It Starts With a Card…

It Starts With a Card… But It Doesn’t End There

I’ve been painting this week. Brushes out, lots of colour mixing, good book on Audible, “losing track of time a bit” type painting.

I’ve started pulling together the next Funky Diva deck. Secured the sponsors, starting to channel the affirmations to match the girls’ characters, matching the affirmations to the archetypes. Letting it all come through and be in flow rather than forcing it.

And somewhere in the middle of all that I had a bit of a moment. It was one of those quiet realisations that sort of creeps in sideways rather than arriving with a fanfare or mic drop.

I'd thought I was creating a second deck of the Funky Diva Vibes®️ but I’m not. I’ve realised that I’m building something much bigger than that.

The cards on their own are lovely. They’re fun, they’re powerful and they land. But I’ve realised they’re not the whole thing, they’re just the beginning.

What I’m starting to see really clearly now is that this isn’t about creating a product, it’s more a pathway. And I don’t mean that in a funnel/ marketing kind of way. (You know I've left that life.)

I mean in a real, human, where-you-actually-are kind of way. Because when you’re in that space of not quite knowing who you are anymore… which, let’s be honest, happens to a lot of us at this stage of life (and can happen more than once)… you don’t necessarily need a massive overhaul or a makeover.

You don’t need to burn your wardrobe, reinvent yourself overnight, or suddenly become this loud, confident version of you that doesn’t even feel real. (Or burn your business to the ground like I did.)

You need something that meets you where you are, with all your life experience, and skills and knowledge. Something that gently reminds you who you are and gives you a way back to yourself.

And that’s what the Funky Diva cards do.

They’re the nudge, the “oh yeah… I remember her” moment.

The pause in the day where you pull a card, read a few words, and something shifts ever so slightly. Not dramatically or performatively – but just enough.

And what I’m realising as I create this second deck is that the whole process feel different this time. I feel more grounded and aligned. If you remember, the first deck came about because I’d started painting so I didn’t just fill my time with work.(It's actually a year today since I drew my line in the sand!)

I’d been quite poorly, for a long time. It had been a gradual, slow decline in my health and I’d been pushing through, not realising that I was ill. Putting down the fatigue to my age. This time last year, as quarter one drew to a close, I made the decision to take astep back from my business. I questioned whether I needed to even carry on in business. I already had financial security, what else was it all for?

I decided I wasn’t ready to stop altogether but I didn’t want to carry on as I had been doing, as I painted for pleasure the Funky Divas were born...

And with deck 2 I’m not searching for them… they’re just arriving.

Which tells me everything I need to know.

But here’s the bit that’s been really interesting.

As I’ve been talking to people about the Funky Diva workshop I trialled before Christmas and the fact I’m planning on adding in the “Shiny Shoes” element to it I’ve watched their faces change.

You know that moment when someone goes from politely interested to properly lit up curious?

That.

And it’s made me stop and think. Because it’s not just about the shiny shoes. It’s about what the shoes represent.

Taking something plain and functional, that may have even seen better days and turning them into something that feels a bit more fun, expressive and playful. A bit more unapologetic. An anchor, something physical to take away from the day so you can literally step into your power.

And of course, there’s something quite powerful about doing that with your hands.

Not just thinking about who you are and journalling about it or talking about it. Actually creating something that reflects it and then seeing it in front of you.

Holding them, wearing them and being able to take them away as a reminder. You can’t unsee that. Once you’ve done the workshop, something shifts.

And that’s when it clicked. The cards are the internal anchor and the shiny shoes become the external expression. And the Funky Diva workshop is the space where the two meet.

So often this is the bit most people miss. They either stay in their heads reading, reflecting, thinking about who they are, what they want, what needs to change.

Or they jump straight to the outside. Buying new clothes. Trying a different look. Hoping this next outfit might be the thing that finally makes them feel like themselves again.

But the magic isn’t in either of those things on their own. It’s in the middle. It’s in the connection between the two.

It’s the moment where something clicks internally and then you allow it to be seen externally.

In your own way, at your own pace, without forcing it or turning it into a performance. That’s the “Unsausaging”, if we’re going to call it what it is. Not just spotting where you’ve been squished into something that doesn’t quite fit. Not just breaking out of it and splitting the skin, but the actually allowing yourself to sizzle bit.

To be seen and to express something that feels true.

And I think that’s why this all feels so aligned right now. Because it’s not me trying to create something clever. It’s me following what feels right for me, and in turn that will help others.

·The cards.

·The workshop.

·The shiny shoes.

Although the hunt for the right venue, is proving to be more difficult than I expected, if I’m honest. It needs to feel right. Not just practical but the right vibe. Accessible, easy to get to, good parking, obviously. But also the right energy. Somewhere people can relax into themselves a bit. Somewhere that doesn’t feel stiff or corporate or clinical or “sit down and behave”.

Somewhere that allows for a bit of play, expression and a bit of magic. Because that it is exactly what I’m creating through the work itself. This will not be just a workshop it will be an experience. I’m still looking…

And I don’t have all the answers yet but I’m not rushing.

The deck is still coming together.

The affirmations are still landing.

The venue is still being figured out.

What I do know, in that quiet, steady way, is that this work is something.

Something that meets you where you are.

Something that helps you reconnect to yourself without pressure.

Something that gives you permission to explore, to express, to play a bit.

So if you’ve been feeling a bit disconnected lately.

A bit “I don’t quite know who I am anymore” or like you’ve been making do rather than really choosing…

This could be your way back. Not through more doing or forcing yourself into a version of you that doesn’t fit. But through remembering who you are and then, gently, starting to express it. In your own Funky Diva way - maybe even with a sparkly pair of shoes.

Watch this space for details of deck 2 and the FD workshop launch – it won’t be long now.