Was there was a gapping hole in your inbox last month? I apologise. I got distracted, and baby brain is apparently a real thing. Yep, another little human will join this world by the end of the year. As you can imagine my realm of exploration has expanded to unknown territory...reusable wipes, changing tables and hypnobirthing. Don’t fret. This monthly contribution to your flow of ideas will not turn into a list of baby related babble. So then, other than small person paraphernalia, what has been on my mind of late. Let’s have a look…
Living Danishly I joined a bookclub and this month The Year of Living Danishly has been our pick. ‘Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country’ has certainly got me enquiring about my own choices. It has also got me thinking about different cultures and their interpretation of language and emotions. The Danes seem to have it pretty good over there, but to me they sound more content rather than happy. Not a million miles away from each other but a difference non the less. The Danes seem calm, looked after, structured and fulfilled. I’m sure there’s joy, laughter and spontaneity out there too, but happiness doesn’t come to mind when reading and learning about their culture. Anyhow, it’s a page turner, Helen Russell’s writing is entertaining and her research insightful. The Book >
Meanwhile in South West England It’s been two years since seeding some roots in England’s south west. A brilliant place. But what makes a place great? The architecture, open spaces, food, community, location, history? Placemaking considers all of these things. I’ve been particularly drawn to the concept of popups and meanwhile placemaking whilst living abroad, moving from place to place, and integrating into the community since being back in the UK. “Meanwhile use” of a space refers to the short-term use of temporarily empty buildings or public realm, often during a redevelopment. Meanwhile use takes a potential problem and turns it into an opportunity, by testing possible long-term uses of the site." - activateplaces.co.uk What is Placemaking > More About Meanwhile >
Hands On Last month I did a two day upholstery course and FOUND MY FLOW! This got me exploring the benefits of making things with our actual hands and why it can be so rewarding. Working with Your Hands Is Good for Your Brain >
Portfolio Career “A portfolio career means that instead of committing to a single job or revenue stream, you divide your time and energy among multiple, simultaneous pursuits, businesses, or projects you’re genuinely interested in.” - Barry O’Reilly Crafting a portfolio career is an idea that I’ve been mulling over for a while…it’s not a good time to make changes in my creative career but it’s something I’m about to chew on for the next few months. It may be an idea that interests you too. How to Build a Portfolio Career >
Breaking Up With Social Media Break up may be a bit far, I’ve definitely taken a step back. Navigating a natural process such as pregnancy has been far more interesting to me. I’ve swapped Facebook for positive birth books and sharing content on Instagram hasn’t been on my radar. Maybe I’ll come back to it, maybe not. I’m also aware of the crap that takes up my Instagram feed. My friend Andrew wrote a great post about this takeover… Who else wants to ditch Instagram? >
Silly Season Silly Season is a term used in Australia for the time leading up to Christmas when everyone gets festive, and gets silly. In a few weeks we'll be heading into that season ourselves so I thought I'd pick out a couple of quotes from a favourite book of mine, they may help if you're organising a festive shindig or two. “ gatherings that please everybody occur, but they rarely thrill. Gatherings that are willing to be alienating – which is different from being alienating – have a better chance to dazzle.” “gatherings crackle and flourish when real thought goes into them, when (often invisible) structure is baked into them, and when a host has a curiosity, willingness, and generosity of spirit to try.” - Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering The Book >
It's good to be back in your inbox. I hope you enjoyed this selection of ideas. Catch you next month. Lv Kim xx