Around 18 months ago, in the middle of a year that many people would rather forget, I was fortunate to be able to arrange some leave from my job so that I could focus on other things in life.
Just hours after arriving home from that last day of work, I had developed a multi-page ‘to do’ list (which was no surprise for me) and the diary was quickly filling up with many of the things that get put off when you don’t have enough time in each working day. Those first few days of leave had my head spinning with the shuffling of priorities, as I struggled to find what was going to be the right fit for getting things done, while also allocating time to things that had previously never made the list.
One of my priorities, was to find new ways to get creative. More specifically, I wanted to find other creative people, be inspired by things I see, challenge myself to learn new things, as well as finding a way to share my own creative experiences with others. It wouldn’t be obvious to the world just yet, but I am pleased to say that over the last year I have made a start on doing all of that!
So that brings me to why I am here.. I have always enjoyed sharing stories of my making ‘adventures’ but this has been limited to my personal social media, family and friends. While I am sure that some of the great people in my life also enjoy these things, I have been keen to connect with others that have a passion for creating and making all kinds of things just like me. In order to do this, I decided that setting up accounts for my ‘making’ life, with a web page/blog that allows me to go into a bit more detail for those that are interested was probably a good way to go.
Me, being me, I’ve gotten a bit carried away with the idea on a few occasions – with the idea turning into a full blown business plan, with online presence, custom manufacturing, shopfront, my own school, employees and more, before I snapped back to reality where all I really wanted to do was share some stories about things I make with similarly interested people!
I’ve been lucky to have many supportive and encouraging people around me over the years, with some saying, ‘Oh wow, you could start your own business doing that!’
Although I am currently happy with just sharing the odd post and continuing to be inspired by other crafty people online and in person, I am not ruling out the possibility of finding a new creative pathway in life if an opportunity presents itself.
It has taken me a while, but I think I have found some middle ground with my new creative identity – ‘Maker of Many Things’
Who knows what will happen next!
