How To Achieve Your Dreams Without Any Initial Money- Advice From A Broke Entrepreneur

On April 30, 2012April 30, 2012 By Rebekka LienIn Uncategorized2 Comments

I woke up this morning, light pouring into the room. Yesterday I completely transformed my room. The bed is now in the middle and my desk near my graffiti wall. I’m sitting at my newly transformed bedroom/office.

Last night, I got to dance with my friend at a goth club on Wilshire. The whole time I was trying not to laugh because my friend and I are used to house/electro music, not every other beat goth music. I thought about how I just spoke at the Latina Blog Conference and how I am going to Ecuador and Brazil in two weeks. I thought about how my writing has been published and how I’m starting to get PAID to write (FINALLY). I thought about the close knit circle of friends, the support I have, the abundance of vitality that is my life and the beauty that exists within my life….

And all this, when I was broke as hell.

A lot of entrepreneurs don’t talk about this because well, it can be embarrassing. Yet, I’m so proud of the hardships I went through. For 3-4 months, I was totally unemployed. I had no financial support and was penny-less, I ate rice and vegetables only and sold whatever I could to survive. I went to peoples’ houses and brought home left overs, you get the picture.

Out of my lack of financial stability, opportunities to be creative flooded my mind. I wonder why Darwin never talked about creativity, because creativity is essential for survival.

Many of us say “someday when I’m rich, I’ll do this or be that”.

Mine was: “someday when I’m rich, I’ll help people and empower them by giving them jobs”, “someday when I’m well off and meeting important people, I’ll dress nice and be the powerful woman that I am”…etc.

I then realized, the day is TODAY, now.

I’m not 80, I’m not retired, I don’t have health insurance, life insurance, retirement fund, and or a savings account. I guess you can call me impractical. I’m 24 and what I said when I was 18, has come true. Whatever beliefs I carried in my heart has birthed. Whatever lies I let go of has lost its’ grip on my life. When I was 12, I was such a dork, I wore uncool clothes and wrote about deep philosophies. I never thought I could become famous for my creativity and talents. I never thought I could be in a relationship because I was way too unlovable and unattractive.

Today, I don’t believe those lies anymore. I am super attractive, creative, talented and I know in the near future, I will be making big bucks doing what I love.

Be, Do, and Have (not the other way around).

Don’t wait until your life is perfect to be or do. Life will never be “perfect”. Allow the little you have to kick start your dreams and present reality.

I decided to go to Ecuador to see my sponsored child 2 months ago. At that point, I was also broke. Starting your own business means months of 0 discretionary income. The moment I booked my one way flight, the universe aspired to provide the resources and people to help my vision. I met a girl from Ecuador who drew a map of Quito for me and explained where I should go and who to call for emergencies. Up until now, the people who have given to my trip were people who believed in me (you can give too)! I have only $2,000 to raise in 2 weeks!

The power does not LIE in the resources and the finances you ALREADY have, the power to achieve your dreams lie in your HEART to ACT. Do you ever wonder why people get to where they are? It is because they believe in themselves, believe in their vision and take the first step to go for it….and of course, THEY DIDN’T GIVE UP despite how damn impossible and desperate it seemed at times.

So do you have a dream? And what is it? Comment below!

Remember, achieving your dreams is not about striving. It is an outflow of being, that means you may have to rest and do the hard thing of WAITING. Note also the reason I say, “initial money” is that eventually you will fund your dreams by building your tribe who believe in your art, work & vision. The key is to DO what is impossible, when nothing is evident, there is no proof, there are no resources- once your mind says “I CAN” then EVERYTHING in the universe aligns itself to help and equip you.

Magic Tradeshow – February 14 to 15

On February 19, 2012February 19, 2012 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

@ the Luichiny Shoe Party @ Magic Tradeshow (Feb 15, 2012). Vintage dress w/ headband by Heather Petrey.

@ Magic + TeenVogue Blogger Lounge

Despite the fact that I got a speeding ticket on my way to Vegas to attend Magic Fashion Tradeshow…I got a picture with Betsey Johnson. That already is epic enough. I’m not trying to boast, but one day, people will also line up for 2 hours to take a picture with me.

Some highlights from the show-

+ Desigual- live painting on free t-shirts (hot spanish guys painting your shirt while you’re wearing it)

+ Luichiny- shoe party

+ Teenvogue – blogger lounge, now bloggers are the new press (probably they’re better marketers than pros)

+Brazil Lounge @ Project- I love the Brazil lounge at Project. They highlighted local Brazilian fashion brands and gave information about going to Brazil on a press/buyer tour.

+ VIP lounge- spent 2 hours eating and drinking mochas/cappuccinos there- just because I love to eat good food.

Quote from a friend of a friend- “Wow, she’s a struggling entrepreneur? She looks really glamorous for being a struggling artist”. My reply “entrepreneurs know where to get their resources for free, borrowing clothes from friends, thrift shopping, and reusing/recycling”. Any struggling entrepreneur tips- feel free to comment!

Support your local artist here: http://rebekkalien.storenvy.com

Follow me on: http://www.twitter.com/Rebekka_lien

Dreams, I Know About Dreams

On January 27, 2012January 27, 2012 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Dreams.

Yah, I know about dreams. I dream about my dreams. I wake up with a story in my head, about my dreams.

I am a dreamer, I am a doer, I listen to my spirit and when the season says to wait, I wait. This is with extreme hardship of NOT getting off my ass and doing, cuz I’m a doer. Oh, I know about dreams. I know what it feels like to bleed for my dreams.

I know the discouragement and depression of jumping out the box, the norm of sanity.

Oh, I know about dreams. I know about insanity. I know how it feels like when people look at me with the expression of “she’s insane, why she be doing that?”, the feeling of being questioned, interrogated, misunderstood. Babe, don’t tell me I don’t know about dreams.

I know how it feels to bleed for my dreams. I know how it feels to work out of little resources, to feel the humiliation of not being able to afford food. To say “hold up”, I can’t meet up cuz I don’t have a penny to spare. Don’t tell me I don’t know about dreams.

I bleed for my dreams because I believe in it, I believe in myself and the potential my dreams have. I gave birth to them, everyday I am giving birth to new ideas and I aint letting them fade. I grab onto my ideas with my whole being, I may despair and lord knows (my friends) know my daily ups and downs, crying one minute, laughing another (the joy of being human- emotions).

I know about dreams, the world is so big inside my heart, it’s bursting forth, unable to contain itself. It’s creating worlds around me, atmospheres and people are influenced by them.

The seasons are changing and dreams are birthing, it was not an easy child birth- trust me.

I bled for them.

The best dreams are bled for, not handed to you.

Thank you to all those that have supported me during this birthing stage. You will be blessed 10 fold, I promise- the child is a world changer.

Do you have any dreams that you are willing to sacrifice and bleed for? If so, what and what is stopping you? Remove all obstacles (fear).

When you are used to being the queen, it is hard to consider democracy replacing lone rule

On January 16, 2012 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Me in Germany

“when you are used to being the queen, it is hard to consider democracy replacing lone rule”- tracks

“For many outback people, the effect of almost total isolation coupled with that all-encompassing battle with the earth is so great that, when the prizes are won, they feel the need to build a psychological fortress around the knowledge and possessions they have broken their backs to obtain. That fiercely independent individualism was something akin to what I was feeling now- the stiffness, the inability to incorporate new people who hadn’t shared the same experience. I understood a facet of Alice Springs, and softened towards it, at that moment”- tracks

I tend to read books that happen to mirror my thoughts, my season of life. Robyn Davidson was a heroic woman who set out into the outbacks of Australia with camels by herself. I can’t tell you what happened in the desert yet because I’m only on page 75. However, the quotes above hit home for me. I live in this very environmental, hippie, vegan lifestyle, conserve everything neighborhood called Silverlake. I love meat and I don’t hug trees, but I have become used to living a communal lifestyle of sharing and living simply. Because I’ve started my own business and have to pay bills, I pretty much live month to month.

When I walk into grocery stores and shopping malls, I feel like a foreign alien. Some of my thoughts include “omg, why are people wasting money on nonsense?”, “I feel like an alien right now”, “so many people walking around”, “why do the same race congregate together”. I have slowly become some type of modern monk, but a woman. I haven’t bought groceries for 3 weeks and I borrow all my books.

Sometimes I feel myself relating to this: “That fiercely independent individualism was something akin to what I was feeling now- the stiffness, the inability to incorporate new people who hadn’t shared the same experience.”

But when I’m eating with friends that don’t live the same lifestyle, enjoying music, dancing to house music with them- I realize, we are all the same, just human with feelings and a spirit. You can choose to be prejudiced or you can choose to dance the music of life with people who are vastly different from you.

My 3-4 months of cleansing, building a new identity in being, and conversing with God has been taxing at times. Sometimes I find myself oversleeping, sometimes mad and impatient of waiting, sometimes bored, sometimes overwhelmed with my business, sometimes wishing my business was doing better, sometimes wishing I had no debt, sometimes worried and depressed from loneliness, yet…I know that nearing 24, this is a pivotal time in my life. This cleansing process is worth the journey. It is it’s own reward and hopefully (cross my fingers), next month I’ll be a better person, a more soul-filled, settled, rested, peaceful person who can love and BE better. I’ll be a better person for the world.

The Life of An Atypical Third Cultured Taiwanese Woman- “Freedom Begins in Your Soul, Not in Your Circumstances”

On January 4, 2012January 4, 2012 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s been almost 3 months since I’ve come back from Australia.

A lot has changed, pre – Australia and post- Australia.

I knew that every time I got on the airplane for a trip overseas, seasons of my life would change, pages in my book will flip. None of the changes in my life are subtle, they are drastic, refreshing, sometimes slow…yet, still always huge and intense.

I’ve been 3 months into my jewelry business
I’ve met tons of people randomly, at the copy shop, on the streets, in cafes, online, you name it…
I worked for a gifts company freelance, at times working 9 hours straight and meeting lots of people through it
I’ve danced a lot coming back
I’ve sort of settled into stable relationships and learned to nestle instead of bounce around
I’ve been living month to month for the last 3 months, at times suffering, yet most times, gaining wisdom from my circumstances.
I’ve found PEACE in “being”, instead of finding identity from “doing”. Out of “being” I have been able to rest even when I don’t know what’s coming next, even when all I have is this feeling that “something big is coming”, an opportunity ive been waiting for…this is contrary to what our society tells us…”waiting is bad”- says modern aged Americans. Waiting can be daunting if our identity is in “what we do”- but once we realize we are worth “THE REST”, we will live an overflowing life. It really hasn’t been that long since my freelance “free life” has begun, I’ve subbed taught violin, taught sewing lessons, baby sat, sold clothes on ebay, sold jewelry, sold clothes at consignment shops, hunted for coins (found 20 plus dollars in coins!), gotten lots of miracle money, brought “my trunk store” to parties and gatherings, and met tons of people that are vying for the life I now live.

Even though I have a few cents in my bank account, no health insurance, and no savings. Am I scared? No. I’ve never been happier! I’m going to prove to people that the American Dream isn’t what gives you happiness and that freedom can’t be bought, freedom begins in your soul, not in your circumstances!

At a goth club, I don’t fit in.

Now we fit in.

Follow my adventurous life- you won’t be disappointed. https://twitter.com/Rebekka_Lien

To continue reading my blog and see me succeed in life- shop ze store- http://rebekkalien.storenvy.com/

Adios! Rebekka

Lying on a Raft, Current Directing

On January 2, 2012 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’m lying on a raft, I see faces staring at me from the land, with marks of white and red, eyes wide.

I’m relaxing while the rest holds weapons of fear, wondering whether to attack or not. But I’m far away and safe in the river and beds of waters.

What if, what if, what if..they ask?

I’m already there- but I’m peaceful as a bird. The what if’s have happened, and I’m laughing and dancing still. I’m not on land, only on waters, but the current is taking me where it will, not according to my will- but according to destiny.

There is a land inside of my soul, my temporary body. The waters are flowing and the greens are lush, trees grow and flowers bloom. My outward being ages each day, but my inward being ages with wisdom, growing stronger each day.

I love these 25 beautifully illustrated thought provoking questions-

25 Beautifully Illustrated Thought-Provoking Questions

Perhaps sometimes living requires a submission of your soul into the universe, allowing a higher being to lead you into your true destiny. Perhaps knowing that you’ll be alright and not caring about what people think.

Happy Holidays Everyone! Starting My Year With Post-It Notes

On December 24, 2011December 24, 2011 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS SOON!

The past few months have been, change, change, change, inconsistency, life and more life.

Without change, there can’t be happiness.

Change is not only a part of life, part of love, but part of what it takes for a person to be happy. Don’t like change? Well, you’re really screwed. No wonder you’re not happy, no offense.

There were moments I reached mid life crisis and found myself staring at life in the face, asking what I was doing with my life. People think that post- grad confusion ends immediately after you get a job, well, it never ends, even when you are stuck in a job. Life begins after graduation my friends. True warriors face change with vigor, zest, confusion, failures and lots of mid life depression. One needs lots of supportive friends, or even just 1, 2 or 3 close friends will do.

The above is an example of how I am making changes everyday.

Everyday before I go to bed, I have a new RITUAL of writing a prayer, a desire for my life, a goal, a quote, a person, etc. I write this on a post it and stick it right above my bed. I am going to write dates on each post it and I’m sure, 100% sure that all of these goals, prayers, blessings, quotes will come true. What you think, you are. What you hope, you will be. Everything in the universe will conspire to achieve your goals. Positivity will bring positive things into your life.

Did great heroes or great inventors, great artists have thoughts of negativity? Yes. But did they dwell on it? No. Some positive thought pushed them to keep running, keep inventing, keep creating…even when all odds are against them.

You should do it too…I think it’ll benefit you.

Examples of what I wrote:

1. To be big hearted, forgiving, giving, and not easily offended– to embrace all, love all, and to give when it feels uncomfortable. I was driving with my friend the other day, in traffic – this homeless guy was asking for money. I got out of my car and gave him my bag of fruits and my cereal. You should have seen the look on his face, it was pure ecstasy. Doing something good when it feels uncomfortable or when people stare. Who cares about what others think.

2. To self- encourage and love others instead of self- pitying– I have the tendency to self- pity, “oh my god, seriously I can’t believe this person didn’t think about doing this for me…blah”….but this is a selfish love, when not verbalized.

Anyways- hope you have a grand holiday and blessed year! http://rebekkalien.storenvy.com

Munch, Munch, Stare, Stare, One of Those Days

On December 18, 2011 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The man wore a knit sweater, his two kids bugging him for some tacos.
Another lady, with pulled back pitch black hair, staring into space, eating a bowl of rice and a chicken salad. Another man with a blinged out snoop doggy jacket walked with his tray. Days like these, I can hear their thoughts. Munch, munch, stare, stare- what is my life worth and what is the meaning of life?
Munch, munch, stare, stare- wow, I’m bored, I’m zoned out, or what the hell am I doing with my life.

I can hear their thoughts loud and clear in my own mind.

Sometimes it’s just way too easy to give up. Especially when you’re thinking about getting food stamps and your business is growing exponentially slow. You have great relationships, but you still feel like you’re floating.

Munch, munch, stare, stare.

Such is the rhythm of life sometimes.

Of course, after some positive energy being exchanged by my ninja friend, I am starting to munch, munch, look look. I’m going to start putting positive quotes on my graffiti wall and write daily goals on it as well. I’m looking forward to this. 🙂 You should do it too!

Yesterday I slept for 11 hours, best time of my life.

coffee hop

On December 12, 2011December 12, 2011 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Sitting here, watching the cars driving fast
Lights bright and blaring
Humming busy
Exhaustion, trying to read but unable to quiet my distraction filled mind
Maybe I’m just supposed to sit here and do nothing for once

Gearing Up For 2 SHOWS- The Life of An Entrepreneur

On December 9, 2011December 9, 2011 By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Yes, some people find these dolls a bit creepy- but I’m totally obsessed with them. I hope that my customers will be obsessed as well. I even bought black ones. You know, dolls shouldn’t be racist.

Anyways, this week has been so filled with entrepreneurial endeavors. I’ve probably worked 80 hours without even knowing it. I think about my work right when I wake up and when I go to sleep. It’s not really work to me actually, it’s fun- it’s ideas and creativity. I was making some necklaces with cool baby bottles and suddenly yelled “I love what I do!” Though I can’t really see right now, because I can’t find my glasses (must be hidden under clothes or my jewelry) and my room looks like a tornado swept through….it’s been a most rewarding week.

I tell people- yah, being an entrepreneur is definitely risky. You don’t know if your work will really pay off, maybe at first you get a few sales, but the tremendous amount of work and energy, money you invest into it—isn’t exactly safe. You can’t say for sure that it’ll be successful, you can’t see clearly. But I believe in myself so much, that I know I’ll be okay, I’ll flourish. I walked for 2 hours today looking for supplies, it was good exercise. This week I got to spend time with my loved ones, and it was relaxing and satisfying…these are things you can do when you are self-employed (at the times of the day you want).

SAVE THE DATE!

I’ll be selling Jewelry, clothes, bags, kewpie dolls, costume sketch prints by me, shoes, etc.

Silverlake Arts Crafts Vintage Fair- December 10 Saturday!

*Location: Micheltorena St. Elementary- 1511 Micheltorena St. (off Sunset Blvd) LA 90026

*When: December 10, Saturday @ 10am-4pm

*Admission is FREE!

http://www.silverlakeartcraftvintage.com/

SHOP LOT LA – December 17 & 18

*Location: Parking Lot @ Sunset Blvd and Hyperion Intersection

*When: December 17 & 18, Saturday @ 10am-4pm

*Admission is FREE!

http://theshoplotla.com/