Squeezing In Creativity

My how the days roll by, dissected by school pick ups and drop offs, divided again by groceries, laundry. dishes, cooking, errands, amongst the priorities of a 9 month old, a three year old and a six year old. What a busy season of life we are in, this beautiful family of mine. 

At times my days feel like they are merely a repetition of chores. I'm not complaining. Just observing. There is just always so much to 'do' to as a Mother, some weeks it seems as if it's all I do. I feel that that's why I squeeze in as much creativity as possible. A moment here with a cup of tea and blog post, a moment there stopping to take a photo, an afternoon here working at the jewellery bench, an evening there drawing in my sketch book. There are no great swathes of uninterrupted time to devote to creativity in the life of a stay at home Mother. No thought or project that isn't interrupted by the demand of a drink, the changing of a nappy, the cry of an offended sibling. 

But there are moments, hours, afternoon and evenings, here and there, now and then, where one must squeeze in as much as possible, to balance out the satisfying monotony of a life well lived.

A love of letters

As a child I had a calligraphy set. Perhaps you had one too? Sheafer, I think, from a book store. It came in a box with several cartridges of ink, three different nibs and a plastic pen that they screwed in to. I spent hours and hours writing all manner of things, on any paper I could call my own. I felt incredibly grown up, writing in fancy scripts and copying ornate letters. I wanted to write everything with a calligraphy pen once I was an adult.

I remember my 'Aunt' (my parents friend) had a writing desk in her beautiful home, and she always wrote with a calligraphy pen. I thought it was the ultimate in style and luxury. I coveted her collection of thick envelopes, smooth paper and bottles of ink. She was a role model to me in so many ways and I still feel her influence in much of my day to day life - from my love of hydrangeas; which grew by her front door, to our trips to boutiques stocked with handmade treasures. From my love of handmade soap; which her bathroom was never without, to my love of classic style; which she pulled off effortlessly in my memories of her.

Funny how much things change and how little things change, as I take another calligraphy class and use my nib and ink to sketch in my beautiful new sketchbook.

What did you love as a child that you still love now?

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My first calligraphy class.

Creative Freedom and Sketchbook Explorations

I dedicated a fair amount of time at the end of last year and the start of this year towards creating a twelve month plan for my business. It's not something I had ever really done before. Using the lessons I had learnt in 2014 and Lisa Jacobs' 'Your Best Year, Productivity Workbook and Creative Business Planner' as a guide, I planned out my collections, busy times and holidays for 2015. I wrote down my ambitions and dreams. I reflected and prioritized, planned and questioned. Not only my work life, but my family life and my free time. Thus, I now have monthly goals and plans that I break up in to weekly to do lists. As I tick each item off, I am better aware of how it fits in to the bigger picture and what the end result will be.

It feels like less of a scramble. There is less pressure to be constantly working in order to achieve my goals, because I can see the steps I need to take to get to them. Breaking everything down in to parts has made my dreams feel less overwhelming. Another one of the positive results of this that I am appreciating is the sense of creative freedom I have felt. I am able to allow myself time to indulge in other creative pursuits besides jewellery or business demands, without guilt! Instead I can see the long view, take the pressure off, and nurture my creative self. Which can only be a good thing in the long run for my sense of self, my jewellery design and the running of my business.

Part of this creative freedom meant I was able to take on Lisa Congdon's 'Sketchbook Explorations'. A wonderful four part course of short videos that introduce the viewer to Lisa's techniques, favorite materials and specific projects. It's been such an interesting challenge to pick up water colour paints again, purchase new-to-me water colour brush pens and work with a much brighter colour palette than I am used to. I'd highly recommend it, no matter your skill level, as a way to connect or reconnect to the page and experiment.

So here's to embracing planning and productivity, in order to live more of a creative life!


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Other great resources -
Susannah Conway's 'Unravelling the Year Ahead' 
Create and Thrive
Flourish and Thrive Academy
The Tiffany Han

Month In The Life - Sketchbook

I love a simple sketch book. I've carried them to and from school, University, Goldsmithing classes and workshops. They've been tucked in to back packs, shoulder bags, suitcases and nappy bags. They are full of ideas, sketches, notes and designs. I have an antique metal trunk that's filled with them. 

Do you keep all your old sketchbooks too?

Weekending in Byron

Exploring at Broken Head

Byron Bay holds a special place in my heart. The first time I ever visited I had only just left my teenage years behind and was newly dating a photographer who worked at a camera shop. He invited me to pack a bag and head to Byron with him for a week, living out of his van. We had no other accommodation and no other plans. And so we went. My friends warned me that a week away 'roughing it' so early in a relationship could mean make or break. But it was that week in Byron; waking up next to the ocean, 'street camping', public showering and living on the beach, talking and laughing all the while; that I fell in love with my future husband. 

When he asked me not too long afterwards to marry him, there was no other place for it but Byron. Walking down Belongil beach to say 'I do', cemented that place in my heart, and with the birth of our first son, we honored what had become a symbol of our love by giving Cohen the second name Byron.

I'm reminded of all these things each time we visit Byron. Not matter how much it changes. No matter the time in between. Next month will mark the eleventh year since I walked down that beach as a twenty one year old bride. And my, how many things have changed. 

This past weekend we spent a couple of days in Byron as a family, staying at a beautiful rented house with friends. Just out of town and a ten minute walk from the beach, I never once ventured in to town, spending my time at the beach and with the children instead. Sitting on the beach Saturday morning, Dave and the children in the water, I took in the beach at Byron once more. The headland and lighthouse. The trees and tourists. The distinct lack of high rises. The natural beauty. And Byron charmed me all over again.

A list of goals I'm working on

 






1. Pancake morning 2. My first cross stitch 3. Drying some of our many homegrown chillies 4. Belynda Henry at the opening of her amazing show, Jigsaw 5. Baking with Mama 6. A new work in progress 7. Sketches for a client's pearl

Along with my usual list of goals - to be organised, to make from scratch as many of the things we use as I can, to read two books a month, to make time to craft etc, there is another list I have been thinking about and working on that revolves around the things I want to achieve before baby number three is born - especially given that I am now 31 weeks pregnant and the remaining weeks are going to simultaneously drag and fly by.

- A new collection for release in the store in time for Mother's Day.

In between working on custom orders, client repairs and stock for Finders Keepers, I have been sneaking downstairs for a couple of hours each night to work on a collection of Pearl pieces to be released soon, for Mother's Day. There will be drop pendants, drop earrings, traditionally knotted pearl strands and pearl studs, starting from $45. Sign up to my newsletter to be kept up to date! 

- Stock and display for Finders Keepers Market

I've been staining my wooden display for the market and still have a long list of things to do in preparation for those two days in July. Like making a table cloth big enough for a 1.8 meter table, sourcing a 'credit cards welcome here' sign, ordering more packaging and display boxes, organising insurance and of course, completing all the stock I have planned to bring with me. So very much has been crossed off the list though, thanks in part to Didi, my fantastic intern.

(There is a great interview over here with the founders of the Finders Keepers Market.)

- Nesting: de-cluttering, cleaning and organising our home

Yesterday I tackled Cohen's room while he was at school (best to do these things when they aren't looking!) I filled two garbage bags with broken and outgrown toys, paper, and hoarded 'bits'. I last did this in December, and try to do it at least every few months. I tidied up the book case and toy basket, cleaned the surfaces and windowsill, moved the bed away from the wall and vacuumed the floor and scrubbed the wall too. Going through his closet and chest of drawers for clothes that no longer fit is still on my list. 

Also on my list, my studio. I started the process of de-cluttering and re-organising my space, but I've hit a wall while I wait on a book case and table. In the meantime Emerson is having a wonderful time going through each box.

Emerson's room and my closet are also on the list.

- Baby clothes

I've saved many of the children's baby clothes in boxes and garbage bags in the garage. Some I've lent to friends little ones, but the 'newborn' clothes and those special clothes, that loved ones brought for us, or that I wore as a child, are boxed up waiting to be washed and sorted in preparation for baby. So much washing. One garbage bag at a time.

So, what goals are you working on?

What's on your list?

This post was inspired by Lisa's list of 27 blog topics.

Welcoming Autumn

Already the mornings are cooler and I am welcoming the change of season after a particularly hot Summer. I've always been more of a cardigan and rainy weather girl. (The next change of season will coincide with the birth of our baby.) These coming months I am looking forward to squeezing behind my bench for as long as possible, starting a knitted blanket for the baby and making more time for reading.

Somehow the days and weeks feel even shorter since Cohen started school, and the demands never ending. So I am choosing carefully how to spend my time, and recording the little moments that otherwise get lost in the flurry of the days, and reminding myself not to rush.

Yesterday we welcomed the new season with two picnics. The first, lunch beneath a beautiful tree at a Gem Fair. The second, dinner in our newly finished cubby house.


How did you welcome the change of season?
What are you looking forward to this Autumn?

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I have submitted my application for the Brisbane Finders Keepers market in July. Now to keep my fingers crossed for the next three weeks that I will be accepted. It was such a great experience in November, and I have been hard at work creating new stock and a new display especially for the market. Cross your fingers for me too?

Have you come across Jodi's blog, Practicing Simplicity? It is always a beautiful place to visit, and for the next three months you will find my store as a sponsor, and you might even spot Jodi wearing one of my creations. :)

Lost and Found

Saturday afternoon I had that sinking feeling you get when you realise you've lost something. I turned the house and workshop upside down looking for my sketch book, after going to jot down an idea and not being able to find it. I'd thought it was with my library books, having taken it to the library to photocopy a sketch for my itern to practice saw piercing with. I thought perhaps the kids had moved it, as they love to play with and move everything in my workshop. But I couldn't find it. I felt a bit panicky. My sketchbook is full of ideas, notes, measurements, and sketches of upcoming collections. It's meaningful for practical and sentimental reasons, as it contains sketches of completed pieces, custom work and ideas for new pieces. I hadn't realised how much that sketch book meant to me of course, until I couldn't find it. I felt like having a bit of a cry and I must admit I wasn't great company Saturday evening.

Eventually I realised that I hadn't seen my sketch book since that trip to the library, which was two weeks ago. Oh, pregnancy brain. It was too late Saturday to be able to do anything about it and the library was closed on Sunday. I bided my time until Monday morning and held on to the slim hope that someone had found my sketch book and it was waiting for me in lost and found at the library.

As you can imagine, it was a very good start to the week when the librarian I'd told me tale to rounded the corner holding my sketch book. 

I shall now be writing my name and number inside the front cover, just in case...