“Meditate on what you take for granted; question your assumptions.”
Turns out, this mindset is pretty much a bottomless well for self-assessment.
Because — I don’t know about you — but I’ve developed a lot of assumptions over the years … many of which are long past their expiration date for needing revisiting.
For example, at the beginning of my career, I accepted the argument that:
It is an author’s job to write to a branded experience; if an author wants to switch audiences or ratings, a pen name is appropriate.
Since that day, I have never challenged the assumption that this was a requirement of me.
But what if I was wrong? 😲
What if I can write anything I want under my own name? 🤯
It seems like such a silly question to type on the screen in front of me because, of course, I can write whatever I want under my own name.
Duh.
In fact, I should!
So I’m going to do something different this year: I’m going to challenge my assumption that I’m supposed to create branded experiences and simply create.
Stop trying to be a brand, and simply be.
This may sound simple to some of you from the younger generations, but I’m Gen X — we were raised to find purpose in performing well in a role and got in trouble if we made things uncomfortable for anyone with seniority.
So it’s no wonder that the idea of splitting myself up into branded experiences made sense across the years. I was simply being considerate to the comfort of an audience’s experience … while coming across as completely schizophrenic in the process.
Seriously.
If you’ve been watching me these past two weeks, you’ve seen how I’ve struggled to turn myself into a predictable, branded experience.
I’ve given you 5 headers in 2 weeks as I tested different visions on people around me.
On January 1, 2022, I was the Coach of Champions:
But then I decided I needed to CREATE a character for my coaching and billed myself as the $5 Storyteller.
Then there was the $5 Bard — similar concept, but with an even-more targeted experience.
Then there was Z Bard for a few beats.
No lies, ALL of these tested horribly.
Response the concepts were universally flat. And that was because I was not understanding my own assignment.
All because I had an assumption.
This was the assumption:
I am not a model, but I have the skillsets to build models.
I have believed this for actual decades.
But what if I was wrong this whole time?
So that’s what I will be exploring in 2022 as part of the Main Character Energy journey I am sharing with you.
I’m just going to be me … even if I end up doing things that surprise you.
Because surprising you just might be my brand. And who would ever want to trade that in for a predictable experience?
… that feeling in the air that 2022 holds the potential for being your most expansive and memorable year ever?
I feel it.
This is the year for showing up like you never have before. It’s about:
unpacking all your unused skills & talents from mental storage
revisiting your potential
overcoming doubt to unlock new possibilities
2022 is a year for tuning into yourself, releasing that which weighs you down, rediscovering what you’re really made of, and shining on levels you’ve only dreamed of before.
I am committed to having the best year of my life so far, and I’m officially hanging my shingle to help you do the same:
Sheralyn Pratt LIFE COACH
That’s right. I’m Coach Sheralyn again and I’ll be offering coaching in online posts and digital offerings along with in-person, one-on-one sessions.
Treat yourself when you schedule a session with me to strategize your success.
If you have a vision for the future, I am here to assist your transition from dreams to a new reality.
Our theme for 2022:
And the spirit animal of the year is the indiGOAT
IndiGOAT: The Official Mascot of 2022
If you’ve never heard of an indiGOAT before, that’s understandable. IndiGOATs are creatures of legend in my Z world — a fictional land you will become more familiar with in 2022.
You can read Z LEGEND OF THE indiGOAT here (3-minute read) but, for now, know that indiGOATs are the totem for fearlessly rising into your potential while taking brilliant leaps of faith.
If that sounds like a superpower you want to unlock this year, schedule a session with me.
All of us rise, leap, and shine differently so sit down with me and let’s find your groove.
BONUS: The FIRST 10 people to book will get their session for $10!
Why $10? Because I currently share space at a local business and you pay $10 to them when you book your appointment. This covers their overhead and reserves our room at the date/time you choose & is non-refundable.
In lieu of payment, I will ask these 10 people to write a quick testimonial of their coaching experience and the benefits they think I provide.
I’ve been terrible at collecting testimonials from people across the years, so this is the perfect chance to benefit from my oversight.
The regular price for sessions is $75/hr and you can check the pinned tweet on my Twitter to see if FREE spots are still available before you book.
Follow Me on Twitter & Instagram (& #ComingSoon: TikTok)
Social media is the perfect place to follow me if you want free micro-coaching throughout 2022.
Follow my Twitter account if you want links to resources and ongoing updates for what’s new the moment it happens.
Follow me!
Follow my Instagram account if you want daily thoughts designed to help you imagine things in new ways.
Follow me!
I haven’t gone all-in on TikTok yet, but the plan is to use it as more dynamic, interactive space where I will answer questions, go LIVE, and get over my aversion to cameras:
It’s gonna be fun!
Support Me On Patreon
I know, I know. I’m like a decade late to this party but that doesn’t mean I’m not a great host.
My Patreon donors light up bricks on the Yellow Brick Wall each month (read more on that in the next section) and vote to make projects happen.
For example: You could vote for Book 4
This is a great option for anyone who wants to influence what projects and do/don’t work on in 2022.
This is where you start the dominoes falling and fund projects that are already in the works.
Patreon supporters can suggest & vote for what I work on. Different tiers also give you FREE access to content that everyone else will pay retail for.
Check out my Patreon page to see which tier is right for you!
Light Up the Yellow Brick Wall
Last but not least: It’s time to light up the Yellow Brick Wall.
What is the Yellow Brick Wall?
The Yellow Brick Wall is a fictional art installation in a story I made up that I’ve decided to bring into the real world.
In fiction, everyone who visits Z Labyrinth (a novella I’ll release later this year) passes along the Yellow Brick Wall.
The stones of the Yellow Brick Wall are actually gold, but visitors can paint over the gold with any images or words they want. Nothing is forbidden, but there is one catch:
The only colors accepted are black and white. No greys, no colors.
“The Black-and-White on the Yellow Brick Wall” then becomes an immortal record of the mindset of visitors who find their way to Z Labyrinth in different times and locations.
In fiction, you need to make a pretty epic journey to find the wall and paint on it, but I will be lighting up bricks to create a digital reflection of the journey we take together across the year.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:
This is a close-up of how the bricks look before you light them up:
Each $5 lights up a brick with your name on it:
Your first $5 gets your name (first name, last initial) on a brick in the far-right column of the wall.
Additional bricks are best sponsored in groups of three (because their pattern is woven in groups of three) and unlock your ability to add custom text or images over the bricks in black-and-white.
Unlock the ability to post custom black-and-white text/images when you sponsor 60 or more bricks. (Minimize size requirements exist in an effort to make sure your image/text is visible on different sizes of screens. See image above.)
Post any image you like on 60 (or more) bricks, including:
Your logo
Signed personal art
An advertisement
A promo offer good for the year of 2022
Any thought or idea you want on record in a time capsule
& MORE
The Yellow Brick Wall is going to be featured on the landing page of my website ALL YEAR, so keep that in mind as you choose what to feature and how to use the bricks you paint on.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All posts are final.
No edits
No re-touching
No altering images in any way after they are posted
Your imagination is the limit!
NOTE: Technically speaking, explicit and objectionable content is allowed, but I will exercise judgment of what shows on the landing page of my website, considering all ages are welcome.
If you’re confused as to how the wall works, the concept will make more sense as you watch it light up.
For now, simply know that it’s fulfilling its purpose when it evolves into a graffiti wall that you enjoy visiting across the year.
Join the Fun
2022 is the year of unlimited potential and new self-expression. And I’m here for you whether you need a sherpa on the path or a Yellow Brick Wall to advertise on.
Make this year amazing by choosing to:
… while knowing I’m right there with you, coaching and showing up real-time.
a one-horned goat; a mythical creature similar to a unicorn, except it’s a mighty mountain goat with an ever-revolving Mobius strip serving as its single horn.
THE LEGEND
Once upon this one time, there was an indiGOAT.
And this indiGOAT did what all indiGOATs do: It traveled the world seeking sheer cliffs and towering peaks as it climbed and it leaped on its star-shaped hoofed feet.
For just as squirrels gather nuts and bees build a hive, indiGOATs jump and climb every day they’re alive.
It’s what they live for and how they are built. They jump and they climb, and they leap and they rise, until they reach a chasm that makes them pause and think twice.
For some peaks have puzzles where there should be a plane, and it’s an indiGOAT’s purpose is to make the leap all the same.
One day, as the indiGOAT lept along, it felt the earth shake, followed by an avalanche of earth that left no doubt the landscape had changed.
Following instinct, the indiGOAT changed course to investigate.
What the indiGOAT found was a glorious sight: a new peak—sheer as death—that had formed overnight!
In all its days, the indiGOAT had never seen a puzzle so daunting, and stopped in its tracks to keep its sure feet from faulting.
At first glance, reaching this new summit seemed an impossible feat, yet indiGOATs are born knowing what “i’m possible” means.
So the indiGOAT found a clear spot with some grass and a view before taking a quick nap to dream up what it could do. Yet the dreams didn’t help and it awoke with no clue.
Once again, the indiGOAT gazed at the peak up ahead. Then a squirrel came along, shaking its head.
“Can you believe it?” the squirrel gawked. “Have you ever seen such a peak? Even birds who approach it have yet to land on their feet.”
And as the indiGOAT gazed up at the summit with its compass-shaped eyes, it understood how a bird might get lost in its flight. For the formation was a bit mystical—like a tunnel into the sky.
At last, a true challenge, the indiGOAT beamed, entertaining impossible thoughts. For it knew there must be a way to land securely on top.
“Wolves and scavengers are gathering at the bottom,” the squirrel said. “It’s quite a buffet where the climbers’ bodies plummet.”
Sure enough, the indiGOAT saw vultures and ravens circling near the base on the new mountain, and knew four-footed creatures must also be there in abundance.
And it knew the longer it waited, the more creatures would die. For it was an indiGOAT’s purpose to mark the path of great heights.
Yet it couldn’t jump until it saw the plane of a path, so it settled on eating a breakfast of grass.
“It can’t be done,” a hawk said from high in the sky. “It’s like an abyss with no bottom in sight.”
And the indiGOAT saw what the hawk meant, even as it knew that could not be true. For no peak was topless—as a jump would soon prove.
So the indiGOAT spent the day hopping around, seeking a spot that would be good starting ground.
“It’s hopeless,” an ibex said as it made its way down. “There is no way to go over. We all must go around.”
Next came the humans, with their spikes and their ropes, and those who didn’t fall packed their bags and went home.
“It can’t be done; move along,” a doe said at the dawn of a new day. “There’s a lush, relaxing valley just beyond the horizon. Follow me! I know the way.”
Yet the indiGOAT declined to join the doe on its path to smooth green, for valleys of bounty are not an indiGOAT’s thing.
Instead, it climbed and it climbed with its eyes trained on the summit in the sky.
“Turn around,” the hawk said, banking east in its flight. “This peak cannot be touched. Trust me, I have tried.”
Yet the indiGOAT climbed and it lept until it came to a spot where the peak came into focus on the ledge of a precipice.
“Scavengers await!” the tenacious squirrel said. “All who have jumped have ended up dead.”
Yet the path was now clear, even if the incline was steep. It would require the bravest of hearts and the longest of leaps.
“I’ve never feasted on indiGOAT before,” a vulture said, flying by. “Today is my day to watch one drop from the sky!”
The indiGOAT made no reply—it just kept its eye on the path and lept out of sight.
Then nailed the landing on the needlepoint of a peak on the other side.
Below, all the creatures seemed to share a collective gasp.
And for a few serene moments, the indiGOAT took in the sublime view.
Then it grew impatient to move on.
For now that it had ascended, there was the whole issue of getting back down, and on the sheer face below footholds were few to be found.
“I can’t believe it,” said the hawk as it circle around. “You made it! And now I see how it can be done.”
Soon the hawk was joined by other fowls and, as they made their loops, the indiGOAT spotted a path down.
So it made its descent then bounded on to the next mountain.
I officially declare 2022 “the Year of the indoGOAT” … but more on that later.
Oh, what a year it’s been.
The best of times
The worst of times
Routine times
Quarantine times
Everything in between
If you’re like me:
this year went fast — REALLY fast
everything changed, yet nothing changed
you did a bit more navel-gazing than usual
you said goodbye to more people than you were expecting to
If you weren’t like me, you:
traveled a lot
embarked on new adventures
went to no funerals
enjoyed working remotely in an industry you hope to retire in
Honestly, I hope your year was far more adventurous and dynamic than mine. Because this year was a bit heavy for me.
The year before that was a bit heavy, too.
And I must confess that multiple unexpected deaths mixed in with bouts of quarantine and fruitless routines really gives one a lot to ponder on.
And all my pondering has led me to the same conclusion: Time is short, doubt is pointless, and if you have something to give then it’s time to get in the game.
To do that, I need your help.
HELP!
If you’ve known me a while, I rarely ask for help and I certainly don’t ask for Christmas presents. But this year I’m asking for both.
This year, for Christmas, will you become my patron for the year of 2022?
Starting at $5 per month, you can fund (and vote on what you want to fund) projects throughout the year.
Projects you can expect to see include:
Books
Art
Videos
Podcasts
Clothing
& MORE
I’m seriously going to give you so much value for your investment that it’s silly. But that’s what you get when you give me a budget to create with.
Building Brick-by-Brick
For every $5 gift, a gold brick will light up on “The Yellow Brick Wall.”
(Can you see the 4 sponsored bricks that are lit up? Take note of how small they look on your screen. This is relevant later.)
If you don’t know what the Yellow Brick Wall is yet, I’ll save you the long story for now.
Long Story Short: The Yellow Brick Wall is a time capsule. Wherever it appears, guests can paint over its gold in black-and-white (NO COLORS, including grey). People can write words, paint pictures, and leave any image they like.
It is a snapshot of a record of time, place, dynamics, and people.
There are no rules of what one can or cannot depict on the wall, only the promise history will remember what you valued over gold.
But more on that later…
How It Works
Think of things this way:
Each $5 sponsors a brick on the Yellow Brick Wall
When a brick is sponsored, it changes from dark to gold with your first name & last initial on it
Bricks can be gold-lit:
1-by-1
in groups
in blocks of 60, or more, to depict custom images
And for those of you wondering if you can advertise on the Yellow Brick Wall –which will be featured on my home page ALL of 2022, the answer is:
YES
Not only will whatever BLACK-AND-WHITE image of your choice be featured on my site all year, but it will also have a PERMANENT SPOT on the Yellow Brick Wall when I mint the final image as an NFT at the end of the year.
For those of you wondering: Why a minimum of 60 bricks for custom images?
Well, if you look at the image of the brick wall above, you will see that the individual bricks are quite small/illegible on different screens.
Custom images need enough real estate to be seen.
Simple as that.
Voting For Projects
I’m starting a Patreon, where projects will be pitched, voted on, and completed in order of interest.
But you can also vote outside of Patreon and use Venmo to vote in the memo space.
Projects will have an allotment of bricks that need to be sponsored to begin
Patrons can choose to have their monthly subscription cast votes
Bricks — even custom-image groups of bricks — can be purchased separately to cast votes
If no projects are greenlit, I will work on whatever I want in the meantime
EXAMPLE:Let’s say that Pimpernel 4 is one of the projects and it gets funded. I will then make writing Pimpernel 4 my full-time focus until it is done.
Then everyone pledging $15 or more a month will get it for free.
