What Lights You Up

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what truly lights me up. Maybe it’s being home with my family. Maybe it’s working alongside my husband, building something beautiful. Maybe it’s the quiet joy of making handbags by hand, writing this Substack, or tending to my small garden.

At the center of all of it, I enjoy building something and watching it grow.

I’ve always moved quickly, felt deeply, and created instinctively, even when the world told me to slow down, play it safe, or follow the rules. But I’m not here to play small. I’m here to create something real, something honest, something that reflects who I am and what I value. I’m learning to stop questioning that. To trust what lights me up. To keep the fire lit and let it grow.

I’ve always lived with a trial and error mindset…like building E.R. Leather Goods. I didn’t have a clue how to make a bag, but that didn’t stop me from giving it my all and while I wasn’t a household brand, I created a beautiful business that I was really proud of. Now it’s just an annual collection, but it still lights a fire inside my creative soul.

For a long time, the fear of being fully myself was the loudest voice in my head. I’ve been told I’m “too much” or “too honest” for as long as I can remember, yet I have often felt passive aggressive and uncomfortable with conflict. While I’m not that much of impressionable person, the weight of not fitting in or not molding myself to who others wanted me to be has taken a toll over the years. It left me feeling insecure, unworthy, and small.

The new paradigm is here, and I’m ready for it. I will settle into the uncomfortable to evolve and grow. I will continue to build and take risks in order to live fully. And I’m excited to get my hands dirty in the process to see what I can build next!