#AimForZero

Hi everyone! I know that it's been a while since I've written in the New Creature Fashion blog, but today I felt like I would tell you something that is very important to me. This month is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and I am a person with a voice concerning this issue because Epilepsy runs in my family. Not only do I have it but unfortunately my children have it now. If you have not read in my Family Career Woman blog to see my journey please do when you get a chance.

Anyway...I have created an epilepsy bracelet for myself and my daughter. I currently have no idea where her's is but I'm sure I'll come across it. I've lived with epilepsy all of my life since the time I was 9 months old, and it wasn't until I was about 24 years old that I accepted it and I began to read all the facts about it.

This year for #NEAM2017 I just wanted to share the campaign that stands out to me as well as explain what it means. The first one they have is #AimForZero it's a campaign that helps people set goals for how they will aim for having Zero seizures. Every year 1 in every 150 people who have uncontrolled seizures dies from Sudden Unexpected Death from Epilepsy or SUDEP. I have a some family members who died from seizures. 

The way that you can determine if someone dies of SUDEP is if there are no other underlying causes around why they died. Someone dying from a tumor or brain damage that may have caused seizures is not the same as someone dying from uncontrolled seizures. The #AimForZero campaign is to simply bring as much awareness as possible to Epilepsy and SUDEP to decrease the amount of seizures and death.

This campaign is particularly important to me because it has 4 action steps that you can take in order to reduce the risk of seizures or #AimForZero. Those steps are:

1. Take Medication as Prescribed 
   
2. Get Enough Sleep
   
   
   
   
   
3. Limit Alcohol 
   
4. Strive to Stop Seizures 
   

The first step may seem self explanatory to you, however I know many people who have skipped a dose of medication for various reasons. I know about substance abuse and seizures, I also can say that I've missed a ton of sleep before-especially when I was in college, and jobs that are physically strenuous actually increase my chances of a seizure, and I lose a lot of sleep.

Personally I just went through a season of not having my medication some days because of horrible insurance coverage. I ended up in the hospital several times, and there was an incident at Grady Hospital here in Atlanta GA where I was there for a dose after I had run out, and I ended up waiting too long in the waiting room. I had a seizure while I was waiting there and when I woke up I was being discharged and I still had a ton of drugs in my system. When I'd asked about whether I was given my phenobarbital the nurse told me that I had a pseudo seizure because my CAT scans came back negative and she called the security to come escort me out of the building. When I arrived at home, my husband came with my prescription (which he paid for out of pocket and he looked at my discharge papers. Instead of "Epileptic Seizure" being put on the discharge work I was diagnosed with "shaking". I had let them know that I had epilepsy upon coming in the door, and not only that but I've had treatment before at Grady Hospital for having epilepsy. I was actually transferred from the children's hospital because I had taken my son to the Childrens hospital for his congestion, and I ended up having a seizure myself. In all my years (all 26 of them), I have never experienced negligence on that level. I called with a complaint and all they did is ask me what I wanted them to do about it...Well for starters give your employees a real education about epilepsy. Don't let a novice take on a task as great as epilepsy. In other words Grady has to step up their game. I understand that they are a hospital that deals with a lot of drug addicted mentally ill people, but I'm a woman with Epilepsy. My request for Phenobarbital was not to satisfy an addiction it was to treat a Seizure disorder that I've had since I was a child, and if they had looked back in my records they would have noticed that this is true. All this to say that Striving to Stop Seizures doesn't always come easy, and there's no wonder that people die of it in high amounts. It's already very disturbing to know that 1 in 150 people die of SUDEP, but the thing that makes me the most frightened is knowing I could've been the next victim because of ignorance, and negligence. This is why I'm such a strong advocate for Epilepsy Awareness. I don't want anyone else to experience the level of pain that I have all my life, especially not my children. I'm so happy that they go to The Children's Hospital where they do get the treatment they need, and I hope they never have to got through the things I did as a child or even as an adult. It is very disturbing to know that I was at a hospital where I could have been helped but wasn't. I felt so unsafe and very hurt, and neither have I returned there for treatment because I don't believe they'd ever be able to handle a situation like mine. I've also had a ton of people confirm this theory. One EMT that came and picked me and my daughter up said that EMT training is not something they can afford so they only get to train for 6 weeks. Other people have told me that they can't afford training for several other things as well, so when I use the word "ignorance" I actually mean it in its true definition. 

I #AimForZero by knowing my Triggers, and I have a whole list of them from the common cold all the way to stress on the physical body, or the mental. Having Self-Awareness is my greatest weapon, and I use it to keep mine and even the kids seizures at bay. At the slightest sign of a cold I'm taking medication and administering it to my children. My sons seizures are so unique that any form of illness will cause him to have cluster seizures right behind each other. In the past he'd seize, fall asleep after (the postictal phase) and then he'd wake up just to have another one 5-10 minutes after he's been awake. Now that he has his own emergency medication I can give him the medication when he has one instead of seeing 5 plus seizures in a 24 hour span. People who have 15 seizures in a year are more likely to die of SUDEP. So this campaign is important to me on many levels; it's important to me and my kids, and then it's also important that I ensure others have knowledge about this so no one will be in the dark about how to help someone with epilepsy. Situations like the one I've had at Grady should never happen to anyone and I'm going to make it my business to start speaking out about it as much as possible.


My fight is literally my daughter and my sons fight. That's not something I could have ever wished for because it's already very tough dealing with my own seizures but now it is a different thing dealing with kids who have them as well. I understand my children, and I understand my mom as well. I understand what it's like to not want to let go because they can get sick, but because I lived with epilepsy I understand how it is necessary for them to thrive and be taught that they are not incapable because they have seizures.

Kana Wear LLC is my platform. If I have to make a ton of purple stuff just so people can get the point that I'm serious about this then so be it. When I was a little girl I had a medical bracelet that I stopped wearing because I felt like it drew too much attention to having seizures. Now I've created my own bracelet. I want people to ask me questions, and I want to give them answers so they'll know what to do in a circumstance where they meet someone just like me.

If you don't take anything else from this post know that people with epilepsy (though weak for a moment) are strong people. They repeatedly face circumstance after circumstance yet they never give up. I've faced discrimination, negligence, ignorance...the list is really too long, and includes external and internal factors. If we don't constantly communicate about what happens to us you continue to advocate ignorance and that's not what I'm about. You destroy ignorance by raising awareness, and most people who hear the word "seizures" freeze up and think it's impossible for this person to work or live in the best way possible. True enough we have limitations but there is nothing too big for God, and for those who believe to overcome. Seizures may affect how we learn, but it doesn't mean we are incapable of learning, it may make us have to go slower but it doesn't mean it won't be done efficiently. I can really go on all day about being way more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ, but you get the picture. Once again Kana Wear LLC is my platform and I'm going to keep using it to bring awareness to the situation. This platform may seem small right now, but it's still one worth standing on, and I will continue to do so as long as I'm alive. So if you can please fight with me. Help me to raise as much awareness as possible and help schools, employers, and even friends and family understand that this is not a joke. Please fight with us! Support the movement for National Epilepsy Awareness Month! #NEAM2017 

There's a New Designer In Town!

Today was the BIG DAY of the Jewelry Party and it turned out wonderful. Initially I was nervous because I had 3 kids instead of 2 this time. Anyway, I sent a text to Mrs. Renee Crawford who was the coordinator of the entire thing and she was so relaxed about the matter. She told me that my kids can come as well as my God daughter and we stepped out of the house together at about 2:45pm.

All week I've dedicated time to my skirt and hat. I had been slaving away at that pattern for days trying to figure out this and that, and I had finally gotten it on Wednesday last week. Thursday I had to "take off" because my daughter had a doctors appointment. I thought that I would have the time to dedicate to just sewing on Friday however my husband had come home early with the girls from school because he had been up there all morning and afternoon for Daddy Daycare. Although this happened I was persistent, I still cut out my patterns I still did all of my work, and I still at least got the skirt sewn. I made a few mistakes but overall it looked beautiful and that was sort of my point, since it was my Launch Party.

So Today was very important. I not only sold my jewelry but I presented myself as a designer, because that's who I am. Although my design was rather simple it was mine, and came from me. I didn't buy a Butterick, I actually drafted my own pattern based on my own personal measurements and I came out with a skirt for myself.

Mrs. Renee was very sweet, not only making sure everything was taken care of concerning the food, invites, location, and getting us there but also interceding on my behalf as well. She not only bought some of my earrings 4 for $20, she told everyone on the intercessory team at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church about my Jewelry Party and they sowed into my endeavors. So I made 2 sales and  received donations as well for my business.

The purpose of this Jewelry Party was to encourage me to continue on my entrepreneurship journey, and to expose me as the designer that I am. The skirt and the matching hat were additions that I made to this debut only because that was the sort of thing I was going for. We went live for a split second on YouTube to sort of show the world the supporters, and the jewelry party but it wasn't long.

It was a blessing to see the support that I did see. Some knew I was a designer and had been very supportive for some years now, however I wasn't so much caught up on numbers as I was on my own personal goals concerning this party. The dress and the hat were must haves for me, the jewelry was already there, and since it was only my first one I didn't know if anyone would even show up. They did but it wasn't many, and it was still okay because I was more focused on simpler things like my look, and my jewelry, and how I was going to get there with 3 kids, and more important than any of that was showing gratitude. I was very grateful for who came more than how much money was raised, the encouragement I received was important because it feels good to know that someone has your back when you are trying to make it out there as you make your dreams a reality. The seed towards a brighter future was greatly appreciated.

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I really enjoyed myself, and I realized that what my husband told me the night before was for me. He told me that Success is not measured in fame and fortune but in how much you prosper. Today I feel as though I succeeded. I've come a long way, and even though I was not always the best I know that this is what I'm called to do. I did succeed because I accomplished my goals. I designed my pencil skirt, I sold jewelry and I had a great Jewelry Party with the help of church family and some friends. It wasn't about the figures for me today, so I was greatly humbled by this experience and I'm looking forward to having many more events.

Jewelry Party

I am so excited to share that I am having my first EVER Jewelry Party! After nearly a week of not knowing where things will be held the host finally called me back and told me that the party will be held at Nancy's Pizza @Camp Creek and it will be on a Saturday October 21 at 3pm. I would be excited if everyone would come and support during this time. I will be live streaming the event, so that everyone can hang out with me and see the merchandise and party.

With great excitement I look forward to this event, however I must prepare myself for this event. Monday I went to Goodwill to see what I could find and I found a whole beading kit for 2.95. Even though this was a bargain there's no way that would be enough to create tons of merchandise for a jewelry party. I also came across some really beautiful remnants. I found some blue floral lace, some red and even some pink. I intended on going to Goodwill in the first place to find a few fabrics and I came out with 3 remnants, and a bead kit, for all of $17. I've done worse in the past and that was pretty good. I still have $40 to spare and I'm determined that all of it is going towards my jewelry party! I'm not changing my mind and I'm not going to shift gears. This is important to me, and I'm going to enjoy myself.

It's a real blessing when someone sows into you, and I'm going to make sure that I do something nice for Deaconess Crawford for hosting my event. One thing my mother taught me to do is say Thank you, and I've been doing it since she first made the suggestion to host a jewelry party for me. It's so important to keep your connections with people because you just never know what they are capable of. I've spoken to Mrs. Crawford several times in church about spiritual and business things way before this came up, and I'm thankful that I keep my relationships with people.


Here are just some of creations I made when I came home from Goodwill. I had to crack open that kit! I was really surprised that I found something like that at Goodwill. I thought it would be the first thing gone, but I was lucky enough to find it and just in time for this Jewelry party this month! Most of the beads in the kits I'll either use for small earrings or fillers for necklaces. I posted a Slide Show on YouTube for my viewers so you can follow the video link and subscribe to my channel. I don't post on it often but I do post on there from time to time and show some of my work

I would love to have a good turn out for this party. I'm going to check out how she does this one and see if I can pretty much do my own without having to depend on so much. I can't promise to make reservations at a place like Nancy's Pizza again, but I can try to do something for myself. It's just such a toss up holding a jewelry event and I'd much rather pay to vend than to pay to vend at a party that I host because it is so expensive.

The YMCA on Campbellton Rd will be holding a Fall Festival on October 31 and I'm going to Register for one of the free tables. Usually when you register to vend at an event they charge $25/table. This time it's free and it's important that people like me take advantage of opportunities like this. I'll buy some candy and give that out since I don't have a car to Trunk the candy in, and that way I have something nice for parents and children alike.

If you are interested in following me to any of these events please feel free to do so. I take Cash and Card so please come and enjoy yourself with us!

What's New?

It has been a while that I've written in the New Creature Fashion Blog, however that doesn't mean that things have not been in motion concerning Kana Wear LLC. Progress is being made slowly but surely and I am grateful for the progress that is being made. Several things have happened from having donors, to new creations and I wanted to share a few things about it!

1.The New Creature Newsletter

I've made an update to my newsletter, and I'm currently trying to figure out the software to send it to everyone on a mailing list. Basically the problem is that I designed this beautiful Newsletter in Microsoft Word, which has a few hot topics concerning what's going on in the World of Kana Wear LLC. It even has a short story that I wrote myself introducing 1 new character of 5 from my new series Nerdy Chic. Getting people to subscribe to my newsletter is not as easy as I thought, and on top of this all the software that I have seen has this feature where they have templates to create the newsletter-but not to send one that's already designed and attach it. It's kind of frustrating when your life is DIY and you put all your time and effort into making something amazing just for the idea to be put to waste. So for right now I'll be sending the newsletter directly. If you have not subscribed yet to read my newsletter, then please go to my website at www.kanawear.com and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, and put in your email address. I only send one monthly and it usually has updates to cover an entire month.

2. Hair Jewelry/Accessories

Okay I have a confession to make, I've sort of been obsessing about this hair jewelry craze secretly. Especially when it comes to creating something unique. I've been buying $1 bags of hair jewelry from the beauty supply store (12 ct) and I've been taking about 6 and designing them. The other half I leave plain because these come in handy for accent.
I hate to say I jumped on the hair jewelry bandwagon all of a sudden, so here's somewhat of a back story. I was into hair jewelry back in High School. I was already making hair bows, and barrettes as well as some other hair accessories so hair jewelry for me consisted of an earring hoop the size of a quarter and some beads. My mother didn't like it very much and actually forbade me to walk out of the house with these random ringlets hanging off the ends of my braids. Honestly I wasn't very good at braiding and well...my hair wasn't great looking when I did this style because of that, so it did my accessories no justice. Anyway, I never tried to make hair jewelry again until now, and it's a craze! This thing that I was inspired to do while listening to "A Colorful World" by Cece Winans on the Purified album actually became somewhat of a trending thing and I was in shock. In case you don't know what I'm saying in that song she says in the lyrics "She wears nose rings with weird things floating through her hair. She is slightly embarrassed by everyone who stares, and when she walks away you might say she's a little wild, but she can rule the world when she opens up her mouth and smiles...It's a colorful World that we live in!" To me even though I had no nose rings and probably wouldn't get one if you paid me-I sure could have things in my hair. I made accessories anyway so this would have just been a step up for me.
Now I not only make beaded barrettes, hair bows, head bands, but now I make hair jewelry, and I've added in a little extra by beading bobby pins with wire. I intend on selling them as a total kit together, and be made up of at least 5 items. First I was just going to do 3 but then I thought about it again. Why would someone just want 3 items? I would want way more if I saw that in a store, so I'm coming up with some other things in addition to those things as well.
Here's a picture of what that may compose of in the future. It will probably be better than this, but it's a start

3. YouTube Ideas

Nothing has made me more stuck than what the New Creature Fashion Channel will bring. It's inevitable that I will have tutorials up, but I was wondering what that one element will be that will help my channel to stand out. I believe that I already have a concept down, however I want a little more flava' as I used to put it when I first started out. So I've been thinking-add everything I love in the Arts. I want to tell a story, not just create fashionable looks. It needs to be Creative, Fun, and Informational as well. So I'm currently developing the entire concept and what it will be about in every episode. I'd love to continue to randomly post, but I do believe a little structure would bring me the look I'm trying to pull off. If you have any ideas, don't be shy about sharing-just email me directly at kanawear91@gmail.com and in the Subject line put "YouTube Ideas-(Your Name)" I'll try to put a credit to you in the end of the episode or maybe in the description."

In general everything seems to be going in a positive direction concerning the #KanaWearCampaign. If you haven't already donated don't worry, just go to www.gofundme.com/kanawearcampaign. I've had this campaign for 2 years and everyone is just now beginning to contribute. There is so much more to running this campaign than a few pictures. It takes pure vision, and I have that!
In fact I show others that I believe in myself by creating for myself. I enjoy wearing my products, and a good majority of the time it is what increases my sales! I wear them with confidence and flair! It's my motive to breed new creatures in making my product, and I hope that in the future my creations encourage individuality.

Latest Sales and Promotions

Everyone knows that starting off is not an easy feat when it comes to creating your own business, and although my skills are up to par I haven't always had the guidance to run a full on business. Everyone doesn't embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, and it's very difficult sometimes for people like me to get their feet off the ground when it comes to starting up. So yesterday I came up with a few things to bring me comfort about the whole start up thing! Here are just a few.

1. Kana Wear Start Up Fund

The goal here is to get a start up of at least 10k. I started a Go Fund Me back in 2015. I'm going to be honest, it isn't doing very well, and I had to do some serious updates. So I've updated my story and why donations would be important to me. To read more you can simply go to www.gofundme.com/kanawearcampaign for more details. 

When I wrote my story I basically exhausted my bio more than said what the money would go toward because my goal was for them to see my character and not a person who shouts out some specific items. So here is my dream list of things that I would love to purchase once my goal is met:

• Sewing Serger 
• New Laptop or Battery (because mine doesn't work without the AC Adapter)
• Dressform
• Things for labeling
• Pattern making supplies (Butcher Paper, Oaktag)
• Fabric
• Jewelry tools and supplies (from beads and findings to pliers and more)
• Education (Parsons Certificate Program, Bachelors in Fashion)
• Tablet (in case I want to do some business on the go)
• A Studio Apartment (eventually to house my business)
• PO Box (I'm not giving my home address)

These are just a few things on my list to have, and I haven't even begun to touch the tip of the iceberg. I haven't even listed the amount of money I really need for each item because paying for a business costs a lot of money. There are possibly a lot of things I'd need. All I know is that it's all going on my taxes when I do purchase these things as an expense. I hope to get every dollar back and some! So for those who want to participate in the #kanawearcampaign here is how it works:

1. Go to www.gofundme.com/kanawearcampaign and make your donation
2. Share the link with everyone you can using the #kanawearcampaign 
3. Take a selfie and post it underneath the campaign image on the Kana Wear LLC Facebook Page. www.facebook.com/KanaWear 

As a reward all of my donors will be recognized in an album that I create on the Facebook Page. Whether you donated $1 or $100 your face will be displayed in an album dedicated to the donors who made a difference in this campaign. 

2. One of A Kind Sale

This sale is going on right now on my website www.kanawear.com. It's called a 1 of a Kind Sale because...well everything is one of a kind. I couldn't duplicate these things even  if I tried. So if you're into custom looks then you should ACT NOW while supplies last. 

I mean of course you can easily call and make a custom order  (which is also available), but why would you want to do that when you have a selection of jewelry that has already been made? You can buy them as they are and be happy too. Once again I'm not making any copies of each pair of earrings, jewelry, or any of that. If there is an item that I can make more of it's going to say more than 1 for my quantity. This sale will be ongoing, so if you're that person who likes custom jewelry then this sale is for you. Keep a look out because as my clientele base grows I'll add more things but  if an item is in the special 1 of a kind sale it will say one of a kind in the description. So have fun shopping.

3. The New Creature Newsletter

From time to time I make a newsletter summing up everything that's going on. It's rather short but eventually I plan on making my Newsletter longer, and I want it to include Events I'll be creating or attending as well as sales and promotions. This calls for alot of planning but to be added to my email list subscribe on my website at www.kanawear.com and I can send you the New Creature Newsletter to your personal email, but that's about it. 

All of these things are simply to bring momentum to my campaign. So like, love, share and hashtag our campaign so that we can get it going. Spread the word and continue to Donate as much as possible! Even if you don't make a donation Share my link so we can get the ball rolling. Thanks in advance to all of my supporters! 

7 Annoying Comments Career Oriented People Hate to Hear

I've been an entrepreneur since I was 11 years old and I've come across many people in my life. Some taught me valuable lessons about what to do and others have taught me what not to do. I can not speak for everyone when I say some meant well, but just gave bad advice. I can probably count on one hand how many people were truly supportive of me taking the steps necessary in order to turn my business into something profitable. I was sharing this with my husband and we talked about being mislead all our lives when it comes to succeeding at any dream or vision. However I'm going to talk about some of the things I couldn't stand to hear as an entrepreneur who just wanted to go to the next level in business for myself. So here are 7 of the most annoying comments said to Entrepreneurs and Career Oriented People.

1. Go Get any Job until you can do what you want
I would never have a problem with this recommendation had it not been forcefully thrown in my face, and the suggestion for that particular job was within my skill set. I would have considered a job if I had the skills that matched the criteria for that specific job. As a young entrepreneur, running my own personal business, that alone has made my resume look the part for a job in retail, fashion, or project management. My credentials actually match up with my experience, and before I even started college I had a load of experience with no credentials. I didn't realize my business was something that should have gone on my resume until I was in college though. I was a preteen when I began my business and I had finally realized at 20 years old that my business was my experience in my field. I was a Fashion Design student and I was about to graduate when the Resume specialist pointed out my earrings and asked "How long have you been doing that?" and "What are some of the things you have to do to make your business run?" Well for one I needed good people skills, I designed the jewelry myself, when I ran out of supplies I replenished them which is doing inventory. I also completed orders when people placed them-I mean I could go on because it takes a lot to run a business, right? I even paid a cell phone bill and did my own marketing for my business. So even if I was looking for an internship or a regular job as a BRIDGE  to fund my business I had something to offer them that was worth their time and mine. I wasn't someone who lacked skills or credentials, so random recommendations made me livid. Getting a job and keeping one is all about knowing yourself and what you are good at. Even going for a specific major in college is all about knowing yourself. When I applied for school the person who interviewed me asked me why I wanted to do Fashion Design and he said not to say it's just because I like clothes because he would stop our meeting. I told him I wanted to do it because I had been making jewelry since I was 11 and I was interested in improving my skills in my career. He was very impressed and I was accepted into college shortly after. Unfortunately I tried to go to another school and that didn't work out, and when I ended up reapplying I'd found out that guy who interviewed me had died. My application was good up to a year and I was 3 months short of being able to use the application he filed for me. What made me wake up and chose a school is that I had designed all the costumes for a play that my mother did in her classroom based on the book the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carl and that is what made me realize that I had no business being at home, and not growing in this. This was a gift that I took very seriously although I did it for free at that moment.

 2. That's just a Hobby 
Just because the DIY and creative world has been taken by storm doesn't mean you have to dismiss what I do as a hobby. I can name a ton of professional designers,  and they don't do what they do to entertain alone but they consider it their livelihood. If dance was a fake Alvin Alley dancers or your favorite music video with dance would not exist. If Producing music and playing an instrument is a fake career explain why you have music you listen to in your car? That didn't happen by chance. I don't know why people are stuck in this mindset that your work is something you should dreador that shouldn't be creative. If I'm working and growing in a skill. Show me what to do to increase my knowledge and use it instead of losing it.  I am a person of manifold talents and I have always been creative, but when people just dismiss what I do as just a hobby and force any job on me "Jack of all Trades, Master of None" comes to mind. By discouraging people from following their dreams with a comment like "That's just a Hobby," you're actually distracting them from remaining focused because they begin to wonder what a real job is supposed to be, and how they can apply themselves to what they are signing up for. I mean it's constantly taught to stay focused but with comments like these how much of a contradiction is this? You have skills in a specific area, you are growing and sometimes making money doing it, but for some reason people want to get you off track, unfocused. Lost. If you don't know who you are you won't have an idea of what you need to be doing or where you belong. Similarly, if you do have an idea of who you are and what you are good at it is much easier to defend yourself against the nonsense people tell you about following your heart.

3. It Won't Work/ How are you going to make Money?
When asked this question it's either because someone doesn't quite understand what you are saying or they just think it won't make enough money. In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon says there is nothing new under the sun. So why is this even a question? Many people have made money in the arts, many women have climbed corporate ladders, and regardless of color people have been successful. It's confusing that even in 2017 people still live by stereotypes, and biased views. If I want to improve and take my career seriously it's not just a big dream. Look at all the creative people in the world. Your Favorite rapper, actor, even your teacher from college had to follow their passions to be where they are, and there are many who were trail blazers in following their hearts doing some of the things you are doing now. Steve Jobs was told it wouldn't work. Einstein was told he failed and all he said is he didn't fail but he found a way NOT to do something. People who are creative don't give up we just become more persistent if something doesn't work out and we try again. Everybody doesn't have the spirit of perseverance though and those are the most loud, and obnoxious people I ever met because they're miserable and out to get you because you're doing something they wish they had done. Whether I'll make money or not is a silly question. The Bible says your gifts will make room for you and place you before great men (Proverbs 18:16). So while I'm a "little guy" let me work in my gift and increase it so it can be worthy to meet those great men. My Pastor says "Your work is not your JOB your work is your ASSIGNMENT." Knowing who you are will help you know your assignment. If a man works he should then eat, drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, and that it's a gift of God.(Ecclesiastes 3:13) I mean who wants to work in vain right? Why would I waste my time chasing something pointless. People like to call you creative and gifted when they want to use your gift for their benefit but want to tell you it won't work when you have a vision to profit from it. Pay me for my WORK and don't take my creativity for granted. If it's so easy then you do it, and call me back later when you are ready for someone who is skilled at it to fix the situation for you.

4. You have to learn to FOLLOW before you can LEAD
I have no problem following before I lead, but it's who I follow that would matter to me. We teach our children to be leaders and not followers just to slam them by saying "There are too many chiefs and no Indians." What we're doing here is sending mixed signals to the ones who have the future in their hands. As a child of a teacher I believe you can learn from anywhere. I've had different jobs that have taught me different skills, but honestly those are all skills I need to learn for my business. I used to work at a hair salon as a receptionist. To take custom orders I would have to answer the phone in a professional way when I worked at the hair salon. Prior to this People would call me and place custom orders all the time for my jewelry, so I had receptionist skills but I wasn't very confident. I will admit that my skills got better in that area though with the experience I gained for the months I was there. Once again if you are going to use following to learn from somewhere please just use it in context. You need to consider what you are saying. Everybody isn't meant to be in your circle so learning from just anybody isn't okay, and it shouldn't be said so passively as if it is.

5. I can get that from Store X for X amount of Dollars
Then by all means please be my guest and go somewhere else instead of wasting my time and energy. When I was pregnant with my son I was trying to come up with a few dollars to get a car seat because they won't allow you to leave the hospital without one. A woman asked me to make some dance sashes and she said she'd pay me because she believes in supporting a "Black Owned business." Well let me tell you about this experience. She actually bought the materials for me, and I made the pattern for the sashes, she didn't even give me accurate measurements for the girls she wanted me to create for, all she did is tell me that some of the girls were thick around the mid section. I had actually successfully made 1 sash. I was telling her what I needed and she was hell bent on having her way. When I tried to make a deal with her she told me she could go buy it from another store instead of paying me what I asked for which was actually $2 cheaper than what she would have bought from the store AND she got way more than I should have been offering. I was desperate though and I needed a car seat because my husband had money to pay the bills but not the extra that we needed to cover the cost of the car seat. She later confessed she wanted me to do it for free. So when I had my son I actually had no car seat and I asked her for help. She ridiculed me for not being responsible and being a beggar. I will be honest, I don't appreciate these types of clients, and I lose respect for them quickly. Losing them is no sweat off my back. So, my son had no car seat, and all I could see was when I was far along in my pregnancy with him how I got on the floor and drafted a 70"x5" sash for little girls I didn't even have a chance to  measure because she didn't want me to. I still gave it a shot because she bought the materials so I didn't want her to lose any money on an investment she made, but she wasn't willing to pay me for my labor, not even with a car seat, so I gave her every thread and every fabric she bought completely unafraid. What was there to lose? I don't know anybody who does a job for free that has so much labor. Let that be at my discretion whether I give you something for free or discounted. Don't come at me like I'm your Sista' and we supposed to be looking out for each other so I gotta give you free hand outs. If I'm your Sista then support me for real. Help spread the word about my work, and help fund it by really investing in it. Don't make me into a slave though, cause that's what you are doing when you ask a professional to do something they do for a living for free. Like I said earlier people like to support you as long as it's convenient for them, but not when you try to profit so you can make a living.

6. You're Too Much of a Dreamer
It's as if dreams never become a reality to these folks. They don't even realize the things they use in their daily lives was a dream or a vision of someone else. Your phone, your car, the stop light. Those are all inventions, and people need to stop putting creativity on the back burner because it's all around them. So to those people who have ever said to anyone that they're too much of a dreamer DUH!!! That's kind of the point! The Bible says to write the vision and make it plain so that he who reads it may run. (Habakkuk 2:2) Where are you running to though?
I had a mentor who told me you can dream all you want but what are you doing to make that a reality? If a person is making their dream a reality with every day by pursuing it with everything they've got, just go on ahead and take your hat off to them. Raise your glass to them because they are doing something a lot of people never get to do. Some dreams go to the grave, whether their gifts be in the arts or math and engineering. If you're a dreamer that's a good start but for every bit of faith you have there is an action to go with it, and that's why Faith Without Works is dead. So instead of going off about people being dreamers why not ask "What are you doing to make that real?" People talk all the time about having businesses, they talk all the time about having websites, all of it is nothing without the actions to back it. My problem is being told that I'm too much of a dreamer when I constantly show you the evidence that I'm making that real. I get a return all the time on my investments and you still feel the need to call it just a dream. Okay maybe, but who's the one sleeping? Cause I'm wide awake.

7. You Have Your Whole LIFE to Do That
Last time I checked death was real and it has no respect of person. Why not live every day like it's your last? Why put off the things you wanted to do today for tomorrow? These are things we are taught about Faith but not about business and life in general. People used to tell me this one all the time, that I'm still learning and I need to go somewhere and gain some skills and that I have my whole life ahead of me to make a business. Mind you I was making good money and had great skills but still they didn't take me seriously enough to recommend anything that guided me in that direction. My peers are just now becoming entrepreneurs and business people because they were told "you have your whole life ahead of you to do that." It's never too late, but I had an early start and I actually like making young entrepreneurs. It's just my thing. In fact I'm trying to begin a project teaching youth skills in the arts and then teaching them entrepreneurship and I take it seriously because I don't want anymore youth going out into the world clueless. To me this phrase is a fancy way to tell someone to put that off until later and do what I want you to do now. Like I said I'm down for recommendations if they align with the vision. However I have to stay focused and right now putting off what I want to focus on means that I'm becoming distracted Anything that a person might say to take me off course from what I'm trying to do is how they advocate dysfunction, and confusion. This is how you breed people with low self-esteem, who go through a loss of identity. They don't know how they fit or where they belong because they don't even feel comfortable in their own skin after you're done with them. They are totally insecure, and it's because of so much misguidance. What hurts more is this sorry advice often comes from our elders who are supposed to lead us and guide us in the right Way. I know they don't know everything, and that they don't have infinite knowledge.  I can actually respect that, and I know they are also still learning but if that's the case I believe they should try their best to relate rather than judge.

At the end of the day knowing who you are and standing up for who you are is the only thing you can really do to stay on track. You will have people who love you and support you, but you'll also have haters who try to misguide you or well meaning people who just don't have a God perspective on who you are so give you bad information.
If you are striving to be successful whether you are an entrepreneur or a career focused individual, you can't listen to these things people say, especially when they say them in the wrong spirit.
When I graduated I had all this experience and credentials with not a lick of faith in myself because I listened to people. It's a horrible place to be in. Losing who you are in the opinions others have of you takes you to a dark place. I'm sad to say I completely lost myself, and rejected myself. Now I'm married with 2 kids and I'm just now coming into embracing who I am, because I got delivered from worrying about what people think of me. I know who I am, I know where I belong, and I know what I should be doing. My hope for women and men alike is that they also come to know this, and I'm very driven about breeding other career oriented entrepreneurs. It's not a easy journey to walk but it's much easier to be myself and take up my own cup than to try to drink someone else's. The struggles I face in my journey are tailored for my ability to handle it. If I take on something else someone else says in that process I'll begin falling out of line and become way of my league. When it comes to knowing yourself, sticking to your guns is really what works. It also helps you work smarter and not harder in some cases.

New Website

So after months of constantly wondering when the proper time would be to release my website I thought "Oh what the heck!" I'd been at it for months and it seemed like the level of perfection I was trying to attain was just ridiculous. I'd spent time fixing the important stuff so that was out of the way, and it wasn't hard to get things set up.
The hard part was actually getting the url and attaching it. Not because I didn't know how but because I just didn't have the money ON MY CARD!!! You ever get handed cash and end up having to use it on something else because of a prepaid card? The whole $3.25 to load gimmick is just getting old for me, and I just chose to turn and walk the other way when the cashier at Family dollar told me "The money won't be immediately available if you load this on there." I actually don't think she knew what she was talking about because I had cash.
Anyway, I put the website up and it's a Work in progress. I didn't want to release the website until I actually had the money to buy a url and attach it to my website at www.freewebstore.org. As much as I respect free website domains being /kanawearllc was just not enough for me. I wanted my own .com and I got it. How with no money on the card. Well, I traded. I gave the $12 to my husband and he took care of the card transaction, now hopefully I can get to work and he and I can start making money running this business.
When I told him that I'd attached it on my own and figured it out he seemed surprised that I got it done that quickly. I didn't know how long it would take but I was literally ready to devote my entire day to this if I had to, but it wasn't that serious, just a few tweaks and I was in.
 I feel like progress was made today and there is no better feeling than progress. Now, remember what I said about being a work in progress earlier. Well here's what I meant...I haven't exactly loaded any pictures of anything that I have readily made to sell and ship. I know it's probably a terrible move, but right now I'm just getting set up is all.
I can't tell you how long I've been trying to perfect that site! It was discouraging knowing that I'd talked all this talk about getting a website, showed pictures of me working on it and every month closer to June I just began to dread it more and more. I began asking myself why I haven't had the $12 put on my card yet. I made excuses I procrastinated, and I prioritized horribly. I cannot say that I've been the most perfect entrepreneur but it has been a struggle taking care of everything around my home and not being able to take care of my business. I began to sink into this realm of self pity where I felt bad for myself for not being action oriented enough. I don't just know I have a responsibility to my family but I do feel an obligation to take care of them. Ever since I was 11 years old I've known that I'd be doing something creative with my hands to work, and that this would be my livelihood. It's not just a job it's my passion. I actually get some enjoyment out of making things. So can you imagine I have all this talent but I sit on it from time to time because I don't make time to be who I really am and just CREATE. Gosh you don't know how excruciating it is for me to hold all of that in. I become incredibly dark and uninspired, only a real creative breakthrough is what helps me overcome that emotional hurdle, and today was one of those days I got my breakthrough and I wish that I knew all this a lot sooner in my life or I would have done this a long time ago. You live and you learn though and that's what counts. It would be terrible if I had the wisdom to do all of this and NEVER took action at all.
I do intend on making more things and posting them, but now I am worried about quality as well as quantity. What if they like me? I know this shouldn't be a fear but what if they really like me? What if I can't meet the supply for the demand? These are all questions I ask myself on a constant basis. So today I answered my own question. If they really like me...they'll have to stay tuned because it's a work in progress.

So if you want to check out my website it's www.kanawear.com I am so excited to share this with you all, and I hope that you have a blessed day. Also keep me encouraged because this is a big step for me..No...seriously though pray for me.

Coming Soon...

In spite of delays due to technical problems we've made some serious progress in the World of Kana Wear.
The website is coming along well,  our PayPal is set up to recieve online payments, our card reader is being shipped so we can handle card transactions in person, and we've made digital business cards that are readily available in a click. Yes, literally..in a click. If you would like to download my card please click on the link below:

My digital business card for Kana Wear LLC.
http://ClickMy.info/i/6Qc0/Card

I'm very proud to say that with all this progress I'm feeling quite hopeful that things are on the right track, and that's not easy considering that I have other things I need to do as a mother. If you would like to read about my mom-prenuer journey please read my blog Family Career Woman..

Anyway if you like what you read go like my social media pages

Facebook Like for more @KanaWear. 

Instagram: Love and comment @kanawearllc

Google + Kana Wear LLC 

Twitter: @KanaWear

I post a lot of my work on the sites and I dedicate a lot of time to doing my work, but sometimes when I plan my work I get a brain cramp, and the creativity just doesn't flow. Then I end up putting it off because I have no ideas. So from now on I'm going to just work backwards. Instead of creating the name of the collection and then designing I'm going to design first and then name a collection. I still want to go with Emerging Beauty, however my flow of creativity came way later after I got a few of the kinks out in my personal life. Then I was able to make some of these beauties!

 I absolutely love making earrings! To be quite honest, though I'm a jewelry designer I don't have much jewelry for myself. Not like I create for sale. I don't know if this is a designer thing or a me thing, but my mom literally has more jewelry that I've created for her than I've ever made for myself. And the jewelry I have now is actually a refurbish of some old jewelry that I once had and lost matches or created with some other DIY tricks. Just to show you the comparison of when I'm mentally cramped and when I'm not I'm going to show you a few earrings I'm not actually satisfied with but sold regardless.

Even though these were looked at with adoration by several of my clients, I felt like I created these on a low day because I was not really thinking about my collection in a creative way I was thinking of it in such a way that I made it an obligation to create these. I had disconnected from my love of creating to generalizing it as a job. So my advice is to never lose your passion. As much as I like to plan I sometimes have to take a break from it to just create and design. It's how I started out anyway. So that's the update with my collection. It's coming along in a way I never expected. In fact I have previous collections I continue to add to. This is just one collection I chose to create from scratch, and I must say it's progressing slowly but I love it with every day that I add to it. 

Postponed

Due to unforseen circumstances, I will not be releasing my collection in March. I will be releasing it in the summer of 2017.
Piece by piece I have been putting it out there but I would like to do a full on collection with clothing, and accessories. My birthday will be a reserved day for me and my family to spend together all week long.
The website date is also being moved to later dates soon to be announced. If you are an avid follower please hold tight. Thank you. 
I will continue to refurbish and post on my other pages, and profiles. For the time being I am in the planning phase. 
Sorry for the inconvenience. Love always, your Kana Wear designer.