My Path

Julie Baldwin

I am a writer. It’s how I make sense of the world, of my thoughts and feelings, and of myself and others. I write to remember—and to express ideas, meaning, and experiences. It's what I need to do, and what I was meant to do.

I love to paint—both to create beauty, and to meditate and connect with myself. It's joyful and profound, to play with colors and shapes, to create images from a place deeper than words.

I am a mentor to other creative and sensitive souls. I've learned that everyone needs help at times; no one truly does it alone. It is deeply meaningful, to see the gifts in another human being, and nurture them to blossom.

As an entrepreneur, my calling is to create, connect, and serve—to live my own authentic and creative life, and help others do the same.

Where I Left the Path

While making my way in the world, I betrayed myself.

Off the path in dark woods

I came to believe that to survive, I had to give up on expressing my true self. I had to give up on my calling—on using my greatest gifts.

I believed that living a creative life was only for the select few, and that I was not one of them.

Our beliefs shape the trajectory of our lives.

Instead of working to make a living as a creative writer, I got a job as a technical writer. I was not yet ready—or willing—to answer the call. How do I know? Because I could have made a living and worked seriously on my writing. I didn’t make the commitment to give my creative expression the priority it deserved.

No matter how many excuses I made for not following my calling, it was my choice.

Self-betrayal is a universal experience of being human. It’s one way that we learn, on a much deeper level, what really matters to us. You learn who you are after feeling deep loss, facing the truth, and finding the path to reclaim yourself.

Still, even though I wasn't fully doing my true work in the world, I tried to keep my dreams alive. To grow as a writer, I joined writer's groups and I took independent courses. I painted watercolors. I found expression for my empathy—and my calling to serve and mentor—by becoming a manager, to support others in their growth and dreams.

But it wasn't enough.

Eventually, not following my true path took a toll on me. I got sick. And then, when the company where I worked for 19 years was bought out, I lost my job.

Thank God!

It was long past time for me to make a change.

Finding My Path Again

Sign on path on hill

Thankfully, I’d been working with a life coach for a year. I had direction. So by the time I was laid off, I had already finished the coursework and started the process of certification in coaching.

It has not been a straight and easy path.

It was one thing to reclaim what I was called to do. It was another to learn how to develop my calling into a soulful business.

Over and over, I had to decide whether to follow the path of growth and change—or give up. One of the most difficult things I had to re-learn—as a person, an artist, and an entrepreneur—was how to find the balance between caring deeply, and letting go of the outcome. Between working hard on a strategy, and following my intuition.

Along the way, I discovered something that surprised me. Like any endeavor, becoming an entrepreneur is a spiritual path—if you put your soul into it.

Building my business required learning, stretching myself, and facing my fears. It required soul-searching honesty. It required showing up—in ways that I was afraid to do just a couple years ago.

Now, I choose to see the arc of my life’s path—and all the events and goals within—from a specific context:

We are all creative heroines and heroes, making from our lives something profoundly meaningful.

I am in the process of reclaiming myself, in a holistic way, beyond my art.

On the Creative Heroine’s Path

Boardwalk path into sunset

It’s not too late—but the time to start is now. No one knows how long the bloom remains. Nothing is guaranteed. If you keep putting it off until “someday,” that day may never come for you.

You must ask yourself, “What am I here for?”

Then, you must answer the call, and begin.

  • Live a creative life.
  • Devote more time to your self-expression.
  • Keep growing into the artist you are meant to be.
  • Make a living by sharing your art and experiences with others.
  • Use your creative genius to become an entrepreneur—if you’re willing to do the work.

If you are a soulful creative, I offer you real support, hope, and accountability.

Join me on a journey that is really a way of living your life—being more present and authentic, expressing your gifts, and taking imperfect action, one step at a time.

When you take action, the magic of the world opens up to you, because you are showing up and making a commitment. You begin to create the life you want.

You can do it. It’s time to start. The world wants—and needs—your gifts.

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