CREATIVITY + INNOVATION Page 13 of 50

Adventure – are you getting enough?

Posted on 2015-08-10 at 9:47 am.

Today’s post is by Rachel Kempton, Senior Editor at Do What You Love

I love the idea of microadventures; mini escapes for people who want an ‘adventure’ but who don’t have the time, money, freedom or expertise to do something big or off the wall. It’s a concept that I was introduced to recently by one of Do What You Love’s guest bloggers, adventurer and author Alastair Humphries, and one that has inspired me to think about adventure as a whole, and what it really means to me.

Adventure can mean something different to everyone. For many it’s about thrills and excitement, taking risks, or discovering the unexpected. For some it’s about physical exertion and extreme, even dangerous, challenges; and for others, it can be mental or spiritual, or involve an emotional journey of some kind. For me, adventure is about being open to new experiences and finding little ways to challenge myself every day. It’s about making life richer and more fulfilling, creating lasting memories, learning, growing and getting to know myself better, and ultimately, doing more of what I love.

When you choose adventure, doors open – as if by magic!

As Alastair says: “You do not need to fly to the other side of the planet… be an elite athlete, expertly trained, or rich to have an adventure. Adventure is just a state of mind. Adventure is stretching yourself; mentally, physically or culturally. It is about doing what you do not normally do… and doing it to the best of your ability.”

Adventure is a way of being, a way of seeing, an approach to life.

Over the last few weeks, in a bid to mix up my day-to-day routine, I’ve been challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and seek out adventure in my daily life. So far I found myself doing all sorts of new things: reading (and enjoying!) books I wouldn’t normally choose; getting up earlier and starting my day with a morning power walk or breakfast in a café; learning new skills to boost my creativity; exploring new towns close to home; and planning our next big steps as a family.

Half the fun is getting there! I’ve realised that when you see life as an adventure even mundane things, like supermarket shopping with my son, can be fun, especially if they involve befriending grizzly bears on the way there and getting the bus home!

I’ve also been inspired to organize a couple of impromptu microadventures with my little family. One was cycling the Tissington Trail in Derbyshire. Although we didn’t quite manage the full 26-mile course we pushed ourselves and definitely earned our picnic! Escaping the city and immersing ourselves in nature, even for one day, was so liberating and energizing. It’s true what they say: ‘the best things in life are free’.

My other microadventure was a last minute trip to Croatia – somewhere my husband and I have never been before. Every part was an adventure, from flying with an excited two-year-old (which, as any parent knows, is all part of the fun!) and driving on the other side of the road, to familiarizing ourselves with the language, culture and food and deciding what we most wanted to see and do.

The stunning Istrian Peninsula coastline inspired us to dream

The highlight was heading inland and veering off the beaten track, up a steep, winding, dusty gravel road, to explore the charming hilltop town of Grožnjan.

In the summer months Grožnjan’s labyrinth of cobbled streets and courtyards become one great stage for musicians.

Grožnjan is home to around 30 national and international artists whose houses are the stuff of fairy tales and fantasy novels with their tiny doors, colourful house numbers and cute window boxes. It was a pleasure to wander around the artists’ open studios and galleries and see them blissfully happy in their surroundings, making a living by doing what they love.

A gorgeous photography studio – I couldn’t resist treating myself to a print!

Grožnjan’s lovely antiques dealer

A potter’s paradise: an open ceramics studio

The last few weeks have shown me that adventure really is right there for the taking! It’s all around us, at all times, so it’s up to us to seek it out. Here are my top tips for making adventure part of your every day life:

Alter your perspective: see adventure, and the ability to seek it out in the daily routine of life, as a challenge. Each morning ask yourself: How can I be more adventurous today?
Slow down and indulge your senses: The more we tune into our five senses, the more easily we can tune into that magical and vital ‘sixth sense’ – intuition – the gut-feeling we all have. We also start paying more attention the signs all around us, the little ‘coincidences’ and ‘messages from the universe,’ as well as the things that feel good, easy, or magical, we open the door to possibility. All of these are clues leading us towards what it is we really love, and want to be doing, and invite serendipitous opportunities our way.
Switch off regularly. Give yourself permission to have a daily digital detox. Step away from any distractions, and focus on what you really want to do. Adventure can only start when you take control and captain your own ship.
Live in the moment and be spontaneous. Planning is all well and good but sometimes you just have to do it. Some of the best adventures come as a result of an impulsive, spur of the moment decision. What would you love to go and do today, tomorrow, or this weekend? How can you make it happen?
Connect with your inner child: The wilder your imagination the better! Climb a tree, write a story, go running, roll down a hill, sleep under the stars, take a road trip, take a new class, start a conversation with the mystery person you pass each day on the way to work – everything in life can be an adventure if you choose to see it that way.

We’ll be blogging about adventure throughout August and we hope our posts inspire you to be more adventurous in your daily life. As always we love to hear from you so please do share your experiences – no matter how big or small.

An update from DWYL HQ – July 2015

Posted on 2015-07-28 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This month’s DWYL news round up is brought to you by our senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.

We have some very exciting news to share this month… there’s a new arrival at DWYL HQ!

Our coos and congratulations go to Beth and Paul who welcomed their second daughter, Maia Seren Bailey Kempton, into the world on Sunday July 19. It’s a magical time and we wish them all the very best as they start this wonderful new chapter as a family of four.

There is, of course, lots more news to report this July too..

1. The Do What You Love e-course is in its final week and it has been a pleasure and a privilege to see so many people embark on their own personal journey to doing what they love. It makes us very happy to see everyone embracing each stage of the course, and getting so much out of it. It’s also great to know that the hard work that goes into designing and creating our content pays off.

2. The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has opened its doors again! We’ve already welcomed a number of ‘Dreamers in Residence’ to our little sanctuary by the sea and they’ll be sharing their experiences via guest blog posts throughout August. UPDATE: The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been sold as we no longer live in Brighton and only residents are permitted to own beach huts there. This post has been archived for reference but we are no longer accepting applications for Dreamer-in-Residence. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Dreamers-in-Residence for being part of our adventure, and to Towergate Insurance for awarding The Little Beach Hut of Dreams runner up position in Beach Hut of the Year 2015. She was very proud!

3. Finally, we’re sad to say goodbye to our Marketing Officer/Community Manager Rose Radtke who is moving on to pastures new. We only worked with Rose for a few months but in that short time she proved to be a valuable member of the team. She is a very special lady with much to offer the world and we wish her every success in the future.

An update on our collaborations

Make Art That Sells (MATS):

1. The Global Talent Search is nearly here – and it’s an amazing opportunity to change your life! The Grand Prize winner wins two years’ international representation from Lilla Rogers Studio, plus a host of covetable product licenses, and a series of prizes to support the development of their professional career. You can register here today!

2. Our early bird offers for Make Art That Sells end on July 30 so don’t miss your chance to register. As an early bird you’ll get bootcamp for free when you take MATS Part A, MATS Part B or MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor in 2016. You’ll also save £99 on your next career development course.

Make It In Design (MIID)

1. Summer School is here! Back for a second year, hundreds of creatives are currently taking part in Summer School 2015 – a truly special event which is uniting people across the globe. The first galleries have now been published and you can view them here. As you’ll see, the quality of work is just outstanding.

2. Meet Rachael Taylor at Printsource New York on August 11 & 12. On both days you’ll find Rachael in The Future Cafe at Printsource New York from 4.30pm, as this is where the colour and trend seminars will take place. Rachael will be joining the likes of Pantone and Trendstop on the stage to deliver two fascinating presentations (one each day) about the surface pattern design industry, her journey to success and the opportunities for other designers. Unlike other talks at Printsource, Rachael’s is free to attend so if you’re going to the show, you won’t want to miss it. Find out more here.

3. Registration opens for September’s design courses: Are you interested in becoming a successful surface pattern designer? Are you new to surface design and want to discover more about what the industry can offer you? Or are you an established designer who’s looking to polish your skills? Wherever you are on your creative journey we can help you. Check out the latest courses from Make it in Design: Module 1 – Designing Your way, Module 3 – Monetising Your Designs and The Ultimate Portfolio Builder.

Thought of the month… the importance of family

“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” ~ Barbara Bush

As loving parents it’s only natural to question the amount of quality time we spend with our children – especially when we know how vital it is vital for their development and happiness.

The great news is that every little bit of time we spend actively engaging with our kids – whether it be reading together, having a cuddle, playing a game, doing a jigsaw, making music, flying a kite, cooking a meal, or learning a new skill – is quality time. A recent report on Britain’s children also found that youngsters who spend time talking to their parents regularly are much happier than those who don’t.

When life gets busy it can be easy to rush through the day, without pausing to really enjoy our children. Baby Maia’s arrival at DWYL HQ has reminded me about the importance of spending time together as a family. As the Polish proverb goes, ‘You have a lifetime to work, but children are only young once.’ Reading these blog posts got me thinking about how I can make more time for family fun in everyday life. If you need creative inspiration, check them out!

10 Creative Ways to Make Time for Your Kids which shares tips from the busiest mums in the blogosphere on making time for family fun.
9 Ways to Maximize Family Time: practical tips to help save time on everyday responsibilities so you can spend more time as a family.

Here’s to happy families,

Rachel

Stuck in a rut? Maybe you’re too comfortable

Posted on 2015-07-21 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today we bring you a guest post by Charles Scott, an endurance athlete and family adventurer who believes that embracing new experiences is the key to living a full and happy life.

In his autobiography, Jim Whittaker, a renowned mountaineer and the first American to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, wrote, “I believe the key to a life well lived… is discomfort.”

Whittaker saw discomfort as a way to stretch “yourself beyond what you already know or know how to do.” We all experience pain when we twist an ankle or touch scalding water. But ‘discomfort’ represents an altogether different experience, one that offers the promise of personal growth and character development.

I took Whittaker’s message to heart a few years ago when I cycled for 46 days and 1,500 miles around Iceland connected to my 10-year old son on a trailer cycle and my four-year old daughter in a bike trailer. Sometimes the headwind was so strong that we struggled simply to maintain forward momentum. On the days when the temperature dropped into the 40s F and rain soaked us through, my son and I shivered, despite layers of clothing, and pedalled harder to stay warm (my daughter was comfortable and dry in her trailer). I told my son, “This ride was supposed to be hard. Sometimes an adventurer just suffers for a while.”

The value of discomfort comes from the context in which it is experienced. It was precisely in those moments of discomfort during the ride that I most deeply appreciated the simple joys of life: a meal shared with people I love, soaking in hot water, snuggling up to read to my kids in bed. The suffering made the pleasure, when I finally experienced it, so much better! And, to Whittaker’s point, handling the discomfort was really a lesson in perseverance for my children and me. While my instincts as a father – rightly so – are to protect my kids, I think that a parent shouldn’t make a child’s life too easy. I wanted them to internalize one of the most satisfying experiences in life: overcoming hardship through effort and focus.

Discomfort is not only physical, but may also come in the form of emotional resistance to making a needed change in our lives. I have met people who would like to unshackle themselves from their desks, from unbalanced lives, or unhealthy work environments. Some are looking for opportunities to express parts of themselves that they do not utilize at work, or follow a direction that is more aligned with their true interests rather than, as one friend put it, “continue to unconsciously participate in the herd.” But many people remain stuck, often because they are intimidated by the consequences of taking action and the discomfort that comes with change.

Organizations are emerging that recognize this issue. A while ago I spoke at a well-attended event in New York City organized by a group called Meet Plan Go. The event encouraged people to take a “career break” to travel the world “and have it be beneficial to your career.” The room was filled with hundreds of people interested in taking a sabbatical from work. Some were dissatisfied with their jobs, felt that something was amiss, and wanted to take initiative to radically change their life direction. Others wanted to volunteer abroad or simply to learn about foreign cultures, then return to their professions rejuvenated.

I told the audience about enlightened employers like Intel Corporation , where I worked for fourteen years, that provide full-time employees a paid two-month sabbatical every seven years. One of my fellow speakers, Rita Foley, co-author of Reboot Your Life, conducted interviews with hundreds of people who had taken a career break to travel. She said that, “We could not find a single person who had regretted the decision.”

When my son and I give presentations about our ride through Iceland, we always finish by saying, “So what are you waiting for? Go out and create your own adventure!” We could just as easily add Whittaker’s advice: embrace the value of discomfort.

Charles R. Scott left a 14-year career at Intel Corporation to become an adventure speaker. A National Geographic-featured adventurer and author of the book Rising Son: A Father and Son’s Bike Adventure Across Japan, he gives keynotes and executive workshops about developing an adventurous mindset. Charles has cycled over 7,000 miles with his young children across Japan, Iceland, Europe and the U.S., and has been featured in media around the world. He is also a guide to disabled athletes, and in October 2014, guided the first blind runner to cross the Grand Canyon and back nonstop. For more information on his adventures, visit www.teamseepossibilities.com and https://familyadventureguy.blogspot.com.

6 things I’ve learnt about finding work to fund my startups

Posted on 2015-07-14 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

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This is a guest post by Ben Keene. You can find out more about Ben here.

I was recently discussing with a friend how to balance paid work with working on your own startups, especially in those leaner times. Here’s what I came up with. Not rocket science, nor the solution for everyone, but this approach has helped me.

Woodland sunrise at RSPB Headquarters by Stuart Geeves

1. Pay it Forward. I know it’s frustrating when you work on things that don’t pay you straight away but I’m a big believer in give before take. Loving new ideas and supporting people on their career/startup journey is actually a pleasure, at least from a karma point of view!

2. Drop the CV and build a page that shows why you’re different (and therefore invaluable). Tell your story! I’ve used Strikingly. It’s free and looks a whole lot better than a CV.

3. Ask yourself: ‘what I would really be happy/fulfilled doing?’ Then build everything else around that. If the answer is running your own business, in what? And then, how? If that means working on it part-time for 12 months whilst you freelance, do that.

4. The right freelance work takes time to get. I’ve always done a little of this but now (because of a new family arrival) I’m making much more of an effort. In fact, I’ve used my wife’s pregnancy as a timeline to get the contracts signed. The result? I spent Sept-December meeting and networking with people I wanted to work with/for. It really only costed me my time and coffee and I’ve now got a number of interesting paid projects. Yes, they’ve taken time to close but at least I’m working on things I want to be doing (which means I should do a better job), and then I can use the rest of my time to work on my own startups.

5. Collaboration increases productivity. I’ve spent a lot of the last few years working mainly on one project with one or two people. I’m now working on 4 or 5 projects with a lot more – yes, I have to be organised – but I think I’m getting better and more productive at what I do.

6. Switch off from email. Less is more. I’ve always told myself this with projects. But I’m not very good at practicing it. A couple of years ago I started taking weekly 24 hour email fasts – what we used to call ‘a weekend’ before smartphones and apps changed things. I’ve learnt that enforced regular time away from my inbox has lots of upsides – and most of them are work based.

Let me know what’s worked for you too.

How to leave work on time

Posted on 2015-07-14 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a guest post by one of the UK’s leading experts in digital distraction and digital detox and author of The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World, Frances Booth. Find out more about Frances here.

For many of us, leaving work on time seems impossible. Getting up from our desk, and walking out of the door at the time we are meant to should be simple, but it isn’t. We want to leave work on time, we aim to leave work on time, but yet, we don’t manage it.

Day after day, this cycle repeats.

So how can we shift our thinking? While working 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour late each day might not seem like much in isolation, when you add this little bit of time up each and every day, it becomes a huge chunk of our time. One of the things that often overwhelms us about work when things get out of balance is not having enough time for personal admin. All those little life tasks build up and we feel disorganised and out of control because we have no time to do them.

By getting our work done, then leaving on time, we leave ourselves time for our lives outside of work. Being productive during the working day improves our work-life balance. An important part of time management includes leaving time for our lives outside of work. It might seem a small thing, but one vital step in doing this is leaving work on time. After all, if Barack Obama manages to get home in time for dinner, then surely, so can we.

Here are some [Tweet “dos and don’ts to help you leave work on time”].

Don’t:

Pick up the phone to answer one last call just before you’re due to leave. The call is bound to be a tricky one.

‘Just check’ your email one last time. You’ll get pulled back in to answering demands, and another email cycle will begin that could pull you off course for another half hour an hour.

Waste time during the day and then have to stay late to catch up on what you should have done earlier.

Create a crisis each day.

Make extra work for yourself. Instead, look for ways to be more productive in every instance possible.

Work in an office where there is a culture of all staying late just for show.

Let work fill your entire evening. Be especially careful if you work for yourself – you might have to do extra work on boundary setting.

Waste time on email.

Waste time on social media.

Feel guilty. By taking time away from work to wind down, recharge, and enjoy your life outside of work, you’ll be more productive and happier when you get back to the office.

Do

Expect it to take longer than you think to finish up for the day.

Leave clear instructions ahead of time for anyone you’re handing over to as you leave.

Stay late on the days it’s really vital to. You won’t mind this now and again if you leave on time normally.

Steer clear of other people who waste your time. Remember, you need that time so you can leave on time. Read my article on the Top 10 Ways To Say No And Save Time to help with this.

Get organised. Work hard.

Get your work done in a productive, efficient way during the day.

Think twice before deciding to take work home with you. This especially includes working from your smartphone or tablet (just because the technology means you can doesn’t mean you should).

Set a good example if you’re the boss.

Get in to the habit of leaving on time.

Think about results, productivity and getting things done, rather than sitting at your desk just for the sake of it. What you get done is the important thing, not how many hours it takes you.

Expect it to be tricky at first. Whenever we make a behaviour change this is the case.

Try leaving work on time today.

Making time to make – why it matters

Posted on 2015-07-13 at 10:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a post by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.

If you’re anything like us, constantly juggling work, family life, and other commitments, finding time to nurture your creative spirit can be a real challenge. All too often the time we set aside for ourselves – to dream, to create, and to pursue our passion projects – is the first thing to ‘go’ when we are prioritising, and re-prioritising, our daily to-do lists. And yet this time is so incredibly precious, not just because it’s time spent doing what we love, but because it’s vital for our overall health and wellbeing.

Earlier this year Beth and I decided that there was only one thing for it – a creative retreat! So in April we flew 3,410 miles to Philadelphia to attend the Sweet Paul Makerie, an extraordinary two-day event packed with modern crafting workshops, world-renowned teachers, fabulous meals, inspiring speakers, and an awesome community. It was just the thing to reignite the creative spirit in us!

Some of the Makerie’s inspiring teachers with host Paul Lowe Einlyng of Sweet Paul Magazine (L-R: Christine Schmidt, Crystal Sloane and Lotta Jansdotter)

Day 1 at Terrain

A delicious breakfast on arrival

After a warm welcome from Sweet Paul himself, we joined the lovely Matthew Robbins, who runs his own events design and planning firm and features regularly in the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings, to learn how to create four beautiful tables for special celebrations and intimate, everyday gatherings.

My favourite was the ‘mixed metallic table’, which saw us make gold leafed bud vases from recycled bottles, and gorgeous boutonnieres as dinner napkin embellishments.

A sparkling success: our mixed metallic table

I also loved working on the ‘spring table’. The flowers has the most wonderful scent and we had so much fun covering the table with moss! We all agreed that we’d never have thought of decorating a table this way but it really is an easy and affordable way to bring the outdoors in.

Matthew enjoying some messy play!

To complete the look we all designed our own vintage inspired seed packet escort cards and burlap bag for favours using ink, leaves and rubber stamps.

Time for lunch and we couldn’t resist having a sneaky peak at the dining room…

After a spot of post-lunch retail therapy at Terrain, we headed to our next workshop with the super-talented Christine Schimdt from Yellow Owl Workshop, to learn how to design and carve our own stamps.

We got down with compositions and pattern repeats, learnt how to turn ideas into prints and left with a compulsion to block print every plain surface!

I got lost in my own little world creating stamps to enhance my stationery collection

Time for a break and pre-dinner cocktails and nibbles around the open fire was exactly what was required! As I was chatting to new-found friends from all over the world I started thinking about why surrounding ourselves with like-minded people, who share the similar interests and values, is so beneficial. There’s an energy, a buzz and a feeling of belonging that comes with being part of a community like this. Magic happens when we share in creativity because we show our genuine selves which creates a happy, warm and non-judgmental environment which nurtures our souls and inspires us to relax and have fun trying new things.

After fabulous food and a glass (or two!) of wine we all listened with intent as Genevieve Gorder, one of America’s favourite interior designers, and Sweet Paul interviewed each other about what inspired them to leave their Scandinavian roots to pursue their passions. It’s always so inspiring to hear people talk about how they have designed their lives to do what they love.

All in all it was a magical day in a magical setting, and a valuable reminder of why making time to create is good for the soul.

Day 2 at URBN Campus – Anthropologie Headquarters

Feeling inspired…

The entrance to URBN blew us away with its giant hanging plants, stunning shimmering mosaic wall, and beautiful seating area.

And then we reached the library… WOW!

I can only dream of having a space like this at home, brimming with beautiful books and inspirational magazines.

After breakfast and a coffee it was time for our first class of the day – watercolour correspondence with Anna DeMarco Mills and Meredith Langer.

Our teachers, Meredith and Anna. You can read our interview with Anna here and look out for an interview with Meredith, coming soon!

Anna showed us how to use simple watercolor techniques, including using abstract shapes and custom stencils, to create our own gorgeous stationery.

Then Meredith took over and taught us some traditional beginner nib and ink techniques, as well as tricks for free hand lettering using different pens. It was fun being a beginner!

There was real satisfaction in writing out each letter of the alphabet again and again until you got the hang of how to use a font. I found myself totally engaged and absorbed in the process; it was almost meditative.

After more delicious food we headed to Lotta Jansdotter‘s workshop to get stencilling.

You can read our interview with Lotta here

Lotta introduced us to the exciting world of colour and design. We began by looking at colours we were drawn to and created simple mood boards to inspire our future projects. The we made simple stencils and printed them on fabric swatches to see how different colours work together.

Then time to design and cut our own stencil to print matching bags! We used a fine marker pen to draw our designs onto durable plastic (which can be wiped clean with soapy water and used again), and cut them out with a carving tool and stencil them on to fabric using a stencil sponge.

Why is it important to make time to make?

There were so many things that made this creative retreat special for me, but above all giving myself permission to spend two whole days not thinking about anything except making beautiful things with my hands, was utter bliss. I came away feeling positive and re-energised, and with a renewed sense of commitment to make more time to be creative in my every day life. I learnt so many new skills and techniques, and discovered a love of flowers and nature that has already seen me lose hours in the garden creating a little outdoor oasis for my family.

This is how I felt at the end of the workshop, reflecting on this special time:

I can’t wait to see how else my new found knowledge and skills will enrich my life. Making this time to do this for myself has made my whole world much bigger and brighter.

We can’t always take two full days out from our busy schedules but we can all carve out a little more time in our daily lives if we choose to make ourselves a priority from time to time. This week we invite you to spend an hour doing something creative. Silence the voice that tells you it’s a waste of time – it’s absolutely not! Bake a cake, make a card, write a poem or a short story, switch on that sewing machine, paint, draw, pick up your knitting, or make something for someone you love. The important thing is that you find somewhere peaceful, where you can sit without being interrupted, and create, create, create!

How do you feel? Why should you make more time for creativity? And how can you make it part of your every day life? How can put a creative or beautiful twist on the normal, routine parts of your day?

We need your vote! The Little Beach Hut of Dreams shortlisted for Beach Hut of the Year!

Posted on 2015-07-06 at 12:15 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

Yesterday we opened up The Sunday Times newspaper to discover that The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been shortlisted for Beach Hut of the Year (cue squeals of excitement!)

This is particularly exciting for us, because it is a tiny creative project that we dreamed up in order to create space in a busy world, to honour the importance of carving out time to dream, and just be in the moment. But more importantly because it recognizes our idea to share this tiny space with the world through our Dreamers-in-Residence programme, which allows members of our community to borrow The Little Beach Hut of Dreams for free for the day in return for a blog post which will in turn inspire others.

Now the competition is on to find the winner – and there is a public vote so we would LOVE for you to support our project and vote for The Little Beach Hut of Dreams! It just takes a minute – CLICK HERE to vote.

By voting for The Little Beach Hut of Dreams you are showing your agreement that we all need time and space to dream, and encouraging others to use assets like this for wider community benefit, not just their own enjoyment.

Here are just a couple of examples of how The Little Beach Hut of Dreams is playing a part in other people’s dreams and plans:

SHABNAH: Shabnah used the time to think about a big adventure she was planning, and in doing so realised just how much power there is in pressing the pause button. Since her residency, Shabnah has travelled to Peru and Ecuador, before spending January in Colombia, which she tells us was 100% unplanned and 100% perfect. She wrote about her Dreamer-in-residence experience here.

In Shabnah’s words “Every time I catch sight of (a beach hut) I am taken to that silence within my previously overactive, second-guessing mind. When I applied (to be a Dreamer-in-Residence) I had been feeling lost and struggling with all decisions – I might make the wrong one, so best to make none. Being able to take a deep breath and return to how I felt that day makes it easier to listen to myself and make a decision that feels right in the moment, however small. Thank you Little Beach Hut built for dreaming for letting me clear enough of the chatter from my head for dreaming space.”

PETA: When Peta applied to be a Dreamer-in-Residence she was in need of a huge boost of inspiration. She had been working on an illustrated book for months, but needed space, and the view and calm to make real progress. She said that in her home office she was constantly distracted by emails and other work obligations. She also has a grand plan to live somewhere where she can plant fruit trees and keep bees, but is currently stuck somewhere with little nature nearby, so the day in the beach hut was a taste of being close to nature for her. She made great progress with her book during the day and we are waiting to hear when it comes out.

Our 2015 Dreamers-in-Residence are using The Little Beach Hut of Dreams this summer and we will share their stories soon.

If you like our idea and love our Little Beach Hut, please do take a moment to vote..

Huge thank you – this means a lot!

From all at Do What You Love

[All images: Holly Booth]

Do What You Love interview – Anna DeMarco-Mills

Posted on 2015-07-02 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Anna DeMarco-Mills is a jack of many terrific trades. She’s surrounded by creativity with her New Old Fashioned endeavor that hosts well-curated craft and culinary workshops, as well as her day job in the accounts department at Urban Outfitters Inc. in Philadelphia. Beth and I had the pleasure of meeting Anna at the Sweet Paul Makerie at terrain back in April (more about this in July’s newsletters!). Here she had teamed up with talented calligrapher Meredith Langer to teach a wonderful Watercolour Correspondence workshop which was packed with practical hints, tips, tools and techniques to help us create our own works of art. It was so much fun and Anna was a fantastic teacher. We couldn’t wait to find out more about her and how she’s doing what she loves. Hope you enjoy the interview. ~ Rachel

1. What’s your background?

I was raised in an Italian American family with a chef for a dad and a very serious baker for a mom. Throughout my life, my family owned restaurants, gourmet shops and a catering business. I studied Small Business Management in college because I always knew my goal was to run my own business. Somewhere along the way, I discovered my talent for crunching numbers. That’s how I landed in the finance world. I spent many years focusing on “success” and what was supporting me financially while pursuing other passions, and honing my skills and expertise in cooking, styling and event coordination.

Once I figured out what I really wanted, I started creating and volunteering my time; I put myself out there as much as possible. When I have an idea or a concept, I don’t think, “I wonder if anyone will like this.” Instead, I dare myself to do it. So over the past few years I’ve been exploring my creative side much more and taking many more risks in order to grow my business.

3. How do you find the time to do your day job at Urban Outfitters Inc. in Philadelphia with running your own business?

It can be extremely hard at times, especially on Monday mornings after a “work-end” full of events. Luckily, I have a very understanding and supportive husband and my friends and family are very accepting. I miss socializing, but my friends are so lovely that they often attend my events in order to spend time with me! How lucky am I?

From creative crafts to pickling vegetables Anna hosts all sorts of wonderful workshops

4. New Old Fashioned started as a passion project and it’s grown into a viable business. Was this always your intention and how have your goals and dreams changed?
The New Old Fashioned started as a dare to myself! I was starting to get really angsty. I had so many ideas and concepts in my head, but I couldn’t find a way to align them to form a business plan that made sense. I just decided to forget the labels and do what felt exciting. I started throwing workshops, catering and volunteering for photo styling jobs, etc. It seemed to grow organically and take shape from there.

Watercolour stationery – one of Anna’s many talents!

5. What are the toughest lessons you’ve learnt launching a new start-up?

You don’t know what you don’t know! Sounds simple, right? You are never going to be able to predict things on the horizon, you just have to be prepared as much as possible and be willing and able to recoup when the unexpected happens.

6. What can people expect from a New Old Fashioned workshop? And when are your next workshops?

My hope is that the students who attend my workshops, first and foremost, learn something new and have fun. I want them to feel the wonder of learning a new skill and feel confident about using their new-found tools and techniques once they’re back home. I engage my students in as many ways possible for the full experience and we love to eat and laugh! Recently I’ve been incredibly busy with private and corporate events, but I have a lots of fun workshops planned for the near future. Look out for some culinary workshops that will be open to the public in the Fall.

Made by Anna: delicious sweet treats to sell at market

7. What have been your biggest highlights in the last year or two?

It’s been incredible to see interest in artisan workshops in the event industry grow. I love that in the digital age, when we are bombarded by information via the internet and social media, etc. there’s a growing desire to get together for face to face workshops and gatherings. My participation in the Sweet Paul Makerie was a particular highlight. It was a full circle moment for me. I’ve been a fan of Sweet Paul for years and the magazine is a constant source of inspiration for me so to be involved in such an inspiring event that brought so many creative, like-minded people together meant the world!

Anna’s watercolour workshop at Sweet Paul Makerie, Philadelphia

8. As well as cooking, styling and coordinating events, you’re an amazing artist; when did you discover your passion for watercolour painting and how often do you do it?

I actually discovered watercolour one day at work. At URBN, we have a weekly “Brown Bag” class. It’s open to employees only and each class has a different focus. About five years ago, I attended a watercolour Christmas card class and it was a total game changer. I started making my own cards and my hobby took off from there. Last week, I taught my very own Brown Bag on DIY Designer popcorn making. It was extremely fun!

Anna’s DIY Designer Popcorn making workshop

9. Talk us through your dream day…

My kind of day involves waking up very early in the morning, jumping in my car with my husband, Tommy, and going for a road trip. It’s so lovely to live on the Eastern seaboard. We are within driving distance to so many amazing destinations. This road trip would also include any combination of a farmer’s market, flea market, antique shops, vintage cookbooks and, of course, great food.

10. Where do you go to dream, create or just be?

I go to the beach or the mountains. Here in Pennsylvania, we have the very best of both words… we are no more than two hours from both. My husband and like to spend as much time as possible in the Pocono Mountains and hope to have a little place of our own there someday.

11. It’s an exciting time for you; what’s next?

Well, as you know, this was a dare turned into a much bigger project, so it’s almost like starting from the middle. I would like to spend some time focusing on fine-tuning my business plan and branding. I think a big part of the future for The New Old Fashioned will be the workshop piece being added to amazing events. I’ve been getting a lot of requests from people who want to add a workshop element to an event or party they are organizing and I think that is a wonderful idea. How cool would it be to offer entertainment in the form of inspiration and education to guests at your next get-together?

Partnerning with Lindsey Buck of The Hive Studio to deliver calligraphy workshops in Philly

12. What’s your ultimate dream?

This is funny because I used to tell everyone that my dream would be to work for a lifestyle brand like Ina Garten , Martha Stewart or (our favourite ) Sweet Paul, but I think my secret dream, in the deepest part of my heart, is to create a lifestyle brand centred around home, cooking and crafting. I would never want to be anyone else, but I’d like to build something similar around my own loves and passions.

Anna’s snapshot

Best light-bulb moment: Realising that I didn’t need to be working full time in the event industry to start creating; I could create and produce my own work and start building a portfolio on my own. I think people who love to plan events should just start planning events. Grassroots style… throw a party, sell tickets on Eventbrite and take great photos. True passion and talent are contagious and people will notice.

Favourite way to relax: Believe it or not…cooking and baking. As long as my husband loads the dishwasher for me!

Next creative challenge: Defining my company brand identity. It’s hard because I want it to encompass so many different things. I guess I should probably just keep it as simple as possible!

Colour you most love right now: Turquoise is my very favourite, but I always love a pale peach, too.

Quote you live by: Always treat others as you’d like to be treated.

Wish for the world: That we don’t let social media destroy our connection with one another.

To find out more about Anna, visit her website, or connect with her on Facebook or Pinterest.

Do What You Love – Update from HQ – June 2015

Posted on 2015-06-30 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

In our line of work, as a company where everyone works remotely, we don’t often get a chance to spend that much time – in person – with our team or our collaborators. However June provided us with an opportunity to get together and enjoy a fun couple of days in the sunshine. It was a great reminder of the energy people bring to a community when their passions and values align.

Our ‘Annual Idea Generation Away Days’ saw us bring our small (and perfectly formed!) HQ team together, from Brighton, Sheffield and Spain. We planned the two days very carefully to make sure they were as special and relaxed as possible, while also being useful and productive.

We began day one by celebrating everyone’s hard work over the past 12 months, and sharing our vision and business plan for the next few years. Then we went on to discuss ideas for some exciting new resources that we are currently developing (which are all hush-hush for the time being!) and in true DWYL team fashion everyone’s positivity and ideas lifted our thoughts off the paper (and computer screen!) and transformed them into real, workable concepts.

The afternoon was packed with brainstorming new ideas for even more ways we can help people to do what they love. One of the highlights was sharing news about ‘Reading Week’, where later in the summer, everyone in the team will switch off their email and do in-depth research and thinking on a particular topic, without distraction. We gave each team member has a specific brief to work on during this time – something we know they relate to and feel passionately about. Vickie was especially pleased as hers, as it included a trip to Berlin at the end of July! Stay tuned for an update on that one!

And on the second day we took the team to a place where Beth and I always do our best thinking… the open seas! A few hours on a yacht, soaking up the glorious sunshine, saw us generate tons more great ideas, and share how we all plan to do more of what we love over the coming months. All in all it was a fantastic couple of days.

Our team: (From left to right) Rachel, Rose, Me, Beth, Louise and Vickie

There is, of course, lots more exciting news to report this month too…

1. The DWYL e-course, started on June 15 and once again we’re delighted to be joined by participants from all over the world. The honesty and courage being shown in class to date has been remarkable and we are watching on with interest as everyone’s unique journey unfolds. If you are wondering about the true power of the course, well it doesn’t come much bigger than a marriage proposal… and just wait until you find out how he popped the question!

2. The Business Soul Sessions is coming to an end, and we have loved witnessing all the lightbulb moments in the classroom. We can’t wait to see the participating entrepreneurs use their new-found knowledge and skills to make positive changes within their businesses to create greater impact, explosive growth and serious profits they can be proud of.

3. The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has opened its doors again to the ‘Dreamers in Residence’. We look forward to sharing some of their blog posts shortly. UPDATE: The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been sold as we no longer live in Brighton and only residents are permitted to own beach huts there. This post has been archived for reference but we are no longer accepting applications for Dreamer-in-Residence. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Dreamers-in-Residence for being part of our adventure, and to Towergate Insurance for awarding The Little Beach Hut of Dreams runner up position in Beach Hut of the Year 2015. She was very proud!

4. Our blog continues to be galvanised by our guest bloggers who are all leading all experts in their field. They include: Alastair Humphreys, Ben Keene, Frances Booth, Louise Armstrong and Lara Tabatznik. One of my favourites this month was Alastair’s post on how his book ‘Microadventures’ became a bestseller on Amazon – you can read it here. Of course what he doesn’t say in his post is that his book is also a brilliant read!

An update on our collaborations

Make Art That Sells (MATS):

1. There is only one place to start… MATS: The Global Art Gathering was just the most amazing event! At the gorgeous Brighton Dome on June 12 we played host to creative people from all across the world in what was an extraordinary day of career development, inspiration and motivation. It promised to be fun-filled and action-packed, with all the energy, passion and magic you’d expect from Make Art That Sells, and in the end it was all that and more! It surpassed all of our expectations and left all of Brighton buzzing. All the months of hard work were worth it when we saw the radiant smiles, and felt the incredible energy, of everyone in the room. The artists had gathered from across the globe with one thing in common – a love and passion for art and a commitment to making it their career.

Besides our partner Lilla Rogers, the team was joined by some very special guests including Kelly Rae Roberts, Rachael Taylor and Lilla’s agents, Susan McCabe and Joanne Hus who were outrageously generous with their knowledge, experience and advice.

For me it was great to witness 60-70 people meet for the first time in person after discussing art for the best part of two years online within our classrooms. One of them described the day as feeling like a first date: exciting and nervewracking at the same time and potentially, the start of something amazing!

From left to right: Beth, Lilla and Kelly Rae

For us the most important thing of all was that everyone left feeling inspired, invigorated and motivated to forge ahead in their career in art. We look forward to supporting them in doing that.

2. MATS: Creating Collections for Home Decor started last Monday. It has been hugely in demand since we announced its launch a few months ago. Lilla and Beth have teamed up with Top Art Director Margo Tantau (VP of Creative for MidwestCBK) to create it. Margo says: “This course is teaching something desperately needed in the industry. It’s a gamechanger.”

3. Registration for the 2015 Global Talent Search is now open! Don’t miss out on what could be one of the biggest and best opportunities for your career… you can register here. We are proud to be producing this global online event again this year, and are blown away by the calibre of the judges and prizes on offer. Find out more here.

4. MATS: Assignment Bootcamp finished with the publishing of the June gallery. I can honestly say that I’ll miss the buzz in the Bootcamp Community but I know there will only be a short interlude before attention turns to this year’s Global Talent Search.

5. The Make Art That Sells website continues to turn heads! It’s bursting with free resources, industry insight and motivational videos to help the artists among you make leaps forward with your career. Be sure to check it out.

Make It In Design (MIID)

Rachael Taylor – speaking at three industry events: already this summer Rachael Taylor and the Make it in Design team have hit the road – and the sky – to attend a number of industry events. Recently Rachael spoke at The Make Art That Sells Global Gathering and the New Designers trade show in London, and she’ll also be speaking at Printsource New York in August 2015. Read more on the MIID blog.

Registration opens for Summer School: back by popular demand Summer School returns to bring fun, creativity and inspiration to homes around the world this July. There are three tracks Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced and you can sign up for one or more options to use this opportunity to stretch yourself, connect with other designers, experience working to a brief, grow your portfolio and even get your work published! Summer School starts on July 6 and finishes on July 31. Visit the Summer School page to discover what’s in store, prizes on offer and free resources at your fingertips.

The Ultimate Portfolio Builder course is well underway. We have welcomed students from around the world including the USA, Dubai, Italy, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Slovenia, China, Bulgaria, Austria, Netherlands, UK and more. The course’s private Facebook group is alive with creativity, buzzing with excitement and brimming with artwork inspired by different cultures. We’ll soon be opening up registration for our next round of courses starting September 21, so be sure to sign up and prepare to launch your career and design work to dizzy heights.

Thought of the month…

I am currently reading ‘An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth‘ by Chris Hadfield and I thought I’d share a few passages, which I’m sure we can all relate to.

“Square astronaut, round hole. It’s the story of my life, really: trying to figure out how to get where I want to go when just getting out the door seems impossible. On paper, my career trajectory looks preordained: engineer, fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut. But that’s not how it really was. There were hairpin curves and dead ends all the way along. I wasn’t destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself in to one…”

As a 9-year-old after watching Neil Armstrong land on the moon…

“…I was old enough to understand that getting ready wasn’t simply a matter of playing ‘space mission’ with my brothers in our bunk beds, underneath a big National Geographic poster of the moon. But there was no program I could enroll in, no manual I could read, no one even to ask. There was only one option, I decided. I had to imagine what an astronaut might do if he were 9 years old, then do exactly the same thing. I could get started immediately. Would an astronaut eat his vegetables or have potato chips instead? Sleep in late or get up early to read a book?”

I think Chris’s book is beautifully honest and reminds me that are very few things in this world that we cannot achieve if we want to.

Have you let the seemingly impossible stand in your way?

Until next time,

Mr. K

Bonnie’s day at the Little Beach Hut of Dreams

Posted on 2015-06-26 at 3:35 pm.

Written by vbnz

UPDATE: The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been sold as we no longer live in Brighton and only residents are permitted to own beach huts there. This post has been archived for reference but we are no longer accepting applications for Dreamer-in-Residence. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Dreamers-in-Residence for being part of our adventure, and to Towergate Insurance for awarding The Little Beach Hut of Dreams runner up position in Beach Hut of the Year 2015. She was very proud!

This summer we’re enjoying welcoming a handful of dreamers into the Little Beach Hut of Dreams. Bonnie Craig spent a sunny day by the sea this June, and wrote this lovely blog post about her experience.

Last week I spent a day being a Dreamer in Residence in The Little Beach Hut of Dreams. Dreamers in Residence are encouraged to use the day ‘to ponder and plan, to watch the waves or stare at the huge open sky’. Which is exactly what I was hoping to do.

I was welcomed into the beach hut on Brighton seafront by Rose, who showed me round the two square metres of loveliness and then left me to my day of dreaming.

I know that I think better when I’m occupied so I brought a sketchbook and some marker pens, with the idea of doing some really simple, repetitive patterns that would occupy the bit of my brain that needs to make decisions, while the rest of it would be free to wander around some of the ideas and thoughts that I haven’t had time to focus on for a while.

I also brought my camera, which I pointed straight out to sea and set up to take photos every 30 seconds. I wanted to document my day but didn’t want it to detract from my time there, so leaving my camera to do the work all by itself seemed perfect. And this is what it saw:

After spending some time people watching and sea watching, I realised that actually I was a bit of a spectacle myself and lots of people wanted to talk about what I was doing. So, after a few lovely but distracting chats, I got the pens out.

I went for repetitive, brightly coloured dots – about 15,500 of them in fact. One of the reasons I like to work with pattern is that I think the order created by repetition can be calming and reassuring. In my work I like to disrupt this order, which for me is where a pattern becomes really exciting, but on this day I just wanted the calming element. So I sat, and drew little dots, letting my intuition choose which colours went where, and as I did it I thought about lots of things – big things and little things – that hadn’t had the attention they deserved in a while. And while that sort of thinking can often be stressful, I actually found myself feeling completely calm and content.

Drawing the dots was more about the activity than the final result, but it’s given me some ideas for making really simple pattern tiles that can be combined in loads of different ways to create a final pattern that looks as if it is repeated, but is actually different every time it’s put together. I (really!) hadn’t meant to ‘work’ in the beach hut but it was an unexpected bonus to come away with new ideas.

Without wanting to do too much public soul-baring, a big part of the day for me was making some peace with my hometown of Brighton, somewhere that’s seen some of my most and least happy times and is always a bit emotional to visit. The opportunity to indulge myself in processing some of my thoughts and memories there was pretty cathartic.

And before I knew it, there was only an hour left. At which point I decided to treat myself to an hour of reading the book I’d just started, and I sat out in the deck chair and lost myself in the world of Theo Decker.

Rose came to lock up at the end of the day, and I went on my way, with a dreamy grin, to meet an old friend for dinner. I can’t recommend a day in The Little Beach Hut of Dreams enough.

Visit Bonnie’s website: www.bonnie-craig.com

Like her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bonniecraigartist

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonniepattern