A Tribute to Jill of Ark Past (and a Welcome to Jill of Ark Present)

So much excitement has transpired over the past few weeks, I don't even know where to begin!

You could begin at the beginning, George pipes in from his new hutch, positioned next to my writing desk.

"Yeah--that's a good place," I agree.  Such a helpful rabbit, he is.

You may recall how in my last post, at the end of June, I was struggling with Jill of Ark's aesthetic--so much so that it was blocking me from writing at all.  Although I couldn't put my finger on exactly what had been bothering me about it, I felt an increasing disconnect and discontentment with the color scheme, the layout, and even the logo I'd designed and once adored.

As it turned out, this wasn't the only thing I'd fallen out of alignment with.  And after I'd made a public commitment to refresh Jill of Ark to better fit this woman I continue to evolve into, the Universe apparently decided it was time to start refreshing other aspects of my life as well.

Two months later, here's where I am:

• I resigned from my permanent, full-time position in marketing/PR, along with the Monday-through-Friday, 8:30-to-5:00 schedule that seemed to be sucking the life out of me.  

• I renewed my adjunct teaching contract at one institution and expanded it at another, giving me a full-time teaching load that brings in only slightly less than what I had been earning, but with a lighter weekly schedule, regular breaks, and summers off--which allows me more time to devote to Jill of Ark and my creative writing.  Yay! 

• I completed the textbook portion of my dog trainer certification program and am moving into the second and final portion--an externship with a mentor trainer and a volunteer commitment with a local shelter. I'm super, super psyched about both!

• I connected with a local program that helps small business owners like me develop business and marketing plans and carry them through.  Just yesterday, I registered my name with the County Clerk's office, and over the next few weeks, I'll be working on kicking things up a notch.

• I created a new "look" for Jill of Ark.  It's airy and cheerful, and allows me to exercise my right brain on a bit more than just writing.  I've had so much fun creating these little doodles and experimenting with colors--a process which may or may not be still underway.  I also switched to a new web template that should hopefully be cleaner and easier to navigate.  

In going through these changes, I've finally zeroed in on what bugged me about the old Jill of Ark.

The heavy gray background is stifling.  Even the pink accents feel dull by comparison.  The words are there--my name, my passion--but there's nothing to illustrate just how much of my heart is tied to this endeavor.  Even the clean lines and integration of my logo seem restrictive.  I'm not linear.  I'm not one who can be packaged to fit in a neat little unit.  

It's a fitting metaphor for where I was personally and professionally at the time.  I tried so diligently to conform to the social and corporate paths I'd been directed toward.  My mind (and ego) dragged me through the motions, but my heart was never fully in it.  The more I tried to cram myself into the shallow box that had been put out for me, the more my body and spirit protested.  I was chronically sick, in pain, and bitter--chronically out of touch with myself, chronically "gray."

But I'm not going to hate on my old aesthetic.  It's cute.  It served me well for two and a half years.  A lot of people loved it.  I did, too.

As a former marketer, I'm astutely aware of the dangers of altering an established brand.  However, the beauty of being a former marketer is that I no longer care about such things.  When worked for me at one time isn't working for me now, I think it calls for a change.

The new Jill of Ark is about fluid, curvy lines and open space.  It's about nurturing child-like imagination rather than conformity and all other forms of box-fitting.  And, most especially, it's about me and animals and you and animals and the love that connects us all.

I hope you enjoy it!