Women + Power: Erika Block

In celebration of International Women’s Day, I’m interviewing some very strong and dynamic women on my site this month. We’ll be talking about empowerment (and a little tarot and intuitive arts as well).

It takes a lot of moxie to leave a corporate career (and the steady paycheck and benefits that comes with it). But when you suffer burnout and feel your creative side isn’t being honored, you don’t have a choice. Erika Block walked away and never looked back. And the creative world is happier and better for it – with a marketing agency for creative professionals, a publishing house AND a magazine, this gutsy woman is a force to be reckoned with. Read her answers to my questions below and you’ll want to start making bold moves in your life too:

Q: What does it mean to be a powerful woman?
Erika: Maya Angelou said, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” I think success, and operating by your own definition of success, makes a person powerful. Reaching that point where you make no excuses, no apologies, for who you are and what you do.

 Q: When do you feel most powerful?
Erika: I feel most powerful at the start of something new. A brand new work week. A new project you’re excited to work on. That moment when you dive into something you’re thrilled about, feeling nothing but promise and possibility.

Q:  Tell me about an experience in your life that made you feel empowered.
Erika: Travel has always been a source of anxiety for me. Busy airports, rocky flights, lost GPS signals, unexpected detours, bad directions…my shoulders inch up just thinking about it. Last year I traveled alone a number of times, for the first time in my life. While I wouldn’t call them all good experiences, it was definitely empowering to push through that anxiety.

 Q: What inspires you to be on your path?
Erika: I spent years in Corporate America, feeling stifled and misunderstood, not enjoying my work. I was overworked, undervalued, and stressed to the point of chronic illness. Becoming an independent professional changed everything for me. I am motivated to constantly learn, adapt and evolve so that I never have to go back to that old way of life.

“What’s holding you back is the thought that something is holding you back.” Ralph Marston. We are fortunate to live in a time when answers, resources and options surround us. As soon as you surrender to the understanding that nothing can stop you, you’re on your way.

 Q: How can tarot or other intuitive arts help women to feel empowered?
Erika: I have been working closely with an intuitive counselor since December. The first few months of 2013 have been absolutely incredible, and I attribute that to her guidance. It is empowering to receive validation that you’re on the right track, and to recognize the support and encouragement surrounding each of us. The world is rooting for you, you can’t go wrong.

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Bio:

Erika L. Block is the owner of Creative Studios, an advertising and marketing agency specifically for creative professionals, and Creative Publishing, an independent publisher of creative genre books, eBooks and magazines. Her latest magazine, VIR·TU·OS·I·TY is a national quarterly publication by, for, and about creative people. Block is also the founder and president of National Creative Competitions, an online competition series for people at all stages of their creative careers.

elblock.com
virtuosity-magazine.com

linkedin.com/in/erikablock
facebook.com/elblock
twitter.com/elblockcreative
pinterest.com/elblock

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Big time thanks and a quick dap to Erika for making time for this interview!

Blessings,

Theresa