TK 4: Two Cents

I've been having a fair number of talks recently with a friend who is helping me launch a business venture. We're talking something that's going to be funded by Kickstarter (initially) and allow me to pursue visual art as more than just 'WOOHOO LOOK AT ME DRAWING WITH MARKERS N STUFF.'

The friend in question used to live in Indy and moved to California a couple years ago. She's now encouraging me to make the move to the west coast, and not just because the weather is so much better (mumblebitchgripepolarvortex). She had to do a kind of battle with a number of detractors as she and her sister made the cross-country move. I don't have exact quotes, but the naysayers were apparently projecting their fears all over my friends, probably assuring them they would fail and have to move back to Indy blah la la. Nice, huh?

I'm glad my friends didn't listen. They made it to California, found jobs, and now they're pretty freakin' happy. They take drives up and down the Pacific Coast Highway and make it to the beach for picnics pretty often. Sounds like something I could really get into. 

That said, I am emanating my own fear fumes. I've lived in Indiana for nearly 30 years. The last time I made a cross-country move, all I had to do was get in the car when it was time to go. I wasn't even old enough to share the driving duties yet. Now I'm looking at making a three-day trek by myself, accompanied only by two cats who will be drugged to the hilt so their yowling won't make me insane by the time I reach Terre Haute.

I can't find my friend's exact statement, which was written in all caps, but her advice about this business venture and the direction I want my life to go in amounted to not letting others put their shit on me. I have to do what's right for me. I'm trying to breathe through the fear and convince myself to brave the fire. Having summoned the courage to do all kinds of things, I know full well that I just have to break through the flames. They don't burn, they don't last, and things on the other side are generally pretty fucking great.

Kinda makes me want to start packing tonight.