butterfly

last night (over cocktails) a friend told me a story about a butterfly, to which i almost rolled my eyes (wink * michelle) - but it was very ninja (as is the story teller herself).

there's this butterfly name mo'betta'butta (okay i made that part up, but track me) - and mo'betta was just a wee-little barely butterfly hatching halfway out of its cocoon. a traveler saw it in it's struggle and helped peal away the remaining cocoon and mo'betta'butta plopped out with it's wings deformed and nub-like. what the traveler didn't realize was that it's in the struggle to emerge mo'betta would exercise her muscles and grow her wings, birth fully formed and ready to fly.

my friend told me this story because i was feeling responsible for the feelings of someone close to me. in NINJA CHICK there's a chapter dedicated to this, flying light, traveling right. distinguishing between what is your "baggage" and what is others on the turnstile of life. how to let others go through their process and how to take responsibility for your own,; how to speak your truth easily. when you love someone, it's a natural inclination to make it easier for them and pull off that last difficult encumbrance. like if you are breaking up with someone, i think some people stay longer because they don't want to inflict hurt and maybe because they are suspending the knowing sting for themselves. i'm in a half situation situation. i love the person eternally. he's one of those life long ones that no matter where he stands in my life i'll always look out for him and the love runs deep. but the shared sanity? runs thin. we just can't seem to find a good fit or rhythm. neither of us wants to admit defeat i think. or give up that sweet, amber taste of love. the snuggle-fest we envelop in. but there's that caustic knowledge underlying it, concurrent like a stream constant beneath - that it's just not right. not right now and maybe not ever? i don't know. i only seem to be clear about work, career - total unending clarity and direction. perfection. purpose. but this? this whole relationship thing? man. i'm a work in progress, without much progress!! i'm deep in the cocoon. i've gyrated my wings in brief attempts at spontaneous growth, but i just can't seem to hatch. but that's the mantra of the ninja. to stay courageous and honest. to stay in the plump moment of possibility and never resign to sour beliefs that "it," "love," can't happen for you. i'm just happen to be better at flight when i'm single right now. but i absolutely hold the possibility, the room for the hatching of real love.

hmmm. guess what? my line (the jack rabbit collection) and book (Ninja Chick) is featured in VOGUE Japan’s November issue! But it's all in Japanese! so weird to see yourself in foreign print like that, and right next to a drunk Lindsay Lohan and a cute scarlett johansson.

hi.

highly fueled energy this morning.

i really love what i do. when we get new leads for new business expansion it's really exciting. i have to say - i've been long since neglecting "self" and "health" at the expense of the never-ending-deadline. it always starts the same, total enthusiasm for work, and by the end of the day i've burned all the fuel in the lamp, leaving nearly nothing for tomorrow. Twyla Tharp (also an author and esteemed dance artist) makes a point in her book to note the "creative bridge back," stopping in the creative process, leaving something for tomorrow, a bridge back, leaving yourself thirsty. Because what i often do is get so excited that i squeeze out every ounce, stay late until i'm probably 30% more exhausted the next day, and slightly more worn out. where as i think if i stop at 7.30pm every night (which will be *impossible* for me) then i'll bounce out early ready to jump back in. i just don't like to put work down. last night i pushed a bit late again, then went home and watched a david attenborough show on mammals (to which i thought, "who ammm i?" what a geek - but geek chic absolute). i wanted to do some work while i watched. double task. I couldn’t even put work down then, “after work.”

yet i really do realize that we as creative ninja humans need "meandering time," time to let our curious minds wonder, to let our thoughts quiet down; to allow the mud in the bucket to settle and the water naturally becomes clear. it's actually in those moments that i often come up with cool concepts. but allowing myself that time -- that it the hard part for this highly compulsive work addicted ninja!

xoxox

regularly blogging!!! here's your catch up on my life

Hey hey! I just got back from NYC. It was an incredible business trip, entirely jam packed. I feel like I should catch you up – cuz I’m going to blog regularly now!! So let’s have a starting point here eh? K.

So my life to date::

* I live in a small cottage in lost angeles

* rare that I have a life outside of work

* which is why I’m glad I love what I do!!

* besides writing ninjitsu manifesto’s I started a business – it began in my one bedroom apartment three yrs ago, I started an accessory design business that has grown from selling in 3 boutiques to 400+ worldwide (cool spots too like Barneys, and Harvey Nic’s). We do handbags (brand new!!!), belts & jewelry. Check it - www.thejackrabbitcollection.com

* my best friend forever’s nickname is Lizard (she’s mentioned in the book) and she is moving to San Francisco and I am sad but haven’t even had time to really feel it, which is slightly even more tragic.

* I’m sorta in a break up situation of sorts. We just keep sticking around each other for more unruly torture. More on that later. Except that he may happen upon this blog cause he’s snoopy…in which case…I’m so busted. But for you? Anything!

* I have a lill’ crew at work who I may mention from time to time, they are incredibly cool and very hardworking.

* I have another friend named Tiffany who founded this organization www.shineonsierraleone.com check it. She’s an amazing, hug-you-right-away type of person.

* My mom and dad are … hmmm .. colorful. My dad is a beekeeper and my mom is a socialista – in that she *will* have you spilling all your most private beans to her within ten minutes of meet & greet. She’s got magic powers. My brother is a sculptor and has named a chair after me. hmmm. A chair. Thanks Em! Google me and you can see said chair. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a keen chair, but a chair?

K funny closing story -- Mai, who is my production mngr, has a little adopted dog who stays at the studio with us daily. She is the politest rescue you’ve ever met, we sometimes leave her at the studio while we are out and she never barks, never soils the place. One day she was super needy bouncing around us for hours and it wasn’t until the assistant to the stylist for the David LaChappelle Rolling Stones shoot came by that we discovered why she was acting weird-- a poop the size of her own body was laying there in our press lounge. The funny part is we all actually wondered for a moment *who did it*. That assistant must of thought we were quite the bunch.

ninja thought of the day * live simply & simply live! Viva la ninja! xo


let me know your ninja life motto!