Round-up!

Full-time work means that my blogging has been greatly reduced - at least whilst I sort out my schedule and what I'm doing in my 'free' time. I have a lot of freelance projects on the go and they take priority after the day job.

It's funny referring to it as the day job though. Unlike all my past jobs this isn't merely something that pays the bills. This is me actually in a position that uses the skills I love and allows me to express myself creatively. I love it, truly, and look forward to Mondays!

That being said, I'm still getting loads of other stuff done on evenings and weekends.

Aside from branding work for a few clients, I've recently been approached to do some more shoe designs. I've not done custom shoes for clients for some time so it's a nice change. The bonus is that shoe design gets me away from a computer screen. My eyes appreciate the break and my hands love working with brushes and pens rather than a mouse all the time.

Both shoe designs will be given as gifts so I am unable to post progress photos as my clients want them to remain secret, of course. Once they have been delivered and gifted I promise to share both designs.

In the mean time, if you'd like to see a bit of what I'm up to you can visit my shop! I've been drawing a lot lately and turning my drawings into designs for various products. I'll continue to upload more in the coming weeks so drop by my shop regularly to see what's new.

Also - if there is a particular design you'd like to see leave a comment or post your thoughts to my Facebook page. I love new ideas and am always up for taking requests.

Koi and Lotus

I drew a thing and then vectorised a thing and then put it on a bunch of products in my shop so now you can buy stuff with this lovely Koi and Lotus design - if you fancy it.

Browse other gifts from Zazzle.

What larks!

At the beginning of the year I was a bit overcommitted (as any polymath knows is in their nature) and going through the fun business of leaving a job that was proving to be detrimental to my mental health.

I had a psychology course through the Open University, a Graphic Design course at Central Saint Martins, and advanced Illustrator training in Angel. I was also working on 'Wise at any Age' during any spare moment, promoting myself as a freelance designer and taking on little projects through online freelance posting sites.

I've been doing my shoe sketches on the train again

In the past few months and in particular, the past week, my circumstances have changed drastically. 'Wise at any Age' is a completed project. I handed in my final essay for my psychology course on the first of the month. All my lovely design courses to get me going and build my portfolio have wrapped up and I've found a stable momentum in the flow of work I'm getting. My promotion at work also means that my finances are (for the moment) secure and I am able to pick and choose the projects I do during my evenings and weekends.

Suddenly I have 'free time'. Time I can use as I please without feeling some obligation to hunt for another client, tweak my website to maximize exposure or network with fellow creatives to build my reputation.

It's quite liberating to look at my giant To Do List of Everything Ever knowing that what I choose next doesn't have to be strategic but can be entirely based on whim.

So I've been doing some fun little doodle projects - playing with my creativity away from a computer screen - and considering what I fancy accomplishing with these glorious pockets of time I'm so blessed to have.

I suspect there shall be some writing projects on the horizon. Especially as NaNoWriMo is just around the corner. I don't know that I fancy writing another novel in thirty days but I can see dedicating the month to editing.

There have also been many new connection of late with talented videographers, game developers and others of a similar sort. I think something collaborative may be on the horizon.

Not to mention the sudden interest I've had from clients looking for custom shoes.

I'm hoping to be littering my blog with these things as and when they happen. Wonderful artful things that feed my soul and add to the incredible energy I get from having a full-time job I absolutely love going to each day.

Life is full of peaks and troughs. I have every intention of enjoying this particular peak to the very fullest.

And the exciting news is...

When I hear people say things like, "You should do that when you're young, before you have to settle down and be responsible," I smile and nod, knowing the sort of world they're living in to make such a statement.

In my world 'settling down' doesn't exist because I know that change is constant. 

I also believe life is an adventure and you're NEVER too old for an adventure. 

And if you have children I see absolutely no reason why they wouldn't accompany you on adventures, as it will expand their minds and teach them to go beyond dreaming to actually achieving. 

And just because you're adventuring doesn't mean you shouldn't be responsible. 

Whether we like it or not we are responsible for ourselves and the impact we will have on everything around us. Having fun, exploring, and creating are not exclusive of being responsible.

I bang on about this a lot. I think it's the theme of my blog, if my blog actually has a theme considering all the tangents I go on: Life is uncertain. The only certainty is that each and every one of us will die. We don't know when that will be but it is an inevitability we all face. For that reason alone you should never settle down, never stop having adventures, never stop learning, never stop being curious.

You won't know the places you'll go if you feel like there's a point when things 'settle'.

I didn't settle for administration jobs in charity just because it was something I was good at. I didn't settle when I was offered a raise because more money meant nothing if the job didn't also feed my soul and use my creativity. I didn't settle just because financial stability provides me with a sense of security that is better for my mental health.

I stepped off the edge and I went after what I wanted and in just under seven months I went from a job that was demoralising and draining to being a professional Creative Polymath. I am a published author, a skilled graphic designer, and now, also, a Brand Development Manager.

Don't just follow your dreams. Turn them into goals and make them your reality.