Love That Name!

Poetic Soul Gifts - when I tell people the name of my company, the most common reaction I get is, "Love that name!" So do I. Here's how it came to be: 

Ten years ago, I was a Music Business major at Belmont University, interning for an independent publicist with a home office. She graciously invited me to stay for home cooked family dinners on the days that I interned. As a result, I became a bit of an honorary member of her family. They'd ask me what courses I'm taking, who my professors are, what kind of assignments I was working on, etc. Her husband was a professor at Vanderbilt and knew a lot of my professors at Belmont.

During the Fall semester of 2002, I took Comparative Spirituality in World Religions with Dr. Marty Bell. It was by far my favorite course of the semester - and looking back, one of my favorites of my entire college career. As it turned out, my boss & her husband knew Dr. Bell, & they were at dinner with him one night about a year after I'd taken his course. Somehow I came up in conversation, & they asked him if he remembered me. He said, "Oh yes, Ashley. She is a very poetic soul."

When they shared that with me, I was genuinely flattered. Not only was I shocked that he remembered me a year later, but it was the nicest compliment I'd ever received. I was no stranger to compliments. All my life, I got, "Oh, you have such pretty blond hair," or "You have beautiful blue eyes," or even "You're so funny!" I'll take any one of those any day of the week, and I will truly appreciate them. However, when it all comes down to it, those features are superficial & easily manipulated. I can style my hair to look nice, and I can wear makeup to accentuate my eyes, and I can crack a joke to make you belly laugh. All of those things draw attention - with effort. But a poetic soul? You either are or you aren't. There's no trying. There's no faking. When someone sees your soul, he sees the most natural part of who you are. I'd never been complimented on something so intrinsic. That compliment changed my life.

A few years later when I felt a tugging at my soul to get serious about my creative endeavors, I was stumped by the business-naming process. I wanted it to be something different, but not kitschy. Something clever, but not something I would get tired of saying, typing, or seeing on business documents after a couple years. I didn't want it to be Ashley's Arts & Crafts, but yet I wanted something that had "me" written all over it. I went through scores of potential names, but none of them suited me. So I tried to step outside of myself for a moment & consider what other people think of when I come to mind. Then it hit me! I want to give my best to this company. Therefore, when I'm at my best, who am I? I am a poetic soul. That is my gift. And I make gifts... Eureka! Poetic Soul Gifts!!!

In summary, if you see something wonderful in people, tell them! (Or tell someone who also knows them, and have them pass it along. Either way, make sure they get the message.) It just might change their lives. When someone offers you a compliment that changes your life, thank them. Finally, be grateful for classes that are part of the GenEd curriculum. Those may hold more value for you than the ones you take for your major.

To check out the creations available under this inspired moniker, please visit
www.poeticsoulgifts.com.