Asheville Travel Guide: 48 Hours in Asheville

Posted on by DeAndreaAshanelle

This year, I am exploring more of the East Coast. North Carolina has stunning views of the mountains, so I planned an overnight trip to Asheville. Asheville, NC sits along the Blue Ridge Mountains and neighbors mountain towns making it the perfect place to visit. There are so many outdoor activities to explore from hiking the mountains to viewing the stunning waterfalls.

My travel guides focus on exploring history, art, coffee shops, food all on a budget. If this resonates with you, then you will find this Asheville Travel Guide helpful.

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Its Okay Not To Be Perfect

Posted on by DeAndreaAshanelle

Don’t let perfectionism stop you from trying new things. Sometimes, we let the fear of not being good from the start stop us from moving forward.

I have this experience regularly.  I like things to be perfect, and I hate making mistakes. I hate it even more if other people witness my struggle. 

This happened to me recently at a pottery class I took. I walked into class excited, a glow in my eyes, ready to get to work. As we started using the wheel to mold our pottery, I realized it was harder than I thought. I kept trying but it was not working and I could feel defeat settling in. I almost gave up, but I caught myself. I have a pattern of giving up when things don’t work out perfectly the first time. I reminded myself it is okay if it does not turn out perfect and to enjoy the process. This mindset shift brought me back to the present. It allowed me to laugh at how much of a mess I was creating. 

The thing about trying something new, is you are not going to be perfect. I know we sometimes put this demand on ourselves due to childhood experiences or comparing ourselves to someone who is more experienced. The truth of the matter is we are going to have to try some things a few times before it works out. Sometimes our learning curve will be longer than others. And that is okay. Because if we never start, we will never get better. 

I am learning to release myself from this expectation of perfection. It only holds us back. 

To work through this, it requires a mindset shift and practice. 

1. We have to realize we can’t be great at everything. 

There are going to be certain things we are naturally gifted at. There will be other things we have to practice at. It’s okay to struggle a little bit. It makes the result worth it.

2. Reframe your thoughts. 

If you have thoughts, “I am never going to figure this out” and  “Its not working”, take a deep breath. It may be challenging in the moment, but try to relax and laugh through it. Remind yourself that this is just a challenging moment, but as I keep practicing, I will get better. 

3. Don’t compare yourself to others. 

Everyone was once a beginner. Just because you didn’t see the time and effort it took for your inspiration to be great in their field does not mean it does not exist. Also, if you are comparing your work to your friend or neighbor with no experience, stop that. Remember, comparison is the thief of all joy. You don’t know how their other skill sets play a role in them picking up this new skill faster. 

4. Focus on taking it one step at a time.

Don’t worry about being perfect at everything at once. Take it step by step and focus on one component at a time. As you continue to practice, those 1% improvements will compound into an amazing new skill. 

Take this advice and apply it as you try a new skill. If we get caught up in being perfect, we will miss out on so much.

Hobbies to Get Over Your Social Media Addiction

Posted on by DeAndreaAshanelle

What if we stole our time back from social media?

In its heyday, social media was a great tool to enhance existing connections and to stay up to date with friends and family.  Over the years, however, social media has expanded its scope moving away from what it initially set out to accomplish. While we are still able to connect with our communities, we are also constantly inudated with a constant flow of information, news, people’s highlight reels, and ads. 

Social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, have focused on developing intuitive algorithms that create this false sense of connection. As a result, there is a decrease in actual real-life connections. Its so common to see people scrolling on their phone randomly. And if you were to ask them why, most times its just because it has become a habit and addictive. I am definitely in that boat.

The Return to Hobbies

In rebellion, I have seen many people talk about returning to hobbies to reduce their time on social media time. I am a huge fan of that. I realized there have been so many things I have wanted to do. However, I just get sucked into watching other people do those things on social media.  

Instead of remaining victims to the endless loop of social media and information, let’s bring back hobbies.

This week, I explored a few hobbies to explore my creativity. 

1. The Craft Club

I came across The Craft Club that develops beginner-friendly kits for latch hooking, half stich, and more. The final pieces look amazing, so I  wanted to try it out to see what I could make. I bought three kits and I am currently working through the latch hooking kit. In the beginning, I struggled to figure out how to do the loops. However, after watching the quick video guide I got it down. It becomes repetitive making it a therapeutic activity once you get the hang of it. You can do this while watching tv or listening to music.

2. Reading

When I am not learning this new skill, reading is a great outlet. Reading has always been an escape to dive into someone else’s world or to learn about a new topic. Currently, I am reading “Your Mind on Art by Susan Magnesan”. If you are curious about the arts, this would be a great book to explore. Tapping into different forms of art provide creativity that helps with problem solving and thinking outside the box. 

3. Watercolor

Remember, as kids when we used to watercolor at school. I do. This sparked my interest to re-explore the art. I enjoy it because it is a low barrier to entry. All you need are inexpensive paint brushes, paint, and a watercolor notebook. The easiest place to start is drawing flowers and fruits. These Youtube videos are great places to start. 

If this a true skill you want to learn I recommend purchasing Everyday Watercolor: Learn to Paint Watercolor in 30 days by Jenna Rainey. It teaches the foundation of watercolor which is critical to mastering the art.

Source: Unknown (Pinterest)

4. Drawing

As you continue to develop your watercolor skills, learning to draw will be important. This will allow you to outline more complex images to paint. Drawing requires a lot of patience to get it down, but the end results seem so worth it. Always remember to have fun and don’t put too much pressure on being perfect. 

These hobbies are spectacular creative outlets to explore. They help to decompress after a long work day and allow us to tap into our childlike wonder. Instead of consuming social media all the time, we can embrace creating.