Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Starting out......a New Year



It's been a quiet start to the year for My Handmade Heart this year. 
There has been lots of reflecting, relaxing, organising, downsizing and upgrading.

To start the year off we bought a car (thanks my INCREDIBLE parents) and will finally be learning to drive!! This means lots of road trips in the not too distant future, and I can see myself  demanding stop off's at every antique store and roadside farmers stall we encounter for a while.

Sadly it also meant saying goodbye to my garage artists studio to make way for said car, and cramming what I could into our tiny office, but I'm determined not to let it stop me and the downsize will hopefully contribute to the more simplified and less frenetic approach I want to take this year.

I had been finding myself increasingly distracted by social media and other goings on around the interweb in 2012 and it was really starting to bother me that I was spending so much time staring at a screen instead of using my hands and creating.

I diagnosed myself (thanks to The Red Thread) with Creative ADD some time back and adding overuse of the Internet, and overexposure to far to many amazing inspiring projects and people to that mix has basically meant my brain has been far to overwhelmed with ideas to actually do anything with them.

This year is all about stepping back and taking stock. I still plan to be Blogging and Instagraming and updating the Facebook page every so often but personal use is to be curtailed and my focus will be on what makes me happy and not what's on trend or what the bright young things are doing.

I've come to accept that I may NEVER be cool, I probably won't be a design darling any time soon and will most likely not be sharing magazine spreads with the likes of  Tamara Maynes or Lisa Tilse (unless I'm VERY lucky) but I will be making things I LOVE and if they happen to find homes or admirers then that is all I need to keep me motivated and making!

I hope 2013 is a year of wonderful good things and nice people for you all!

3 comments:

Paravent said...

Yah! I absolutely agree, Nikki - it's the same for me :) There are far too many distractions and not enough making gets done here as well. I'm always having to pull myself back and focus on why I'm doing this ... and yes, fame and fortune are not likely options for me ;) Congratulations on your new car and best wishes for the driving lessons! I haven't got that far myself but always thinking how nice it would be to just hop in the car and do things ;) Have a fabulous 2013! Kx

My Handmade Heart // Nikki Croft said...

Hello Kylie! So glad im not the only one feeling it! Also its nice to know the connections I made years ago with amazing creative's such as yourself are still here! I love what you have been doing over at Paravent, your colour choices in the last year have been so perfect! Strange that so many creative's seem to not be Drivers!! That makes 3 that I know of now!

lisa :: the red thread said...

Oh yeah, I so feel that too. It's all too much and too overwhelming visually... that's why I can't do Facebook or Pinterest. Pinterest in particular is just visual overload and makes my head spin. I also think that it's way too easy to start comparing yourself to others and to come off feeling second best.
I'm so flattered by your mentions of me - although I'm not sure the praise is deserved! Thank you all the same. Good luck with the stepping back. x