Welcome to another edition of my new blog series: Pursuing Her Passion. I've had this topic on my heart for a long time and I knew that I wasn't alone. There are so many creative and talented women out there chasing their dreams, pursuing their calling, and taking risks in order to fulfill God's plan for their life. There are also many creative and talented women who haven't quite found their passion just yet, or may be feeling held back from being able to pursue their dream. This series is meant to inspire women who are currently looking for that passion in their life if they haven't found it. And if they have, then this series should be an encouragement to get out there and start pursuing it head on!
I'm excited to share a very talented and lovely work-at-home-mama with all of you today! Amy Cornwell is a mother and business owner, and has just recently been able to start working at home full time! I had the pleasure of meeting Amy back in April when attending the Creative Estates Conference, and have been following up with her business through Twitter and blogging ever since. If you haven't heard Amy's story, I encourage you to check out her blog after reading her words about pursuing her passion:
"Hi! I'm Amy and I'm the owner of Amy Cornwell. Really original name, right? Sometimes I call it Amy Cornwell Designs or ACD too. While creativity is my forte, coming up with a cool name for my business is not. I figure I can be like Kate Spade or Kenneth Cole and just use my name :)
I'm so honored to be sharing my passion and life with you all today. Thanks to Moriah for letting me share her space and friends! My gift and passion is creating. Since I was little, I have been a creator. I still have scrapbooks from middle school. I made and sold jewelry my Freshman year of High School to raise money for Spring Break. All through college I scrapbooked and made cards, candles, soaps and more. I simply love creating! I don't know how I “found” my passion, but I know that it's a God-given one and I try to honor Him in everything I create.
In 2003 I took this passion to a new level and had my first jewelry show. It was so successful that I officially licensed my business in 2004 and haven't looked back since. In June of this year I was finally able to do the business full-time as my only source of income and I know this was all God. He had been telling me for a long time to trust him and finally in May of this year I felt him pretty much shove me out the door of my current job at our church. I don't know that I've ever felt His leading more than I did then and He's blessed us immensely for obeying Him. (read more about my dream and it coming to fruition)
The wonderful thing about what I do is that I get to create beautiful things for other people. I get to bless people with a piece of jewelry to celebrate all of the events in their life. My favorite times are when people share the story of the piece I'm creating for them. I've created items to celebrate weddings, friendships, and children as well as deaths, miscarriages and loss. Hearing the stories and praying for the recipients has been such a joy for me and helps me to remember why I'm doing what I'm doing. It's not all about the income, I love bringing joy to people when they receive their item. Another wonderful thing that I get to do through my business and passion is give back. A portion of every sale is given to my church to help spread the Gospel. I frequently have special items to raise money for organizations such as Love146 and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I love being able to give back from what God has blessed me with.
I talk to ladies often who are just starting out, wanting to use the gifts that they've been given and be passionate about their work. I think it's so wonderful to find women who are passionate about creating, cooking, blogging and want to share their lives & passions with others. If I could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to pursue their passion it would be to keep at it. It took me eight years until I was able to use my business as my source of income. Sure, there are people who gain a following almost overnight, but that doesn't always happen. If you feel this is the passion God has gifted you with, keep at it. Don't fall into the trap of comparison. Always use your gifts, sometimes with nothing in return. NEVER give up." - Amy
Comments are closed for the Pursuing Her Passion Series. Here's how you can connect with Amy:
Need to catch up on past posts from the Pursuing Her Passion Series?
