![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_5682.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been busy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You wouldn\u2019t necessarily know it by looking at me, because all the activity has been in my head, but trust me. I\u2019ve been busy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And, I\u2019ve had quite a time of it, too \u2026 plotting and creating and worrying and dreaming and drawing and writing and conversing and arguing and\u2026 and… and…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
…and, I am exhausted, but happy, and ready to share.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So, without further delay, here\u2019s what I\u2019ve been up to:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1) I developed and started handcrafting sterling silver necklaces called I AMuleTs.<\/em> The idea for these pieces started poking at my brain almost a year ago when I was repeatedly annoyed by the multiple necklace chains I wore for good luck and positive energy; they wouldn\u2019t stop tangling together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ok \u2013 stop it. I can already hear you saying \u201cPositive energy? That\u2019s kinda woo<\/em> for a DOCTOR<\/em>, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Well, I suppose it could fall into a category of \u201cwoo\u201d, but if you know me, or have ever been under my care, you\u2019ve heard me say that western medicine doesn\u2019t have all the answers, and that the road to health and wellness differs for everyone. What I might not have shared, however, is my belief that being healthy is an active endeavor that has to start at your core. Setting positive intentions for myself is one way that I work to stay healthy every day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anyway\u2026 back to my story\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I mused for a while on one of my more tangly necklaces (an evil eye charm that I found on vacation years ago) by repeatedly drawing evil eyes on napkins and paper scraps. After a while, I started substituting eyes in place of the letter \u201ci\u201d in words. I don\u2019t know why, it just started happening, and it made me laugh every time I did it. This led to new doodles of the lowercase letter i with an eye in place of the dot, and THAT design tumbled over and over in my head until one day the design for I AMuleTs stormed into my brain. WHAT IF<\/em> I took my eye-I doodle and put it at the start of an affirmation, I AM ________? AND<\/em>, what if I combined THAT<\/em> eye-I affirmation with a gemstone of similar meaning for extra oomph and energy? The idea didn\u2019t completely make sense to my brain at the beginning, but my heart knew I was onto something, a something I wanted to explore and possibly create.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, with my heart\u2019s urging, my brain was off to the races. I checked out books on stones and crystals, and researched the healing properties of different gems. I took classes on metal stamping techniques and figured out how to turn my doodle into a workable and legible stamp. Finally, I pulled out my jeweler tools from the closet (I\u2019ve made jewelry on and off for over 25 years) and played with my long-neglected treasure trove of findings and wire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have been the happiest I\u2019ve been for \u2026 a long time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To support my new expanding I AMuleT adventure, I undertook a few other things, too\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2) I started a business: Melissa C Mark, LLC. My focus is currently on growing I AMuleTs, but with my name as the company title, I\u2019m not limited to only making necklaces; I can go in any creative direction I choose. Now, I\u2019ll admit, I\u2019m not a business person by trade, and I have no experience in this kind of entrepreneurship. But, so what? My business inexperience is only a liability if I say it is, and I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3) I opened an Etsy store<\/a>! Right now I\u2019m only offering the I AMuleTs I\u2019ve already told you about, but I have other ideas rolling around in my head\u2026 so stay tuned!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4) I designed the website melissacmark.com<\/a> as a landing page for links to my current creative endeavors: this blog, an Instagram page<\/a> (#melissasdailyview<\/a>), and my Etsy store<\/a>. Bookmark the site<\/a> and check in from time to time to see what I\u2019m up to; I promise it\u2019ll be something!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It all feels like such a whirlwind adventure, but if I\u2019m honest, it\u2019s taken a while; I started on this road in March 2017. There\u2019s been so much to learn and do that the time has truly flown by. I\u2019m sure that there\u2019ll be a learning curve plateau in my future that will force me to slow down, but for now, my enthusiasm, energy, and crazy brain are on overdrive, and going strong.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That’s the backstory to where I am right now\u2026 a woman in transition. I think it’s a good place to be at the start of the new year, don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Takeaway:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lifelong learning is essential for personal growth, positive change, and (I would argue) happiness.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Any adventure can be yours if you choose it.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019ve been busy. You wouldn\u2019t necessarily know it by looking at me, because all the activity has been in my head, but trust me. I\u2019ve been busy. And, I\u2019ve had quite a time of it, too \u2026 plotting and creating and worrying and dreaming and drawing and writing and conversing and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-random-subjects"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6ZedX-72","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44,"url":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?p=44","url_meta":{"origin":436,"position":0},"title":"Hankscraft","author":"Melissa","date":"November 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a not-so-secret obsession. Vaporizers. Specifically, the Hankscraft model 240 cool mist kind. This is a longstanding addiction \u2013 lasting well over 40 years. I have a multitude of childhood memories of studying, reading, laughing, drawing, sleeping, eating, and even socializing, within a five\u00a0foot radius of one of these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Random Subjects"","block_context":{"text":"Random Subjects","link":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_7964-e1449244781926.jpg?fit=320%2C321&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":295,"url":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?p=295","url_meta":{"origin":436,"position":1},"title":"The Four Cs","author":"Melissa","date":"January 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 I am an optimist. At least I like to think I am. I am a master of positive spin, too; I can take a bad situation and find the good inside. It\u2019s a coping mechanism. Some may find it maladaptive, chiding: \u201cHey Melissa, things are NOT good right now.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Random Subjects"","block_context":{"text":"Random Subjects","link":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fullsizeoutput_30d7.jpeg?fit=1200%2C837&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fullsizeoutput_30d7.jpeg?fit=1200%2C837&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fullsizeoutput_30d7.jpeg?fit=1200%2C837&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fullsizeoutput_30d7.jpeg?fit=1200%2C837&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/fullsizeoutput_30d7.jpeg?fit=1200%2C837&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":371,"url":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?p=371","url_meta":{"origin":436,"position":2},"title":"It’s A Process","author":"Melissa","date":"May 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 I recently read two books by Austin Kleon (1,2) , each one full of pearls. At almost every page turn I found myself either nodding along in agreement, or whapping my forehead in moments of sudden clarity. Kleon\u2019s writing is easy to read and packed with useful information about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Random Subjects"","block_context":{"text":"Random Subjects","link":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2820.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2820.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2820.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2820.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_2820.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":644,"url":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?p=644","url_meta":{"origin":436,"position":3},"title":"20\/20 – FOCUS","author":"Melissa","date":"December 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"cool looking eye alien hanging out on my couch today I went out to breakfast recently with a friend who asked if I \u201cdo\u201d New Year\u2019s resolutions or not. Short answer? I don\u2019t. New Year\u2019s resolutions feel so weighty and forced that I worry I won\u2019t follow through with whatever\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Random Subjects"","block_context":{"text":"Random Subjects","link":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/AAC016C6-5357-45F9-9D8C-1EC9352CAA18.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/AAC016C6-5357-45F9-9D8C-1EC9352CAA18.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/AAC016C6-5357-45F9-9D8C-1EC9352CAA18.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/AAC016C6-5357-45F9-9D8C-1EC9352CAA18.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":273,"url":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?p=273","url_meta":{"origin":436,"position":4},"title":"The Purse Mousies","author":"Melissa","date":"December 10, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 I am an only child, and as the only, I learned early how to entertain myself when there was no one to play with. Growing up, my house was quiet; if there was noise, it was because I was the one making it. I did watch a good deal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family"","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?cat=6"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1132.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1132.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1132.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1132.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_1132.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":525,"url":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?p=525","url_meta":{"origin":436,"position":5},"title":"February In Minnesota","author":"Melissa","date":"February 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This was my horoscope this week... pretty timely, I'd say. 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The season never starts out that badly; December brings magical fluffy snowfalls,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Random Subjects"","block_context":{"text":"Random Subjects","link":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/IMG_0265.jpg?fit=646%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/IMG_0265.jpg?fit=646%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/IMG_0265.jpg?fit=646%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.peanutmark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_5392.jpg?fit=1461%2C1474&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=436"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":445,"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436\/revisions\/445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peanutmark.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}