I'm gonna just come out and say it: this book is what inspired me to start a blog.
Eve shares from her own personal experiences, as well as those of many friends and fellow authors, why it's so important to have a creative outlet in this crazy day and age. Beyond the cover, you'll find wise advice on how to make time for your passions or curiosities, and turning them into a way to connect with yourself and your community. It walks you through finding your, "why," making a Creativity Commitment, and using this to make a positive impact in the world—in kind, creating your Unicorn Space.
"I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint--and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you."
— Oprah Winfrey
As you probably guessed, this blog is my personal Unicorn Space. So, I want to share a brief backstory as to how I got here.
I always loved reading as a kid. I vividly remember doing summer reading programs at my local library, and I was always the kid who was asked to read aloud in class. I would read just about anything I could get my hands on, and was constantly looking for exciting new books.
Moving into my teen and adult years, I still loved it, but always told myself I just didn't have the time.
I spent years pursuing a career in the beauty industry, not out of any particular passion, but because everyone told me I should. I think my heart was in the right place when I started out, and I do have some great memories from that career path, but I just wasn't impassioned.
It turned into this vicious cycle of pushing myself harder, telling myself that if I can just be successful enough, I'll be happier. I was constantly comparing myself to others, wondering why they were more successful than me, and wondering what they had that I didn't. I couldn't figure out why I always felt so burned out, and finally, I asked myself: "Do I even enjoy doing this?"
I didn't. Being honest with myself was a great first step, but that left me with another question: "What now?"
Well, the short version is that I took a step back from my beauty career, eventually changing to a different career field altogether, one that made me feel more fulfilled than I had in years. In my spare time, I turned back to one of my first loves: books.
"As you are living up to the expectations of who the world says you should be, you're letting your authentic self down, and that creates a vacancy in the world for you as you are."
— Alexis Jemal, JD, LCSW, PHD
Since then, I've spent a lot of time reading, and it's been amazing to come back to something I loved in childhood and discover that I still enjoy it just as much. There's so much comfort to be found between the pages of a book. It's helped me to better manage my anxiety, think more clearly and creatively, learn more about the world, and change the ways I interact with it.
I wanted to share these things with others, but I wasn't sure how. Of course, I have lots of friends that are readers, and we often share what we're reading and compare notes and recommendations. I even have a few non-reader friends that I've managed to convert, which is incredibly rewarding.
However, I have a lot of thoughts, and one can only go on so many tangents involving books about murder before your friends start to question your sanity.
So, after picking up Find Your Unicorn Space on a whim and being filled with fresh inspiration, I decided to create a space where I can ramble on to my heart's content, and maybe, just maybe, help a few people discover their love of reading in the process. Welcome to my Unicorn Space!
"One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul."
— Clarissa Pinkola Estes
If you're looking for a new creative outlet, or maybe you have one already, but tell yourself you don't have the time, this is the book for you. It will help you redefine your values, face your fears, and set goals to pursue them, while reconnecting with your most authentic self in the process and leaving a legacy behind for generations to come.