Yesterday I saw a post on Tina Roth Eisenberg's ( @swissmiss ) instagram that prompted me to write down what I saw, instead of the obligatory screenshot. She'd posted questions from the School of Life's Confessions Game. I wrote the questions down in my journal as they are the kind that make you actually think, dream and reflect. I’ve found unless I take time to think about what I want (and write it down) I live in a moment to moment, day to day way without planning or addressing my future. And whilst I LOVE being present, it's important to dream, plan and live out these little or big desires put on our hearts. These questions aren't directly dream related but have reminded me of some past conversations about 'what I'd do if money was no object' or 'what does my ideal day look like' etc. Mark saw I'd written them down and we had a quick discussion answering them. Anyway I thought I’d share the questions and my answers, it may help keep me more accountable and it might be a fun exercise for you to do.
1. Who would you most like to impress with your work and why?
This was the hardest question for me. I think I’d most like to impress established, successful designers or artists as I know their feedback would be meaningful. Someone like Tina Roth Eisenberg, I love the businesses she's built, her design style and her approach to life, Becky Simpson (of Chipper Things) or even Flow or Breathe magazine. These are people/publications who's work I admire as well so I guess it would be cool if the admiration was mutual.
I'd also like to impress my family. They already encourage me and tell me they're proud of me but there's nothing quite like family appreciation and sharing in each others successes. In general though I love getting positive feedback from customers (hopefully impressed customers) and clients, no matter who they are. If they love something I've painted, a logo I've created or their child loves playing with one of my toys, then I feel like I've done a good job.
2. If you were braver, what would you be doing with your life?
I’d take a loan and buy an old (not too run down or in a shambles) house and renovate it and create my own studio/workshop. I really love interior design, coordinating indoor spaces, working out the best possible way to organise a room, functionally and aesthetically, and having a bigger home (and it would definitely need a garden) space to do so would just be so much fun. I’m a firm believer that you should love the space you live in, not tolerate it and it should be fairly organised, tidy and calm so as not to cause anxiety or stress*. I love our current home and feel we've created a relaxing, calming space, but I do dream about a garden and my own office/studio. I’d also use this loan to grow my felt, sewing, painting business so that I can make that my full time job.
*I’d also love to go into peoples homes and help them declutter and organise, but that’s a whole different story.
*Above images via Pinterest, Camille Styles & Tarja Snowland.
3. If you had a time machine, which mistake would you go back and correct in your career?
I would not have accepted that lecturing job I took in 2013. I didn’t have the confidence to freelance in CT and got offered a lecturing position and thought I had to take it to pay my bills. It was at the same time that my sister and I bought a chocolate business and I still had freelance work on the side as it was a ‘part time’ lecturing job. I had a lot on the go, and honestly, there is nothing part time about lecturing (or teaching I imagine). Anyway I found it rather stressful, what with lesson plans and actual lecturing, as I had no experience in the classroom. During this time I was diagnosed with Crohn's, and while I don't blame this job entirely, the added stress it caused me definitely didn’t help. I think if I'd just trusted that the freelance design work would come and focussed on our chocolate business I would have had a better year. Although the lecturing was tough, the chocolate business was fun, this was a video we made during that time.
4. What alternative careers do you think you’d be quite capable of?
I think some type of counselling or life coaching possibly. I really love hearing peoples stories and understanding why we do what we do. I’ve found therapy so helpful in my own life and really believe everyone should speak to someone to help them process the big and the small things in their lives. Also I'd be a fantastic professional dog walker ;)
Happy Tuesday friends! Let me know in the comments if you answer these!