No Excuses
All right, so are you one who is going to stop pursuing your goals before you even start? Do you find you come with excellent excuses as to why you could never be a Style Diva? After all, what do you know about style? You may even feel like you were born without the “style gene” that others have. I’ve seen it time and again — struggling Style Diva hopefuls who sabotage their dreams with myths, excuses, and procrastination.

I’ve isolated five of the most common stalling tactics below. These are the myths you may believe about style and about yourself that need to be confronted and conquered!

Classic Stall Tactic #1
“I’ve got a creative block.”
OK, let’s get one thing straight: The concept of a creative block shouldn’t even enter a Style Diva’s vocabulary. You are always creating — whether that’s figuring out what shoes to wear or making your kid’s lunch. Creative energy flows in limitless abundance. The reason that you say you have a “block” is twofold. First, sometimes you’re just plain spent — you’re exhausted and hungry. Take a nap or get a snack. Second, you need a change of scenery. I find that the best way to de-block is to pick up a magazine or book, go to a museum or gallery, take the dog out for a walk, or just get in my car and drive. You need to stop thinking and start looking outward for inspiration!

Classic Stall Tactic #2
“I can’t afford to be stylish.”
You can’t afford not to. Invest in yourself. Being stylish does not have to be an expensive endeavor, especially in this day and age of flea markets, garage sales, and discount stores. I shop at them all the time. In fact, most Style Divas I know are always looking for a good deal — and, believe me, they know where to find them. You don’t need money to buy stylish; you need ingenuity. Part of the joy of being a Style Diva is figuring how to get the most bang for your buck. A Style Diva might go to a thrift store and find a funky old vase for five dollars, take it home, mix it with few other objects, and make a huge statement. Where others might see junk, she sees a masterpiece.

Classic Stall Tactic #3
“I’m waiting for inspiration to hit me.”
I hope you brought a change of clothes because it’s going to be a long wait! You can’t sit around hoping that inspiration will strike. You need to go out and find it. It’s in the magazines and books you read, the movies you see, the clothes you wear, the places you travel, the friends you admire, the dreams you have. It’s all around you 365 days a year, 24/7 (ok to use this?). Trust me, there is no shortage of inspiration; there’s just sometimes an unwillingness to embrace it.

Classic Stall Tactic #4
“I just don’t have the time.”
The pursuit of style does not have to be a time-consuming endeavor. You can spend ten minutes a day on it and still feel like you’ve accomplished something. The important thing is to block off a certain time once a day, once a week, even once a month, when you can devote your attention entirely to style. Turn off the cell phone, turn off the computer, turn off your Blackberry, turn off the TV, and turn on your Styling Self. This could be anything from jotting down all your ideas that day in your Style Journal to tacking up photos on your Style Board. I'll explain more about those later.

Classic Stall-Tactic #5
“But I’m not an artist… I can’t even draw a stick figure!”
Neither can I! In fact, my daughter draws circles around me. I always thought I wasn’t an artist because I couldn’t draw. I now know that’s not true.  You don’t have to be Picasso to have style; you just have to be willing to understand the elements that make up something artistic and stylish and be willing to learn by doing. A Style Diva is always creating something from nothing — whether it’s designing a floral arrangement as a centerpiece or building a home. A Style Diva embraces art in every sense of the word and thus is an artist! 

Excerpted from “Secrets of a Style Diva.” by Susie Coelho. Copyright © 2006 by Susie Coelho. Excerpted by permission of Cool Springs Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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