The lyrics of this song (below) by Diana Ross are a bit melancoly, but I still like it, it's quite appropriate for a beginning of a year, and it does go quite well with my reflective state of mind.
When I started blogging 'properly' about 6 months ago, and 'Dance in my Garden' 1 year old...it all started as a bit of experiment really, and just to see where things would take me, I never took it very seriously. However some crossroads need to be decided upon, and if this all continues, where am I going with it all? The possibility of growth is real, but do I have any more room in my life for this growth? I do wonder if any other wahm's / crafters are in the same boat?
I'm going to spend a little time reading Craft Inc, Turn your Creative Hobby into a Business, and 12 secrets of highly creative women. I'm also a fan of Seth Godin's, the Big MOO, and the Purple Cow, although I am currently reading Tribes. Etsy has a helpful Storque shop makeover article, Stretch Your Boundaries, which would apply to non-Etsians as well. and great advice for those Etsians who have lots of 'hearts', and getting noticed, but little in sales. It was Faith Popcorn, who coined the phrase cocooning all those years ago, and if anyone wants a little idea of forecasting for trends, she is so clever, however I have no idea whether she always gets it right... I do baulk at the idea of marketing as such, but her site is intriquing.
But then on the flip side of all of this, is the idea of keeping things simple and low key.
I was following a blogger the other day, who has simply stopped blogging altogether, because they are decluttering their life. Then the post by one of my fav bloggers 'down to earth', called Dive (into a simpler way of living), is very inspiring. I like the idea of not completely filling my days/weeks/months up with deadlines, so I can fit in those things that I really want to do.
So my aim for 2010 is to be timewise, to be able to discern between the frivolous, and the important. An art teacher I know says that she is over trying new art and crafts, she is over dabbling, and wants to spent her time concentrating on the things she loves to do. I wish I was at that place sometimes, because I still want to try it all!
Golly, this has all been long winded, more than I had intended, thanks for listening!
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Do you get
What you're hoping for
When you look behind you
There's no open doors
What are you hoping for?
Do you know...?
Once we were standing still in time
Chasing the fantasies
That filled our minds
You knew how I loved you
But my spirit was free
Laughin' at the questions
That you once asked of me
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Now looking back at all we've planned
We let so many dreams
Just slip through our hands
Why must we wait so long
Before we'll see
How sad the answers
To those questions can be
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Do you get
What you're hoping for
When you look behind you
There's no open doors
What are you hoping for?
Do you know...?
I hope to get more into visiting more blogs (and leaving more comments!) soon, but these school holidays are busy...and it's summer, and all too soon it will be over, and I think blogging is a seasonal acitivity anyway...
Here are a couple of pics of some vintage fabric that my mum kindly let me have from her stash...we had such a hot day here last week, I hung them out and they were dry in 5 minutes!
I do appreciate that you have dropped by to read this...and I hope your year is a fruitful one.
The bamboo brings back memories, as a teenager we had that print in our bathroom as wall paper, there may have even been a matching shower curtain =)
ReplyDeleteooh ooh...and I have the brown swirly one, lovely Ange from Forkometry gave it to me, I think I might have made a skirt for her from it..I think...it's too early for me, my head hasn't woken up yet...oh yeah it's coming back, she also gave me a blue one, great suff!
ReplyDeleteYep I agree, get time wise for 2010.
ReplyDeleteI have to remember the 8 X 3 rule. 8 hours work, 8 hours play and 8 hours rest. When you run your own business it easily becomes all work and no play. Being crafters, we love what we do and sometimes get confused with play and work. I send most of my days on my bag production. This year I am going to put aside time to play, not only for recreation but time to play win my creativity. I'm thinking I'm going to get some fun new designs this way.
All the best for 2010.