Creatively You

Let me share something with you & help inspire you to achieve your business dreams! 

It started with a single question: How will you make this degree work for you? One question gave me the tools I needed to pave my path and develop my career. As I earned my BA in Creative Writing it replayed in my head. It made me think and strategize, and I morphed my growing skillset into something I could use in more ways than one. 

I started out blogging about poster frames 2 - 3 times a week for a small framing company. 🖼 Poster frames! I could have viewed this as just a writing job that paid. Instead I made my own opportunity. I didn’t know exactly where I wanted to land, but I knew for certain that I wanted to be self employed one day. Over the course of the next 5 years I wore several hats and eventually ran the marketing department before shifting jobs into a more technical field. I started freelancing on the side, and then finally took the leap. 

If 2014 me could see where I am now 🤯 Creatively You was still a dream in development back then. Now, helping business owners find their voices and define them through intuitive and cohesive web design & content, is my reality. 

Whether you’ve made your own path from the start or thought you'd be somewhere else originally, share your story, your journey, the obstacles, & the learning lessons! The stories that we don't usually talk about are often the ones that resonate the most. 

And remember, the steps you take today will help create your foundation tomorrow. You got this friend. 

Have you ever played ‘What If?” Believe me, there is a HUGE difference between asking What If and playing What If. 

When we ask What If? In our businesses, we’re met with 😖 a paralyzing fear, anxiety, imposter syndrome - all the yucky feelings that come with uncertainty led by doubt. 

But when you play What If…now you’re opening yourself and your business to a world of possibilities. 🌅

What If is a tool that I use to jump start a narrative when I’m writing stories. It’s a natural way to prompt characters and tap into my creativity, even (and especially) on the days when I’m just not feeling it. 

In your business it’s an effective tool to help you see several directions that you could grow into. You might ask yourself, what if I offer this new service? What if I scale down? What if ___(insert your dream)___ were my reality? 

As you ask these questions your brain will naturally start to look for a solution. The key is to have fun! If you’re struggling to let those answers come to you, try tossing a tennis ball against a wall as you ask each What If. Sometimes our minds need a physical distraction before we can build new habits and patterns. 

Your assignment: Schedule 5 - 10 minutes of YOU time and really allow yourself to wonder…What If? How did it feel? Tell me in the comments! 

📸:

It’s story time with Samantha - that’s me! I’ve seen a few new faces so I thought I’d share a little something about me and my business - Creatively You. To those of you who have been here for a while, thank you friend! If you’ve just joined this little corner of the internet, welcome and thank you for being here! 

Are you ready? 

When I first started my writing business, I never dreamed of also doing web design 🤯. My passion was for writing and I was so happy helping others bring their stories to life. I told my clients’ stories through unique web and marketing content. I had the opportunity to write scripts for YouTube shows, a TED Talk and promotional videos. One of my earliest assignments was to write a bio for an anxiety-ridden dog 🐶 that had failed adoption attempts several times - and within one week he had a successful adoption! The need for effective storytelling was constantly reaffirmed 🥰. I loved what I did - and still do! 

Looking back and seeing how far I’ve come has made me realize that sometimes what we perceive as our end goal is really just our beginning. While working as a copywriter, I heard one complaint regularly - I don’t feel like I’m being heard by my web design/marketing agency. As a storyteller, I was stunned. Your website and marketing each play a key role in telling your story! How could the people helping to create those things not listen to your vision? 

Today, my mission is to create authentic content and web design that flows as one, and I’m serving entrepreneurs and small businesses like yourself so that you can feel confident that you have been heard and seen! Because your story matters. Your why matters. And the only way that your audience will be able to connect with you and your brand story, is if it is told in a way that speaks to them while still remaining true to your brand’s values, goals and vision. 

Now, it’s your turn! Tell me, what do you do? How have things changed for you and your business since you started? 

📸:

Have you ever asked yourself if you should really show that side of you when it comes to business?

Or, like me, maybe you've just felt stuck when trying to figure out how to combine it all so it makes sense.

'𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘣 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 - 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.'

Can I just stop your scroll for a sec to tell you how much more fun I'm having now vs. then?

Storytelling brings harmony to a brand. It takes all of the pieces of your brand identity that have the potential to stand out alone, and allows them to shine together. As they should.

I not only hear my clients' stories, I listen.
I put myself in their shoes and see what their brand voice really sounds like.

And there is nothing better than the moment they see it all fall into place.

Being a writer is what led me to designing. Because I understand the cues a story must give if it's going to connect with an audience. There is no template for a strong brand story. Only you, and your voice.

What doubts stand in your way? Drop them in the comments below ⬇️ and then  l e t  g o 💫

"As an artist, your ego will present itself in several forms. When an idea feels too stubborn, broad or difficult, it will encourage you to jump ship to save face. It doesn’t want you to own your process because it fears you won’t be good enough.

Creating to be 'good' is a disastrous plan. You wind up with a two dimensional work that neither looks nor sounds like your craft.

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭."
My latest article, 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑰𝒅𝒆𝒂 𝑻𝒐 𝑨𝒓𝒕 - 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑫𝒐 𝑰 𝑮𝒆𝒕 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆?, is now available over at magazine! Click the link below to read more and follow along one of my favorite prompts.

Then tell me - what would happen if you only asked 'what if?'

https://peacefullivingwellness.com/from-idea-to-art-how-do-i-get-there/

📷 creds: Katie Heatley Photography

If you're new to my page - hey! My name is Samantha. I'm a creative writer with a decade of experience helping businesses, entrepreneurs and authors tell their story.

I started writing because I loved created new worlds. What I quickly realized (way back in 2011) was that I could help businesses build their own worlds with my writing. I started working in the marketing department of a small business. 2 years later I was recruited by Yale University to work as a QA and Email Analyst, where I learned how to test and analyze websites and HTML.

While at Yale, I spent nights and weekends building my own business - a space where entrepreneurs and business owners could be heard.

Creatively You is the best of both worlds. Balancing the creative with the technical, I listen to my clients' voices, drafting content that sounds like their dream business. Simultaneously, I'm working on the design of their website so it flows with their words, creating a story that is inviting and easy for their target audience to follow.

As you follow my page, I'll share insights on

• Brand development and authenticity
• Creating quality content
• Supportive web design
• Creativity and creative writing

You'll also see some of my freelance work, including my monthly column in and articles written for MUSC, plus a short story here and there & the occasional afternoon gardening break 🌱

Is there something specific you'd like to learn more about? Pop a note in the comments below!

Photo creds:

When I started this page in early 2020, I had just rebranded my business and moved to a new city.

I knew no one. I had no contacts.
I should have been terrified.

But I wasn't. There's an undeniable energy that comes with embracing the unknown. It's thrilling. As a writer, it's a necessity. Stories don't tend to come with a blueprint of how they're written.

On a chance encounter in March of 2020, I was referred to Hatch Tribe CEO Collective and decided to check them out.

As entrepreneurs we often feel the need to find all of the answers ourselves. Finding Hatch Tribe gave me proof that you don't.

Since joining, my quarterly projections have grown stronger, my goals are more clear and best of all, they're being met.

I've made incredible connections and implemented new processes within my own business.

What I love most of all is that I've found a space where I can learn and grow, and a community that is genuinely rooting for everyone's success.

Enrollment to join is open - but only until tomorrow, Thursday May 27th at midnight ET. Trust me when I say you don't want to miss this.

If you're looking to grow your business, make new connections, or even start a new business sign up at the link below and use the code SAMANTHA for 10% off your membership!

https://www.hatchtribe.com/collective

🌟 PS - you don't have to be local to CHS ❤

"What I’ve found to be true is that bad art is sometimes just underdeveloped art. In our hurry to be great we miss the one clue that will help us get there."

My latest Peaceful Living Wellness Magazine article, 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, was just published! Of all the articles I've written for this incredible magazine, I think this month's story is my favorite.

Read more at the link below for tips and some insights on how to make the most of what you perceive to be the worst 💖

https://peacefullivingwellness.com/how-bad-art-builds-your-future/

𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙽𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚎 - What is it, and when should you listen?

One of the most important lessons we learn as creatives is to guard our time for creating - but what about guarding our process? How do you know when something is helping or hindering your craft? And at what point does your own thought process become noise?

We often think of 'noise' as an external force, an intrusion of sound that distracts us from our craft, when the reason it surrounds you has more to do with your own intentions.

Read my latest article at the to learn how to

𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞

𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮

How do you block out the noise? Leave a comment below! 👇

𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆 on DUFF in Mount Pleasant! 💫💪

Duffy’s Ultimate Functional Fitness Training programs their workouts to follow a cycle of six different periodizations - introducing a different stimulus to your body every 4 weeks.

“𝘈𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 [𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴], 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴,” 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘋𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘺, 𝘤𝘰-𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘜𝘍𝘍 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

At DUFF Training, instructors and trainers are laser-focused on functional movements in a safe manner. They're also 1000% committed to keeping their members and staff safe and healthy during the pandemic.

To read more about the COVID safety measures they've taken, as well as more info on their training programs AND their current special, click here: https://www.becreativelyyou.com/duff-training

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 💍💎

Dreams To Reality is Charleston’s Personal Jeweler Service. Owner Vincent Yee focuses on making jewelry special, not expensive, by creating custom jewelry that fits his clients’ budgets without sacrificing value.

“Out of all the people who have inherited or been gifted jewelry, how many have said ‘look at my $5,000 ring?” Says Vince. “Very rarely will they tell you about the price – but they will tell you why it’s special.”

“It’s the story that comes with the piece that makes it individually special. And that’s why I love custom pieces because it’s a piece that was made for that person. I think that’s a great way to start a story – especially for a legacy piece.”

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙑𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙟𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚, 𝙄 𝙙𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙭,” 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙑𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚. “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙭, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙭 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 – 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.”

“𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 – 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.”

Vince and I talked about how his service differs from a traditional jewelry store ("You get 💯 of my loyalty. I work on the same side of the counter as you," says Vince), some of his favorite moments, and what you can expect when designing your custom jewelry with Vince.

Read our full conversation at the under OR at https://letstalkcharleston.com/charleston-sc/dreams-to-reality-charlestons-personal-jeweler-service/