My Brand
We all start somewhere..
I'm not going to bore you with another bio here...or at least I'm gonna try not to. First and foremost, I’m a mother, then a wife and after that so many more things. Of course, I couldn’t be any of these things without being Lyza first and that in itself was a hard long lesson to learn and I still fight to find the balance…but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Kraf~T~Mama is the epitome of me. Craft, by Webster’s definition, means “skill in planning, making or executing manual trade or occupation requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill.” Of course there are other definitions, but this one pretty much sums it up for me. “Kraft” is how they have the phonetic spelling, I liked it and well... it’s crafty. The mama is self-explanatory.
The logo was thought up after seeing a photo of the Hindu Goddess Kali. Now unfortunately, she’s associated with death, which has absolutely NOTHING to do with me or what I do…at least not any time soon. She is also the Goddess of time and change, which DOES have something to do with me, as I am all about taking the time for change. Lastly, though not one of her more popular associations, she’s also known as the benevolent Mother Goddess. I can relate to that one too. What caught my eye though, was the depiction of a Goddess with many arms. After all, all women are Goddess in their own right and women in general wear many hats, and/or pants, and/or have many heads or, as in my logo, hands…voila.
You never know where a person’s from or where they get their start or even where they will possibly go. One of my favorite quotes, which I have shared many time before is “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us,” by Joseph Campbell. Not that I’ve had a hard knocked life, but I have had the experiences I am supposed to have to make me who I am today and put me where I am supposed to be. I was originally born in New York, raised in North Carolina and reside in Virginia. I am the only child of a young woman in her 50’s that is beautiful, ambitious, overly caring and who has worked damn hard to get where she is today. The father story is a story for another day. For the most part, I think I’ve lived a decent life, not really wanting much of anything but experiencing a lot. Whether those experiences were a friend, a loved one, or mine I’ve lived through them all the same. Rape, graduations, abusive relationships, births, miscarriages, racism, being ostracized by family due to ignorance, marriage, drug addiction and many, many more of life’s curve balls. Either I’ve helped someone get through these trials or someone helped me. The point is, you never know where or what someone has come through to get where they are today…and I wouldn’t trade NOT ONE of my experiences for anything, no matter how much they sucked. When I was little, I wanted to be a Neonatologist, I wanted 10 kids, I’ve gone to nursing school and even had a stint in cosmetology. I no longer hold any of those certifications, but I bet most would not have guessed I did them at all. I’ve been the stupid happy homemaker (and I mean stupid in a positive way no matter how odd that may sound), I am a proud mother, a business owner and a writer, which brings me to the brand part.
This blog is your peek into my world. What kinds of things run through the head of a mother, entrepreneur, writer, and crafter. I am developing my voice. Making myself available and yes in doing so, slightly vulnerable…but vulnerable to more life lessons. I post with caution, but I post with honesty. I want to be someone you WANT to read, be it my blog, my business or my fiction. You may ask how is this going to be different from the many other mommy blogs or writers out there and the only thing I can tell you is they aren’t me….just as I am not them. Everyone has their unique gift to give to the world and someone wants those tid bits. I won’t appeal to everyone and I am certainly NOT going to try to. I will piss some people off and touch the hearts of other. THAT will simply mean I am doing what I set out to do. If you close my blog and don’t feel anything, then I missed my mark, good bad or indifferent. But if I make you feel SOMETHING….good, bad, or indifferent, and THAT is my brand!
