HI! Thanks so much for stopping in, here's a little bit about me and why I strive to create every day.
Jen Goode • Colorado
Illustrator, Product Designer, Blogger, Brand Ambassador, Collaborator of Creative Ideas
My Official Info:
I am the owner and doodler in charge of JGoode Designs, a design studio. I am a mother of 3, wife, daughter, sister, Colorado native (4th generation), artist, geek, social media addict, pack-rat, paper snob, fan of cheesecake and milkshakes and a whole slew of other things.
I truly believe everyone has a creative side. Sometimes you just need to define creativity to find it for yourself. Whether crafting, traveling or enjoying a meal with friends or family, I think a daily goal to find a little extra happy requires some creative thinking sometimes. I strive to share ideas that will inspire those happy moments and creative mojo.
Read more about me and JGoode Designs. View my portfolio.
In a Nutshell:
I love all things creative. I love pretty handmade decor and beautiful gardens, gorgeous food that makes you hungry just looking at a photo and I love to create whenever I get the chance. The reality is, I don't have time nor the funds dedicated to create all beautiful things I imagine. I don't clean when I should and I don't throw anything anyway because everything can be made into something new. I don't read instructions and I don't play by the rules when it comes to the “how to” of much of anything, and that works for me. I make things work and I like the spontaneity discovering things as they happen. Usually what is in my head is not what comes out on paper and I don't have a specific style or theme or flavor that I love the most… the thing I like the best is “new”. I realize other's need directions and rules and guidelines and consistency so I'll do my best to share what I do and how I do it in a way you can explore yourself.
I play with glue and glitter and I play with computer code. I love paint and markers but I also love networking and talking with other business owners. So join me for creative fun, moments in business and the joys of working from home as a creative geek.
The official About Me Blurb:
I'm Jen Goode (goodie, like gumdrops). I'm a professional creative, meaning I feed my family by earning my keep creating – I'm a illustrator, designer, artist – with a McGuiver mind. However, just playing with glue isn't enough. I'm constantly experimenting with cooking, I horde recycled goods with no pre-plan and I go throughout every day trying to learn something new as I run my own business, draw a little and then try to share it all with my family. 100 Directions is my place to document creative inspiration, brainstorming ideas, business insight, travel tips, food follies, life moments and occasional wonky thoughts. You probably won't always find picture perfect craft moments or dinner plates displayed for royalty – even local guests. I'm a regular girl with buckets of room for improvement. I'm passionate about inspiring others to find their own creativity, whatever it may be. Explore, try something new, reach beyond your comfort zone or do something that makes you laugh 'til you think you might pee. You only live once, so it better be something you are proud of, regret nothing and learn something new every day along the way.
A lil' bit more about Jen
I feel like I am constantly moving in 100 different directions. I'm continually trying to find ways to stay organized, get more accomplished, remember things and catalog my ideas. Sometimes I wish I could just file things in my mind and they would come back just when they are supposed to… in a perfect world, there would be 10 of me and I'd get to pick which one of me I wanted to be each day while the rest of me did their jobs just like their supposed to.
But we're not in any kind of perfect world. I often forget remedial things like “eat lunch” or more important things like “pick up child #2 from school”. It's not that I'm clueless or overworked or even uninterested. It's that I am always thinking and one can only thing so much before a fuse blows somewhere.
I have a number of other websites I own, manage, build and use to earn my keep. This is the one place I can go and talk about whatever the heck I want without worrying about what focus I have, because sometimes focusing is over rated and we need to just be able to sit and ponder.. daydream.. and talk out loud to ourselves. It's good for us. We should do it more.
So this is my space to talk to myself and make notes about the things in life I find interesting or entertaining. Some things may have zero relevance to the rest of the world, but if I don't write it down it will soon have zero relevance to me as well. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, so I intend to do my best at documenting what I learn as I go along. You're welcome to join me.
Some things I wish for:
- Make it to Paris so I can eat real french bread and step foot in the Louvre.
- Own a VW bus I can cover with painted happiness (maybe my family will even help).
- Write a series of childrens books with my children
- …and all the stero-typical wishes like world peace, and end to world hunger, a cure for cancer and more chocolate.
I believe
- not everything has to be done for a reason and not all reasons need to be related to a career or an income. Sometimes we should just do things because it makes us happy and because we can.
- we spend way too much time working, so we better damn well love our work!
- you get what you give so you should give for the shear joy of giving
- everyone deserves a chance – at what, that's the real key
- everyone has a creative side, try to convince me otherwise, I dare ya
- happiness doesn't just happen – you make it
- … you deserve a prize for reading this entire page, drop me a note
