Next summer, please tell me

Tell me that I need this time to escape to the wilderness. Tell me that rest and long walks and absorbing books are what I need. Tell me that what looks like free time is a window of gentler, slower time. Tell me that these things are just as they should be.

Even without children, I find it hard to keep up with blogging and social media over the summer. Susannah Conway's August Break is one good way around this, but this summer I wasn't feeling even that. It's been a busy time of people coming here, me going there, lots of rain, little internet access. There's been a lot of emotion. A face from the past that came with a lot of memories, good and bad. A name from the past, showing up in the briefest obituary, so out of date that the elapsed time was almost more shocking than the death. And I got bitten by a cat, badly enough to need urgent care, luckily not emergency care though. That was a shock to the system too.

And then, rest, recovery and stillness. Oh, and some of this...

Old steamroller living quarters

Inside: my bedroom for the week

And now, raring to go, lots of new ventures up my sleeve. I'll tell you more later, but this next photo represents a very big step indeed. More soon...

The 100 Day Project: what I learned

Did you sign up for #the100dayproject? Today is Day 101, so you may have to wait until next year if you didn't. Loads of people managed all 100 days. Look at all these amazing projects. 

I didn't. My project was #100daysofmakingmymark and I put pen, brush or pencil to paper around 50/100 deliberately for the project. I only shared my work 34/100 times. 

I'm okay with that and here's why. I didn't give up the first time I missed a run of days. I didn't give up the second time, or the time after that. I kept trying, right up until Day 100 (above). I learned a lot in the process:

• I suspect I would've done better with more limitations. I thought mark-making would allow me to use whatever I was doing at the time. Instead, I think it stopped me setting up a practice. 
  • Next time, I will choose one thing and set up a space for that for the duration, with all supplies to hand.
• Creating and sharing are two very different processes for me. I found I often was off-line on the days I made my mark and sometimes I didn't make it to the capture and share stage.
• It inspired me to try a consistent visual style for the photography, but that meant there was a little more in the way of sharing.
  • Next time, I'll be more deliberate about sharing. I'll plan time for that, and maybe plan to work one day behind, sharing yesterday's work.
  • And I should have my photography nook set up soon, which will help.
• Sharing unfinished work, practice marks and experiments can feel very hard.
• I just read Gretchen Rubin's book "Better Than Before" and I understand a lot more what sort of person I am when it comes to habit-forming. (There's a quiz. I love a quiz.)

If you did a 100 day project, how did you get on? Feel free to link in the comments.

Clean Slates, Fresh Starts and Birthday Resolutions

I'm a sucker for a fresh start. I love New Year's Day, September and my birthday. Hey, even a new notebook or a Monday is a good enough reason to declare a clean slate. This year I'm in luck because my new planner starts the same week as my birthday.

Equipment for the journey:
Water  You have to hydrate, people! And we're lucky, we have clean water delivered straight to at least two rooms in our homes - remember those without that privilege.

Washi tape, sticky flags, pens you like  If you're going to do admin, a bit of flair makes it more pleasant. Quill is nice. So is Papermash. I like Lollipop Designs too.

Planner  If you want to do more of something, it helps to plan for it and record it happening (if you read Gretchen's latest book, you'll know why). This one is Elisa Blaha Cripe's Get to Work Book, but I have a Hobonichi Techo for my social and family stuff (cutest video ever) and a Filofax for blog-planning (that might just get edged out by the Get to Work Book, we'll see).

Cheerleaders  It helps to have people who believe in you and understand what you're trying to do. I can't share mine with you, but I hope they know who they are!

Coaches  It helps to have people who've been there before and made a good thing of it. Jenny Hyde is a mentor for creative small businesses, and her blog always picks me up and sends me off feeling positive and like I know where to start. I'm reading Gretchen Rubin's "Better than Before" which is all about habits and how to harness their power. It's the kind of book which I have to read snippets from out loud, every page or two. I'm inspired to bursting by Jen Lee: her film Indie Kindred explores what it's like working for yourself as a creative and models beautifully how we can shine a light and give each other a hand. Her book with Tim Manley, The 10 Letters Project, explores similar themes in beautiful language.