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About

About Carma

I didn't figure this out at 25.
That's what makes it useful.

Carma Baughman

I spent my 30s, 40s, and 50s making deliberate, unconventional choices — navigating career pivots, creative detours, and the slow work of figuring out what I was actually designed for.

Most of what you read about careers and purpose is written by people who figured it out early and packaged it neatly. That's not my story. Mine took longer, wandered more, and cost more to learn.

I've been an employee, a contractor, a freelancer, and a business owner. I've worked in tech, design, education, and consulting. I've had roles that looked impressive on paper and felt hollow inside them — and roles that looked modest and lit me up. Over time I got better at telling the difference, and at understanding why.

The question that changed everything for me wasn't "what's next?" It was "when do I actually feel alive doing this?"

Those aren't the same question. And the gap between them turned out to matter more than I expected.

This site is where I share what I've learned — not from a position of "here's the system that worked for me," but from a position of honest reflection. What I got right. What I avoided too long. What the restlessness was actually trying to tell me, and what I wish I'd understood sooner.

I write about designing a life that fits — intentionally, on your own terms — with your creativity and your actual values as the compass, not someone else's idea of what success looks like.

A few things worth knowing

I learned to snowboard at 45 — with my twin nieces when they turned 14. Some things are worth starting late.
I'm a chai enthusiast in a world of coffee drinkers. I've converted more than a few friends.
My husband and I cycled 462 miles across Iowa in seven days as part of RAGBRAI with 18,000 other riders.
I lived in Colorado for over 20 years. There is nothing quite like being surrounded by mountains. Now, my husband and I are enjoying the mountains in Oregon.
I've traveled to Mexico (seven months), China, Hong Kong, Europe, Africa, and South Korea.
I've been writing for most of my adult life. It's how I think, how I process, and how I make sense of things.

If you've landed here because something feels off — not broken, just not quite right — you're in the right place. This site isn't about fixing yourself. It's about paying closer attention to what's already there.

The life you want isn't as far away as it feels. It usually just requires a different set of questions.

The best place to start is wherever the restlessness is loudest. Pick the category that feels most relevant right now.

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