How My Acne Journey Made Me Believe Wholeheartedly in Pursuing Creative Callings

Join us for Possibilities Club (a.k.a., an invitation to come back to yourself)

My morning tea and Elise's office.

Two months ago, after decades of struggling with hormonal acne (and worsening to the point where I was considering harsh, prescription medications), a friend recommended I see an acne specialist named Elise May in San Francisco.

Elise’s unique differentiator (and what caught my eye immediately) was that she had founded a holistic practice called Skin Nutritious that focused on treating acne-prone skin using only natural, lifestyle, and nutritional approaches. Oh, have I been waiting to meet Elise…

Frankly, I didn’t even think this was possible: to holistically assuage the stubborn pattern of volcanic eruptions appearing unannounced on my face (which would then trigger my relentless Wack-a-Mole behaviors, inevitably leading to bloody finger tips and crusty scars). But, I should have known. I grew up in a household where herbal teas and food as medicine was the standard operating procedure. But, after years of living away from home, acclimating to a mostly Western diet, and being gradually influenced by more and more “quick fix” narratives, I had lost sight of nature’s healing powers. And, ultimately, had desensitized myself to my own intuition.

Why am I sharing this? Because, after my first 90 minutes with Elise at her office (a.k.a., a Victorian mansion a stone’s throw away from Japantown that had been converted into office space for a dozen or so wellness providers), I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and awe.

Elise had started this holistic acne practice after a long and arduous personal journey, and had alchemized her own trials and tribulations, learnings, and deep research and education into a practice that now helps so many individuals (like me) come back to themselves.

And, no, my hormonal acne did not go away immediately.

Elise gave me something so much more: she gave me tools to listen, observe, and respond to my body with care; she gave me education about my skin and biology I had never learned in school; and, she gave me the assurance that a slow, holistic approach to treating my decades-long acne was going to be much more lasting (and much more aligned with my lifestyle and life goals) than a pill I would have to take everyday.

More than anything, though, Elise inspired me that creating something (a practice, a business, a community movement, a community) out of something you are passionate about can be so life-changing for yourself and others.

I am not lying. I left Elise’s office feeling a profound sense of joy and admiration for small-businesses, creators, and any human who decides to lean into a calling and share it with the world, whether that be making candles that smell like one’s childhood home in the Philippines (like our friends at Mahal Scent) or dedicating one’s life to photographing love becuase it’s the most powerful thing in the world (like our inspiration Jasmin Schuler, who photographed our engagement and city hall wedding).

So, if you feel a deep calling to start something, let this be your sign.

➡️ Join us for our next Possibilities Club this Thursday, April 16th 12-1pm PST! Click here to add it to your calendar

What happens inside Possibilities Club? You’ll be guided to step into your most limitless self and actually do the thing, consistently, month after month.

It’s a playful, expansive workshop that will guide you to tap into your most limitless self (open to paid members only - upgrade here!). You’ll:

• bring clarity to your squishy ambitions

• experiment with new ways of thinking about your current/ future self

• set aside your everyday identity and step into an open-minded, goofy, and expansive version of you

• create a roadmap that describes exactly where to focus your energy in the next 30, 60, 90 days

• and, give/receive support from this community

Last year, when we ran Possibilities Club in-person (twice) in the San Francisco Bay Area:

• one person (who arrived feeling like they had no time/energy outside their 9-5 job for their personal creative ventures) ended up designing a daily practice to finally start a dream project: to direct a sci-fi short film;

• another person used the exercises to deeply examine the next chapter of her life, which consisted of big life transitions including sunsetting a multi-decade career supporting large tech clients to become a full-time fine artist;

• yet another creative outlined the stepping stones of pursuing their dream of designing and curating a museum to celebrate the Filipino heritage and diaspora

Want to learn more about how this community can help you spark your creative joy without the pressure of starting over? Learn about Possibilities Club and more here!

See you on Thursday! We can’t wait to witness what’s possible! :)

With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,

Vanessa Li

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