Sparkle and Magic

I love this time of year. Not the crowded malls of course, but I'm never big on malls at any time of year. People are generally happier the closer we get to Christmas, even in a city as unfriendly as Toronto. The countdown to the holidays is even more exciting when you know your whole company shuts down for an entire week. It seems to be the one time of the year it's really ok not to check your email. :)

I went to a seminar last night and the speaker was Bernadette Morra, Editor-in-Chief of Fashion magazine. I ran into her in the bathroom, just before it began. It was just the two of us, her looking fabulous in Louis Vitton and me running in late from work. I froze up, smiled politely and didn't say a word.

For someone as successful as her, she really was quite funny, honest and down to earth. She started off the evening by asking how many of us wanted her job. Hands went up all over the room. She admitted that when she started down the path which has led her to her current career, she didn't know where she wanted to go.

I think I have a pretty good idea where I want to go in life at this point, the problem I'm still struggling with is how exactly do I get there? I asked her that after the session. She said: What is your obsession? What makes you different from everyone else and why do people read what you write?

I guess besides a few life experiences that aren't exactly commonplace, I'm not sure. I think people read me because they can relate, perhaps not to exactly what I've gone through, but for seriously getting the shit kicked out of me in life and somehow figuring out how to keep getting up. Most of us need to do that, over and over and over again. And on top of that figure out how to stay positive, how to keep being open to trust and love, how to follow our heart and protect it at the same time.

This last writing course that I took at Ryerson, hearing the ins and outs of freelance writing from people who do it for a living, was slightly discouraging. It really is a full-time job and it's hard to figure out where to come up with all that time and energy when you already have a full-time job, and one that you need to keep because you're not wealthy or a kept woman (unfortunately). But last night's speaker said they are always looking for new talent, hard working writers, people with sparkle and magic. She would know, she's definitely got that down. I think I still have it too and the more I shed the effects of the past few years, the more I can see it coming back, even if right now it's just faintly glimmering a bit.

As it ended, her and I were leaving the event at the same time. I was horrified of course because I was wearing mittens on a STRING and had already changed out of my heels and into my salt stained winter boots. I also couldn't help but think it was too bad I don't carry around a folder with some of my best blogs and a professional biography. Note to self: I gotta start doing that. And maybe buy some grown-up winter gloves to wear to events like this. 

It's so exciting to watch my readership growing every week, to see that people all around the world like to read what I've got to say. But I realize, what I really need is the RIGHT person to read me. So help a girl out, if you enjoy my blog please comment, share me, tweet me. I feel like I'm getting close - I just need a little magic. :)