20 January 2018

All in a year

A year has seriously gone so quickly, truth be told I didn't think we would make it, I just turn into the most self conscious self loathing human when I get into a relationship but somehow he still likes me. He's probably the best human I've come across I was going to bail on our first date as I had such fail with men in the past but I am really glad I decided to sit and chat shit for a few hours. 

You have seemingly completely obviously taken all of my bad memories of previous mean men and made me feel loved even though sometimes you forget to tell me I know you care and that will do just fine with me. 

I have learnt a lot about myself in the last year, verdured to a few new places and realised my favourite people are northerners. Rekindled my love for music so much so that I have decided to learn to play guitar so I can impress you with my rendition of wonder wall. I've taken a hell of a lot less selfies, I've gained a solid stone because I discovered its ok again to love food. I know full well that my mum would of approved which is always good in my books. Even though he's still away I miss him everyday and only another thirty or so days left to go before I get that hug that I think we both deserve. 
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9 January 2018

why I had a mini break down on Instagram stories


Yep, anyone that follows me on instagram will probably have seen me over sharing life frequently in my stories and I personally really love using the feature, I don't do amazing fancy well curated stories like the amazing Carrie over at WishWishWish I should probably swot up on her latest tips on how to, but anyway. I work pretty hard on the illustration side of things and yesterday morning it all came to a bit of a head, I received an email from a customer and I highly value all my customers. Bear in mind I had been trying to get into my emails for 6 days after a hacking session by some persistent peeps, anyway I manage to get in and I am confronted with this one email. It makes my heart sink because I put so much of my energy into getting all my paintings out to people as quickly as I humanly can and you know what sometimes you can't please everyone. I worked on nearly fifteen hundred portraits and painting for clients on the lead up to Christmas and nine hundred of these were wonderful pet portraits. So ideally that one email shouldn't of got to me right?! Wrong, a creative person I have found is often very sensitive and I don't consider myself someone who has a weak nature or someone that gives up easily. But this morning I did, I decided to voice how I felt on my Instagram stories in the hope it would reach people that don't read my blog or care for the captions below my Instagram photos. 

It dawned on me, I wasn't happy doing it anymore, I love my customers but I wasn't happy churning out pieces that didn't make my heart sing anymore. So I made the decision to stop taking commissions through my shop, it will be a massive cut in my wages but I was starting to lower the cost of my art. People were referring to them as prints, but they are painted by hand, often people expect them to be created and posted the next day. All the relevant information is in my terms and conditions. I think we've become so accustomed to the ASOS and Amazon prime mentality of swift next day service. It forced me to fall out of love with something I started doing only this time last year. 

Commissions for me are my bread and butter work, its that simple, and its great to be so in demand but what I failed to realise when I saw the pound signs coming in, that my mental health with suffer. Its plummeted to an all time low. I draw for 16 hours a day, I remember to eat probably once a day and I only take myself out to post my orders. I began to feel immense guilt that people were seeing how "well" I was but deep down I was so exhausted and lonely. It was becoming unhealthy and unsustainable I was snapping at my boyfriend whilst he's away and it almost got to the point I didn't want to be with him anymore because all I wanted was a hug and he couldn't. When your work starts to impact on your personal life, well there were two options facing me take my shop in a direction where I feel in control or to quit completely for six months but I know me well and I would probably just work anyway so I decided its within my power to shape the shop I want to own.

I have decided to out source all my prints, totes, cards, pins, badges and patches because off the back of the commissions I had a few pennies to be able to afford some flashy printed goodies and why not. I'm finding the process of pin making at certain manufacturers to be a struggle getting my head around. But its all learning and will be good for me in the future when it comes to ordering more. I've invested more money in my business in 2018 then in the last 4 years of having my company and I think it was because I was fearful of failure and wasting money, but I feel a lot more determined to give this a go because I have learnt from the painful mistake of over working. So I guess the the long and short of it is I have found my worth again, I will still be available for commissions but this will be via email, not via my shop there wont be any discounts and my prices will be going put my time and energy is important and no amount of money is worth losing them for again.

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7 January 2018

Why I find it hard to relate to some people


Life can be a right shitter can't it?! you know some days I really can't be arsed to get out of bed let alone face the day with any sort of positive vibe. Its a struggle when you've got depression and anxieties weighing down on you. I give myself daily pep talks that I will nail sales today, I will get all my orders done or even talk myself round to going to the gym, because without a voice of support and guidance those depressive thoughts can get the better of you. Now I know my job isn't crazy demanding in the way that I have to clock in and talk to a boss on daily basis but I have to still to my own schedule, pack my own orders, do all my work admin and still somehow participate in family things, friendships and general everyday functions like going to the gym and eating right. I'm not going to lie since Ben's been away over 9 weeks now, I've seen a handful of friends and the others just seen to drop me vague messages of hope you're coping I couldn't live without my partner for a day.

It gives me flash backs to the weeks after my Mum died, these people would avoid texting me, bailing on coffee dates and only want to talk to me when they needed my help or felt obliged to drop me the occasional "I have no idea how you're coping you're braver then me." You have no idea unless you've experienced a loss that those kind of words hit you in the gut every time. Its not hard to imagine losing someone you're close to its not hard to imagine being away from a partner for 4 months, its jut a lazy response and its frustrating to say the least, I have spoken about It in the past and how word and conversations like that are really negative. 

The last two and half years life has really thrown me some curve balls, varying from domestic violence court cases, a mothers death, stolen money, business stresses and a personal cancer scare. All these troubles have made me very hard nosed and I guess rather selfish, less compassionate and I find it hard to relate to people who have been handed things simply and easily in life. Don't get me wrong I'm sure they've had a few of life stresses thrown at them, but its made me be more practical in the friendships and love I dish out. 

But I guess you could look at it positively its made me fiercely independent with everything in my life. I no longer text certain friends for advice I go with my gut and just do it. I don't wait around for someone to go out with me I go alone, I'm less incline to second guess myself as I've become able to rely on my gut. I try now to no longer spend my time annoyed that they don't understand, I don't instantly reply to their messages, I take my time, as I have found my time is more important then the demands of someone who doesn't make the effort for me, I'm still riddled with anxieties over this way of doing things, but something has to change. I chose to spend my energy on the people that have shown me unwavering love in the last few years. I love myself more and try my hardest to beat myself up less. All I can do is control my reaction to the situation, I can't control the person treating me badly. 

I feel people serve a purpose in our life for a reason, I'm slowly learning that sometimes we grow apart and its ok to put our wants and need before these toxic people because it only makes us feel like worst. I beat myself up for not being able to relate to their petty issues, petty is probably a harsh word but we will go for it for now. To them these issues may seem like mountains to over come but life has been pretty hard and I guess its all circumstantial. I am learning to be more patient and trying to slowly become more understanding but its tough when you've pretty much been dealing with everyday alone for nearly three years. I guess we can't always relate to the people in our lives and thats ok, when the gap widens to an extent that a bridge can no longer be built to aid the friendship maybe putting yourself first my lessen the blow. Don't spend 2018 fuelling friendships and love that become to much like hard work. 
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3 January 2018

My simple New Years Resolutions



 New skills 

I haven't picked up or played a guitar in around 10 years it was always my childhood ambition to learn to play and I could a little as a kid but I would always become so damn frustrated with it and give up after a session or two and this would go on for a few years. Now I am not going to claim I'm going to rise to super stardom with my playing but I just want to spend my time between drawing actually learning something new. Last year I learnt how to drive so this year I want to learn something far cheaper and just as rewarding. Truth be told this guitar was a struggle to pick treating myself to something a little pricey don't worry it wasn't crazy money, but after four attempts (three refunds )and asking a mate who plays in Black Foxxes to help me pick I settled on this Fender CD-60s in Black because obviously everything I own has to be black!


Reading 

Oh I neglected my reading books towards the end of last year in favour of endlessly scrolling my way through my phone which can I say for the record bought no joy to my life, I am half way through Life by Keith Richard, half way through IT and I've just started Matt Haig how to stop time which I reserve solely for reading in the bath, my break time. I haven't always been the biggest fan of reading but since Mum passed away, I've really enjoyed blocking out my sad thoughts that come when I'm alone with reading a good book. Don't get me wrong I did manage to finish a few books in 2017 but this year I'm hoping less social media scrolling and more fulfilling reading. 


Friendship 


Interacting with people in 2017 was somewhat lacking, I started a new relationship with my wonderful boyfriend which is how I spent most of my evenings and weekends, exploring London, eating at new places and as lovely and amazing as that was I neglected to connecting with a lot of my friends. I could probably count my closest mates on one hand, and what I have learned in my nearly 30 years of existence that is isn't the quantity but the quality of friendship that has meant more to me. So this year I am going to try and be there more for my friends as for the last few years I feel they've given and shown me a lot of love that deservedly needs to be give back.


Tattoos

Probably not really a resolution but I wanted to make more of a start on my right arm sleeve, 2017 saw me get probably one of my most important tattoos to date. One of my tributes to my mum based on my favourite Ben Howard song that has significants, you can read all about it here where I chat about the story behind my latest tattoo, I gained fifteen new tattoos on both my arms and legs and this year, I hope to book in a with a few of my favourite tattooist, to get my elbows, right sleeve and Knee caps done. Its going to be the year of finishing things and get the art work I want on my body.

These are pretty basic resolutions granted, but I am no longer going to worry to much about weightless even when I was a size 6 I hated how I looked so I'm going to focus all of those thoughts and worries about changing my body into actually living a good life and becoming a better person. So in 2018 I am keeping it simple which I chatted about with work in my Secrets to success in 2018 and now in my personal life.
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