Roaming In Rome

So it's been a while! I actually haven't thought about writing for such a long time as I've been crazy busy making glittery plans and working on my small biz of colourful and sparkly accessories. And then the other day I was just going through my photos looking for something and I started going through some holiday photos. It was then that I thought, as much as I truly love my small business and the passion and drive I have to work hard for it, I really just need a short break to somewhere new. I started going through old photos from a trip to Rome beginning of last year, and I just got that exciting feeling you get when you reminisce about a holiday. So I decided to share some of my photos, not just on Instagram like I usually do, but actually write about it.

I fell in love with Rome from the moment I saw it. There is just something so beautiful about seeing so much history and culture, remains of a place that still gets more and more magical by day. Even though it was literally zero degrees most of the time, the walking around and exploring was so much fun. Italian food is one of my favourite cuisines; there is always something to choose from no matter what you fancy. Travelling to a new place always makes me feel inspired as soon as I get back home, and it definitely makes me work smarter with a clear and refreshed mind.

So even though I'll be posting a lot about my small biz in the future (well I intend to), I hope you enjoy looking through my photos, and if you've not yet been to Rome, I'd highly recommend it! Please just don't do what I did and go in the midst of Winter, when it was way too cold to eat any gelato or enjoy the rooftop view from the hotel.

What to do when you don't feel creative..

Do you ever have those days when you wake up and you don't feel inspired at all? I woke up like this today. It's bad enough on a normal day when you have a long lost of things to do, but on a Monday morning, it definitely sucks twice as much.

One of the reasons why I knew I wanted to start up my own label is because I don't like being told what to do. When I'm working for someone else and helping them towards achieving their own goals, it definitely doesn't inspire me. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I don't like helping people that I love, I'll definitely admit that it makes you so much happier when you see others happy. But I just feel like I have my own goals that I want to work towards, and if I don't spend a certain amount of time each day being creative, I'll be in a crappy mood.

So you've got your own creative business and you're having one of those days? Don't panic if you can't get that design right, or you're painting out of the lines, or even worse you've spilt your dirty paint water everywhere or sewn the pattern completely wrong.

TAKE A BREATHER!

Make yourself a coffee or herbal tea (or any drink/snack that you prefer) and take a quick break. You might want to carry on soldiering on in your usual workspace/desk or you may prefer to change the scenery. Depending on what you'll feel like doing, you could maybe go for a stroll in the park which I always find helps the mind and sparks creativity. The amazing thing about working for yourself is that YOU can decide what you want to do and when you want to do it! I'm sure you've got plenty to be getting on with, so here's a list of things that I like to do. They might not all work for you, but I hope they can atleast give you a little bit of inspiration..

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1. Grab a notebook and start making lists of things you need to do, maybe things that you need to prepare for. There's always some sort of list to make and I find that it helps me feel like I'm getting things done and being organised when I'm ticking things off my lists.

2. Reply back to those emails that you've been putting off. Little things like this don't take long to do but they do make you feel productive and a little less stressed. It doesn't seem very professional when you take days to send a reply, and with technology now it's so easy to communicate with clients/suppliers any time of the day.

3. Research! If you're starting a new project or looking for ideas you can get started on creating a moodboard or collecting sources. Pinterest is a great way of doing this, and so so easy! This might lead you to having new ideas and help get that creative spark back sooner than you know it!

4. Read a book. Whether it's one that's related to what you do and educational, or a biography of a person you admire, it will help you feel relaxed and get your thinking cap on. This is something that I do a lot and at times I'll get bored and instantly just decide that I'm in the mood to be creative again.

5. If you write a blog about your work or what you do, this might be a good time to plan a new post or type up one that you've been planning but putting off. It'll make you feel like you're reaching out to your readers and customers and you'll also be doing something productive at the same time.

6. Listen to inspiring music. Words help me be creative. Song lyrics inspire me. The type of music I listen to always depends on my mood, and this varies a lot. It might not help everyone but I do think this can spark your creative thoughts and lead to new ideas.

7. Put together colour palettes. For me, colour is so effective as I still associate certain things like shapes, numbers and days of the week with their very own colour. Colour helps me with my thinking and coming up with new designs.

8. Get other things done such as cooking/cleaning etc. Yes this will not help you get your actual work done, but if you're really not in the mood then why push yourself so much? If you get other things ticked off your list then you'll feel less stressed, and you'll have more time later on to get back to being creative when you're in the mood.

9. Try a new technique. So you paint and sell your artwork on canvases? Why not paint on fabric and make a bag out of it? Or you make clothes but you've been thinking about finding a pair of embellished shoes that will go with your plain velvet skirt? Get creative and do some customising. It will get you thinking and give you new ideas. And you'll definitely learn something new!

10. Social Media. Why not spend some time refining your Facebook page or your Twitter profile? Connect with your customers on Instagram or Etsy and let them know about what you've been up to. Don't underestimate genuine conversation with people who are fans of your designs. People definitely like to know the person they are buying products from, as there is a reason they are buying handmade, unique products rather than something from the high street.

So that's my list of ideas which I hope will help you when you're not feeling very creative. Keep busy and you'll get that spark back in no time. Let me know if you guys have any other things that you like to do as I'd love to know whether other people do the same or if there's anything new that I've never tried. I hope you enjoyed this post. xo

My Insta-Diary

Birthday cake for breakfast anyone? Since my birthday I've been binging on lots of sugary things, especially as January is a very popular month for birthdays in the family. My breakfast normally consists of anything chocolatey and a strong coffee. I've just recently discovered flavoured syrups for my coffee and they are so amazing for the cold, frosty mornings when you just want to stay in bed all day. I'm in love with a gingerbread flavoured syrup which I've been adding to my morning coffee errryday!

Since Christmas my days have been occupied with me coming up with new designs, sampling products, ordering stock and prepping for the next few months. I've got some exciting things coming up which you guys will find out about nearer to the time. Even my Instagram has been fairly quiet-can you believe it?! So here's a few snaps that I've posted so far this month. I'm loving my plate which you can buy from Art Rookie here. xo

The Anti Bucket List

So with it being the last day of 2015 I thought I'd look back and remember the highlights of my year. I'm not a strong believer of New Year's resolutions as I feel that you should be bettering yourself and improving every day of your life, not just once a year. I guess it's also because a lot of the time people tend not to stick to them for very long.

But I've seen a lot of people doing the 'Anti Bucket List' where they've listed all the good things they've done and the fun memories they have. I first read it on What Olivia Did and thought it was a great way to make yourself feel good about your achievements. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others, thinking about what we haven't managed to do and what is still left to do, that we kind of take our focus away from all the things we have achieved.

So I decided to write my own Anti Bucket List on here. I've learnt so much this year, whether it was related to my work/designing or not. I do believe that creativity isn't just your work, but how you live your lifestyle. Everything that you do certainly has some creative thoughts within the process, whether it's what you decide to have for dinner, which route you decide to take on a drive, or how you interpret a song. So as a creative soul who decided to swap a 9-5 job for a more creatively and mentally challenging project, I feel that every little step during the day affects the way you work and how inspired you feel. I've listed some of my best highlights of the year. Here goes..

-I went on my first ever trip to Dublin with a bunch of lovely girls, saw some beautiful sights and experienced things like traditional Irish food and Irish dancing. Although it was a short trip, it was eye opening and taught me a handful about the culture.

-I saw SClub7 in concert! Seeing as this had been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old it's definitely made it to the top of the list! The best part of the night was meeting them all after the show and getting a few pictures with some of them!

-An amazing trip to Barcelona that was full of inspiration, energy, and excitement. Although I've visited a few times now, it's one place I can never get bored of. Every time I go I manage to discover something new and fall in love all over again.

-Spending a weekend away in Belfast for a beautiful wedding in a breathtaking countryside resort. I got to see some of the most wonderful greenery and buildings that looked like they'd been taken out of a fairytale.

-I got to spend the August Bank Holiday with some of my favourite people ever, for the first time EVER! Considering that up until this year I'd been working every single Bank Hol at the end of summer, it definitely felt good to actually enjoy it with people I love. We explored the streets of Brighton, experienced a seagull coming straight at us and stealing an ice cream, and spent time in London just sightseeing and having a chilled weekend. Read Prim's post here.

-During an evening out I bumped into Claudio Ranieri. If you're not into football then you probably won't know who he is or what he's achieved during his career. But this being a dream of mine since I was in school, I was thrilled to have actually met him and taken a cheeky selfie!

-I finally went to Budapest and it is seriously one of the hidden gems in Europe. There's so much to see and learn and it is all filled with unique experiences and culture.

-I got to spend heaps of time with family and loved ones, creating so many new memories together. Whether it being at home or taking trips up north to a small town in Scotland, I'd definitely consider this a luxury.

-I managed to do a lot of DIY (all by myself) fixing book shelves for all those pages of inspiration I've collected, and building up my own workspace.

-I learnt to cook some great healthy meals, being creative with the flavouring and changing up the ingredients to suit my taste, obvs!

-I actually met the greatest football manager of ALL time. A man I've admired for a long time, for his strong work ethic, his unique techniques and the way he expresses his individuality without being scared of what anyone else may think. He's truly the Special One.

-Best one of them all; I started selling my own designs! I'm hoping to move forward with this and I have lots of new ideas for the coming year. Hoping for the best, xo