Lopdell House Pins 2012

"My intention has always been to create pieces that encourage people to take the time out of their busy day-to-day lives. To appreciate life’s simplicities and the world around them, to stop, take a second look and admire something.

The realisation that I myself was not doing what my work encouraged others to do, was one that broke me out of a pretty big rough patch.

Inspired by found objects from interactions with my environment, this body of works represents a reminder to slow down, go for a walk, and take a deep breath."

So so so happy with these pins. Probably my favourite (completed) body of work since leaving uni. At times I wish I had a bit more time to dedicate to my jewellery, a full day that WASN'T one my weekend days. But that will come eventually, and Im happy with what I am able to do when I fully focus and am excited about being at my bench. At the moment, it's funds that are inhibiting me more than the time factor! So once I get somethign back from these guys, I will be able to purchase some more materials for some new ideas :) Very exciting! With other things in the pipeline, such as a holiday to Rarotonga, saving for a new car, life in general, there isn't much extra in the bank! But thats not an issue that only I am experiencing, so time to get up and move on, start thinknig 'what next?' so that when I have the funds, I can get making asap!!! Thanks to everyone who has been out to see this display :)

Oh a plan!

(an appropriate pin!)

Sat down this weekend and decided to make a plan. It currently spans 8 years and includes a new car, potential to buy a property (one with space for a studio!!!!!!), and three to four overseas trips :)
Feels so good to have an idea of what I'm aiming for, and knowing that I can fit what I want to do into the near future is so exciting!
I think I have felt restless because I want to do everything right now, and for obvious reasons, I can't. It gets frustrating seeing friends going off and doing things you want to do, and no, its not just ONE friend doing everything; its a friend going travelling, another buying a new car, another going on a lovely date with their lovely partner, another getting a payrise or promotion, another studying overseas. Naturally I get bad FOMO and a bit jealous (Im starting to think it's okay to admit you are jealous. Jealousy can come across in so many other negative forms, as anger, as bitterness, as resentment, but when it's out there as JEALOUSY...its understandable. And jealousy, when kept in check, isn't a bad emotion. It's not really all that negative. It's acknowledging a success of someone else that you yourself wish you could attain. So really...it's not that bad at all! I suppose it's how one deals with that jealousy...do you praise the person for their success? And express your desire to achieve something similar? Or do you berate them for it? And make them feel bad for having achieved something, when you haven't? Hopefully, its the former!! I'm making a concious effort to keep my jealousy in check, and to be happy for others who are experiencing successes in areas that I also wish to achieve success in. Hard work does pay off, in so many ways, and nothing in this world is ever really for 'free')...so where were we....yes, I have been feeling jealous. I have lots of things I want to do and achieve, but feel like I do not have the means to get there....when of COURSE I do. I just can't have it all right now, duh. So I needed a plan...and now I know what I am aiming for :) and I can look forward to things; I can save and have a particular number in my head and goals that I am trying to reach. It feels SO GOOD, and it is ALL achieveable. And when I do go travelling, or get my new car, or buy a new phone, or become financially stable, I will be able to celebrate, and will enjoy it all the more. Because I will have worked for it, earnt it, and deserve it.
Also, when people ask me to do things which will sap up my money and in turn sap up the means I have to achieve these things, I can say....no, because I'm saving for all these SUPER AWESOME AMAZING things, so lets do something else so that I can save AND hang out and live a fun life :D

Fantastic.

The plan WILL change. I'm totally okay with that and totally prepared for it :)
But it will only change and become BETTER! :)

So if anyone out there is feeling a bit lost, or jealous of what your friends are achieveing and you feel like you're just sitting in a rutt.....make a plan. You will soon come to find that you too can have your cake and eat it too....it just takes some forethought, some planning, some prioritising, some creative thinking, some budgeting, some determination and some dreaming :)

Plan...here I come!!!

Moment of Clarity

I love extreme weather. At the moment its POURING down and its so dark, yet its only 6.30pm.
It took me almost an hour to get home tonight (a journey that would take me around 15 mins on a good day!) but this was alright, I had nowhere to rush to, I had a good CD on in the car, and I ended up going a bit of a different route home to avoid the worst of the motorway traffic, so had some new scenery to look at.
Extreme weather seems to shrink all your problems down, seems to put things into perspective. Well, it does for me anyway. And of course, on this evening, my mind experienced a sudden moment of clarity that I found very uplifting. I pulled out my notebook I have been carrying around, rustled for a pen and managed to write the following down while waiting at the various red lights and streams of stationary traffic:

When you hear of successful people, they don't talk about how many people they've dated, or slept with, what latest phone they had or how many parties they went to. You hear about their travel, their stories of overcoming the odds, of them following their dreams and their hearts. These are the days we are living RIGHT NOW. What we do now determines who we are in the future, how successful we will be, and how much respect we will have from those around us who actually matter.
So LIVE these moments for YOU. Create your stories, overcome the odds set against you, follow your dreams,  and follow your heart. BECOME the person you WANT to be. Someone others will look up to and admire. Love and all the rest will fall into place when the time is right. The only thing you have control over right now is your happiness and the ability to make choices out of the situations life presents you with. Invest in these with integrity, honesty, and passion, and in doing so, ensure yourself a bright, successful, happy future.

You are who you chose to be.

:)

Best ride home in heavy rain and heavy traffic everrrrr.