Ramblings...

I have been a bit consumed lately, which is my excuse for the fewer number of posts. I have an exciting design project that I am working on now, part two of my earlier joy. It has kept me very busy this past week. That project is wrapping up and I am on to another project; preparing my writing for the week long Cape Cod Writers Conference that I will be attending in a few weeks.
A bit of background... I did quite a bit of writing at my old non-profit job, everything from online newsletters to 12 page grants to volunteer handbooks. What I learned from all of this writing was that I was a decent writer but hated that type of writing. When I had a chance to quit my job due to our our move, I thought that it would be a great time to try a career in freelance writing. One thing I was sure of, I didn't want to be doing the same kind of writing that I was forced to do at my last job. I wanted to write about the things that interest me. So along with this blog, which is my creative outlet, I spend my days working on a series of short stories, mainly dealing with the ideas of multi-cultural marriages and foreign adoptions. My husband and I are in a multi-cultural marriage- I am a white American, he is a Canadian raised Indian (although he is lived all over the world- Iran, Greece, India, USA). We are also very committed to adopting from another country. We have both worked in orphanages, myself in Ghana, Vijay in India. When the time is right, we will be exploring adoption from one of those countries. So these subjects that I am exploring through my writing are very personal and I am looking forward to critiquing my writing at this upcoming conference.

I guess I am rambling about all of this because it has me thinking of a larger issue, which is my purpose and path. I am a little lost right now as to how all of these ventures will pan out and if any of them will prove to be a suitable way to make a living.
I also can't help but wonder how I measure personal success. Is it career growth, income, career satisfaction, notoriety, personal fulfillment? I am not sure what the answer is, but I do know this: I am extremely satisfied exploring my creative side. I am also thrilled to answer only to myself. I set my own schedule, work when I feel inspired and have abundant time to enjoy my life and my marriage. Perhaps I have already reached a certain level of success...? I guess that as certain opportunities and projects fall onto my path, I need to embrace them, see them through to the end and not constantly question where all of this is leading me... What are your thoughts?
(all photos courtesy of flickr)