PARTY TIME for the Girl with the Alligator Earrings!

If there's one thing I really love, it's being invited to a special party! (red carpet, champagne, my Dolce & Gabbana leopard dress--I don't really have one of those & the only red carpet I've been on reallybelonged to my Grandma's old neighbor, Phyllis, whose entire home was done in wall to wall red shag...& I do love champagne quite a bit, actually...even the bargain Trader Joe's stuff in a pinch)...

If there's another thing I love, it's that head to toe exhilaration of inspiration I get while you watch someone living their purpose. You know? The energy is palpable, contagious, happy when someone takes the reigns of their own dreams and pulls them into their own driveway.

I watched my classmate, Jenipher Lyn, do just that (we met in Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells class) as she wrote and doodled maniacally and posted incredible pictures of lovely beverages in cafes she was working her heart out in. And low and behold, before the rest of us had rubbed our weary stardust-filled eyes, Jenipher had written and "Kickstarted" a sweetly-illustrated, bold and very necessary book, called, "How being Stubborn, Depressed and Unpopular SAVED my life."

When Jenipher invited me to this party, I told her I would LOVE to. But I didn't tell her why. But here it is: I really could have used this book when I was going through a way too early adolescence, one of few girls with boobs in my whole school and as tall as or taller than my teachers. Sounds great, right? Not when you're 12. I could've used the voice of my favorite babysitter, a young auntie, a trusted counselor, to tell me that things were going to work out fine--even though they seemed wildly dramatic, especially with my propensity for overthinking every last, "I said this" and "She said this" and "I curled my hair today and what will the whole world--of junior high--think of me?" Overthinking. And not enough GOOD overthinking. Had it been a voice in my head saying, "You are one of the coolest girls in this place!" "You are SO pretty!" "You are SUCH an original with those giant silver alligator earrings you're wearing!" "You're going to ace this track and field day in P.E.," then I would've been golden.

I could have used someone telling me: Yes, "Be Yourself." Yes, the more yourself you are in this lifetime, the more your life is going to reflect the things you LOVE, the people that REALLY matter, the fashion that really fits you, the work that suits your personality, a life that feels like it was hand sewn just for you.

When I was invited to come to this wonderful party, I chose to be here in week two, to make a celebration doodle for the "be yourself" section of Jenipher's book. And if I were to speak some love and confidence into my teenage self, I would have said this:

 I would have lifted my Self up, just as Jenipher's book is doing now for this generation of our girls and for our inner girls who need the healing all these years later. In the simplest, purest way, she lets us know we are enough. With our red carpet dreams and our imaginary leopard dresses, being ourselves is plenty, thank you very much.


 XOXOXO~
 Julia


 
“How Being Stubborn, Depressed and Unpopular SAVED My Life” offers an honest and encouraging view on topics such as depression and body image. The book explores the many issues that can start in childhood and follow us into adult life. This post is part of the DoodleDream* Blog Party.  Learn more — and join us! – by clicking here.

* since the title is just WAY too long to write out every time, Jenipher [thats me!] has hash tagged her book, #DoodleDream 

The link to purchase the book directly from Jenipher is HERE. I've had multiple people ask if the book is available on Amazon and it is, HERE. (now get out of here and go do it!)    ;-)