It might have been Hemingway who said that in order to do good work, you must get out of yourself (or was it get over yourself?) :)

Anyway, so I'm following that advice and, now and then, I'm going to break up my personal experience in the Studio Life, to feature interviews with some other folks who are also transitioning or have already successfully transitioned into doing something they absolutely love! It is part of my Studio Life to stay motivated and hopeful, so I am thinking it is a good idea to share my muses with you also, yes? In addition, the majority of the interviews out there, describe the creative life of established artists, and I am always left wondering how they got into it, especially if they came from a totally different field... I say bring the Transition on! We want to know how it's done, right?

On that note, I'd like to acknowledge that I assembled the interview below by combining and adapting questions from the two of the most inspirational series of interviews I've ever read "Another Girl at Play" & "Etsy: Quit your Day Job". If you haven't checked those two series yet, you should definitely explore. "Another Girl at Play" was "the" site that opened my eyes to the possibility of a self employed life, way back in the day, years ago. And "Quit Your Day Job", features artists who did so well on Etsy, that they were able to quit their day jobs to live off of their craft sales.

With that said, my goal here is to expand and focus on the specific "transition", as a source of strength and inspiration for my own "transitioning" path. If you have any questions you would like to ask to future interviewees, send them my way at gypsygirlsguide@gmail.com. If pertinent, I may choose to add them to the questionnaire as it evolves...

Without any further dos ~

Grab a cup of tea and plan to spend a few minutes in the company of the amazing:

Karen Walrond, author of the beautiful blog Chookooloonks. Karen is a photographer, writer, speaker, mother... And much more!

Karen is a major force and inspiration in my life and her transition in a way triggered mine. So it is a real treat for me to share her courageous spirit and natural intelligence at Gypsy Girls Guide. Enjoy!

1. What do you do and how long have you been doing it?

I'm a writer and a photographer. I've been doing photography for close to 15 years now, but have only been doing writing and photography as a full-time profession since October 2008.

2. What did you do prior to what you do now, and when did you realize this is what you wanted to do?

I was a lawyer! Prior to that, I was an engineer. I realized that I had a passion for photography and writing for quite some time, but didn't realize that I would want to make a profession of it until about 3 or 4 years ago. It just took me a while to take the leap. :)

3. What steps did you take to make your transition?

I saved. I set up my own business entity. I had someone redesign my blog into an entire website. And then I just leapt. :)

4. What previous life or work experience applies to what you do now?

Happily, all of it. My work experience gave me a strong work ethic. My law degree and legal experience taught me about the technical structuring of words and essays, how to make smooth transitions from paragraph to paragraph, and make language flow. My legal education gives me a leg up in negotiating business deals and handling contracts.

It's funny, because I have no formal education in either writing or photography, but I definitely apply the knowledge of my past life to my everyday now.

5. Who or what inspired you to follow your dreams and pursue a transition?

A tribe of women who are affectionately called the "Lovebombers" -- creative women living all over the United States, who each practice their own arts (and have their own blogs). Watching them bravely and unapologetically pursue their dreams made me realize I could pursue mine.

6. What resources helped you with your transition?

Several books: "The War of Art," by Steven Pressfield, "The Boss of You," by Emira Mears and Lauren Bacon are two that immediately come to mind. Both are easily readable and easily relatable.

7. Can you walk us through a day in your current work & life routine?

Once my daughter's at school, I come into my studio/office with a hot cup of tea, light a candle, put on some music on Pandora.com, and start going through e-mails, and checking my favourite blogs. Then I start to write my articles for whatever deadline might be looming. If I'm caught up on all my deadlines, I work on my book. At some point in the day, I'll usually grab my camera and go out for a shoot -- it could be as simple as something in my back yard, or taking myself to lunch at a new restaurant and shooting what I see, or just something that strikes my eye at my desk. I usually update my blog for the following day at the end of my work day.

8. What are the most rewarding aspects of having pursued your transition? Is there anything you miss from your previous occupation(s)?

I love that I'm my own boss -- that my days unfold as I want them to, that I can decide which assignments I want to take, and which ones I'd rather pass on. That's huge. I love that I can be creative all day, every day. The only thing I can think of that I miss sometimes from my previous occupation is the steady paycheque. ;) But I'm not worried. The money will come.

9. What have been the biggest challenges in your transition? How did you (or are you) overcome(ing) them?

I'm very impatient, and I sometimes struggle with my expectation that I would've accomplished more by now. But one thing that helps is that every time I have a success, I update my bio and online resume -- it helps to go back and look at what I've accomplished, and realize that I've done so in 4 months. It gives me perspective.

10. How do you define success, and what/ who has contributed for making yours, a successful transition?

For me, success is not having to worry about a roof over my head and food on our plates, coupled with unmitigated happiness in how I spend my day. So far, I've got the happiness -- I'm working on making it so that i could fully support my family with my art if I was ever called to do so (I'm lucky that I have a husband that can take up the slack for now). As far as making the transition successful, the biggest contribution has come from my husband, who cheers me on every step of the way. Without his encouragement, there's no WAY I could do this.

11. What goals do you have for the future? Where/ How do you see yourself 5 years from now?

In 5 years, I'm a successful author, on the speaking tour circuit, hopefully helping make a different in people's lives through my words and my images. Fingers crossed.

12. What advice would you give to yourself when you were still just hoping for a transition? Would you like to share anything else or give any other advice for others wishing to make a transition and follow their dreams?

I don't really have any advice I'd give myself -- I really feel like things are unfolding as they should. As far as advice for others, I would say the best thing you can do for yourself is to trust your instincts: don't overthink everything, just get to a quiet place and close your eyes and think about how you FEEL about the decisions you make as you go along your path. For me, I've learned that my instincts are generally spot-on.

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Thank you so much, Karen!!! I am so inspired by you.

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ps (1): All photographs above are by Karen Walrond

ps (2): Original questions credits go to Alex the Girl & Mary Mary from the Etsy: Quit your day Job series. (Questions however have been adapted to fit the "Life Transition" theme as seen above.)

ps (3): If you also have made a career transition (or are in the process of) and are willing to inspire others on their path, please drop me a line. I am accepting submissions for the Life Transition interviews.