do what you love Page 54 of 81

London 2012 – the real legacy

Posted on 2012-07-27 at 7:00 am.

I took this picture on a UNICEF field visit to Trinidad & Tobago back in 2008, when we were in the early stages of planning the London 2012 legacy programme. Next to the court a young boy was knelt down sharpening a massive knife.

Today sees the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in London. This was an important date in my calendar for many years, so it is with mixed emotions that I find myself watching it from a distance on the other side of the world.

The Olympics have been a major feature in my life and a source of many adventures. It is an event like no other – there’s a reason they call it the Greatest Show on Earth.

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Brave

Posted on 2012-07-27 at 12:20 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Brave movie -image via Pixar Wiki

A few days ago, my man and I decided to go to the cinema to watch a lovely new cartoon from Disney Pixar. In Japanese it is called “Merida to osoroshi no mori”. We picked it because we generally love everything Pixar does. We had a couple of spare hours before the film began, so we went to a cafe and ended up having a long and very thought provoking conversation about bravery and courage, topics I have been thinking a lot about lately and which feature heavily in Do What You Love courses.

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Fog Linen

Posted on 2012-07-26 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Tucked away down a quiet street in the trendy Tokyo district of Shimokitazawa is a shop that might just take your breath away. Its rough concrete walls and wire shelves sit alongside old wooden furniture and quirky lampshades, all playing host to the beautiful products offered by fog linen. Carefully curated to offer delight at every turn, the natural colours of the linen – shaped into clothing, bags, children’s shoes, napkins and all sorts of other goods, are calming and enticing.

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Tokyo International Stationery Show

Posted on 2012-07-25 at 11:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Trade Shows come in all shapes and sizes, and cover every industry you can imagine. What is your dream show? I always thought mine would be a stationery trade show, where you can see what is on the horizon, meet suppliers directly, get ideas and inspiration and generally spend hours walking around a massive hall of gorgeous stationery. And I was not disappointed when I visite ISOT 2012 as research for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. It was huge, exciting and eye-opening.

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A little trip to the big smoke

Posted on 2012-07-24 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

The other day I packed myself onto the super-fast shinkansen (bullet train) and whizzed up to Tokyo for the International Stationery & Office Products Show (more on that later).

Shibuya

It felt so big, bright and noisy after Kyoto, so I also spent some time exploring the quieter, trendy areas of Jiyugaoka and Shimokitazawa. When I first moved to Tokyo I lived in a friend’s spare room in Jiyugaoka for a couple of months so it was lovely to go back and see it.

I met up with lots of old friends, did a bit too much shopping and got a haircut. Fun trip! Here are a few snapshots of the quieter side of the city.

the entrance to the cute little hotel I stayed at in Aoyama

quirky shops in Jiyugaoka

any post for me?

Call for submissions! Take a leap and share your story

Posted on 2012-07-23 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Every week this space becomes a place where brave and inspiring souls share their stories about doing what they love – whether they are doing it now, or whether they are still striving to do it. It’s like we are sat around drinking tea and sharing our experiences – except we are spread out all across the world.

I would love to share your story here, and give you this platform to help you reach a new community of tens of thousands of like-minded souls.

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The Gion Matsuri grand parade

Posted on 2012-07-20 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

So here it is – the culmination of many months of preparation, and many centuries of tradition. The Gion Matsuri Grand Parade on a gloriously sunny day in Kyoto…

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Introducing new members of the DWYL team…

Posted on 2012-07-20 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Do What You Love is growing fast, and we are delighted to work with a team of brilliant people based on three continents to bring tools and inspiration to you. I thought I’d introduce our newest team members to you:

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The quiet moment before the crowds come

Posted on 2012-07-17 at 12:36 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

Final preparations are made on this boat-shaped float, just before the parade begins

The Gion Matsuri is one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It is over a month long, and on the three nights leading up to the main parade, the main streets are closed to traffic, allowing tens of thousands of people – many in summer kimonos – to wander around soaking up the glow from the floats adorned with lanterns. (Night pictures to follow soon…)

We got up early to go downtown and get up close to the Gion Matsuri festival floats before the crowds decended. Here is what we found…

Exquisite paintwork on the gold leaf ceiling of the float

I AM an artist: Rachelle Panagarry shares her story

Posted on 2012-07-16 at 9:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today’s shared story comes from Rachelle Panagarry who lives in the UK with her husband and children, teaches full time, creates art and loves life.

Some people might say that from the outside appearance, I’m already doing what I love, but those who really know me can see that I’m actually just beginning to do it. I know this might not really make too much sense but let me explain.

I’m currently working full time as a school teacher in a school that is full of fun and challenges and no two days are ever the same. What’s more, I LOVE that place and I feel in a very honored position to have a part in educating the children that come into my care.

BUT

My true love, in fact what I now believe to be my true life as well as love, is my art.

After taking a break from teaching due to illness, and having much needed breathing space, I have rediscovered what I knew to be true all along. I am an artist. Yes, I said it. I AM an artist. This is my true calling, I know it and feel it and the desire to be creative grows stronger every day.

For so many years now, I have watched and admired other artists from the sidelines. I’d read about them, collect artwork, view websites and wonder ‘what if’ I’d pursued my art rather than teaching. Well due to what could have been a real negative situation, but actually turned out to be the best, the illness (heart related) has given me that push to go do it for myself. If I’ve learned one thing this last twelve months, it’s that life is short so GRAB it and DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

I realized that if I want to be taken seriously, then I had to take my art seriously myself. I started to blog, tentatively at first, and put my artwork ‘out there’ for the whole world to see. I wasn’t really prepared for the response that I got. Like many creative folk, I too suffer from the ‘my art’s not good enough syndrome’, so it was a real shock when the response was positive. But even better was an email in my inbox asking if I’d like to have my art included in a book to be published by Suzi Blu. I think I actually screamed out loud when I read the message. Of course I said yes, and this year it was published. A dream come true for me, but better than that, it gave me the confidence to really believe in myself and to go after what I want. I want to do what I love, and what I love is making art.

Things are starting to go from strength to strength and I can feel a bright future ahead of me now, something that I didn’t see before I was ill. It’s so exciting… I can’t wait for this creative journey ahead, I just know I’m going to LOVE it.

[Images courtesy of Rachelle Panagarry.]

Find out more about Rachelle on her website.