I love this. I oftentimes get caught up in my ideals of what life should be, rather than what it really is. I think it's healthy to view the world through daydreams but it's even better if we make them come true.

Question for you: while I've been reading for a while and I'm working a desk job that I want an escape from. Through the reading of crafty blogs and design blogs I have found that I think I might have an intense love for all things design. Did you go to school for it? What specifically did you study? I'm just curious.

Also, did you read any books about starting your own business or did you just jump head first?

I completely feel you, especially because I'm covered in mosquito bites at the moment!

Hi, Alexandrajean - I actually have an education post in the works! To give you a brief answer here - I have a bachelor's degree in fine arts with an emphasis in visual communications. I studied typography and composition as well as studio art such as painting, drawing, screenprinting, ceramics, etc. From there I interned at a couple of ad agencies, worked at an alternative weekly newspaper and then landed a job and worked my way up to senior art director at an ad agency where I did everything from print design to producing and directing commercials and video shoots. My experience there really gave me the confidence to freelance.

Some books I found inspiring when I started freelancing:
• Rework by 37 Signals
• How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy

But mostly I'm just figuring it out for myself. Day-by-day. I'll be doing more in-depth posts on these topics as well. Stay tuned!

Go get it girl! I have the same feelings about summer and have the hardest time focusing on work.

Miss Kathleen,
I couldn't agree more.

And I'm so delighted to have met you. I love your blog. Your recipes, your creativity, and your writing. In the last couple weeks of following your blog I have wished our conversation in my sisters kitchen would have lasted a little longer. You are so cool.

1. This is a gorgeous piece of writing.

2. I was feeling the same way about our summer, and we even went so far as to make a list of fun things we want to do... then we realized our summer is all about the cookbook. WHICH IS AWESOME. But it's not cookouts and swimming for us this year.

But you, pretty lady. Get out there and play! XO

Isnt that the story of every summer? a million ideas then all of a sudden it's October? I always say "this year I'll go camping, I'll go swimming more, I'll have beers at bbqs with friends, i'll enjoy nature, i'll go to all kinds of festivals AND then i don't go camping, I go swimming a whole 1 time, I enjoy barely a handful of bbqs, I forget about all the festivals till they are over, im too busy doing homework, etc.
I think this year I MIGHT make a list. Or else I'll just forget. i hope your summer is more VW commercial than indie flick.

p.s. that damn what we ate on ur sidebar makes me crave pesto every day.

Kathleen,

Long-time reader, first-time commenter here. LOVE this post. I am married to a teacher, so she gets the summers off - lots of beach time, traveling, gardening for her while I am in my office! So I totally get the romantic notion of summer idea. But I agree - it can be exactly what you want, even if you have to make up your own soundtrack once in a while!

Ditto - I have been hunkering down waiting for 100+ degree weather to ebb, coming out of my cocoon only to enjoy dawn and dusk hours, and this week decided that I may be waiting on something that will come too late, if at all, before the end of the season. Que sera. Time to pull out the bikini tops and embrace it before I waste my whole summer indoors.

I feel exactly the same way about summer. I always have ridiculous expectations of the season and myself. When I was a kid, my to-do list always looked something like this: Build a boat, spend long hours lounging in the boat on our farm pond, learn french, read everything, have Coke floats on a regular basis, develop abs.

.

my sentiments exactly. i'm always so excited for summer. then, we have 2 weeks of actually amazing weather and my hopes rise. and then there's the month of june, 2011. ugh. blah. that's what i think about that. i would totally live in a blissful montage if i could. sigh.

p.s. is this strawberry shortage why i can not find abita's strawberry brew? phooey!

I've been reading for so long now but think this might be my very first comment. I nodded and actually said yes out loud multiple times while reading. I wrote something a few weeks ago about wanting my summer to feel like a Countrytime Lemonade commercial. But I see your Volksswagen one too. I just know what it should feel like, but then I don't really know how to make that happen. Thank you for the renewed inspiration!

This is absoutely my most favorite post of yours. Like EVER. Preach it, girl. Go it get, HARD. :)

Also, so sad about the strawberries. :(

i didn't even know strawberry beer was a thing, but then i just stumbled across this beer from dogfish called "tweason'ale".

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/brewpub-exclusives/tweasonale.htm

it's full of strawberries and stuff. so i guess that's, like, a thing!

YUM!

As a former advertising professional (ahem), I feel the need to point out that much of this discussion is exactly why I left advertising. VW commercials and Countrytime Lemonade ads -- and Norman Rockwell paintings of the perfect family Christmas, just to share my personal pain point -- create an unreal image that we think we're supposed to live up to.

I fall prey to it, too... thinking that "X is SUPPOSED to be..." that I fill in details that I saw in a movie or a magazine ad or a TV commercial.

To be clear, I'm not slamming the desire to have a fun summer at all! I'm all about it. I just really hate that media/advertising images can make us feel like our life is less-than, when clearly, you all are fantastic people.

You guys are all the best.

Erin - I'm having the hardest time focusing on work too! But alas, I'm grateful for the clients I've got and deadlines aren't going to meet themselves.

Hailey - I had such a good time chatting with you. I owe you an email!

Mel - You (and Dave) have so much work to do this summer! I'm so happy to be right there beside you. :)

Emily - YES. A list. I'm going to make one.

Kristen - I'm so glad you commented! Feel free to share your thoughts over here anytime. And I'd say play hooky a few days over the summer to spend with your wife. :)

AMG / Heather - I know. It's like... even if I made fun things happen the heat kind of keeps me inside.

Chelsey - I love your summer to-do list - it sounds very much like my grown up summer to-dos.

Anna Elder - Strawberry Abita is my favorite! And yes, that's why you can't find it.

Caitlin - I don't really know how to make it happen either. I'm going to spend the next few days gathering my thoughts and hopefully sharing my plan of action. P.S. Feel free to comment around these parts any time!

Nicole - Thanks, you! I'm going to grab summer by the balls and tell it what's what.

Suzy - YES! It's totally a thing. If you ever see Abita Strawberry buy it and savor every sip.

Mel - Beautiful point. I mean... I HAVE the VW and I'm still not feeling entirely satisfied with my summer (so far). It's just some bummer timing and certain shows, movies and commercials just remind me of the cinematic summer I SHOULD be having. But this is me turning it around - because I really do want my summer to be full of love and lightning bugs and not just because a commercial told me so. xo!

Thanks Kathleen. I look forward to your in-depth posts. I love seeing your creative process and all you've done since you began your freelance journey.

i love this post! that's all. :)

that really bums me out! especially since there's no shortage of strawberries at my house. my husband and i have been looking for it every time we go to the liquor store. have you tried Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde? it's delicious.

"The constant question of "what's next?" - while exciting and full of potential sometimes it's just exhausting and overwhelming."

You just laid out my life in a sentence. Thanks for articulating reality so beautifully!

Do you think we are sisters separated at birth? I mean, really. I could not have said this better! Cheers to kick ass summers and the brightest lightning bugs!

i know EXACTLY what you mean :)
very well said.

beautiful post. raw and honest. then i have to remind myself that no matter where i am, what i am doing, our life is beautiful.