maintaining the clarity

So I was talking about my lightbulb moment in the my last post, and how I believe that simplifying life is key to a calmer mind. For me, at least.

I was thinking about this and how I often have these moments of clarity, but then they get swept up in the maelstrom of my mind.

Why is it, that in an instant I can see so vividly what needs to be done, and how to do it, and in the next moment it's gone, blurred in amongst all the other head chatter.

It feels like I'm in the sea, head under water, vision blurry with so much to see and none of it distinct. Then, just for a moment, my head pops above the surface, and I can clearly see the shore and the horizon. I know where I am, and where I need to be, and I am sure I can get there.
Then there's a wave, a change in current, and I'm back under...trying to make sense of the smudge of blues and greens in front of my eyes...trying to focus on what needs my attention.

This makes me think I need a buoyancy aid of some kind. But I'm not sure what form that will take as yet.

I do find the writing things down helps. Once it's down on paper, it's out of my head, and there's one less thought in the whirlpool that exists in there.

Do you journal? I do, sporadically. It's more of a brain download, that's how I refer to it. No doodling or pretty tapes and coloured pens. Just pen to paper and let it spew out.
Emotional vomit is how I once heard it termed. Pretty damn accurate!
And I only ever journal when I've something to try and sort out, or something bad has happened and I need to offload, without the requirement of a full conversation about it.

I always feel relieved after a journalling session - it's hugely cathartic - and I ALWAYS write way more than I think I will, and never stick to the topic I had in mind. Ha ha!

Tangents upon tangents....out it flows.

My mind quietens, shoulders release their tension, my jaw slackens and I am no longer gritting my teeth. I feel peace.

This is especially useful if I've been struggling with sleep - I usually fall asleep okay, but then either have mad, bonkers dreams that are hyper vivid, and exhausting...like living a whole other life in my sleep. Or, I wake up numerous times in the night - I have to get out of bed to reset (cue five trips to the loo), before climbing back in and falling back to sleep.

Talking things through with a friend is supremely helpful, especially of you're both having similar issues. This shared problem solving is much more positive and productive, than simply moaning to a friend who either doesn't have the problem, or can't relate to it.
There's too much (inherited Catholic..which I'm not!) guilt associated with that kind of sharing for me, as there's rarely any progress made...just noise coming out of my mouth...and there's been far too much of that over the past couple of years, so I try to find another solution where possible.
[Though sometimes only a good old chuntering sesh with a friend will do, whilst out stomping, or over a brew or a G and T]

~
Now where was I? See, this happens all the time, I have a very clear idea/thought in my head, and am working my way through it, when *poof* off it floats, like a spider web on the breeze, and I simply can't get a firm grasp on it again. Infuriating!
Thankfully, because I'm actually sat typing all of this out, I can retrace my thoughts, and get back to where I was.
~

Following on from the talking with a friend point, accountability is a great tool!

Either find a friend or colleague who has the same issue, and agree that you'll both check in with each other, to make sure you are keeping with the program. Each declares (or in text, message, email) what they intend to do/achieve/change to the other, and by doing that they are making themselves accountable. It's no longer a fanciful thought in your head, but an 'out in the world' promise to yourself, and someone knows about it. And they'll be talking with you to see how you're getting on, and vice versa, and there to share ideas, what has and hasn't worked for them, relevant articles they've read, lightbulb moments. You can each monitor one another's progress and help each other to stay true to your chosen paths, with regular checkins and updates. You also have someone to talk to when things go awry...a sounding board.

Another way of doing this, if you haven't got a friend in the same boat, is to find someone who has been there and found their way through it, who will be happy to be your sounding board. A mentor of sorts.

The thing I miss most about working in my old accounting office, is having my colleague across the room to bounce things off. We'd chat through issues, remind one another how to do certain formulae on our spreadsheets, boost one another when one was having a particularly tough day, and talk through the best way to handle a problem. Priceless.

Consciously telling myself to take a moment, just stop, take stock, think things through one at a time, and then go forward in a methodical way, is a great exercise. Breaking things down into their component parts, makes it much simpler to see what needs to be done, and in what order.

This does have the disadvantage of needing to be done alone, by me...but with the help of a pad, pen and the ever faithful list, it can still work. I have to make sure I keep referring to the list/notes, to stay on track.

Another thing I've learned, and been increasingly aware of in recent months is not to force things. If an issue is proving particularly stubborn, leave it be for a while. Walk away and let your mind process everything you're thinking or feeling about it, and often the answer will come naturally, organically, instinctively.

I'd been thinking about blogging, brainstorming subjects, ideas etc, and putting it off for ages, because I couldn't think of a topic that didn't feel forced or trite.

This morning I started to compose an Instagram post, which naturally became the previous, Simplify, post.

Instead of over thinking, and forcing content into my head, I gave myself the space to generate an idea...a post on something that felt relevant and real, and something I wanted to talk about. Not because: it was on trend; it was relevant to my business; or because it linked into a recent product design; but simply because it is supremely pertinent to me right now, and part of why I am struggling to keep up a consistent presence on social media.

I also recognised that the post was growing in my head as I typed, and so headed over to my blog to make the most of it.

Planning and scheduling are all well and good, but if the posts don't come instinctively, then there's no joy in it for me. This is something I have processed organically; by stepping away from courses and articles about why/when/where to post/share/blog; taking a step back from all the instruction that's out there; and giving myself the time to absorb it all.
A little like how we're told, that at night, our brains process the information we've gathered during the day, and form and cement our memories.

"One of the key components of information processing is attention. Information slams into our brains all the time - way too much information for us to process. The information enters our brains through our senses, and then, we either discard the information or we pay attention to it."

A sure fire way for me to get clarity, and let the ideas and plans flow, is to get in the bath! As soon as I'm immersed under the bubbles, my brain clears, and out they pour. I have learned to take a pad and pen in to the bathroom, as I've climbed out of too many deliciously scented, warm baths, just to make sure I write a thought down!

Is there an activity that you do that you know stimulates clear thinking? Can you harness it and use it to your advantage? I ran a bath on Saturday lunchtime, because I knew I needed some quiet thinking time. It worked! I got out, mind focused, and got straight on with tackling the gate.

Getting out for a walk works in the same way for me. It doesn't have to be a huge long hike, a simple stroll to the post office to post orders will do, or a walk through the fields and the village. Just getting away from all the stimulation around me in the house works wonders...a clear field of vision and a clear mind. No pile of ironing, no open bill, no half finished painting, and no emails demanding attention.

I always take my phone, and dependent on my mood I either do a full stomp to get my heart racing and my limbs pumping, or I take it a little steadier and make time to snap images as the moments grab me.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! I know I'll be pondering it for a few days yet, and probably even longer still. We're heading away for a week on Sunday, and I'm going to take the opportunity to work through some of this head fog, and find my way (or ways) to tackle it.

Do please note that these are my own personal thoughts on things, I'm not saying you should try these ideas...I simply wanted to start the conversation, to find out how differently we all deal with similar issues. It's so good to talk!

Cheerio for now,
Sarah
x

simplifying for a calmer life

Good morning, happy brand spanking new week!

I've been thinking a lot about how to get more motivated and organised.

I spent some time over the weekend, surrounded by diaries, notebooks, bullet journals...planning and plotting, to try and instil some clarity and routine into life.

Then this morning I saw a post on Instagram with a word on the image, and I knew THAT was what I needed most right now.

{ S I M P L I F Y }

When doing anything (and I mean anything...planning, buying, cooking, sorting, cleaning, gardening, entertaining, holiday packing, present wrapping, and working) I will be keeping this one word in my head.

I'm going to be using the Summer holidays as a test period for working towards making life more simple - 

• I'll stop trying to tackle dozens of things at once; 
• concentrate on one task at a time giving it my full attention; 
• I'll be clearing out the brain and the house clutter (the house sort out will most definitely help with the brain sort out...2 birds 1 stone & all that); 
• keep my spaces clear and clean, especially my desk tops...walking into My Room on a morning, and seeing crap all over the place is hugely demotivating, and, quite frankly, pretty depressing.
  I already have two golden and very simple rules that have become firm habits, and which make my life calmer - I always make my bed in the morning, and I aim to always leave the kitchen clean and tidy before going to bed a night.
  Both of these are pretty magical. I get up in a morning and come down to a tranquil scene in the kitchen, all ready for me to start the morning routine. At the end of the day, I get to go up to bed to a welcoming room that soothes my eyes and mind, helping me wind down for sleep.
  It makes absolute sense to extend what I already know to work into other areas of my life and home;
• make sure I have at least a rough schedule for how the week will pan out - this can be flexible and tasks/appointments can be moved around, so long as they get done by the end of the week, or I know to carry them forward to the next...bullet journal tricks!

I know that over time, there will be others to add to the list, but I'll wait until they pop into my head like lightbulb moments, rather than dredging my mind for ideas that are really just fillers for this list/post.

Without realising, I'd already taken this idea on board this weekend.

I've got a few big jobs that need tackling, all sat at the back of my mind, chuntering away whilst they await their turn.

One of these was tarting up the front garden - the gate and posts, and the black metalwork on them were in need of their annual face lift, as were the two metre box covers. 

Instead of putting them off, or doing a bit, getting distracted, and having the gate stuck in the garage for a month, obstructing the path to the door, waiting for me to get around to finishing it...I just got on with it. 

On Saturday, I took the gate off it's hinges, carried it around to the garage, cleaned it, dried it, and painted the wood and metal work on one side. 

On Sunday, I got up, turned the gate over and painted that side, then went outside and did the gate posts and latch, then cleaned and painted the metre cupboards. 

By late evening, everything was dry and Paul carried the gate back round and put it in place. 

Done. Simple. I did one job and I did it well and completed it. Lesson learned.

Now to continue the challenge!

Are you good at focusing on one task, and doing it well? 

Or are you a flitter like me, flitting from one job to the next, leaving everything half done...with no satisfaction of a job well done, and a house and garage filled with unfinished tasks, piles all over the place and in need of moving/sorting/giving to charity?

I confess though, that I find it MUCH easier to employ this one at a time rule, when there's a big project involved. 

In fact, I can get positively excited at the thought of a big project such as a big garage clear out. I wonder why I can't apply the same anticipation and diligence to lesser tasks? 

Is it due to degrees of job satisfaction? Not enough to really get my teeth into? The bigger jobs feeling more meaningful?

That's a daft way of thinking, as it's usually the little jobs that are the everyday stones in the shoe of life, and getting a couple of those out of the way could make an enormous difference to daily life. 

For example, I recently tidied a couple of shelves in our pull out larder - game changer when cooking, as I know where all the sauces, condiments etc are, and I know they're all in date! 

Hmm, yet more proof of the value of this here lesson.

SIDE NOTE: Interestingly, the art I love best to create, is the most simple* - the minute I overwork a piece, I can feel it...it jars, and doesn't give me the same feeling of peace when I look at it.

Yet more evidence that simplicity is key for me.

(*still with lots of detail and intricacy, but 'just enough')

Right, let's do this!

Do let me know your top tips for simplifying and focusing on the task in hand...all will be welcomed with open, eager arms :)

Cheerio for now

Sarah

x

I DID!

My last post "What if I did?" struck a chord with a few of other ladies, in a similar position - it seems there is a hidden army of People Pleasers out there, all secretly harbouring desires to take some time, and do something just for themselves. Something they've been pondering, or hankering after, for a while now.

Well, "I did". And it was incredibly rewarding.

You may have noticed the bright shiny new look to Ditsy Bird Designs today - this is the result of working very hard over the past few weeks, updating my branding to bring the style and quality of my online presence, in line with that of the products I make.

I'd been trying to work out why I found it so easy to design and make my products, come up with ideas, and never run out of inspiration and love for what I do. But, at the same time, why I was SO averse to listing these products on my website; or updating my blog with recent endeavours...why I hid in Instagram and ignored my Etsy shop. Why I never pointed friends to my sites when enquiring about designs, but would email photos to them. Why I NEVER carried business cards with me.

Why? Simply - and vitally - because, my online style in no way reflected my design style...or the quality of it.

I realised that I didn't want to list items on my site, because it looked clunky and clumsy. Amateur. Because I felt it devalued the work and effort that had gone into creating the products on there.

I also knew that I did not have the funds to pay someone to design me a logo, or a website, and I wouldn't know what to ask for if I did.

Then I stumbled upon the answer.

After seeing lots of buzz and excitement about it on Instagram, and that people I respect had been singing it's praises, I bought myself a copy of Fiona Humberstone's book How to Style Your Brand.

Best twenty quid I've spent in a long while!

click on the pic to go to Fiona's Pinterest feed

Certainly the best value for money - it is a truly beautiful book (coffee-table-worthy styling and photographs), and is bursting with knowledge, advice, encouragement and information...to enable anyone with the desire to restyle or redesign their brand, to do just that.

So I did.

I worked my way through the book, front to back, reading and rereading each section in turn, and working through the action points that Fiona lays out for you.

With each chapter, it was made very clear what was required of me, so I just knuckled down and got on with them...one at a time.

Now I have to admit that I really did struggle with some areas - the idea of seasonal personalities, for instance - and I confess that the concept of colour psychology blew my mind to begin with!

My little piece of advice? Lay your preconceptions about who YOU are to one side, and concentrate on who YOUR BUSINESS is. Whilst it may be an extension of yourself, it is a separate entity...and has it's own personality traits just as you do. Or, at least mine does. It is not a complete reflection of me as a person.

Once I'd managed to leave any prejudgement behind, and continued on with an unbiased view of my business (and myself to some degree), I found following the process more intuitive and much easier. 

Things started to click. There were a couple of light bulb moments. A 'who knew?" or two.

Some bits I had to leave, and come back to with fresh eyes, after a bout of inking to clear my head and my body of tension.

There was a moment there, that I thought I wasn't going to 'get' the season and colour philosophies, but I dug deep, was really honest with myself, and it did fall into place eventually...satisfyingly so!

So...it turns out that Ditsy Bird Designs is a Spring business! I didn't see that coming AT ALL. Though when I was talking it through with my mum, explaining the Spring attributes and colours, she very much in the "well, obviously" camp. It never fails to surprise me, the disparity between how WE see ourselves, and how OTHERS do. Never fails.

click on the picture to go to Fiona's Pinterest feed

It shocked me, just how blinkered I'd become to my own business. To it's look and feel. It's purpose. 

How my longing for a certain look to my blog and website, had blinded me to what my business is actually about, how it is perceived by others, and ultimately, what I want it to give to others.

• take off those blinkers
• set aside any specific design lusts you already harbour
• open yourself up to the knowledge contained in the book - this is what Fiona does for a living, she is the expert, and you are reading her book - so listen to what she has to say
• ask a close friend how they see your business/your products - what these mean to them, how they look, how they make them feel.
  (I kept going back to comments from friends on my Instagram photos - a cracking source of feedback if you put your business owner head on, instead of friend head (Worzel Gummidge anyone?). It's too easy to brush compliments aside with a "ohh give over" and a blush. But if someone has taken the time to tell you something, then chances are, they mean it. And if a few folk are saying the same thing...it's time to listen up!)

I made a brand board. I know! :)

Bright, light and fun - not the chic, black and white, stark Scandinavian look that makes me veritably purr when I see it.

In fact, no black at all. My fall back ink choice every time.

And this was the biggest light bulb moment of all!

As soon as I changed my logo from black and white, to colour...everything fell into place. Oh happy, happy day!

And then I paused, looked over at my messy desk (I type at my neat desk - no ink allowed), and looked at the work I had on there, and realised that I use colour a lot. And bright colour too! Our house may be painted in muted shades, and our furniture may be subtly coloured, but my work is brimming with it.

I'd been so short-sighted. I'd been thinking about me, Sarah, not me Ditsy Bird. Face palm. No wonder I had hated my online look for so long...it and the message I was trying to convey, were completely at odds.

So there you have it - a brand new look to Ditsy Bird Designs!

Well nearly. After spending hours (days?) trying to come up with a new logo, I went back to my original design that I love, and which feels right. I simply redrew it and utilised Photoshop and Illustrator, to get a sleeker, more polished look to it. And to add the all important colour.

The new look feels like a much more natural fit - a branding reflection of the business, it's products, designs, and it's intentions.

I'd love to know what you think? (Please be gentle)

Right, I'm off to get on with designing business cards, and product packaging...

Cheers,

Sarah

x

What if I did...

I have a notebook, a journal of sorts, that I offload into when I’ve got issues nattering in my brain that I need to silence.

I usually spew out how I’m feeling in bullet point format. One liners like this. Or sometimes just words expressing how I’m feeling. Grrr. (That was an example). Headache headache headache. (Another example).

When ‘things’ feel like that they may overwhelm me, or if I can adequately voice whatever it is that has my brain so clouded, I find that this system really works. For me. 

The other day I was feeling a little twitchy – you know when you can’t settle into a task, your leg keeps bobbing, you’re up and down out of your seat – so I reached for my book and started the brain vomit. [Nice!]

Things often end up on the page that I wasn’t really expecting…sometimes it’s the subject matter, and sometimes it’s the way I articulate the issue in startling clarity.

“How do I view my success as important?”

This was the last line of Tuesday’s scrawlings, and it hit the nail right royally on the head!

Ditsy Bird Designs – this is the business that I have been dabbling with, without ever getting firmly stuck in to, for years now.

I want to do it

I have the creative skills and ideas to do it

I have spent money on it (materials, courses, tools, hardware, software)

I have spent inordinate amounts of time working on it (designing, honing my skills, trialling, practicing, researching, going on courses [photography, blogging, designing, painting, mixed media, drawing, branding etc], setting up the behind the scenes bit [accounts, supplier info, website, blog etc]

I know I can do it…

…but I never really do.

This is the crux of the matter. I always, ALWAYS, give other things precedence. And by other things, I mean other people…I am so determined to be there for the people who matter the most to me, that I don’t fully commit to DBD, because I know it will take more time, more effort, and – biggest of all – commitment.

I will have to say no to people, to let them down, to put something that is solely for me, before them.

Now before you go thinking I’m one of life’s martyrs, putting everyone’s every need before my own, I’m not. Truly.

This isn’t me being a doormat – I am a people pleaser; I like to help and do things for my loved ones; I get a kick out of it; it makes me feel good; a huge part of me needs to be needed. It is my choice, not the will of others.

And if, for one second, I felt that one of these folk were taking the proverbial, they’d know about it quick sharp! 

I’m nobody’s fool – except, perhaps, my own.

Ahem, and there we have it…I am the ONLY person stopping me from doing this, and achieving my potential.

I have been slogging away at researching branding and logos etc for a while now…I really don’t like my website or my blog, because they simply don’t reflect me or Ditsy, and certainly not my design style. 

How To Style Your Brand by Fiona Humberstone

The only way to rectify this is to work at it, and to dig deep to find what would reflect me and my creative style. I know that if I loved the look of my blog and website, I would be SO much more willing to update them and pop in once in a while. I’d be proud to!

Much in the same way as I’m happy to check in on favourite blogs and Instagram feeds, because even if their current post isn’t relevant to me, their web space and the overall feel of it make me feel…calm / uplifted / invigorated / inspired / motivated / joy. But mostly that I’m in a place of beauty and great design - this REALLY flicks my switch, floats my boat, and totally twirls my skirt. 

It’s all about the visual. Nah…getaway, really?!?! Ha. ‘Course it is! 

Oops, digressed a little there, where were we? Ahh yes…

..So the other day I had a meeting with a lady in the village, about the prep for the village show in September. Our team of 5 (last year) has reduced to just the two of us, so I happily took on the role of sorting the paperwork…leaflets, show booklet, posters, forms, entrant info and so on and so on.

I came home that afternoon, shoved my branding book and notebook to one side, and immediately got stuck into designing this year’s show booklet. For hours. And I mean hours.

Why, oh WHY??? am I so happy and motivated to work on something for someone  else, yet I find it SO hard to work on MY stuff?

It’s like my brain goes, “hey, for the show to work, you are NEEDED to get working on the paperwork, and you MUST design the booklet this instant, because you have a clearly definable PURPOSE”. And “oh you can leave all that branding stuff, after all, it’s ONLY FOR YOU”. 

ARGHHHHHH.

So I’m asking you, genuinely, how do I start to see that Ditsy Bird Designs is a real and valid reason to be working hard (whilst not earning anything for it at the moment…obviously no one will pay me to do my own branding), putting in the time and effort, and focus? That’s a biggie right there.

How do I stop seeing “just for me” as less important, lacking purpose?

How do I change my attitude, my way of thinking?

I’ve tried thinking in terms of the potential extra cash I’d earn; the feeling of empowerment I’d have; the sense of purpose and the happiness that would bring; the rush I get when people buy my products; the joy of working on something I love and the flexibility of doing it at home…but thus far, they haven’t provided the catalyst I need.

that's me, waiting - but not just for my son

I know it’s not because I’m lazy (I had thought this for a long while) simply due of the amount of time I’ve spent this week alone, messing about with entry tickets, and ‘save the date’ posters on my macbook – time that would have been amazingly useful spent on researching colour themes and fonts for my own website.

When I think about the show paperwork, I know the end date; can see the actual room on the day; the users of the information I’ve created; the end result of all the hard work; the purpose.

When I think about spending hours working on who my dream client might be; sharing value; building a community; reflecting my style in a blog banner, it all goes very fuzzy and blurry…all soft focus (with bokeh..true fact), hard to visualise, and intangible.

Yesterday, I suddenly thought of it all from a different angle which turned it all on its head…

…instead of my usual “what if I did?”, I thought “what if I didn’t?”!

To be continued…(with luck, a following wind, and renewed focus and purpose).

Notes:

In my search for online assistance with all this (or for a virtual rocket up the bum, if you like), I did happen upon two very interesting articles:

This one by Genevieve Smith on Elle, and

This one by Steve Farquharson on 2HelpfulGuys.

[The comments on the Elle post contained some real gems]

Sarah

x

Chocolate Hangover Tuesday

Morning!

Mondays are always tired days in our house - Paul is up at 5ish in order to get the train to London, to head to work for the week.

I often doze off again for an hour, but the sleep during the night is usually broken, as we toss and turn, anticipating the early alarm call.

Why is then, that it usually Monday night when I get the urge to stay up silly late?

Last night, I was supping decaf, scoffing Dairy Milk, and catching up on DCI Banks at 10:30pm.

Once the TV programme had finished, I mysteriously decided to work through the Planning workbook for How to Style Your Brand...why oh why had inspiration eluded me all evening, yet just as I should be heading upstairs to catch up on some much needed sleep, there I was on the sofa furiously scribbling away my thoughts????

Self- sabotage I call it, and I have absolutely no idea why I do it.

Today I am nursing a hefty chocolate hangover...so much dairy (not just Cadburys) has been consumed over the weekend, that it has rendered my sinuses blocked and unhappy, and left me with a stonking headache and feeling mildly nauseous. Silly Sarah. [Though the meal that Paul cooked up on Saturday evening (the Culprit) was most definitely worth it].

I've even been back to bed for a power nap this morning - I never do that!

Even more shocking is that I actually nodded off straight away. 

On the up side, I can actually concentrate now, and stand a much better chance of making it through until actual bedtime, before running for my bed!

So, self-sabotage...is it just me? Do you do it? Has anyone sussed out why we do it? Is it due to a strange sporadic masochistic desire...to trip ourselves up before we've even got going?

Who knows?!

What I DO know, is that there will be none of it tonight - tonight I will be tucked up nice and early, ready to welcome Slumber's warm and cloud like embrace.

Sarah
x

down the rabbit hole

I've just rescued myself from disappearing up my own bum!

I've been delving into the realms of Illustrator and Photoshop with gusto, of late, but I fear I delved so deep that I almost forgot to come up for air...in danger of vanishing into a warren of pixels, vectors and ctrl Z.

Do you do that? Get so completely engrossed with something, that you fixate on it to the exclusion of everything (& occasionally everyone) else?

I'm a bit of a bugger for doing just that, and this time it was Ps and Ai's turn as the object of my stalking.

A bit of background: My word for this year is DRIVE, and in my efforts to drive myself forward personally and professionally, one thing I wanted to tackle was the wondrous world of Adobe. So I signed up for Illustrator on Creative Cloud (I already had Photoshop) and set to, enrolling in as many courses as I could find on the subject, and watching as many tutorials as I could get me hands on.

Brilliant! Honestly, I have learned plenty in the past two and half months, though I'm light years away from being proficient in both applications, but still..I now have some skills that I am happy to wield with wild abandon. And by wild abandon I mean, whilst carefully following the notes I've made.

All is good, and I had a lovely (and very welcome) four day break whilst Paul & I explored Lisbon. Then we came home and I got right back into to it. Sucked deep down into the rabbit hole, once more.

I have spent the best part of the last two days trying to get a banner loaded into my website and my blog, that isn't stupidly, annoyingly blurry!!! Seriously, you create it in a package that supposedly can shrink and expand without loss of detail, then you upload it into your required place and {wet fart noise} all the super shiny clarity is lost.

I have driven myself potty trying to suss it out, thinking about it as I fell asleep last night, waking up to it in my mind this morning - I have only just got dressed* because I had to try one more idea (which lead to many ideas) with the same fuzzy naff result.

So there I was an hour ago...heading down the rabbit hole of fixation doom, my legs just poking out of the top..when I stopped, and pulled myself out in the nick of time.

I had completely lost myself inside my Macbook and my software programs. I was feeling utterly dejected at the lack of desired results; a tad lonely due to lacking in company whilst glaring at my screen; and if I'm honest, a bit blue.

It's time to take a break - even if it's just from banners and logos! - I haven't drawn in ages, and I need to get back to that, and the loo could do with a good clean, and fresh sheets would certainly cheer me up! But I definitely DO need to move away from the logos!!!

Besides, it's often walking away from something and the coming back to it refreshed, that's helps us see more clearly the problem at hand!

Cheers for now
Sarah
x

*I started typing this at 2:30pm but then my mum popped in for a cuppa, hence a little delay in getting this posted...a very happy delay at that!