Guest Post: Empowering Women With the Power of Style

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for the last couple days. I finally came home. Up next will be a couple of giveaways and reviews so stay tuned. Until then, here's a short essay written by Jackie :)

Illness can be stressful, painful, and it can seriously wear anyone down. Whether facing
treatment from mesothelioma doctors or going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, it
can be easy for women to lose their feeling of self when facing such a serious disease.
However, there are ways that women can always feel strong and beautiful, no matter
what hardships they are facing.

Fashion is one way to make women feel confident and empowered, even on their worst
days. Every woman feels better about herself when she is wearing a favorite outfit,
whether that favorite outfit is a pair of comfortable jeans and a T-shirt or a dress with
high heels and all of the accessories. Nobody can tell a woman what her personal style is
or what it should be -- it is something that a woman has to figure out all on her own, and
exploring and discovering different styles is an exciting and fun process. She can start by
flipping through her favorite fashion magazines and taking note of each outfit that
catches her eye. She can also compare these outfits with outfits that she admires on other
women and with outfits that catch her eye in stores. What do each of these outfits have in
common -- are they similarly styled or do they perhaps come in similar colors? Once a
woman has determined what she likes, she can look for outfits that suit her personal style.

Even if a woman is nervous about trying a particularly trendy style, she might find out
that this over-the-top look makes her feel better than she has in years. Combining old
favorites, such as a favorite pair of jeans or a cute pair of basic heels, with new and
stylish favorites can create a stunning combination. Once a woman sees just how great
she feels in her new style, she will be ready to branch out into even trendier style
combinations. Over time, she will feel confident in her style, putting a smile on her face
and giving her a feeling of empowerment that no one or nothing can take away from her.

Anyone who knows a woman who is battling a terminal illness should encourage this
woman to seek out and pursue her favorite style. If she is sick herself, she should never
underestimate the power of fashion in making a woman feel stronger than ever. Even
when sick from chemotherapy treatments or depressed about a poor prognosis, a woman
will instantly feel better about herself and her situation if she puts on a favorite outfit. It's
a well-known fact that women feel stronger when they are dressed to impress. In these
situations, she is impressing the most important person in the world -- herself.

Check out the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog for more information on creativity and
wellness: http://mesothelioma.com/blog

Guest Blogger: Nissa Zaidi

Hey everyone! Today I have a guest blogger named Nissa. You can find her at Versatile Jewelry.
She is an AWESOME jewelry designer and will be opening up an Etsy store soon! I promise you guys, when her store opens, I will be the first to let you know. 

I’m super excited to have been asked to be a guest blogger by Y!! Since I am new to blogging this is a wonderful opportunity for me.
I’ll start by telling you a bit about myself.  I’m currently a senior doing my Bachelors in Chemistry.  I recently got married a year ago (time really does fly!), we are in the visa process and hopefully my hubby will be here in September (fingers crossed).   Jewelry designing has always been my creative outlet as well as a getaway from my hectic life. 

I’m here to answer the most basic question most artists get asked:
How do you overcome an artistic rut?
These are some of the things I do to help my Muse:
1.    Take a break- Shower, eat, go for a walk, stay hydrated, watch TV, Blog, etc…
2.    For inspiration, look at other art, photographs, paintings, quilts, home décor, etc… (I look at their color schemes and composition.  It helps)
3.    Do not; I repeat, DO NOT go looking at other artists in your area of expertise.  It will only prolong your creative rut.   I used to think that this was a way out of a rut but I found myself daunted my other people’s creativity and skills which over looked my own achievements.   You then find yourself thinking “I wish I could do that” or “Maybe I’m not cut out for this” but the truth is that YOU CAN DO IT! The key is shutting out other people and focusing your own creativity and finding your own inspiration. 
4.    Color schemes are an artist’s best friend!


5.    Work on something else.  (I literally took a two week break to create décor for my room. More pictures are on the way! You can read about my frustrations here )

I think now I’m ready to scuttle back to my little hole and focus on beading and making jewelry. 
I hope that my advice resonates with a lot of crafters or jewelry artists starting out their adventure as I am still on the beginning of mine. 
I want to thank Y again for having me here today! This was an awesome experience.   



Thanks so much Nissa! Obviously she is very talented! Go hop on over and check her out