Finding my way and living my dream

by Valerie Cesari
(Pearland, TX, USA)

Hi! I was asked by the lovely Jill, creator of this website, to write about how I'm living my dreams and pursuing my passions, while still being successful in the professional world. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Valerie. I'm in my early-twenties and live in Southeastern Texas. I married my high school sweetheart last year who I’ve been with for 9.5 years. I have a public relations degree and work for a construction and engineering consulting firm in Houston doing public relations, marketing, and business operations. I don't have any children right now, just a 95-pound German shepherd. I try to work out often, but sometimes don't quite make it to class. I love crafts, scrapbooking, and making jewelry. I cook dinner almost every night and am a real homebody.

As for my career, I'm a typical 8 to fiver. I live outside the city so I commute an hour each way into work. My work, like anyone else, is stressful at times. I have to be flexible and capable of wearing many different hats. Often I will find my plate overly full and feel as though I'm drowning. Days when I find myself extremely stressed with work, I try to remind myself that it's all a learning experience and to take it in stride.

I mentioned earlier my love for crafts including jewelry making and scrapbooking. Crafting is my passion and I love sharing it with the world. From a very young age, I have been involved in arts and crafts whether it was coloring in coloring books or dancing on stage as a performer. In college I took a liking to making jewelry and have really built upon that talent over the years. I started out just making little bracelets and necklaces to match some of my outfits to making earrings and learning to wire wrap. I would make jewelry and give it away as gifts for family and friends. I received a positive response, so it encouraged me to learn more about the craft and improve my skills.

Three years ago I met my best friend. She was a scrapbooker and quickly attracted me to the hobby. We had a good trade; She taught me about scrapbooking and I taught her about jewelry. We spend many weekends scrapbooking and making jewelry for eight or more hours. We search online, in magazines, and in stores for ideas and inspiration to make new things. We are known for finding something we adore and seeing how we can recreate it with our own touch.

Recently, after months of planning, she and I finally opened our own online store through Etsy, a place to sell handmade or vintage items. We're no longer saying "Hey we should really open a store." We really did it. Who knows, maybe one day we'll have retail space. For now though, this is an exciting step and I've fulfilled my dream of sharing my passion with the world. The extra added bonus is that I get to do it with my best friend.

Often people think I'm crazy. They want to know where I find the time to blog, tweet, keep up with Facebook, check e-mail, make jewelry, scrapbook, dabble in some arts and crafts, spend time with my husband, get to bed at a decent time, while still managing my daily and professional life. It's exhausting just writing it all out, believe me. To me though, it's all about balance. You have to figure out what you need in life to make you happy. Find your happy place where you are content and build upon it. I need time with my husband along with my friends and family. I love being crafty so I find time for that too. I wouldn't be me if I wasn't doing what I love to do.

I think it's very important to follow your dreams and pursue your passions. Life is far too short to wish you could do things or say "one day" I'll do this. Don't skip out on what you love doing. Why not do it now so you can at least say you tried? I MAKE time to do what I love. It's what makes me tick. It serves as my stress reliever and inspiration. Surround yourself with people who have similar interests and who will support you in your endeavors. That's key.

If I can inspire one person to fulfill their dreams and to not hold back then that's enough for me. I hope to be a positive example for those who want to pursue their dreams whatever they may be. Know that you can do what you aspire to and your dreams don't have to wait and begin collecting dust just because you have a professional career. You can do it. Make it a point and find the balance.