs while working on my portfolio, showing my art and taking on freelance jobs. I landed a really great job in marketing that allowed me to be creative but it never satisfied my craving to make art on my terms. I finally got serious about my dreams and set out to quit my job- a long 5 year process that started with making a plan and setting a lot of goals. After time spent working long days at an office job, lots of rejection, tears, persistence and never giving up, I built a successful creative business. I was able to get to the point (financially and creatively) to quit my day job and take the leap into full time artist and entrepreneur and have never looked back


failure from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

 
its not failure from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

its ok to be uncomfortable from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

 
it doesnt matter what people thing from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

 
be realistic from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

 
be resilient from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

To read more about my journey as an artist-

jump start a creative career- HERE

taking a leap into full time artist- HERE

coping with creative burnout- HERE

the art of chasing a dream- HERE

the art of setting goals- HERE 

the art of blogging- HERE and HERE

the things I haven't shared- HERE

stronger than I ever knew- HERE

exploring we will go

A while back we made the promise to each other to always make time to seek adventure as a family (you can read about it here). Exploring new places and going outside is a big part of our daily lives and once in a while I like to share a little peek into our adventures.

ZOODLE pad thai

The only way that I am able to eat healthy is taking the time to cook things that have lots of flavor and mimic some of my favorite unhealthy foods! One of my favorite things in the world is Pad Thai and while it's not the worst thing to eat, I really like finding ways that I can be a little bit healthier. Right now I am loving zucchini noodles or "noodles". They are a great option for paleo or gluten free diets and I like using them as a noodle or pasta substitute in my favorite dishes.

All you need to create vegetable noodles is either a julienne peeler or a spiraliser. 

INGREDIENTS FOR ONE BIG BOWL OF PAD THAI:

3 green zucchini, inspiralized

2 yellow zucchini, inspiralized

3 carrots, inspiralized

1 handful of shredded purple cabbage

2 sweet peppers

handful of diced cilantro

handful of diced green peppers

squeeze of lime

2 tablespoons coconut oil

PEANUT SAUCE:

2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons coconut milk

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

Begin by inspiralzing all those vegetables and mix them together.

Heat a large skillet.

Add two of tablespoons of coconut oil.

Flash fry the zoodles for about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and add the peanut sauce. 

Toss the zoodles until they are covered in the peanut sauce and ENJOY!

flower power coloring book on sale and a free download for you!

Hey guys! Today I've got my Flower Power coloring book on sale for $8.00 this week! You can head on over to the shop HERE. 

And I thought it would be fun to give you a free page from the book today. Scroll down to download one of my favorites!

flower power coloring book by alisa burke from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

Download coloring page HERE

Happy coloring!

1 bouquet 3 ways