I read this great article that made a very solid point, “You probably have more experience than you think you do.”
But alas …

Having Experience

and

Needing Experience

Are two VERY  different things.

I’m in the middle of both. I hate being in the middle. I’m the youngest child, thus, I always want to be at the end.

Where is the end?

Well that would be “Having Experience.”

I’ve gotten past the place of “Needing Experience.” But only sorta.

So what’s the difference might you ask?

Well here’s what I know …

Having experience means you’ve already done something and you’re (hopefully) pretty good at it at this point. You probably have several examples of that thing that you’ve done and you can show others how awesome you’ve (hopefully) become at that thing. Having experience means that you are hirable and desirable and ready to rock it out.

Needing experience means you’ve probably never done the thing that you want to do. You have no portfolio and there’s nothing to show others to prove that you can indeed do the thing it is that you’re hoping to become awesome at. Needing experience means you’re often over looked and unfortunately … not very hirable.

How can I be in the middle?

Well see that’s a funny little conundrum that I’ve found myself in.

I’ve done the thing. Many times in fact. But I never made a portfolio of the thing or kept record of what I had done. So to others … it kinda looks like I don’t know how to do the thing. But I do!

So now what?

I’m basically someone who has experience who looks like someone with no experience and I’m not really sure how to get out of this little mess I’ve created.

Remember in High School when your bedroom floor was covered in laundry and there were books everywhere and Tamagotchi’s lying in hopes of being fed and just well … a mess? (I’m pretty sure I just gave away my age …)

Well my career is kinda like that at this moment.

All my skills are like the poor bedroom floor, covered in clothes that no one even wears anymore.

Lessons were learned. Number one being …

DOCUMENT ALL YOUR SUCCESSSES!!!

I cannot say that loud enough. Literally … I want to scream it to the world. Do it! Every tiny win. DOCUMENT IT!

So how can I go from someone who looks like she NEEDS experience to someone who HAS experience?

That is the question.

I have options … but do I like them? Let’s take a look at them shall we!

• Option One – Take a job for less pay in order to gain experience.
• Option Two – Increase knowledge in the thing by reading about it, taking classes, and attending events where the thing is discussed
• Option Three – Just keep trying. Apply. Apply. Apply.

Option One is not my favorite. I’ve put in 15 years of my life gaining knowledge and working and building my awesomeness. Do I really want to take less for it? (Not that I’m greedy … but know your worth, right?)

It’s a valid road and definitely a possibility … but is that REALLY what I want to do?

Option Two is definitely more pleasing. And in fact, that’s what I’ve been doing. Taking classes. Reading about the thing. Attending conferences about the thing. Doing anything to learn more about the thing!!!

Another valid option … very much a possibility … but it’s not working.

What I’m learning is, people want to SEE that you can do the thing. They want visual proof that you’ve done the thing before and what’s more, that you have been successful at the thing. If there’s no proof, then did it even happen?

Option Three is really where it’s at then isn’t it? More than a possibility. More like a probability. Apply. Apply. Apply!

(You’ll notice there was no option four. Why? Because Option Four would probably have to be giving up and I’ll tell you for certain for me, that is NOT an option.)

I don’t know. Maybe you’re someone who has experience and jobs are plentiful and people look at you and they know your worth. Maybe you’re someone who still “Needs Experience” and that’s okay too. You still have worth! Or maybe, well maybe you’re someone like me who has experience but looks like you need experience and you too have to figure out how to make that change.

No matter what point in the “Experience” gathering story you’re in, you’re definitely not alone.

Don’t make Option One your only viable route.

Learn!

Explore!

Keep Swimming!

Apply! Apply! Apply!

Because I choose to believe that one day, someone will give you your chance. Someone will be willing to change you from a nobody into a somebody. And someone will know your worth!

(And do not forget … from here on out … if you’ve learned one thing it is to DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!)

/səkˈses/

There is a thin line indeed!

And I took that thin line into my trembling yet infallible, small (like really small … a 5 year old has bigger hands than me) hands and crumpled it up.

My website would not defeat me!

So here’s the thing about not tending to your website for over 3 years … it turns into a gigantic, unimaginably time consuming world of chaos. All the updates! All the bugs! All the changes just begging to be made! My website was all of that and more.

Years ago, in a land not to far away … like maybe 5 miles … my beautiful, wonderful, talented husband did me a small favor and created me a basic run of your mill website. The land rejoiced as a website had been made! It had most of the things I wanted … my photography … my writing … my design … What more can a girl ask for? Right?

Well time passed and the princess (that’s me in case you were wondering … and no I’m not sure when this turned into a fairy tail, but we’re gonna go with it.) sighed and thought, “I want more!” as princesses usually do. I mean, you’re not really a princess if you’re not always truly hoping to be queen now are you?

Well the “I want more!” feelings grew and grew until one day they were so big they felt like they were going to overtake her.

So she searched and she searched and she practiced and she prayed that one day she would be the Queen of Digital Marketing. All that photography, all that writing, it could all be used and shared and made bigger and better! If you need more information on the same, you can get it from Brisbane website design and their services.

And so she decided to take a class. She would study EVERYTHING there was to know about digital marketing.

And she did!

She studied and worked and learned it all, because learning is the greatest tool in the universe, and to be a Queen, she needed to be great!

Okay, so maybe we got a little off topic there, but the point is … I grew.

I grew past my once fancy little website and I needed more.

So I took an undertaking … a little path to success … or kinda big as it turns out.

The fact of the matter was that WordPress had changed. And I needed to change with it.

There were three things I desperately wanted my website to do:

1. 1. Show my past Digital Marketing work as well as show my present Digital Marketing Certifications
   2. Link to all my social media … Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (Can’t remember the last time I tweeted, but what the hell! Let’s include it anyway) and Instagram.
   3. Update my Writing page to have my old Blog web address on there so people, if they so chose to stalk me in such a way, could view my writings of the past. (It was pretty funny after all!)

I mean that was some simple stuff, right?

Wrong!

WordPress had a whole different plan in mind for me.

The updates! Oh the updates! Three YEARS since I had made any updates and they were all staring me in the face and taunting me with their “Download Me!” pleas.

And the plug ins!!!!

Oh my ever living world why did I need so many plug ins???

So much Deleting!!!

And then it came time for updating my portfolio. But how? Where was it stored? How could I change it? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

And dear old husband … so awesome and full of knowledge on all things web design related … he was at a loss.

What’s a girl to do when the guy who created the website couldn’t even remember how to change it?

So I did what I could and I called it a day.

But then …

(Here’s where it gets really good guys!)

I came back the next day with such determination and hope and I tinkered. I tinkered through all the things. ALL THE THINGS!!! Until finally I had figured it out.

REJOICING!!! MUCH REJOICING!!!

I had figured out how to add to my portfolio. I had figured out how to add my social media. I had figured out how to add my links to my other websites!

SO MUCH REJOICING!!!

And that my friends is how success was born today.

With a little determination and the refusal to be defeated. I believed I could and so I did.

Which begs the question … if I could defeat a WordPress layout in two days … what other awesomeness can I achieve?

Only time will tell. Stay tuned … the awesomeness shall continue!

I’ve been asking myself this question a great deal lately. I’m getting old. It’s what old people think about isn’t it?

But it’s more than that.

I’m searching for that perfect way to explain who I am and what I do and what I want and it seems to be eluding me.

But here’s what I do know …

1. I’ve got mounds of talent. From writing to photography to digital marketing. I’ve done it all and I’ve rocked every bit of it.
2. I’m the hardest worker that ever worked. It’s true. I’ve been told it. And if you’ve been told something it must be true or else why would anyone bother telling you something like that?
3. I’m obsessed with digital marketing. Have been since back in the day when I was coding my own MySpace pages. I always had the perfect backgrounds and I knew how to show off who I was!
4. I’m a geek for photography. When I grow up … some far far day in the future … I want to be just like Alexia Sinclair. I think I may need a better camera first. But those are just details.
5. I love to write. There was a day when that was all I did. I wrote books and I self published them and for one shining day I was at the top of the Amazon page and it was glorious. But I don’t write for glory. I write because it fills my heart with joy. I’ve got loads of stories in this head and I won’t stop sharing them until they’ve all been properly written (and edited …)!

There are other things of course. I mean I’m a mother, sister, daughter, wife, etc. But those aren’t the things that define who I am as a person.

I went to school for one sole purpose … to advance my career and become a somebody.

Everyone wants to be a somebody, don’t they?

Am I a somebody yet? Not quite …

But there’s still loads of time and I won’t stop till I’ve achieved my goal. I’ll keep searching for that perfect job. I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep taking pictures, even if they are just of my children. And I will keep studying the world of digital marketing until I know it back to front.

Because there is one thing I am NOT … a quitter.

So who am I even. Well I’m a winner.

I’m the winniest winner that ever winned. And even when I thought I was failing … I was merely taking a pause and getting better and winning in the way that winners do, through trial and error.

And I’ll keep on winning. One way or another, I’ll keep working at it until one day … one shining beautiful day … I too am a somebody!

That’s right! Just thought I’d share with you that Fall Girl is currently FREE on all major online ebook retailers! With the sequel coming out soon, don’t miss your chance to get the first book at absolutely NO COST!

Here are the links:

• AMAZON
• BARNES AND NOBLE
• ITUNES
• KOBO
• SONY

If you are a keen reader and you have always dreamt of writing your very own novel, then why not kick-start that idea now? As long as you have passion and creativity, you will be able to conjure up interesting plots, develop deep characters and manipulate your readers emotions. Events and competitions provide the perfect opportunity to showcase your sports club and attract the attention of sponsors, the media, and new supporters. Are you looking for cost-effective ways to take your club’s promotional activity to the next level? you must have articles like this one to get good information.

There’s no particular way to gain inspiration for writing a novel, it can come at any time and on any day. It could be while you’re out shopping and you pass someone in the street who becomes the inspiration behind a character, or an idea could even pop into your head while you’re playing at Foxybingo.com or checking your Facebook messages. But rather than waiting for that inspiration to hit you, why not begin to plan out your novel?

The first thing you should decide is which genre you should write in. It’s best to write in the genre which you read the most because this is the style you are most familiar with.

The next step is to try and think about where and when your novel takes place. The environment, atmosphere and setting is sometimes just as important as the main characters themselves. The easy option is to set the story in today’s world in an area you know and love. Alternatively, you can experiment with different time eras or even set it in the future. On the other hand you could create a world of your own just like Stephen King, J.R.R Tolkin and Scott Turow do.

When it comes to inventing your characters, begin by drafting them out; jot down their personality traits, occupation and education, as well as their personal history. You can develop your character by basing them on someone close to you.

Make sure your dialogue is appropriate for the place and time period in which your novel takes place. For example, someone living in Victorian times would speak very differently to how we speak today.

~ Written by an Author who wishes to remain Annonymous

(Haha … I just realized what people are going to think when they see that post title … that entertains me)

There are all sorts of babies really. Baby Pandas, Baby Chickens, Baby Spinach Leaves, Baby Corn, etc. And of course there’s always those tiny little human babies. But they kinda smell bad when they poop and they burp a lot, so let’s not focus on those. (*lame attempt to pretend I don’t have baby fever*)t

To a writer, there is really only ONE baby … their book.

Of course I’m the proud parent of 3 1/2 babies now. The first couple babies didn’t turn out as well as I hoped. I still love them, but I’m not gonna lie, I kinda have them hidden on a shelf in a dusty closet. What?!?! Their surrounded by fluffy blankets! I’m not cruel! Geez.

It’s not a secret though. Every family has a golden child. And Fall Girl … ahhh Fall Girl, she’s my Gerber Baby. She’s a work of art she is. And here I thought after writing her it was the end of the story. But NOOOO … you guys demanded more (needy little fans that you are!). And so I’m caught in the trap of naming yet another child.

Naming a book is nothing to be laughed at. It’s hard frocking work! Not everyone can be as lucky to name their book “Goodnight Moon” or “Hop on Pop” or *GASP* “Twilight”. A name has to be perfect. A name has to embody and entire story in 1 to 5 words. And naming a sequel …. holy crap monkeys that’s even harder! Because now I have to name this book in such a way that it connects to the other book title and the other book not to mention the freaking story I’m writing now!

All this pressure!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

But I did it. After 6 months of agonizing over it and turning down at least 10 to 15 other book titles, I did it. And to me, it’s perfect! Don’t you wish you knew what it was?

Well, let me tell you …

….

Nah, I’m mean. And I’m good at it too (just ask my human children!) So I’m gonna make you guys work for it. I mean I had to work to come up with the darned thing!

So kids, get to work. Cuz that title’s not coming anywhere near the tip of my tongue/fingers until I’ve got 150 likes on my author page. I know you can do it because you guys are pretty freaking amazing! Come on … make Mommy proud!

Here’s the link … https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarybethSmith … pass it around … I can’t wait to share this new awesometastic title with you guys!!!!