CREATIVITY + INNOVATION Page 9 of 22

Why next year has to be different

Written by

Rain walk
My little family – well again after a month of sickness telling us we need to slow down

In many ways this has been the most precious year of my life. In others it has been one of the hardest. With the birth of our baby girl on Christmas Day 2013 came a world of new priorities, warped time, new responsibility and so many distractions. At the same time our business grew exponentially, and a lot of exciting opportunities came our way, which we kept saying yes to.

The result? Burnout. For the entire month of October our whole family was sick (hence the unusual lack of newsletters from me!). We experienced every parent’s nightmare of hospital visits and paramedics, were exhausted but couldn’t sleep, needed nutrition but were too tired to cook proper food. It was really hard. And I think it was a massive lesson to us. Looking back now everyone is well again and all our big deadlines have passed, it seems like the universe was literally shouting at us to slow down.

I’ll admit – and not at all proudly – that this is something of a pattern for me. I work and work until I can work no more, take a break, refill the well and get re-inspired, then go 100 miles an hour putting all my new ideas into action. But this last month has told us that even if it sort of worked before, it is not sustainable with a new baby.

And so we have decided to take December off – no classes, no deadlines, no stress. A delicious month to slow down, enjoy the Christmas festivities and recharge for 2015 (which is already shaping up to be an exciting year). Our team will be running a few short programmes, including a free winter writing workshop (details coming next week!). But generally we will mostly be having a merry time with family and friends, hopefully laughing and sleeping a lot.

I have given myself the gift of saying no this December, because it’s OK not to do everything, all the time. And I really hope you will do the same, if that’s what you need.

This time of year is a good time to step away from the day-to-day and reflect on the year gone by, and make plans about you want from the year ahead. I am going to be using our New Year’s Revolution 2015 toolkit to help me do this and I’d like to offer it to you as a gift to do the same.

This completely free toolkit will help you work out what you really want from the year ahead, and then plan how you are going to get it.

We have updated and expanded this resource based on feedback from some of the thousands of people who downloaded it last year. (If you were one of those who gave us feedback, thank you. The feedback givewaway winner was DEBBIE BERNA)

Download your free New Year’s Revolution Toolkit here and start planning to make things different next year.

I know I need to take this really seriously and put things in place to be less frantic and less overworked, to create space for more adventure, more opportunities, and more fun. I hope you will too!

Beth

(more…)

Use your hands – Our review of the TEDxBrighton 2014 event

Written by

Last Friday saw the annual TEDxBrighton event take over Brighton Dome to offer a series of inspiring talks from speakers of all backgrounds. From knife-maker to journalist, from Frog Agent to poet and from truffle hunter to novelist, there really was something for everyone!

This year’s theme was “Many Hands” and it was fascinating to get the speakers’ views on topics like collaboration, consumerism, sharing messages and knowledge, and using our hands. Most importantly, they spoke about their passion for doing what they love, with real genuine passion and we’d like to share some of it with you.

DWYL_TEDxBrighton_ManyHands2

(more…)

Back by popular demand: The Do What You Love e-course is open for registration!

Written by

I-WANT-TO-SEE-THE-WORLD-800PX-LR

The Do What You Love e-course is open for registration! This acclaimed transformational online course is for people like you who want to find financial and personal freedom, living a full and happy life.

Do What You Love is about re-opening doors that you thought were locked shut… re-opening possibilities that you thought were long gone… and illuminating possibilities you never knew existed.

It’s about discovering what you really want to do, and giving you practical exercises and tools to do more of it, get paid to do it (if that’s what you want) and generally have a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Sounds like something you need?

Learn more and register here.

Class begins on Monday October 13 and runs for five weeks. Hurry and register now. Don’t miss this chance – it could change everything.

I hope you will choose to be a part of this adventure with us!

Beth

If you can do it, or dream you can, begin it…

Written by

This is one of my favourite ever quotes, because it puts the power in your hands. It reminds us that if we have the capacity to dream of something, we have the capability to make it happen, if only we begin…

“If you can do it or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” – Goethe

Back in 2010 I went on my first art retreat, and when I was there I distinctly remember picking up a copy of ‘Somerset Studio’, one of the beautiful magazines from American publishing house Stampington, and thinking “Just imagine getting published in a magazine like that.” Four years on and I am now a columnist for Stampington’s brilliant magazine ‘Where Women Create Business‘, and have been featured in several of their other titles in between.

If you can do it, or dream you can, begin it... 1WWB 1401 Where Women Create Business Winter 2014 600x600 e1495030185564

If I think about how it happened, it was a combination of…

  • Dreaming of what it would feel like to make it happen (Vision/Imagination)
  • Thinking “Someone has to do it, why not me?” (Boldness/Naiveity)
  • Deciding to go for it, because the worst that can happen is that an article proposal will be turned down, or ignored (Thick skin)
  • Getting out of my door to network, meeting people, and getting introduced to people who know people (Deep breaths/Connecting)
  • Getting clear on what I have to say, and then choosing to share that with the world (Authenticity/Belief that we each have something to offer)
  • Taking steps to make it happen, and keeping at it (Persistence)

However big or small the dream, it can often be made a reality through a combination of the things above.

What steps do you find help you make your ideas happen?

PS: The column in Where Women Create Business is jointly-authored with Kelly Rae Roberts. In this third of four articles we talk about the importance of choosing to deliver products and services which serve your audience and support your purpose. It is a fab magazine – you can get a copy in all major US bookshops or via the Stampington site here.

 

Alternative meeting spaces

Written by

placesandspaces

With Beth on maternity leave our working day looks a little different lately, but we still have Mr & Mrs K meetings to chat about things coming up, and to look ahead to next year.

IMG_0916

One of the great things about living in a city like Brighton is the proliferation of cafes, and we like to meet there to chat somewhere different from our home office. A different environment never fails to spark new ideas… Lately one of our favourite places is somewhere that won’t be around for long – the ice bar next to the temporary ice rink, which has been built in the grounds of Brighton Pavilion.

IMG_0907

With Beth heavily pregnant there may be no ice skating for us, but it is lovely to sit on their comfy sofas next to a sparkling Christmas tree, looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the people skating round and round, laughing and stumbling and laughing some more. Ahh office life is hard!

IMG_0902

What is your favourite place for meetings?

Creating magic

Written by

photo-3

Last week we went up to London for a very special show in the West End – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. It is one of my favourite books from childhood, and Sam Mendes’ version was a feast for the eyes, full of mystery and surprises, all bound together by a delightful story. There were exploding potions, flying elevators, rivers of chocolate and even some breakdancing. The stage came alive with colour, motion and magic.

Roald Dahl was an absolute genius at capturing the things that fascinate and delight children and adults alike.  From rude noises and naughty characters, to worlds of sweets, and retribution for nasty adults, he captured it all. I met him once, when I was about 8. I queued up for hours at a book fair to get his autograph on my copy of The BFG. When I got to the front of the queue I couldn’t help but stare at this old man, who had a twinkle in his eye and a pocket full of crazy ideas. If he was still alive and I had the chance to meet him again, I’d ask him where he got his inspiration from.

Apparently Roald Dahl wrote most of his books in a shed at the end of his garden, which shows you don’t need to travel far, spend much or do complicated things to get inspired. If he could create dreamcatching giants, square-footed witches, everlasting gobstoppers and a giant peach from inside a hut furnished with a brown chair, tartan rug, small wooden desk and a waste paper basket, surely each of us can conjour up magic wherever we are too.

Here’s another example of simple creativity – just loved seeing how this inventive couple have made November completely magical for their children (when they make the toy dinosaurs come alive…)

I’m all for making your space imaginative, for trying new things, and going off on adventures to get inspired. But sometimes arranging that space, getting round to doing things, or planning a trip can give way to procrastination and excuses. So this week why not take a leaf out of one of Roald Dahl’s swizfiggling books and find a way to inspire yourself right where you are, with what you have now. And be sure to tell us about it on Facebook or Twitter!

Happy Monday!

Love to be inspired – time for a touch of poetry

Written by

lovetobeinspired

So we welcome in November – log fires, cosy chats, darker evenings, fireworks, bonfires, toffee apples. Many people, including us, often find that November is a good time to reflect on the year that is slowly coming to a close, and looking ahead to the next one. So we have decided to make November ‘Love to be inspired’ month here on the blog. We will be bringing you images, creative ideas, interviews and more to keep you inspired in the dark chilly weeks ahead. And we are starting today with one of our very favourite poems, which never fails to inspire us:

Desiderata of Happiness, by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
 Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

What’s your favourite poem?

Please share a link to it in the comments below – we’d love to seek out some extra inspiration ourselves!

Life According to Mr K – If your business model isn’t working, change it

Written by

lifeaccordingtomrk

“You have to do what you dream of doing even while you’re afraid” – Arianna Huffington (Co-Founder, The Huffington Post)

The evolution of our business part 2 (read part 1 here)

The inaugural DWYL retreat was a sellout success, which we were told affected many of the participants deeply. In the two years since, many of those who attended have told us very personal stories of how the retreat experience actually changed their life’s course, and how the people they met there have been a big part of those changes.

However, behind the scenes, based purely on return on investment of time and financial resources, the reality was that for as long as we had to rent a venue there was little to no future in a solely retreat driven business. When you consider the hours that went into the preparation and running of the event, the team had essentially been working for less than minimum wage, and it was not a sustainable business model. Diversification was required.

Having said that there was an undeniable vibrancy at the retreat that was almost tangible and could not be ignored, plus it was the source of a huge amount of valuable connections, both for us and for participants and teachers.

During one of the evenings Beth had arranged for an Oprah style interview with our special guest Matt Stinchcomb, Vice-President (and one of the Founders) of Etsy.com, who had travelled from Germany to come and speak. His interview was a great reminder that even businesses as large as Etsy can evolve from the most unlikely and humble beginnings – theirs is an amazing story for another day! It was the only interview that week I was able to listen to and I believe I was meant to hear what he said. It highlighted how businesses evolve due to a need that is not catered for, and how they have to be nimble and flexible to adjust to changing demands.

Seeing so many people sat in that room who had decided to travel from various countries to North Yorkshire also really struck a chord with me. I was starting to see what Beth saw. There were so many like-minded souls around the globe who just needed a purpose to meet and common ground to discuss. Do What You Love could be that vehicle – and an in-person retreat was only one way of bringing those people together.

It was from this realisation that our collaborative e-courses emerged. Beth had already developed and run her own flagship Do What You Love e-course for the first time with an astounding response, and we soon realised this was an incredible way to connect people facing similar issues in a safe, supportive environment. The next step was to start working with others at the top of their game to provide practical, valuable advice to people wanting to follow particular career paths, often challenging the norm and supporting them to make bold moves.

Over the past 2-3 years this has developed into a business model which is cashflow positive (without debt), responsive to changing needs and technology, relevant, sustainable and exciting. We turn down more offers for collaborations than we take on, and we build deep trusting relationships with those we do choose to work with. By collaborating with others we are constantly learning, improving and finding new ways to do things. Every day is different, and every day we support more and more people to do what they love. It’s not always easy – sometimes it is frustrating, sometimes it is overwhelming, sometimes it is exhausting. But always it is rewarding, profitable and totally worthwhile. And it allows US to do what WE love, creating the lives we want to live. And surely that is a massive part of what it is all about?

As for retreats and in-person workshops, for sure we will run these again in the future, but as one arm, rather than the lifeblood, of our business.

Challenging our assumptions about how we should deliver, what we should deliver, and what we knew about the people we were trying to serve was fundamental to an early major shift in our business model which has evolved into the Do What You Love we are today.

How about you? If you run a business, have you shifted your business model over time? If not, it it time you thought about doing that? What if you turned your business model on its head and tried the opposite of what you have been doing for years? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Until next time (when I will share a behind-the-scenes glimpse at each of our collaborations),…

Mr K

Life According to Mr. K – On how Do What You Love was born…

Written by

lifeaccordingtomrk

“If you can dream it, you can do it” – Walt Disney (Co-Founder, Walt Disney Productions)

This month’s theme is ‘Love Business’. I thought it would be interesting to give you a little insight to the birth and subsequent growth of our company.

Just over three years ago I was sat at home listening to Beth tell me that she had made a rather spontaneous decision to book a trip to San Jose in California. She was off to ‘An Artful Journey Retreat’ to take a class from two artists named Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose McDonough. She had been reading Kelly Rae Roberts’ book ‘Taking Flight‘, and decided that she wanted to meet her. As always I told her to go for it. Sometimes we just have to spend some money and treat ourselves.

At that time she had been working tirelessly on the legacy aspect of England’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018, in a very corporate environment. The trip was an opportunity to relax and get painting again after more than a decade on the back burner.

When she returned  from California her smile said it all. She looked like a different woman. She had met kindred spirits and rediscovered her love for ART. The enthusiasm was evident. She came away knowing she wanted to work with and for women like those she met on the retreat. She effusively explained this thing called blogging and the potential business model that she had observed. It was different – in fact worlds apart – from what she was doing at that point, but very intriguing.

She went in search of some relaxation and inspiration. She came back with a the beginnings of a whole new life for us. What was to transpire from the trip was more profound and pivotal than either of us could ever have imagined! The seeds of what would become Do What You Love Ltd were sown.

(more…)

Life According to Mr. K – The courage to create

Written by

lifeaccordingtomrk

In last week’s post I touched briefly on the courage it takes to create something. Of course this ‘courage’ has to be supported by a steely determination and conviction to realise your vision whether it be a painting, a song, a design or even a story. But it is that first step that is the most crucial – that long deep breath you take that makes you feel a little sick knowing you are about to leave yourself that little bit more vulnerable than before.

Whatever you are working on, it is your vision, your creation and it should reflect you. The courage comes from imparting something very sincere and soulful from within. You are taking a very intimate part of you and placing it in full view of the world.

I have a great deal of admiration for authors of late. It is not an occupation or a calling that you would instantly relate to the need for courage. But to put your ideas down on paper for others to read, critique, form an opinion about or even dismiss outright, I feel is very courageous indeed.

(more…)