Today I did something completely out of character. I did something that I’ve never dared to do before. I did something I’ve been really scared of. I did something I have previously avoided.

I went to an exam I haven’t studied for at all. I’ve set myself up for failure. And it feels good.

I have a history of exam anxiety. I have a history of withdrawing my exam registrations, not showing up on the exam day and even thinking I’ve failed when I actually got an A. It’s been a mess and it has given me a lot of trouble.

So this semester, to gain some credits, I signed up for an exam I didn’t have time to study for. I decided to let go of any expectations. If I fail, at least I have tried. If I don’t try, I don’t have a chance at all.

I re-defined success. I decided that I would be satisfied as long as I went to the exam hall and handed in something.

And so I did. This morning, I went to the exam and I didn’t feel afraid at all. And when the elevator stopped between two floors on my way up to the 6th floor exam hall – I laughed. Any other exam and I would have had a panic attack and cried. Luckily, the elevator started again immediately. But it didn’t really matter. This time, I knew that I had nothing to loose and everything to gain. And I knew that by showing up, I had already succeded.

I only sat there for half the given time and I handed in 17 pages of absolute bullshit. I just wrote whatever came to mind that was vaguely appropriate for the subject.  I did my best there and then. By now I have absolutely no idea if I passed, but I don’t really care. I have already succeded in conquering one of my greatest fears of not being good enough. I re-defined good enough. And it feels absolutely liberating.

It was a small Freedom Experiment.

I have used the same appoach to attract sponsors to my blog, clients for my business and submitting my photography portfolio to universities. It’s a tried and tested approach to get exciting things done and have lots of fun. Try it yourself by following the steps below. Enjoy!

5 Steps to Overcome Fear of Failure and Do Your Own Freedom Experiment

1. Identify something you want to do, but are afraid of doing

This could be anything from writing a small e-book, selling your first home-made product online, starting your first website or blog, submitting an article for a magazine, appologizing to someone or inviting someone out for a date – to bungee jumping, quitting your job or applying for a scholarship or university course. Be creative and decide on something you’re excited about, but a littel scared to do.

2. Evaluate the consequences and alternative actions

Realize that if you don’t try, you’ll never gain. This one is crucial – if you don’t go for it, the result would most likely be the same as the result you’re afraid of (which is often rejection or regret). Truth is, you have a lot less to loose if you never try.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
- Mark Twain

3. Re-define success

Define success as accomplishing what you set up to do and doing your best. Write that book, submit that article, put that creative baby out in the world. Just ask that editor, cute boy or potential customer. Do your part of the job and let the rest go. If you define success this way, and do your best, there is no way you could fail.

4. Do it for fun

Focus on why you want to do what you’re afraid of. Because it’s fun, right? (If not, make sure you really want to do what you think want to do.) Imagine that you could not fail. Would you enjoy doing what you’re doing more? It really helps any Freedom Experiment to do it for the heck of it. For the fun of it. To have a good laugh, to make a mess of yourself or for testing out something. Treat any project this way, and I’ll guarantee you that you’ll enjoy it more and I bet you’ll even succeed more frequently!

5. Re-evaluate possible consequences and make it a short-term commitment

There is almost no decisions in life that can’t be undone. I promise you won’t be stuck with a bad decision forever. The worst thing that can happen is that you’ll have to call your boss and ask to get that job back, appologize to someone or take that website back down. It might hurt, but it’s not the end of the world. Take a look at what you’re afraid of and see if your decision can poosibly be reversed. If not, and you still absolutely don’t dare – see if you can make your experiment smaller – like taking a two month temporary leave from work, move somewhere for a shorter period, make an agreement with someone for a small time period etc. Be creative and remember:

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE

Have you made your own Freedom Experiment yet? Tell us all about it in the comments!

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Dearest readers – new and old,

let me just start by expressing my heartfelt gratitude. I really appreciate having you here! Can you imagine, last month there were 21,687 absolutely unique and incredible people who wanted to get inspired and read about how they can embark on their own Freedom Experiment. You rock!

And you’re in good company, readers from 128 countries are reading and commenting! Can you believe it? And the awesomest part – the countries where the majority of you live are United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands. And this summer, I’m going to visit 4/5 of these! (Sadly, I’m not going to Canada, at least not yet and that I know of.. I’m a little impulsive so never say never!) Can’t wait to meet up with some of you guys!

If you’re new here, or just need an inspiration boost -I really recommend that you check out my About page and the Start Here page. They are both designed to give new readers a smooth and inspiring introduction to my writing and philosohpy.

I’ll keep this short and sweet, since I have to head over and rock my day job soon. I’ve been really busy with work and exams the last weeks, and I will be busy for another two weeks. After that I’ll be travelling the world and I’m going to work A LOT on developing the Freedom Experiment even further. Stay tuned for exciting news!

I’ll leave you with my slogan and tagline:

Ps. If you like my work, please LIKE IT on Facebook or use the button at the end of each post tweet. You’ll be helping me grow and inspiring your tribe. Thank you!

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Jess Van Den is a full-time crafty lady and creative entrepreneur from Australia. She makes eco-friendly modern jewellery from recycled sterling silver under the brand Epheriell as well as blogging daily at EpheriellDesigns.com and publishing *bespoke* zine (http://bespokezine.com) – a tri-annual crafty print zine full of inspirational goodness!

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“But you can’t know the future, it’s impossible” people say when I talk about intuition. And they are right, of course. We can’t know the future, even though we get strong feelings about it. However, intuition is so much more than premonitions and the future. Intuition is knowing what is right and what is wrong. Intuition is living in pact with our spirits and the larger force of life. Intuition is listening. Deep.

And you can’t learn to live intuitively from reading this post. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle from reading a book. You need to practice. Stop your hectic life for as long as you need to tune in to your spirit and listen, truly listen, to what it’s telling you. Then you need the courage to follow your instinct, not your (often very convincing) mind. It’s hard work, but the benefits are enorme. Learning to trust your instincts and live intuitively can transform your life. Suddenly you’re living with the stream, not against it. Suddenly your able to connect more closely to others because you are connecting with yourself. Slowly, and suddenly, you’ll feel whole.

“I guess that I see intuitive living not just as a benefit, or a way of becoming happier, but also as a solution to a myriad of problems. Living intuitively is the answer to the invisible question that we ask every minute of every day that we find ourselves in silence: what should I do now? What’s my next move? How can I be good, and live well? Why am I here?” – Kathryn Hogan

YES. Being connected to yourself is the solution. It will be beneficial to us, but as you’ll notice below living intuitively means living in pact with nature. What is good for us is good for the earth, the animals, the plants and everyone around us. There’s no doubt about it. And doesn’t it feel good? Your deep connection with yourself will have a ripple effect that will change the world.

“What’s good for us is good for the Earth too. It’s proof if proof that we’re needed, that we belong here. We’re supposed to be here. We have a divine purpose here.” -Kathryn Hogan

“Hey. Don’t feel bad. It’s just like learning to walk. Every human does it, even though it’s hard! At first, they keep falling over, even though some part of them intuitively knows exactly how to do it. Their first successes are uncontrolled. They just trust their feet, just like you have to trust your mind. Then, with practice, the steps get easier, your muscles grow, you gain balance and confidence and the next thing you know, you’re able to walk anywhere you want.”  

- From Wild Land, by Kahtryn Hogan

27 ways to practice living intuitively in a modern world

•• Intuitive nutrition ••

Eat what makes you feel good

Focus on how you feel after you have finished your meal, not while you’re eating. Do you feel better after eating a huge bowl of pasta, or after a salad? Do you feel better after drinking coffee? Or water? I’m not saying one thing is better than the other, I think you already know (from within, not because you’ve been told) what is best for you.

Learn to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full

This is a huge step towards living in touch with your intuition. Taking time to really feel and care for your hungers will make you much more tuned in to your natural self. Eat slowly and notice how you feel. Does your sense of hunger change? How does it feel like? How does being full feels like? To stop eating when you are full means listening to your needs and attending to your own well-being.

Drink before you are thirsty

Most people don’t feel thirst before their bodies are already dehydrated. Learn to listen to thirst signals, but make it a habit to keep a water bottle near at all times. Having water available will make you automatically grab for water every now and then, keeping your body hydrated and awake.

Grow your own food

This is a great way to live in pact with nature! If you’re short on space, try a hanging garden or even some potted herbs. If you don’t even have window sills (like me), I find that sprouting mung beans, lentils and chickpeas is a wonderful way of growing healthy and tasty food at home.

View yourself as a part of the circle of life

Try to picture yourself as a part of the circle of life. Think about where your food, products and water comes from and take note of where your waste ends up. Try to give as much back to the land as you receive. This is where reduce, reuse and recycle becomes meaningful and intuitive.

•• Living an intuitively active life ••

Focus on the energy and sparkle you get from working out

Much like with food, do the kind of exercise that comes naturally to you and which feels good! Focus on how you feel – while you’re in motion and after you finish. For me, I find that dance, games and running gets me in a really positive flow, while sitting on a stationary bike doesn’t feel good at all. How is your body meant to be moving?

Listen to your body’s signals

This should really go without saying – listen to your body when you’re working out. Is it telling you to give a little extra today? Or to take it nice and gently? Working out in sync with your body is vital to avoid injury.

Work out in nature

Living an active life outdoors is a great way to tune into your spirit and feel the life force flow through your veins. Hiking, biking, running and playing feels great when it’s done in nature. If you live in an urban area – go to the nearest large park. If you live in more rural areas – climb a mountain! I guarantee it feels better than running another 20 mins on that threadmill.

•• Intuitive Rest ••

Rest with wild abandon

When you feel tired, let everything else be. It doesn’t have to be for long, or for forever. Just tune in to yourself now and then and listen to your priorities and values. What is more important for you right now, rest or work? Don’t try to find the answer by thinking, try to see if you can feel it.

Go to bed when you’re sleepy and wake up when you’re fully rested

Feeling sleepy at 8 pm, and then you force yourself to stay awake. Come bedtime at 11 pm, you’re wide awake. Does this sounds familiar? Going to bed and waking up at a set time is something we’re taught while growing up, and it is often counter-intuitive. Make it a habit to go to bed at any time you feel sleepy say between 7 pm and midnight. The same goes for waking up. Most people will wake up when they are fully rested, if they make sure they set aside enough time to sleep every night. Try it for a week and feel the difference!

Follow your natural rest cycle

Every living thing has a natural rest cycle, including us humans. Think about how the seasons move, and how seeds are resting before they come to life. In our busy lives, we have collectively forgotten how our natural flow feels like. Have you noticed how you have seasons of natural productivity and creativity – and seasons when you’re forcing yourself to produce, create and grow? On a large scale, these seasons may be long, or they may be short. Your rest cycle might take years to complete, or days. On a small scale, sleep is a big part of your daily rest cycle, but have you noticed other times too? Late mornings and/or afternoons are the times when my body needs rest. Early mornings, early afternoons and late evenings are the times when I’m totally energized. How about you?

Focus on your breath

Your breath is a good indicator of your overall well-being. Are your breaths deep and relaxed? Or shallow and stressed? Listen to what your breath is telling you. Do you need to slow down? Or can you push yourself forward? Taking time to breathe deeply, every now and then can mean a lot to your overall sense of calm and control.

Meditate

Meditation is a great way of getting closer to your true self and to nature. Just start with sitting for ten minutes a day. Let go of any expectations and see if you can just notice your thoughts. Who are you – who is this person that is noticing your thoughts? Personally, I find that I get a clearer sense of who I am, unrelated to what I think.

•• Intuition and yourself ••

Learn to recognize your values

Try to spend some time on getting clear on your values. Do you value efficiency? Or rest? Maybe both? Do you value kindness over your own boundaries? This exercise is great to do in a journal. When you get clear on what your values are, it is easier to intuitively follow them. You probably do this already, but getting aware of the process can make it all feel more meaningful and true.

Stand up for yourself gracefully

Intuition is knowing when to say no, and when you can move your limits. Learn to feel it in your body – are there any particular situations where your body tells you to stand up for yourself more? Doing it all with grace will make it feel so much better.

Listen to your limits when you give of yourself

Most of us feel great when we’re helping others. But sometimes, we continue to give long after we’ve practically run dry. Try to use your intuition when giving. When do you give too much? When do you have more to give? Try to listen to your heart on this matter, but make sure you don’t fool yourself. It often feels so good to give that we ignore our own needs!

Be kind to yourself

Kindness has strong connection to our intuition. We tend to be kind to people when we instinctively feel that they are good, that they want good things for us and when they are kind in return. The other way around, we instinctively reject and withdraw from people that we sense are bad for us. Why is it then that we so often aren’t kind to ourselves? Take a moment and feel if your intuitive feeling towards yourself is rooted in limiting beliefs.

Let go of attachment to outcomes

Try to do things that intuitively makes you feel good. It is so easy to be guided by the outcome of an action, and when it doesn’t happen we feel bad. However, if you let go of your attachment and just follow your heart, you will feel much better and your results are likely to change too.

Don’t listen to negativity

Negativity is a huge part of our modern culture, but it hasn’t root in nature. Gossip, comparison, talking behind people’s backs, competition and devaluation are all a part of our lives even though we know it’s not good for anyone. It’s counter-intuitive! Look at nature, do you compare flowers too? Or reject a kitten that looks a little different and weaker than the rest of them? Listen to the part of you that knows right from wrong, good from bad and have the courage to stay true to who you really are.

•• Intuitive decision making ••

Listen for that voice within

When faced with a difficult situation, we often try to look for answers outside of ourselves. We ask for advice, search for facts, try to determine probability and weigh the pro’s and con’s. However, sometimes it might be just as effective to look within. How do you feel about the different options? Does any option give you a good feeling? A bad feeling? It’s well worth it to look within in addition to getting clear on the facts and probable consequences.

Do what makes you feel vibrant

When faced with two or more options, do what makes you feel alive, joyful and vibrant. What gives you energy? What drains you? Again, focus on yourself and what your body tells you, not what you should or should not do.

Take the action where you feel the most resistance

When faced with different creative options, go for the one where you feel the most resistance. This is your spirit’s way of showing you that your work is important. Again, listen to your emotional reactions and your gut feeling. Isn’t it true that the scariest creative work also is the most rewarding? See if this holds true for you, or not. Maybe you’re different?

•• Intuitive relationships ••

Follow your natural boundaries

Boundaries in relationships can be hard, especially when you’re living together. Try to follow your heart on this one too. When do you need time alone, without your partner? When is it important that you spend time together? Are you having a healthy balance in your relationship right now? If not, what needs to change? Again, try to answer these question without solely using reason. What do you feel?

Be present

Being present has a lot to do with intuition. When we sense safety and comfort, we are more easily able to stay present and truly listening to our partners. However, if we’re feeling unsafe (perhaps because we fear intimacy) it is harder to stay present and in the moment. This also works the other way around – being present with each other often feels intuitively good. It feels true. Do you agree?

•• Dreaming intuitively ••

Listen to that voice within

Dreams are highly intuitive. Why do you want what you want? We often can’t explain, and often we shouldn’t. It feels good to just want something for no good reason. What do you dream of? Try to move through all the chaos, conflicting needs and other people’s dreams. What do you really want?

Grow organically

Making dreams come true is a matter of personal growth. I don’t think we can feel the rush of success, joy and happiness of being there, doing it, without growing as humans. Making dreams come true is wonderful, but it can also be very overwhelming. Change is hard, no matter if it takes a positive or a negative direction. Try to listen to your instincts when you work toward that dream. It’s okay to go slow and steady! Stop for a moment and see if you can feel where you are in this right now. Do you move too fast? Or can you speed up?

Follow your passion

I bet you’ve heard this a thousands times already, but it’s not repeated for nothing. Do what makes you feel good, do what comes easy and do what gives you joy and happiness. However, it’s not easy to figure out what our passions are if we don’t look within. Looking outside ourselves, trying a lot of different things, asking for advice, reading helpful (or not so helpful) blog posts – it won’t get us any closer to figuring out what our passions and dreams are. Instead, try to look within. Are you sure you don’t already know?

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Do you consider yourself an intuitive person?

This post was inspired (and brought to you) by…

Wild Land by Kathryn Hogan

I am a passionate reader – fiction, non-fiction, fantasy and classics. Short books and the heavy ones – I always have at least two books with me at all times. I also write a lot (you know that already) and I correct papers at university level. I don’t claim to be the best writer in the world, but writing and reading is my thing. And I LOVED reading this book. As in, I want to read more! I want to read it again! I want to read a sequel! I want to read everything that Kathryn writes! This post is sponsored, but my feelings are the real deal. Check it out!

Kathryn Hogan is an author and environmentalist living in the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains with her two dogs, cat, and handsome forest-tending husband. Her first novel, Wild Land, was published in 2011 and is available on Amazon – in paperback and for Kindle. Kathryn also has a rollickingly hilarious
website and fascinating blog, which you can find at www.kathrynhogan.ca.

To learn more about Kathryn, read an interview with her here.

The good

It might be true that you’re rich, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you’re rich. •• It might be true that you have powerful friends, but that doesn’t mean you’re good, it means that have powerful friends. •• It might be true that you have many followers, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you have many followers. •• It might be true that you are thin, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you are thin. •• It might be true that you are organized, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you’re organized. •• It might be true that you’re a morning person, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you are a morning person. •• It might be true that you’re taking care of yourself, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you’re taking care of yourself. •• It might be true that you are fit, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you’re fit. •• It might be true that you eat healthy food, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you eat healthy food. •• It might be true that you work hard, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you work hard. •• It might be true that you are helpful, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you’re helpful. •• It might be true that you are lucky, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you’re lucky. •• It might be true that you make your dreams come true, but that doesn’t mean that you’re good, it means that you make your dreams come true.

The bad

It might be true that you eat emotionally, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you eat emotionally. •• It might be true that you waste time, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you waste time. •• It might be true that you have a boring day job, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you have a boring day job. •• It might be true that your business is unsuccessful, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that your business is unsuccessful. •• It might be true that you struggle with faith, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you struggle with faith. •• It might be true that you are unproductive, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you are unproductive. •• It might be true that you suck at time management, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you suck at time management. •• It might be true that you didn’t get the best grades in school, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you didn’t get the best grades in school. •• It might be true that bad things happen to you, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that bad things happen to you. •• It might be true that you say bad things, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you say bad things. •• It might be true that you are selfish, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you are selfish. •• It might be true that you are lonely, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you are lonely. •• It might be true that you have no ambitions, but that doesn’t mean that you’re bad, it means that you have no ambitions.

The ugly truth

We assign meaning to our actions, other people’s actions, random actions and luck. We use this meaning to pull ourselves down and to idealize others. It’s self-hate in disguise. And personal development advice can support your self-hate because it builds on the assumption that you need to change. That you’re not good enough already. That there’s something wrong with you. And it isn’t.

There are a lot of newborn babies in my life right now. My cousin and several of my friends have been blessed with beautiful baby boys. And being around them has helped me realized that there is no such thing as good or bad people. Only human beings with needs, desires and dreams. Can you hate a newborn baby for crying when it’s scared, hungry or in pain? Can you hate a child for not being perfect? For making mistakes? For being unlucky? For not being a morning person?

Well, then why do you kick yourself so hard for these things? What makes you different from a child? From what point in time did you decide that you are bad if you’re not hard-working, popular or lucky? From what point in time did you decide that you are bad if bad things happen to you?

Personally, I know exactly when this happened. It’s a painful childhood memory. But here’s the thing. I’m grown up now. I can decide for myself. And I’m doing my best to believe that there is nothing wrong with me. I don’t need to be changed. I could change, yes. But I don’t need to. I’m already a valuable human being, just the way I am.

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How do you feel about yourself? Do you struggle with these issues too?

The idea for this post came from a book called There’s nothing wrong with you by Cheri Huber. It’s a great book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to get to know themselves better. ♥

Are you ready to get to know another fabulous Dreamgirl? If you’re not inspired after meeting Kathryn Hogan, then you’ll never be inspired that’s for sure! Not only did Kathryn write that book we all dream of writing – she wrote a killer novel too! And then she self-published it. After reading her novel, I’m so impressed I’m almost (almost, just almost!) speechless. I’m not going to say much more, other that you have to read her book.  Ladies (and gentlemen), let me introduce you to *Drumroll* the wonderful Kathryn Hogan!

So, Kathryn, where did your dream to write and self-publish a novel come from?

The first book I wrote was called the Quests of Various Morons, a collection of silly short stories which was co-authored by my best friend Veronika when we were twelve. It wasn’t masterfully crafted, but we loved it. It was a fun new way to explore the beauty of preteen best-friendship. Eventually, I started writing my own short stories even when she wasn’t around. When I was sixteen, I did a year-long student exchange to Germany, and writing poems and short stories helped me to work through the difficulties of being a young person away from home.

I kept on writing until all of a sudden, I had Wild Land sitting on my hard drive. It was good. It could sell. I did some research and decided that I wanted to publish Wild Land myself because that way I could keep all of the rights, learn a lot about the publishing industry, and get my name out there at the same time.

How did you make the decision to just go for it?

A year and a half ago I had a nervous breakdown. Shocking, I know! It is actually becoming more and more common among go-getting young women. One in three Canadian women on a university campus has the same disease that snuck up on me and debilitated me: anxiety disorder. One day I was a happy, healthy person who happened to push herself to perfection all the time. The next day I was covered in hives head to toe, getting anxiety attacks, being rushed to the hospital for inexplicable pain in my torso. After a few months of medical tests that all showed me to be healthy, my symptoms had just gotten worse. I could barely get out of bed, I was always itchy, I was nauseous everyday, and weirdest of all, I couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t concentrate to the extent that I couldn’t read. Seriously. I would look at words and my brain just didn’t get it.

At the time, I was studying full time, working part time, and writing part time. I had also just gotten engaged, and we had just bought our first home. When the diagnosis finally came, I was actually relieved. It made sense. Suddenly, so much of my life made sense. For the first time, I allowed myself to rest, to relax, and to get better.

Getting better felt like learning to walk again after a car accident that leaves you immobile. I was learning to be a healthy, anxiety free human for the first time: everything was baby steps. At first, even making phone calls was scary! But I learned to be patient with myself. To find the balance between pushing myself and not pushing too hard. My fiancee got me a dog so that I would feel safe going for long walks and runs through the forest near our house, and I continue to go for at least an hour every day. I started watching and reading Science Fiction again – which I hadn’t since I was a teenager, due to putting pressure on myself to only read ‘important literary stuff’.

Ultimately, I had the amazing opportunity to rediscover what it meant to be me, and how to be happy. In spite of the pain that led up to that opportunity, I would never trade it in. It was the best thing that could have happened to me.

One fine morning, I sat down and wrote the first page of Wild Land. Talk about anxiety!!! What if it wasn’t perfect? What if it wasn’t GOOD ENOUGH?!?! What would that say about me as a person? Anxiety threatened to destroy my writing, just as it threatened every other part of my life. But I was learning how to fight anxiety. I saw writing Wild Land as a chance to put what I was learning into practice. I refused the urge to plan everything in the story. In fact,
I wouldn’t let myself even think about the book when I wasn’t writing. I never let myself ask “is this good?” or “does this work?”. Instead, I figured that it would be easier to fix a bad book than it would be to fix no book. Turns out I was right.

By the time it was finished, I was healthy.

How did I decide to just go for it? Easy. I knew that it was a decision between going for it, and giving up.

Did you experience set-backs and obstacles – and how did you deal with them?

Setbacks! Obstacles! Yes! Everyday!

Well, not everyday. I do enjoy being hyberbolic though.

I consider myself very lucky, looking back at the process of writing and publishing Wild Land. Because I saw it as a learning process, every setback was sort of… expected. Of course I don’t know what I’m doing! This is my first time doing it! I would say to myself.

Another reason that I’m really lucky is that a few of the symptoms from my anxiety still hang around to remind me of the lessons that I learned over the last year and a half. When I push myself too hard, I break out in hives. That means that all I can do is my best: if I put more pressure on myself than that, I get itchy.

Mostly, I just tried to have fun with it, and I continue to do so. I hired friends for everything from website design to photographing me to editing. Then it didn’t seem like setbacks or obstacles at all, just fun and learning.

How do you feel about writing right now?

I love writing! I’m really excited about a project I’m working on that is tentatively titled Book of Shadows. It’s about a young woman who becomes mysteriously pregnant. Trying to find the father of her baby puts her in the middle of a cosmic struggle between human nature and human destiny that will decide the fate of all life on earth.

Plus, the main supporting character is ridiculously hunky and I really enjoy writing about his bulging muscles and naturally perfect hair. Mee-ow!

Kathryn, what is your next big dream?

My next big dream is Permaculture! In Wild Land, I describe a lifestyle in tune with nature. It sounds idyllic, but it is possible and it’s happening all over the world. Permaculture design is when you turn gardening, horticulture, and agriculture from descriptive/reactive sciences into prescriptive, predictive and proactive sciences. There is now evidence showing that most of earth’s cultures relied on some form of permaculture, or ‘forest gardening’, for their food, before totalitarian agriculture took over. In North America, for example, it is now estimated that the population density pre-European expansion was more than that of Europe at the same time. Unlike the Europeans invaders, however, the Native North Americans supported their population with a complex and sustainable permaculture practice that was an integral part of the forest cycles of this continent.

Permaculture offers anyone with a bit of land the opportunity to plant their own self-sustaining garden of paradise, where they can grow delicious and healthy food in a way that helps the environment, instead of hurting it.

This summer I’m designing and installing my first permaculture gardens, and next year I’ll complete two separate landscape design certificates: one in permaculture, the other in traditional horticulture.

From there, I hope to design and install beautiful, sustainable and productive forest gardens in the summer, while continuing to write exciting eco-fiction in the winter. I also hope to write some non-fiction about the role that permaculture can play in filling our lives with meaning, happiness, and the goodwill of future generations.

Finally, I hope to continue speaking at schools about following your dreams, how to pursue a life in the arts, entrepreneurialism in general, and of course, permaculture!

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Kathryn Hogan is an author and environmentalist living in the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains with her two dogs, cat, and handsome forest-tending husband. Her first novel, Wild Land, was published in 2011 and is available on amazon in paperback and for Kindle. Kathryn also has a rollickingly hilarious website and fascinating blog!

Do you have any questions for Kathryn? Or maybe you just want to wave and say hi?

Hello darling! I’ve been in a creative mood lately and I decided to put together some quotes from selected posts on the Freedom Experiment over the last few months! I hope you’re inspired and that you want to make good use of these! You can pin them, use them as banners, re-blog, print and use as (post)cards, use them as screensavers or print and hang on your wall! For convenience, I’ve included a downloadable .pdf file, all you have to do is click the link underneath each image. Hope you enjoy!

ps. I think these are perfect to send as an attachment to an e-mail (or even printed on heavy paper and sent in the mail) to a good friend who need a little surprise love and motivation!

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These quotes are selected with passion from these posts

• How to make a dream life love list •

• Letters to a young woman •

• 48 things to be grateful for when you need to shift your focus •

Which one is your favourite? Do you want more of these?

Anyone else guilty of over thinking? Thought so! I actually have a printout of this above my desk as a reminder. Sometimes, when you’re all chaos inside, it’s a nice thing to remember that a) you’re probably over thinking a lot of things and b) over thinking can actually be beautiful and positive too.

On another note, I need to do some digital housekeeping, just to make sure you know about some of the things I’m doing elsewhere! BIG NEWS TO FOLLOW:

•• I’m going to be a regular guest contributor over at The English Muse every Wednesday while Tina is busy with work. I’ll be sharing everything from photos to recipes to travel musings and music/art/inspiration, so make sure you follow! My first posts is going live later today with Instagram photos from my daily life in Oslo. Here is the link to my post!

•• This Friday, I’m guest posting as a part of the Inside Outside series on The Headologist. I’m writing about the process of doing a mental spring cleaning, so make sure you follow The Headologist too. A lot of great minds are contributing to the series and I’m honored to be a part of this. Here is the link to my post!

•• I’m participating in the Your Darling Blog workshop by Jo Klima. This means that The Freedom Experiment is going to get a digital makeover soon! Let me know if there are any features you are missing or if you have any feedback regarding the current design. Thank you!

•• Last, but not least, I’m working on a secret project! Hint, hint: I’m soon going to launch my first digital product so stay tuned!

What dreams are you making come true these days?

The Freedom Experiment has grown rapidly in the last 6 months, and a lot of people have asked me how I’m doing it. And to be honest, I’m not doing much different from before. But I have noticed one new major source of internet traffic. It started an early morning in December.

I checked my e-mail first thing in the morning, and on this particular day I had received more comments than usual. I had posted a huge post a few days before, and I just wanted to check if anyone had linked to my post.

A little absent-minded, I checked Google Analytics. Expecting numbers in the hundreds, I had to check twice. Three times. I could not believe it!  In two days, my blog traffic had increased from a modest 288 unique visitors, to a mind-blowing 11 829 unique visitors in one day. I stared at the page in disbelief. How on earth was this possible!?

And then I checked the source.

Pinterest.

You know Pinterest, right? If not, head over there ASAP. Give me a shout if you want an invite!

Blog traffic isn’t everything. But for me, building a great base of readers is so important to my dream of becoming a writer. I need you.

Before I get to the point, let me start with gratitude: Thank you SO much for reading and supporting the Freedom Experiment. You’re not only supporting me, your passion helps me spread inspiration, motivation and hope, which in turn moves thousands of people. Together we’re making the world a much better place. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For some of you, your dreams require people too. You need to spread the word about your fabulous product, your writing or you need to raise money to support your charity. If your dream require that you market yourself and your cause, then read on. If your dream doesn’t require marketing and self-promotion, then this post was not written for you. I’ll be happy to write for you another time.

I guess what I want to say is that there’s nothing wrong with marketing yourself. To make your dreams come true, to help others, to make the world more amazing. And there’s nothing wrong with not wanting to market yourself too. There are no rules, just do what makes you happy!

Based on my experience with Pinterest and attracting extraordinarily great readers, I am sharing my 6 most impactful tips on how to use images to gather a fantastic crowd:

How to use Pinterest to build a tribe of wonderful people

1. Look at trending images

From the Pinterest home page, choose ‘Popular’ and have a closer look at which images are re-pinned the most. What do they have in common? Clever quotes, humorous and stunning landscapes often make it to the ‘Popular’ category. When choosing an image for your post, ask yourself if people would bookmark your post if it was just an image. It’s important that the image works with the text, but on Pinterest it is just as important that the image works alone.

2. Create your own images

Quotes with text on backgrounds (like the one above) often go viral on Pinterest. Consider making your own visuals to accompany your post to leverage this opportunity. Choose a striking quote from your post and create a simple .jpeg file. This will allow people who enjoy your quote to remember it, plus it will enable people to bookmark your post using Pinterest too. Pinterest saves the link to the original location, but I recommend writing your blog address in the bottom of your images just to be on the safe side.

3. Use the text box thoughtfully

Underneath each image, you have the option to include up to 500 characters of text. Too much text and your text takes focus away from the image that you want others to re-pin. Too little text and you miss a great opportunity to make people click through from your image to your website. Be thoughtful about how much text you include, a good rule is to stick to your headline, or 1-2 sentences that capture the essence of your post.

4. Get active on Pinterest and pin your own posts

To fully make use of Pinterest as a traffic source, you need to be active on the site and pin your own pictures. Start following other users, and they will often follow you back – depending on the style of your pins. Pin all the images and videos you post to increase the likelihood of them being re-pinned. Also, you could consider pinning images from blogs you follow to provide your followers with fresh and interesting articles, visuals, videos and quotes.

5. Use images that strengthen and reinforce your brand

Unlike other social media platforms, headlines and tags are less important on Pinterest. Pinning is all about style – if people like the image in your post, they share it. To strengthen your brand, both on your website and on social media platforms like Pinterest, you need to keep a close look at the images you choose. Which colours represent your brand? Is your image all about crisp, stunning photography? Or soft, vintage-looking images in pastels? Remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to stock photos – videos, illustrations, charts and figures may be just as representable and pin-able as photographic images.

6. Add Pinterest share buttons

A lot of different plugins now offer Pinterest buttons along with the regular Facebook and Twitter icons. Make sure you make it simple for everyone. Just take a look at my share buttons below!

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Ever since that morning in December, Pinterest still sends a lot of awesome people my way. Pinterest has come to stay . And the images you choose to accompany your posts are more important than ever.

New readers: Did you find The Freedom Experiment via Pinterest?

Bloggers: What is your experience with Pinterest? Do you use images differently now than before?