GRATITUDE + CONSCIOUS LIVING Page 12 of 26

Do What You Love HQ Update – May 2015

Posted on 2015-05-26 at 8:55 am.

The long summer evenings have brought with them a renewed sense of relaxation and calm after an incredibly busy few months at DWYL HQ. After almost a year of new content creation and recruitment our team has clicked with everyone fitting into the right roles, finding autonomy and feeling assured. The sheer volume of work that the team has got through since January is astounding. I take my hat off to each and every one of them, from Beth downwards. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with so many people who are motivated by purpose, and who work with humour and a smile to such incredibly high standards.

Fast on the back of her appearance at The Barclays Debate #barclaysdebate Beth was proud to talk at the recent Mumsnet conference in London. She was there as part of a panel providing business and lifestyle advice about how to start up on your own. I know she thoroughly enjoyed herself as she came back with a spring in her step after mingling with so many other aspiring and driven mothers.

The Business Soul Sessions opened its classroom doors (digitally speaking) on May 11 to a new group of individuals. This revolutionary course offers a thought-provoking, perspective-shifting, mind-opening approach to business growth for entrepreneurs who want greater impact, explosive growth and serious profits they can be proud of. Without blowing our own trumpet, I wish we could have taken The Business Soul Sessions at the start of our journey!

It has been nearly three years since the previous class ran and I can’t wait for all the wonderful eureka moments that I know our students will have. So many great things come out of this course for so many people, and it’s wonderful to watch our students grow and transform their approach and their businesses before our eyes. This is what some of our past students have said…

“This course was pivotal for me. It helped me gain a professional confidence and business identity that I didn’t know I was even missing.” ~ Noelle Rollins

“My business has grown at least 300% and my network and knowledge have expanded exponentially because of this course.” ~ Sandra Dumais

“The Business Soul Sessions changed my entire approach to everything I did. It changed how I thought about business and living the life of a business person. I taught myself to value my talents, my time and my efforts. I would tell anyone who is in a business that relies on creativity, imagination and ingenuity that they really need to do this course. It will pay for itself and you’ll look back in time and be so grateful that you invested in your soul work”. ~ Kass Hall

And there’s lots more exciting news to report…

1. Registration is open for the next DWYL e-course, starting June 15. We’re proud to say that the powerful yet practical content contained in this transformative course continues to surprise people. It’s all about helping you find the answers to your questions and then taking the right actions for you. 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. We launched our brave stranger campaign to celebrate bravery in all shapes and sizes, by every day people. Get involved on Facebook or Twitter next week for a chance to WIN a place for you and a friend on the DWYL e-course.

[Tweet “Change your life! WIN a place for you and a friend on the next DWYL e-course”]

3. We’ve had some brilliant applications for Little Beach Hut of Dreams and we can’t wait to share how our beach hut residents spend their days by the sea. 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 Webinar Series – Alchemy – has certainly got people inspired and thinking. The feedback and comments have been great. Alchemy is constantly available and now takes pride of place in amongst our other FREE Resources – Sign up today and listen to some of the most interesting and potentially important conversations you will hear all year.

5. 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.

6. What do you think about our new look? Last month our new website launched. We want it to be a place you can trust to find all the inspiration, tools, resources and support you need. At the end of the day all of this is for you. So we’d love to hear you thoughts. Please get in touch and let us what works, what doesn’t and most importantly, tell us if something is missing, or if there are any features you’d find helpful. We really do value your feedback.

An update on our collaborations

Make Art That Sells (MATS):

1. The LIVE event is SOLD OUT! Make Art That Sells: The Global Art Gathering will take place in Brighton, UK, on Friday, June 12, 2015. It promises to be a fun-filled, action-packed day with all the energy, passion and magic you’d expect from Make Art That Sells. We’ll be welcoming a host of acclaimed speakers and panelists from the international art industry to advise and inspire you.

2. MATS: Creating Collections for Home Decor has been hugely in demand since we announced its launch last month. Lilla and Beth have teamed up with Top Art Director Margo Tantau – to run the fantastic course that Margo has described as a GAME CHANGER! To ensure you don’t miss out before it sells out Register here.

3. MATS: Assignment Bootcamp has entered in its final month. I can honestly say that I will miss the buzz in the Bootcamp Community when it draws to a close but I know there will only be a short interlude before attention turns to this year’s Global Talent Search. Don’t miss out on what could be one of the biggest and best opportunities for your career… join the waiting list here.

4. Our gorgeous new 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)

Since our sister site, Make It In Design, announced Printsource New York as their Official Trade Show Partner energy levels have been sky high. As one of the world’s most prestigious shows for the surface pattern design and textile industry, this partnership will provide exclusive content, behind the scenes access, and top tips to help designers build their brand through trade shows.

1. Trade show video series – over 1,000 people tuned in from around the world last week to watch our latest Trade Show video series hosted by Rachael Taylor and Massimo Iacoboni, the owner of Printsource New York. The feedback has been amazing with many people letting the team know how many great ideas they’ve picked up and how grateful they were for all the free inside know-how to trade show success. Rachael shared years of trade show trial and error to help others avoid the steep learning curve. The videos are still available to watch until May 31, 2015. Sign up here.

2. Make it in Design are on the countdown to one of the most exciting and powerful courses in the world of surface pattern design – ‘The Ultimate Portfolio Builder in association with Printsource‘. This advanced 7-week course will give you all the tools and advice you need to grow your body of commercially viable work, refine and strengthen your professional design portfolio, make your designs more sellable and give you the fast-track to trade show success. Class starts on May 25, 2015, there’s still time to join us.

3. Uppercase launched an exciting competition to win a place on the upcoming ‘The Ultimate Portfolio Builder’ course. To date there have been over 70 entries which you can read on the blog here.

4. Summer School dates are out! Last July hundreds of people joined Make it in Design for some creative fun for all the family. Check out the Summer School Lookbook featuring some of their favourite designs and join the waiting list to get more details soon.

5. We are also thrilled to tell you that a number of Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design students exhibited at Surtex in New York last week. You can see their latest work right here on the Make it in Design blog.

Thought of the month…

Just last week Beth (Mrs. K) and I sat down to work through the ‘Core Values’ section of The Business Soul Session course for our business (yes, we use our own resources!) and it couldn’t have been better timed. In the midst of all the ideas, an ever-growing team, increasing commitments and working at 100 mph to get everything done, we needed to ensure that we were still being true to the soul of our business. The outcome was really insightful; it reminded us that we must never lose sight of the ‘WHY’ behind our business. It is the beating heart of Do What You Love.

Make time for the important things and stay true to yourself.

Until next time,

Mr. K

Time to slow down?

Posted on 2015-05-25 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

All too often we rush through our days checking items off our to-do lists and wearing our busyness like a badge of honour. But how often do we actually stop and think about why we are doing this? Or where the pressure to multitask with urgency is coming from?

Usually it’s from within. We fear that something bad will happen if things don’t get done. To calm that fear we work harder, and longer, and harder, and longer only to realize that there’s more to do. It never ends.

The thing is, going faster doesn’t necessarily mean we are accomplishing more, or doing things any better. In fact, in most cases, the opposite is usually true. When you slow down you are likely to think more clearly, act purposefully, focus on the task in hand, and make fewer mistakes.

Whenever you’re feeling a bit stressed or overwhelmed, take a few minutes to stop and breathe. Give yourself a break: have a stretch, take a walk, look at the sky, cook a meal, soak in a hot bath, make yourself a drink, doodle, meditate or do just do nothing. Appreciate exactly where you are right now and for being nowhere else but there. After all, it was Gandhi who said: [Tweet ““There is more to life than increasing its speed.””]

When life gets busy, how do you do to slow your pace? We’d love you to share your thoughts in the comments box to inspire others.

Nature is a great teacher

Posted on 2015-05-22 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

When did you last immerse yourself in nature? How did you feel? What lessons did you learn?

Do What You Love interview – James Scipioni

Posted on 2015-05-21 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Do you dream of jungle adventures with playful orangutans and indigenous tribes in Borneo? Or of crossing Kyrgyzstan on horseback and staying with shepherd families in their yurts? Or of going back in time and learning Mayan traditions whilst discovering the secret archaeological sites, cenotes, caves, and beaches in Mexico? Today we bring you a fascinating interview with a guy who makes these kinds of life-enriching experiences possible for anyone.

James Scipioni is so passionate about travelling deeper, and travelling differently, that he started his own sustainable travel enterprise, Go Barefoot, which works globally, from policy to the grassroots, to ensure that tourism contributes positively to places and their people. Read on to find out more about the incredible travel experiences Go Barefoot offers, and get a special summer discount on your next big adventure… ~Rachel

Safari with Go Barefoot’s host family and friends in Rwanda

(more…)

How can you improve the world today?

Posted on 2015-05-15 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

We can all contribute to making this world a safer, happier and more joyful place by being more mindful of our thoughts and actions and living our lives to the best of our ability. When we recognise the positive impact that we have on others’ lives, and that they have on ours, the world becomes a brighter place.

It really is the little things we do on a daily basis that can have the greatest impact. So start today and be the change you wish to see in the world. Need inspiration? Here are 10 ways you can make the world a better place today…

1. Be happy! If every single person was happy, or truly cared about making themselves happy, the world would be a much happier place!

2. Find a cause or mission you are passionate about and get involved.

3. Teach your children about eating healthily and exercising to prevent chronic disease.

4. Plant a tree, a flower, a plant… the earth needs more greenery and we all benefit from it.

5. Walk or ride a bicycle to work – keep fit and do your bit for the environment.

6. Donate and help others – your time, money, clothes, books, food, organs – whatever you can. You could even give the gift of life by signing up to become an organ donor.

7. Surprise a loved one – it doesn’t matter whether it’s your child, partner, parent or even your dog – make someone feel special.

8. Buy products that reflect your values, like Free Range, organic, Fairtrade, etc.

9. Call or visit someone who is lonely or sick.

10. Carry out a random act of kindness: send someone a kind message; give a small gift; make something for someone; or tell someone how much they mean to you. There are so many ways to brighten someone’s day.

Remember that our thoughts become our actions and the sum of our actions becomes the lives that we lead. What will you do to improve the world today?

Collecting moments

Posted on 2015-05-13 at 5:56 pm.

Written by vbnz

Our next Do What You Love e-course is starting in June, and over the next few weeks we’ll be offering you a taste of what’s to come. During the course, you’ll be asked to go out with your camera and take pictures of things that put a smile on your face or a spring in your step, before turning those pictures into a mosaic or collage for safekeeping. Since this is one of Vickie’s favourite exercises from the course, we asked her to share her experience of it with you.

“I love to go exploring with my camera (these days it’s with my phone) and I have become a fan of Instagram over the past couple of years. You just can’t take a bad picture with Instagram. Editing the picture and adding those filters and effects are all part of the fun; they are a great way to capture the mood of that specific moment even better.

This exercise reminded me of how much I love taking pictures, and whatever I do in the future I want photography to be a part of it somehow.

Taking pictures is much more than just gathering memories, and the process is as important to me as the final picture.

It allows you to be more observant of what’s around you as you look for the perfect shot
It makes you think about light and contrast, colour and movement and you might find that you’re more creative than you thought
It allows you to live in the moment, be focused on what is happening here and now
It gives you an excuse to wander off the beaten track and explore places you wouldn’t go if you were just walking around. You’re not a random wanderer, you are a photographer on a mission!
It surprises you when you look back at your pictures that you have developed a style of your own – it makes you feel proud
It makes you think about what you are drawn to, what you like and which moments are important to you

Small moments, big wonders

My mosaic is about freedom, wonderment, sharing and playfulness. From top left and clockwise:

1/ Spring has arrived in Brighton and I love to feel the heat as I walk along the street. Feeling the sun on my face makes me smile and want to spend more time exploring outdoors. It makes me feel braver, as if I don’t need any protection anymore, I am free with my movements and choices.

2/ I am lucky enough to live by the sea, one of my favourite environments. My office is close to the seafront and I can pop out whenever I need a break. The sea is always there but it never looks the same. It makes me feel refreshed and full of new possibilities. When I go back to the office, it’s always with a new idea or solution in my head.

3/ Sharing afternoon tea with a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time. A lot of my friends live abroad and people sometimes ask me if I miss them. I don’t. I love the idea that there are people scattered around the world with whom I have a special connection. Just knowing that they are there is often enough. Meeting up after several months, years sometimes, and getting along as if we only last saw each other the other day – those are always magical moments.

4/ I got these vintage roller skates second hand and just looking at them makes me smile. This is something I used to love doing as a kid and hadn’t done since then. I recently had to go to a specific location for work and decided to skate there to make the ride more interesting. Well I wasn’t disappointed! Although I did have muscle cramps the next day (and a bruise on my left thigh), it was totally worth it!

5/ Every year during the winter hundreds of thousands of starlings gather around Brighton pier in the evenings to roost. It’s completely mesmerizing to watch them dance around the pier in the sunset. It is one of those wonders of nature that you watch in awe without completely understanding what’s going on.

6/ The month of May in Brighton is festival time. Streets and venues fill up with artists, musicians, comedians and it’s not rare to bump into tightrope walkers or even cowboys on a street corner! This was a man making giant soap bubbles. Soap and water. That’s all it took for kids and adults alike to let go ooohs and aaaahs as the bubbles danced into the wind and popped silently over our heads.”

Victoria (@vickieinwonderland)

The Do What You Love e-course will encourage you to explore in so many ways. We believe that knowing ourselves and our environment is key to having the confidence to achieve big things.

“I was and continue to be floored by this course – it was so valuable. I felt like it helped me focus on me, my interests, my desires, and what was holding me back from those things. I was more painfully honest with myself than I have been in years, but I also allowed myself to play more than ever. Since joining the course, I’ve blossomed into a new person. I feel like the course will continue working its magic for ages. It has a killer curriculum covering all the bases. I’m so absolutely pleased I chose this as a way to start turning my life around.” Course participant

Join us this June for the adventure of a lifetime.

Boost your creative power with The Little Beach Hut of Dreams

Posted on 2015-05-13 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

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!

Whatever you do for a living, or in your free time, creativity is an important part of life. As human beings we all need to find a way to express ourselves in order to feel fulfilled. But as Erwin Raphael McManus wisely said: “True creativity does not come easy; creativity is born of risk and refined from failure.” Whether you’re making music or art, writing books or poetry, taking photographs or designing the next big thing, creative blocks happen to even the best of us. So how can we break through them and return to that sweet spot where our ideas flow easily?

“Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective” ~ Mark Batterson

Sometimes we just need to slow down or switch off altogether, and often a change of scene can help too. Just by getting out and exploring the sights, smells and sounds we experience on our travels, we feel alive and invigorated. As Nick Skillicorn, CEO of Improvides, explains his TEDx Talk: “When the mind gets into a habit, it is actually very efficient at working on autopilot based on memory. If you provide new sensory input and make new decisions, such as going somewhere new for lunch, studies have shown you will have a short term boost to your creativity.”

Visiting new places and inspirational spaces can re-ignite our creativity and get us thinking in different ways. And this is one of the many reasons why Do What You Love has created The Little Beach Hut of Dreams; a tiny bolthole on the southern English coastline, with an uninterrupted view of the sea, where lovely people can escape to relax, dream, ponder, plan, create, wonder, and just be. And you’re invited to borrow it for a day – for free!

7 reasons why you should apply to become a Dreamer-In-Residence today:

1. There’s no electricity or wifi so it’s the perfect opportunity to switch off and enjoy a daylong digital detox.

2. You deserve time out to nurture your mind body and soul.

3. Being beside the seaside is good for your health. As well as helping you to feel relaxed and rejuvenated, the fresh sea air has purifying properties, which can help to eliminate negative emotions and promote natural healing.

4. It will remind you that life is magical and full of possibilities. Nothing beats gazing into the horizon to make you realize the amazing potential that lies within you, and that anything is possible.

5. You can reconnect with nature and be more mindful. Often we are so busy going about our daily lives that we forget to appreciate the amazing little things that make the world beautiful, like the clouds floating past in the sky, the waves crashing on the beach, or the sun setting on the horizon. But research shows that experiencing gratitude, and other positive emotions, boosts our creativity enabling us to do things like remember fine details vividly, think outside the box and link seemingly random ideas.

6. You can watch the world go by – strangers strolling gently past in no hurry to get anywhere, families eating ice-cream on the beach, couples wandering hand-in-hand along the Pier – and who knows, you might even make some new friends!

7. You’ll be inspired! The Little Beach Hut of Dreams is full of little surprises – like gorgeous books and fun little activities that will spark your creative thinking.

Everyone needs time and space to dream. We have built the space. You just need to find the time…

Apply to become a dreamer-In-Residence TODAY!

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, May 19. Find out more and apply here or click the image below.

On recalibrating

Posted on 2015-05-11 at 7:49 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

A while back I talked about how we often teach what we need to hear, and this has never been more true than right now, this very minute, as we kick off our new course The Business Soul Sessions. Today has been a day for recalibration and redirection and it has been exhilarating.

Rewind to yesterday, a glorious sunny day here on the south coast of England. Mr K and I took Sienna to Stanmer Park, a wonderful green space in the grounds of a stately home, complete with cows, a stone church and a sweet little tea room. We spent two solid hours laughing as we chased her round and round the field, stopping only to make a daisy chain crown for her hair.

She has been walking with assistance for months now, but for some reason, last week, she just decided to go for it and started walking unaided, round in circles, up steps, and even breaking into a little wobbly run. It was amazing. Pure joy, and she was so proud she kept clapping herself. Now the world must look very different to her, as she can go where she wants and look at anything that catches her eye.

For us yesterday was such a fun family day, and it made us start thinking ahead to the expansion of our family in the months ahead, with baby number two on the horizon (due at the end of July).

When Sienna was born I did a really bad job of juggling work and new motherhood, to the point where I exhausted myself, and probably did neither of them properly. This time we want to do it differently. We want to spend more time with the new little one, but also with Sienna as she gets used to having a little sister. So things need to be done differently.

With that in mind Mr K and I spent today working on our business development plan for the next few years, with thoughts of our family front of mind throughout the process. It was an invigorating day of brainstorming, questioning, challenging and imagining, and we are truly excited about what lies ahead. The best part? We were recalibrating for our change in lifestyle, but by REALLY focusing on what is important to us, came away with ideas that will make our business better as a result. (I look forward to sharing some of those things with you in the coming months…)

How did we do it? Using the resources from our very own Business Soul Sessions course! We took a selection of the worksheets from the course and powered through them in a mammoth café session. We came away with an extraordinary sense of clarity, direction and new ideas. It was so exciting to use our own course to help direct the next phase of our own business, and it makes complete sense.

Because having a soulful business is all about being clear on WHY you are doing what you are doing, serving WHO you want to serve, with WHAT they need, and doing it all in a way that makes you happy and makes you profits you can be proud of. But we all change and grow over time, our motivations change, our situations change, and the world outside our door changes. So it follows that your business needs to change, adapt and evolve with it. The principles of the Business Soul Sessions played a major role in the early days of our business, and I am thrilled that the course is equally valuable at this stage, because it’s about principles and possibility, which are important wherever you are with your business. (And it wasn’t just us – here’s a fantastic case study from designer Hannah Nunn who took the Beta version of the course a while back and has seen a 53% rise in sales, combined with a complete perspective shift – it’s an inspiring tale!)

If you think it’s time to recalibrate your own business, to get re-motivated, re-inspired, and ready to create much greater impact, profits and freedom, then join us. Class has just begun but you can still squeeze in here if you are quick!

This week we’d like to challenge you to think about what areas of your life could do with recalibration. What have you been doing the same for a while now, even though something has changed – your circumstances, your friendship group, your interests or whatever. Think about it, and take a moment to reflect and recalibrate today.

Have a great week!

Beth and team

Shabnah’s day at the Little Beach Hut of Dreams

Posted on 2015-05-11 at 3:16 pm.

Written by vbnz

Last summer, Shabnah became a Little Beach Hut of Dreams resident for a day. She had intended to use her time to plan her next big trip abroad, but when she arrived the tranquillity won over, and she ended up planning very little – which turned out to be exactly what she needed! Here’s how Shabnah spent her day by the sea.

“I stumbled upon the The Little Beach Hut of Dreams during a google-search of things to cheer me up. The name was so enticing, the pictures pretty and Beth’s description enough to make me read everything on the website twice. I dismissed applying to be a dreamer-in-residence as it required what felt like the kind of bravery I was no longer familiar with. Also the deadline was a few hours after an interview for a job I didn’t even know if I wanted (hence the google-search distraction).

Still, I’d been preoccupied with the idea of pressing ‘pause’ on life for a while, and the idea of doing it in such soothingly stunning surroundings kept whispering to me. So an hour before the deadline, armed with a strong cup of tea and throbbing post-interview headache I completed the application, cringingly forced myself to record a youtube clip (since deleted), found a picture taken a summer ago on a day when all the stress and wrinkles had fallen out and pressed submit promising myself I wouldn’t think about it anymore.

The excitement I felt when Beth wrote to say I was successful was quickly overshadowed by suspicion and self-doubt: Why me? Would she regret it? I was also terrified – would I be able to deliver what I’d said I would do with the time, or would I ‘waste’ it stressing about the ‘right’ thing to do? All these emotions within the space of a few minutes on a Sunday evening! Despite briefly considering being a wimp and declining her offer because I was scared I’d fail at it, whatever ‘it’ was, I accepted, because obviously that was what I really wanted. And then I allowed myself to get excited.

I had been hoping only for dry weather but was fortunate enough to have unrelenting sunshine. Initially waiting by the wrong beach hut I finally arrived at the right place a little late, flustered and warm from rushing. I’d all but committed the pictures on the website to memory, the hut was even more beautiful in the flesh; perfectly kitted out with incredible attention to detail. By the time I’d said hello, sat down and taken off my coat, several layers of everyday-living-stress had fallen off. If this wasn’t enough kindness to a random stranger, Beth left me with a prettily-wrapped present which I decided to save till I got home; then opened twenty minutes later.

I’d come prepared with a case of books, notebooks, ‘to do’ lists and various other paraphernalia, determined to get the most out of my time here and not let anyone down by wasting it. Sadly this is how I’ve been living my life over the last few years – desperately cramming things in to prove to myself I am capable and moving forwards without stopping to think about what things would actually take me where I might want to go. Even on the walk down I’d mentally ticked off the order in which I would do things – update my to do list, a guided meditation because God knows I need to chill out, a few stretches, plan my upcoming trip overseas, a few creative writing exercises etc. etc. And I was going to list it as I went along so that when I got home and wondered what I’d done with the day I could show myself.

Luckily when I sat down with that uninterrupted view of the sea and the sound of the waves, all that unproductive nervous energy and everything I’d manically planned just evaporated in one big exhale. Instead of stretching I drank in every detail and sat there with a silly smile on my face. I read for a tiny bit, lay down to watch and listen to the waves, felt the sun and did absolutely nothing. For several weeks, maybe months, I’d been trying to get back to ‘being’ instead of ‘doing.’ In trying so desperately to achieve it I’d missed the point completely. There at the beach hut it returned to being the most natural thing in the world. My breathing got slower and slower and when I thought about all the things I ‘had’ to do they seemed very far away and really not that important.

A few people stopped to say hello, admire the hut and express envy. A random guy stopped to take my photo and a lady who had thought about applying herself sat down for a longer chat about work and the importance of making space for our creative sides, whatever form that may take.

For the first time in ages I found time to do a little writing, imposing no expectations on the quality of what I produced. I did read a tiny bit of my guidebook but planned little. The majority of the day was spent doing exactly what I had been craving when I first found out about the beach-hut – pressing pause and just being.

When Beth returned I was feeling pleasantly floaty, but wandering home was almost forcing myself to make that feeling last. Luckily since then I have put a few reminders of the hut around my home. Every time I catch sight of one I am taken to that silence within my previously overactive, second-guessing mind. When I applied 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.”

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. 2 months ago Shabnah started the job she wasn’t sure she wanted – and so far so good.

If you could do with a day by the sea, to plan, play or just to be, apply for a residency at the Little Beach Hut of Dreams this summer. It’s amazing what a difference a day for yourself can make.

Nature’s beauty is everywhere

Posted on 2015-05-08 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Nature has so much to offer us, if we simply slow down to enjoy it. This week, just for a few moments each day, be present and appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. What makes you smile and feel grateful to be part of this amazing, awe-inspiring world? We’d love you to share your special moments in nature in the comments below…