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.