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Big city lights

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In the final few weeks before a baby arrives you often find yourself “Will this be our last holiday/dinner out/cinema trip for a while?” Although I know there are many joys to come with the arrival of our little bundle, I am sure there are many things that will be harder to do, like going up to London for dinner and the theatre… which is why Mr K treated me to a lovely day doing just that. We went to see Sam Mendes’ brilliant production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie & The Chocolate Factory in Drury Lane, before heading to Regent Street and wandering around Covent Garden to soak up the Christmas atmosphere among the beautiful shop windows and strings of fairy lights. I am not a city girl at heart, but I do love the way towns and cities come alive at Christmas, with twinkles and sparkles and a touch of magic in the air. I came away inspired by the creativity behind the window displays, the imaginative theatre production, and the energy of the capital.

London Christmas

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What festive loveliness have you spotted where you are?

Alternative meeting spaces

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With Beth on maternity leave our working day looks a little different lately, but we still have Mr & Mrs K meetings to chat about things coming up, and to look ahead to next year.

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One of the great things about living in a city like Brighton is the proliferation of cafes, and we like to meet there to chat somewhere different from our home office. A different environment never fails to spark new ideas… Lately one of our favourite places is somewhere that won’t be around for long – the ice bar next to the temporary ice rink, which has been built in the grounds of Brighton Pavilion.

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With Beth heavily pregnant there may be no ice skating for us, but it is lovely to sit on their comfy sofas next to a sparkling Christmas tree, looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the people skating round and round, laughing and stumbling and laughing some more. Ahh office life is hard!

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What is your favourite place for meetings?

Do What You Love Interview – Emma Brassfield

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With Christmas on the horizon it has been impossible to ignore the amazing and magical gifts that are on offer. This is certainly true at Studio 7t7, a beautiful studio amongst the trees and greenery that is a haven for creativity.

Working to her own designs and to the exact ideas, themes and colours of her customers, Emma Brassfield weaves, moulds, glues and stitches leather and fabrics together to make stunning one of a kind pieces. Then the sparkle comes alive, attaching itself to all the petals, elements and pieces that make up the amazing creations. Emma has had a fascinating career in TV and film, but is now concentrating on creating unique gifts for children including magical fairy doors and personalised crayon rolls.

Emma Brassfield profile picEmma: Mother and Founder of Studio 7t7

This is how Emma describes herself: “I’m an artist, designer, and guerilla knitter. When I’m not working full time making creatures and costumes for films, I like to nestle in my garden workshop and make jewellery and children’s gifts for my small business; Studio 7t7, or I run around after my 2 year old.”

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1. How are you leading a life ‘doing what you love’?

I really love being creative… so for me, I have to be doing something creative in my job. For as long as I can remember I’ve made things. I started Studio 7t7 as a way to be able to design my own range and to make gifts that people will love to give.

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Nelson Mandela – tribute to a true leader

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“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela

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A few years ago I had the great honour of meeting Nelson Mandela, one of the most inspirational men of our age. When I worked at UNICEF and was responsible for our relationship with Manchester United FC, I joined the team on their tour of South Africa. We had a private audience with Nelson Mandela. He was already an old man then, but he was such a strong presence.

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Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs shared a few words about the impact he had had on them personally, and it was amazing to see some of the most famous footballers in the world humbled by this true leader of men. I felt incredibly lucky to be in that room at that moment. Nelson Mandela will long remain a beacon of hope, a symbol of good, and a demonstration of the triumph of the human spirit. Rest in peace.

On that same trip we visited a number of projects supported by Manchester United in Cape Town, including the Tygerberg Hospital and a community centre. The players were in high spirits, and there was something about that whole trip (and the country itself) which clearly inspired them and helped remind them how they can use their profile as a force for good in the world. Nelson Mandela was not just a man who inspired a nation, but a man who inspired people from all walks of life, all over the world. Here are a few pictures from that trip. – Beth

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Kieran Richardson & Ryan Giggs (image: Getty Images)

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With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one of the most gentle, thoughtful and generous football players I ever had the honour of working with (image: Getty Images)

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Briefing the team on the way to the children’s hospital

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Darren Fletcher, Jonny Evans and Ben Foster say goodbye to one of the children who shared their story that day (image: Getty Images)

Big, heavy, slow… and grateful

Big, heavy, slow... and grateful DWYL BLOG TUNEINCHILLOUT 650X250PX LR

I haven’t talked much about being pregnant here on the blog over the past few months, but now I am at week 38 I just want to capture a few thoughts before we welcome our baby girl into the world. Right now I feel huge and heavy, I struggle to put my own shoes on, and I walk more slowly than a snail. But I feel well and happy, and am enjoying this very special experience very much.

When we found out about the pregnancy just a couple of weeks after our Spring wedding Mr K and I were both over the moon. It feels like exactly the right time in our lives for this, and we have been lucky to have an enjoyable journey over the past few months.

Pregnancy has been fascinating. It feels like a whole new world is opening up to us, and I have never spent so much time thinking about my body and what it is capable of. We have a new vocabulary now, and have had some hilarious conversations – sometimes with complete strangers at antenatal classes.

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At 37 weeks

As I have watched my bump grow, slowly at first, then at a slightly alarming rate in the past few weeks(!) the approaching new phase of our lives has felt more and more real. Each night I watch in wonder as my belly moves in waves, as baby stretches her limbs and tests out her little body. I love to imagine what her face will look like when she is smiling, sleeping, dreaming. The whole thing is a complete miracle to me.

Although we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK as many of our US friends do, this feels like the perfect time to share just how thankful I am for this life, right now, and for the one developing inside me. I am thankful for many things, but particularly for…

  • Being able to get pregnant at 36, and having a smooth and enjoyable pregnancy so far (touch wood!)
  • Having the most amazing, supportive, loving partner in Mr K to share this very special adventure
  • Having built a company which allows us to enjoy this at our own pace, in our own way, and has allowed Mr K to be completely involved at every point, coming to every ante-natal appointment, sharing daily morning walks to stave off the queasiness, and running the business while I am off. I am so very grateful that he is going to be share the daily magic of having a little girl in our life, working from home and being there for all the important milestones, as well as the little details of every day
  • Business partners who are incredibly supportive of the major life events we have experienced this year – time off for our wedding and honeymoon, and now for maternity leave – who are genuinely excited for us, and flexible as we learn to navigate this new stage of life
  • Friends, family, colleagues, this community… for your love and support, and for keeping us motivated and excited about what is to come. THANK YOU!

What are you grateful for?

The Amazings: Keeping Knowledge Alive

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We’ve all read articles, watched documentaries and had conversations about the unprecedented rate of population growth in the world today. The first billion in the world is thought to have been reached around 1800AD and by 1960 the world had reached three billion. Since then, in just over half a century, we have more than doubled this with over seven billion people now living on this planet. Quite astonishing statistics to swallow. And with this, our demographic is getting older as health care improves and life expectancy rises. Yet there still seems to be an attitude in our culture today that sees our ageing population as a burden to society, with members of the younger generation failing to engage with their elders. Perhaps, this outlook needs to be turned on its head – after all, isn’t it a great thing that we are able to spend more time in this world, experience more wonderful offerings and learn more and more with each day?

That’s exactly why I have chosen to dedicate this blog to this inspirational, relatively new organisation: The Amazings. Back in 2011, the founders decided to embark on building a startup that looked at the ageing population in a different way. Their basis for their mission was simple:

‘Society has always learned from its elders but somewhere along the way we have lost that connection between generations – which means losing rich, valuable and rare skills.’

amazings croppedThey believe that ‘wisdom is one of the greatest untapped resources this planet has’ and as such have built a fantastic business around looking at our elders in a positive light, taking the attitude that we should all learn from them, rather than view them as a generation we need to help. The Amazings have built a network of talented, skill-rich elders and are creating a series of online craft classes to inspire individuals with their next project and teach skills to following generations. From how to patchwork a geometric cushion to learning how to handsew an heirloom patchwork quilt, there are lots of succulent craft skill lessons to get your creative juices flowing.

I for one certainly feel very fortunate to have grown-up with two loving grandmothers playing important roles in my life right up until my late twenties and have many fond memories of learning from them both: whether being taught how to cook a generations’-old secret fudge recipe or spending hours in front of a log-fire cutting out patterns to cross-stitch hand-made Christmas presents, it was always a happy occasion and I hope my children will also be lucky enough to experience such lessons with their own grandparents.

Our education system is currently failing to encourage and offer opportunities to pupils to pursue vocational training careers but we must be careful and wary of losing such valuable skills in our society. We must appreciate and learn from our elders the generation-old skills they have to offer and keep creativity alive.

 ‘Try something old.  Learn something new.’

What did you learn from your grandparents?  Is there something that you have always wanted to learn from an elder but haven’t yet done so?  Why not make it your mission to learn this weekend? 

If you would like to find out more about The Amazings and the work they do you can visit their website.

There are a whole host of companies that will inspire you to learn, to look at life from another angle and ask questions of society: there’s something for everyone and it’s worth taking the time to browse the web and find those little gems that resonate with you. Whoever you are, these companies cannot fail to get you thinking so why not start by assigning yourself a few hours to kick-back and enjoy exploring some of my personal favourites:

  • Gooda global community of, by, and for pragmatic idealists working towards individual and collective progress. 
  • Do Lecturesinspiring talks from people who are changing the world.
  • Springwise – if you’re looking for a fix of the best new entrepreneurial ideas out there then Springwise is the place to go.  Springwise scans the globe for the most promising, unique and innovative business ventures, ideas and concepts that are ready for regional or international adaptation, expansion, partnering, investments or cooperation.
  • TEDa well-known and well-loved nonprofit devoted to ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’.
  • Daily Goodpromotinng positive and uplifting news from around the world through daily and weekly newsletters.  It certainly feels good to receive some upbeat news in your inbox everyday… 

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 I’d like to introduce myself to you.  My name is Susannah Keene and I’m back to lend a helping hand to DWYL whilst Beth is busy preparing herself for motherhood!  I first met Beth working together at UNICEF in London and since then have spent a couple of years working in Ghana, moved back to the UK to get married and am now expecting our first baby in the New Year which is very exciting.  I’m enjoying exploring new opportunities for DWYL’s development and sharing growth ideas with Paul for 2014 so watch this space…

If you know other any other inspiring companies please share them by leaving a comment below.

Do What You Love Interview – Forest Foundry

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Today’s interview iForestFoundry-logos actually with a collective of talented artists from around the world, who ‘met’ each other through our Make Art That Sells course (with Lilla Rogers) and have gone on to form a business relationship which allows them to pool resources, access a wider audience and support each other. We love this idea, and were intrigued to find out more about the artists behind ‘Forest Foundry’.

 

This is how they describe themselves: “Forest Foundry is an art collective of eight artists from around the world, who believe that beautiful art should be accessible to everyone. We create art that is colourful, and evokes the imagination. We try to make sustainable choices whenever we can, to help the future of our planet.”

The Forest Foundry consists of Katy Tanis (KT), Karma Voce (KV), Ine Beerten (IB), Victoria Weiss (VW), Zoe Ingram (ZI), Miriam Bos (MB), Neiko Ng (NN) and Kat Kalindi Cameron (KKC).

1. How are you leading a life ‘doing what you love’?

KKC – My life at the moment is a bit of a juggling act. I have two small children (aged 5 and 3) so I have to balance the school run and home stuff with my love of designing and illustrating. I am working on a few licensing projects at the moment which is my main goal as an artist.

MB – It’s pretty easy doing what you love when the thing you love doing the most is creating. I get up, start a doodle in my sketchbook while having breakfast. Then I get behind my computer to check emails and social media, and when I have had my cup of tea I start working on whatever project I have at that particular moment. My days are like this almost every day. Even on the weekends. It’s hard to stop.

ZI – When I realised I was about to hit 40 this year I decided to take the bull by the horns and do Lilla Rogers’ Make Art That Sells e-Course which was absolutely amazing, and following on from that I entered the Global Talent Search, which I won! I am now doing something that I absolutely love with a passion and I believe that Lilla’s course came at the right time for me.

VW – I think for most of us that are also mothers, it is a real test of how deep do you love what you do creatively. Every time my day is about to go downhill I ask myself why I am doing what I am doing, and this gets me back on track. It is simply so much fun. It’s magical and mysterious and I can’t imagine my life otherwise.

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Life According to Mr. K – Handwriting On The Wall

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Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!

Audrey Hepburn 

Where do we look for inspiration? Do we delve into books, relive great sporting moments, do we wait to be inspired by others, do we look back at historical events or can inspiration be found everywhere and anywhere if we are ready to be inspired?

Personally my inspiration has come from my family, friends, films, sport, travel and books and more recently my wife. This was until I joined Do What You Love.

Here at Do What You Love we are blessed to be enveloped by inspiration on a daily basis. People are changing their lives. No it isn’t always easy but, what worth having is? There is a growing movement of people who are finding the courage to step out from the life they have to create a life they want. They are finding courage from within a community that is reaching far and wide. Throwing away the shackles of insecurity they are empowering one another to give it ago and fulfil their dreams. How can you not be inspired!

I took some of our own advice recently and registered on a creative writing course. I had to start from somewhere to try and realise my dream of writing a children’s book. It has been fantastic. I have met other people with a passion and love for the power of words. By merely choosing the correct words and placing them in the correct order you can create something very poetic, dramatic, haunting or even humorous. This journey is one of blood, sweat and tears and then most probably a few more tears.

I have tried to draw inspiration from the likes of AA Milne, JRR Tolkien, Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll and C S Lewis to name but a few. They have created worlds which have mesmerised children and adults alike for decades spanning various generations. They have even gone as far as to create their own languages.

My idea is starting to gather a little momentum but it will be a while until I have the courage to share it with you. Whether it will be worth the wait will be debatable but the enjoyment of writing and creating a world to harness dreams has and is a constant pleasure. Even if it only keeps my wife entertained.

I have been reading lots of different books and poems to see what I can learn. I stumbled across a great little poem which I thought I would share with you. I read it a few times and loved it. See what you think…

The Handwriting On The Wall

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A weary mother returned from the store,
Lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Awaiting her arrival was her 8 year old son,
Anxious to relate what his younger brother had done.

“While I was out playing and Dad was on a call,
T.J. took his crayons and wrote on the wall!
It’s on the new paper you just hung in the den.
I told him you’d be mad at having to do it again.”

She let out a moan and furrowed her brow,
“Where is your little brother right now?”
She emptied her arms and with a purposeful stride,
She marched to his closet where he had gone to hide.

She called his full name as she entered his room.
He trembled with fear–he knew that meant doom!
For the next ten minutes, she ranted and raved
About the expensive wallpaper and how she had saved.

Lamenting all the work it would take to repair,
She condemned his actions and total lack of care.
The more she scolded, the madder she got,
Then stomped from his room, totally distraught!

She headed for the den to confirm her fears.
When she saw the wall, her eyes flooded with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart.
It said, “I love Mommy”, surrounded by a heart.

Well, the wallpaper remained, just as she found it,

With an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
A reminder to her, and indeed to all,
Take time to read the handwriting on the wall.

Can you think of a moment or time you were convinced you knew the truth until it was put into context and it all changed?

Creating magic

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Last week we went up to London for a very special show in the West End – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. It is one of my favourite books from childhood, and Sam Mendes’ version was a feast for the eyes, full of mystery and surprises, all bound together by a delightful story. There were exploding potions, flying elevators, rivers of chocolate and even some breakdancing. The stage came alive with colour, motion and magic.

Roald Dahl was an absolute genius at capturing the things that fascinate and delight children and adults alike.  From rude noises and naughty characters, to worlds of sweets, and retribution for nasty adults, he captured it all. I met him once, when I was about 8. I queued up for hours at a book fair to get his autograph on my copy of The BFG. When I got to the front of the queue I couldn’t help but stare at this old man, who had a twinkle in his eye and a pocket full of crazy ideas. If he was still alive and I had the chance to meet him again, I’d ask him where he got his inspiration from.

Apparently Roald Dahl wrote most of his books in a shed at the end of his garden, which shows you don’t need to travel far, spend much or do complicated things to get inspired. If he could create dreamcatching giants, square-footed witches, everlasting gobstoppers and a giant peach from inside a hut furnished with a brown chair, tartan rug, small wooden desk and a waste paper basket, surely each of us can conjour up magic wherever we are too.

Here’s another example of simple creativity – just loved seeing how this inventive couple have made November completely magical for their children (when they make the toy dinosaurs come alive…)

I’m all for making your space imaginative, for trying new things, and going off on adventures to get inspired. But sometimes arranging that space, getting round to doing things, or planning a trip can give way to procrastination and excuses. So this week why not take a leaf out of one of Roald Dahl’s swizfiggling books and find a way to inspire yourself right where you are, with what you have now. And be sure to tell us about it on Facebook or Twitter!

Happy Monday!

Business book giveaway winner announced…

Let My People Go Surfing

The winner of our giveaway of the brilliant book ‘Let me people go surfing’ by Yvon Chouinard is…

Shari Sherman

Congratulations Shari! We will be in touch by email shortly. If you missed our inspiring interview with Lucia Griggi, one of the world’s only female pro surf photographers, you can find it here.