Month: May 2018

2018 WEEK 17: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

Ashlee

What I did the week of April 22 thru 28 to make my life AMAZING.

Schwoaze / Pixabay

  1. Worked a lot on revamping & expanding my Shopify store. Shoutout to the Shopify plugin Buddha MegaMenu for allowing me to make sub-sub-categories for my menu!
  2. Came up with a great idea for a new sticker app, which you’ll hear about soon! Drew all the stickers for it!
  3. Drew more illustrations for one of my upcoming books!
  4. Drew 1 new design & numerous illustrations.
  5. Made 5 Instagram posts.
  6. Practiced being more sociable, opening up to people more, & not over-monitoring what I’m doing when interacting with people (that’s been a big problem of mine for a long time).
  7. Helped my mom harvest vegetables from our yard. They were so good!
  8. Cleaned & organized all my craft supply bins to make it easier for me to find them.
  9. Had fun running around inside Life.
  10. Saw Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy & Alan Parsons Project in concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall!

2018 WEEK 16 :: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

Ashlee

artyangel / Pixabay

  1. Thought a lot about how to make life more fun & how to live by fun as a principle.
  2. Worked a lot on revamping my Shopify store by doing a MAJOR redesign & expansion of the categories to prepare for TONS OF NEW PRODUCTS we’re adding soon!
  3. Published 2 YouTube videos (Episode 043 of The Ashlee Craft Show & a video about my first time at the skatepark).
  4. Made 5 Instagram posts.
  5. Wrote 3 poems.
  6. Published 1 blog post.
  7. Made list of marketing ideas.
  8. Researched some new cool things I’d like to get more into & add to my repertoire.
  9. Researched “shadowbanned” Instagram hashtags so I can avoid them.
  10. Went to a skatepark for the first time & got awesome footage for a video!

2018 WEEK 15 :: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

Ashlee

What I did the week of April 8 – 14 to make my life awesome.

manfredrichter / Pixabay

  1. Published 2 YouTube videos (an episode of The Ashlee Craft Show & the first video in my Produce Exploration series, about Rome Apples). Made video intro for Produce Exploration show.
  2. Learned & did tons of research on dropshipping. Brainstormed a ton of ideas about things I want to try with this & new ideas for products. Read the Shopify dropshipping guide.
  3. Made list of companies I can do illustrations for.
  4. Made 1 new design
  5. Ordered the free Shopify card chip reader that plugs into your phone so soon I can sell things in person & not just online.
  6. Wrote & published 1 blog post.
  7. Connected with 1 new person!
  8. Made 4 Instagram posts.
  9. Added 24 new products to SHOP Ashlee Craft & released 1 new design on Society6.
  10. Sent out one marketing newsletter to my email list.
  11. Planned a new book I’m working on.
  12. Bought another awesome enamel pin from PinPartyPost for my enamel pin collection.
  13. Made 1 art collage.
  14. Sent an illustration to one person I want to connect with to add value to them & sent them a friend request.
  15. Bought some stuff I needed in order to make some new products I’ll be releasing soon!
  16. Saw Jimmy Buffet + The Eagles concert at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL.
  17. Cleaned a lot in my house to get closer to my minimalism goals, including 85+ books to donate.

“Words” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 044 – Poetry

Ashlee

I read a poem called “Words” from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 10 in Episode 044 of The Ashlee Craft Show!

A THOUSAND CRANES, VOLUME 10

 

///// WORDS /////

it doesn’t matter what words you use
they all mean the same thing

it’s always great when people ban together
against the same force which tries to outsmart teamwork

it is all planned out beautifully; I am now
strong enough to make it all happen

beautiful music drifted through speakers
& sanctified the rain

the pink candle was lit; shadows of flames
danced & the window was open

I looked around at euphoric basic everyday moments
& finally felt happy

lying in a hammock on the summertime porch
thinking about the meaning of sunlight

You Will Be More Than Okay – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 043 – Poetry

Ashlee

I read a comforting, motivational poem from A Thousand Cranes, Volume 10, titled “You Will Be More Than Okay”.

A THOUSAND CRANES, VOLUME 10

 

///// YOU WILL BE MORE THAN OKAY /////

I know you are afraid of being broken;

that there is something wrong with you for feeling like this

you’re afraid that you will never really know what it’s like to be happy;

but you will be more than okay
you’re afraid that you will always be lonely;

the darkness comes around & tries to suffocate you still from time to time

but look how it’s so much better than it used to be;

you are going to be more than okay
the night isn’t quite as dark as it seems;

stars twinkle, stars shine, the moon is your mother watching down over you

night music of crickets; the whole night is there to comfort you;

you will be more than okay
look how much stronger you are now: a year makes such a difference;

& look how strong you are becoming even though you always thought yourself weak

you did the impossible, all along you had it inside of you;

& you are going to be more than okay
the sharks are sleeping in their beds; the night is illuminated by candles;

you do not walk alone; you believe now that you deserve real & lasting happiness

there is nothing for you to fear – you are the captain of your soul, you can do this –

take comfort & know
you are going to be more than okay

“Easter” – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 041 – Poetry

Ashlee

In Episode 041 of The Ashlee Craft Show, I read a poem from my Spring poetry book called “Easter”. Also, I’m wearing Easter egg novelty socks & carrot-shaped earrings!

SPRING POETRY BOOK

//

EASTER

after spring cleaning is completed & the house is refreshed / opening the windows to clean out the air trapped in here by the winds of winter / running free thru fields / then coming back home to decorate for Easter
slowly removing the colorful Easter basket from the cardboard box in the garage & setting the basket, woven with pink & yellow straw, upon the black table in the corner / the sound of crinkling & plastic being torn, opening the bag of Easter grass & arranging the yellow cellophane in the bottom / tying a ribbon around the basket’s handle & smiling back at it
next removing the sentimental Easter tree from the box / the pale pink bark peeling, the metal branches bent at odd angles, but rearranging these & remembering when I was a child & I decorated these same branches with these sacred ornaments, souvenirs from memory’s road / separating the ornaments & untangling the branches & the small threads tied to the tops of them / picking a random but intentionally beautiful spot for each one, seeing these brilliant branches covered with Easter eggs, baby rabbits of pink & green & blue & yellow, sparkling eggs, bird houses, fuzzy yellow chicks, carrots, baskets, joy / seeing them filled with joy
lastly, removing the decorations given to me by my Grandmother & setting them upon the shelves / spreading the bright beauty of spring around on the walls, on the tables, on shelves, on the floor, anywhere there is room for them / planting seeds in terra cotta flower pots outside & placing the gently watered soil in the sunrays on my porch / spreading around the joy of this new beginning / spring is beginning once again / the sun shining once again

THE CLEAR COOL STARS WERE RADIANT – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 040 – Poetry

Ashlee

I read a poem from “A Ship Onto a Sea of Hope” in Episode 040, titled “THE CLEAR COOL STARS WERE RADIANT”.

A SHIP ONTO A SEA OF HOPE
A SHIP ONTO A SEA OF HOPE SAMPLE

 

THE CLEAR COOL STARS WERE RADIANT

I stepped off into the clear cool stars
walking on them. They called out to
me. They felt the same way it does
stepping off barefoot into dewy grass
at 1 AM. The decisions you make are the
rope leading you either to the edge of
the bridge or the safe green pastures. They are
what compels you.

She looked at me with sea-green
eyes. I saw aqua & turquoise rain
clouds flourishing in the distance.
They whispered to me by the tide-pool
room rock ledges &
familiar evocative songs on the
radio. “You are going to be
okay.”

AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE ARE MORE GOOD NIGHTS – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 039 – Poetry

Ashlee

I read a poem from my 2017 poetry book “The Walls Were Gray” in Episode 039 of The Ashlee Craft Show!

THE WALLS WERE GRAY :: http://amzn.to/2FTjQH5

 

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE ARE MORE GOOD NIGHTS

I took deep breaths & tried to calm the fluttering screaming inside / it was getting dark out / I opened the windows & bathed myself in fresh air turning the music up loud & listening to the wind / at the stoplight I watched the lights of cars on the evening road & felt the knowledge that I could do anything, any of it / that there would be more nights in this weather, driving, comforted by the fact that I was finding my way / I shamelessly danced even if people were looking / the music & gentle lights continued – glowing pathway spread before me yellowbrick road / it was deeply sad & darkly depressing but somehow deeply shining with hope & the golden warm light of PROGRESS / the first words of the new poem & the new beginning & new places & the unknown road & the unknown open road & the first words said by the person I was becoming & the soul of the person I was becoming & the overarching future & deep brilliant hope & a thousand things I had no names for / I saw a kid playing with a toy car on the sidewalk in the dark, & I breathed in deeply, & felt fresh air on my skin & the warm humidity of evening, & saw the road really illuminated by the street lamps like lighthouses / & it reminded me of something I used to know / I thought about how there would be so many more nights like this, how this wasn’t really the ending / & I reminded myself that I would make it through this, & be better off for it / that is how I thrive