CONNECTION + COMMUNICATION Page 10 of 27

What’s going on – our guide to thought-provoking + life-changing events this month

Posted on 2015-10-05 at 8:00 am.

To kick off this month’s theme, ‘Love to Relax’, we want to let you know about some inspirational events that are happening across the world this October.

1) YESTIVAL (Surrey, UK)

October 23 – 25, 2015

At Do What You Love all our work is driven by our core values: Freedom, Bravery, Purpose, Authenticity and Connection. So when an event comes along that encapsulates everything we believe in we just have to shout about it!

This month our friend and DWYL Alchemist Dave Cornthwaite, is organizing such an event… welcome to YESTIVAL!

Yestival is a brand new event set in the stunning Surrey countryside with around 200 people who are ready to instigate small lifestyle choices that ultimately lead to big changes. Boasting over 30 lectures, workshops and activities on subjects ranging from adventure, working around the world, podcasting and biodiversity, this event is stacked with brainfood to get your motivational cogs turning.

If you’re ready for an autumnal recharge and love the idea of campfires, making new friends, relaxing in peaceful surroundings, being inspired and generally just feeling warm and fuzzy inside, grab your ticket now or visit www.sayyestival.com for more information. There’s no better way to spend a weekend in October.

2) Yoga and Detoxification: Mind & Body Sayulita (Haramara Retreat, Mexico)

October 17-24, 2015 

Imagine being completely de-stressed and feeling calm, healthy, refreshed, and at peace. Imagine doing daily yoga classes in an open-air palapa in the jungle and learning tools for daily health transformation. Imagine enjoying nourishing whole foods and freshly squeezed juices to rejuvenate your soul. Imagine swimming in the sparkling blue ocean, and laughing with new friends. This is life at the Haramara Retreat.

Image credit: Haramara Retreat

Run by Dr. Lynn von Schneidau, Naturopathic Physician and Eiric Ovrid, yogi this seven-day break is for anyone who wants to detoxify, heal and revive their spirit, regain energy and vitality, balance their hormones and emotions, calm their thoughts and embark on a voyage of self-discovery in a beautiful serene environment. Find out more here.

3) The world’s first mindfulness summit

October 1 – 31, 2015

Melli O’Brien of MrsMindfulness.com has gathered over 30 of the world’s leading experts on meditation and mindfulness for a series of online interviews, practice sessions and presentations, which you can watch for FREE from the comfort of your own home!

The Mindfulness Summit is a not-for-profit project with a mission to make mindfulness mainstream. Their aim is to make high quality mindfulness training accessible to everyone and support mindfulness-based charities at the same time. Watch this video to find out if the summit is for you.

It’s not too late to take part in The Mindfulness Summit. Click here and sign up today.

***

We know it can be a little scary to try something different but when you find a community or a ‘tribe’ that understands you it can be incredibly inspiring and motivating. When you surround yourself with like-minded people, who share similar values and who care about the same things, your defences come down and you are able to draw breath and relax from the inside. You can listen whilst others share their stories and wildest dreams. You may even find yourself sharing your own thoughts, motivations and hopes for the future, safe in the knowledge that there is no judgement, only support and encouragement from people who get you. Ultimately, you discover that there’s no need to be afraid. No need to pretend. You can just be you – real, authentic, and true.

If nothing else, by venturing out of your comfort zone and trying something new you’ll have met some fascinating people and have fresh food for thought so there’ll be lots to chat about on Monday morning at work!

And if you can’t make it to any of these events, why not take your journal off somewhere quiet and answer some of these questions yourself?

What you really want from life? What do you want to give back?
How you want to feel each and every day? What could you do differently, or more often, so you feel that way?
Do you get annoyed at people’s (or your own) negative attitude to life? If so, what can you do about it.
What could you do today to make yourself more aware of the small things in life that make you happy?
What small changes can you make to give yourself more time each day to relax?

Let us know how you get on,

The DWYL team

Disclaimer: We are not affiliates of or involved in the running of any of the suggested events. Please contact the organisers directly with any questions or queries.

How mindfulness can bring peace of mind

Posted on 2015-10-02 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Do you find it difficult to focus? Do you worry a lot? Would you love to be able to relax more easily?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions practicing mindfulness could really help you change the way you think, feel and act.

What is mindfulness?

When you are mindful, you are able to pay attention to the present moment, and not get swept up thinking about the past or worrying about the future. It means you get to enjoy every little moment of life as it happens, and the impact of this on your mental and physical health is really positive.

According to Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe, giving ourselves 10 minutes of peace every day, that’s 10 minutes of doing absolutely nothing – not texting, talking or even thinking – is all we need to refresh our minds and experience the transformative power of living the present moment.

Interested in learning more? Watch Andy’s TED Talk – All it takes is 10 mindful minutes – for inspiration…

What do you love about colour?

Posted on 2015-09-28 at 7:16 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

What do you love about colour? The Do What You Love team share their thoughts…

An interesting theme for me as it is not one I instantly think about. However when asked about what it is about colour I love then it has to be the way it communicates so much. It can lift the spirits of a person, change the mood within a room and dramatically alter landscape. – PAUL

My interest in colour started when I had my aura read years ago. I couldn’t believe that the colours in the photograph could tell me so much about my emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Now I’m fascinated by the energy of colour and how it can influence the way we think, feel and act. Colour is a powerful tool that we can all use on a daily basis to improve our moods, boost our energy levels, improve our health, heal our bodies, stay balanced, and attract love, happiness and much more. – RACHEL

Colour is so essential to our everyday life. It can change our energy, our outlook and our mood in a split second. It can spark a memory – like a peppermint green will always remind me of the birthday cake my mum made when I was young (yes, I wanted a green cake!) and silver always reminds me of my first car, such sparkle! What I love about colour is that it is everywhere I turn – in nature, in my home, my food and I get to choose the colour I want to wear each day and how I would like to invite it into my life. – LOUISE

What are your thoughts? What do you love about colour?

We’d love to know. please leave a comment below…

Do What You Love interview – Kendall Marie Platt

Posted on 2015-09-24 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today we chat to a lady who is combining her two greatest loves – science and fashion – to ensure she lives life to the fullest. Kendall Marie Platt has been a forensic scientist since 2010 and last year she also decided to launch her own fashion business styling women across the UK. She loves that she earns a living from both her technical and creative skills and she is now mentoring other women as they start up on their own. Enjoy the interview! ~Rachel

1. How are you ‘doing what you love’?

By day I am forensic scientist and by night I am an independent stylist with Stella&Dot, a boutique jewellery and accessories company. I offer pop-up shops and styling sessions, called trunk shows, in people’s homes. Usually a group of girlfriends will gather at someone’s house for coffee or wine and I talk everyone through next season trends and style them using the products I have in my trunk. There’s the opportunity for guests to purchase jewellery and accessories and the hostess gets free jewellery as a thank you!

2. Tell us about your background and how you’ve come to find yourself doing two dream jobs?

I’ve always enjoyed science and wanted that involved helping people. My school wanted me to study medicine but instead I chose to do Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Bath and a masters in Forensic Archaeology at Bournemouth University. During the process I applied for loads of CSI jobs and sent my CV to all the big forensic providers. I also did a number of short courses, including Forensic Photography and Forensic Entomology, to make my CV stand out. My perseverance paid off when I was offered a job at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) as a Forensic Biology Examiner in the Violent and Homicide team. The FSS, a government owned company, closed in 2011 and since then I have worked for nearly all of the private forensic providers in the UK. The current company I work for, Arrogen Forensics is a small, innovative company that is really going places and in my current role as Deputy Quality Manager I am enjoying contributing to the growth of the company.

My other big love is fashion. In fact in my school year book it said I was ‘Most likely to…. wear diamanté chemistry goggles’ – which is so apt! I first realised I could make money from my passion when I went along to a Stella&Dot trunk show (a pop-up boutique) at a friend’s house. I fell head over heels for the gorgeous jewellery so when the stylist explained that I could be a stylist myself, I jumped at the chance. Now, as well as earning good money, which will help pay for my wedding, I get free jewellery and helping other women style their own lives and even build their own business.

3. What do you most like about each job and how do they complement one and other in terms of your personality, interests, and skill set?

My day job taxes my brain in a technical way because I have to think outside the box and use my knowledge and experience to work out, for example, where tiny blood spots might have ended up on the trainers worn by a suspect during a fight. It’s quite intense and serious, and I don’t like to think too much about what the victims might have been though.

In contrast, being a stylist allows me to interact with people in a more fun and social environment, whilst indulging my creative side. I love seeing people happy so helping women to solve their fashion dilemmas while boosting their confidence and making them feel fantastic about themselves is wonderful. Both roles require me to be super-organised, consistent in approach and persistent in order to achieve my goals.

4. What does a typical day in your life look like?

I get up at 6.30am have a cup of tea, check my emails, shower and have breakfast, making sure to accessorise and take a photo of my outfit to post to my Facebook business page before doing the 40-minute drive to the laboratory. Mornings usually involve examining clothing for blood and blood patterns, examining exhibits for footwear marks and body fluids, creating test impressions for use in marks examinations, and conducting audits and running most aspects of the Quality System.

On my lunch break I try to make one or two customer care calls for my Stella&Dot business and maybe post on my social media pages about the latest offer or featured piece. After lunch I might put together a scientific supplies order and draft a checklist for that months audit. Unless an urgent case comes in I usually get in the car about 4.30pm to drive home. I make a couple more calls to book in trunk shows or to chat to potential stylists. If I have a trunk show in the evening I’ll arrive at my hostess’ house for about 7pm. I’ll set up in her front room or kitchen and chat to her about who is attending and what pieces she would like to get for free. Once all the guests have arrived and I’ve got to know them I talk a bit about the company and the fashion trends for the upcoming season and do some group styling. The rest of the evening entails personal styling, chatting with the guests, answering questions and taking any orders on my iPad.

My pop-up boutique inside a hostess’ home

5. What has been your biggest challenge to date, and how did you overcome it?

When a good friend of mine was diagnosed with terminal cancer I began to have panic attacks. I am a control freak, and tend to adopt the role of organiser in group situations, but I felt so helpless because there was nothing I could do to make my friend better. In the end I decided to go and speak to someone about my feelings. This made me realise that there wasn’t anything I could do, other than support and love him whilst he was still around, and then do my best to make him as proud as possible.

6. How do you think each of us can live the fullest life possible?

Always be kind; kindness breeds fulfilment. And make sure you do at least one thing every day that makes you happy – if you can make that thing your job even better as we spend 70 per cent of our lives at work! It helps to make a list of everything that you enjoy – be it reading a book or going for a long walk – then schedule these things into your week.

7. What is the best advice you have received?

My parents always said I could do anything I wanted to and they showed me that hard work and determination to succeed would get me there. They also taught me that I don’t have to stay in situations that make me unhappy because there’s always have a choice – even if it means working two jobs and seven days a week to get where I want to be.

8. What keeps you awake at night?

Dreaming up new ways to build my Stella&Dot business, or thinking about tasks I need to do in order to complete my latest audit or update my case!

9. What gets you up in the morning?

The friend I mentioned sadly lost his life to liver cancer aged 26. He was a forensic scientist, a father, a party animal, pretty badly behaved and utterly loveable. The fact that he doesn’t have the luxury of living his life everyday is what motivates me to get out there and live my life to the fullest! I adore mentoring other women, giving them confidence in their own abilities and seeing them succeed is one of the things I’m most proud of.

Spreading the word about business opportunities with Stella&Dot at Mumsnet Workfest, London

10. Finally, what do you hope your life has in store? What are your big dreams?

I hope to continue helping women to style their lives and grow their own flourishing businesses while fighting crime and building the most robust quality system in the Forensic arena. My big dream is to live a happy and healthy life with my wonderful husband by my side. Oh and world domination of course, but that goes without saying, right?

Kendall’s snapshot…

Biggest ‘ah-ha’ moment: Realising that I could indulge my love of fashion whilst continuing my dream job as a forensic scientist.

Happiest place: At my parents house in France surrounded by friends and family.

Three things you do to relax: Hot bath, good magazine, digging in my garden.

Best way to stay focused: Lists, lists and more lists!

Mantra of the moment: Never let anyone dull your sparkle.

Most inspiring book you’ve read: Elephants on Acid by Alex Boese

Advice to anyone who isn’t doing what they love: Decide what truly makes you happy and go for it!

Quote you live by: “…life is too short to be anything but happy” ~ Karl Marx

Wish for the world: For everyone to indulge their passions at least once a day – we would all be more content that way!

If you love jewellery and fashion and would like advice about becoming a stylist or hosting a Trunk Show visit www.stelladot.co.uk/kendall or contact Kendall via Facebook , Twitter: @KBev86, Instagram: kbev86 or email: [email protected]

5 ways to fill your life with colour

Posted on 2015-09-16 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Want to make life more fun, fascinating and adventurous? It’s time to shake up your world!

Getting out of the rut of your everyday routine, shifting your thinking and making small and simple changes could be all you need to put some colour back into your life.

Here are our top tips for changing things up:

Be curious; make it your mission to discover new ideas, places, people, and interests
Be expressive; don’t be afraid to speak your mind and communicate your feelings with others
Take the initiative; don’t sit around waiting for permission to do what you love to do
Be inventive; think outside the box and enjoy coming up with original ways to do things
Be confident; don’t be scared to make mistakes. Act like you know what you are doing, even when you don’t!

Download a high res version to print here.

What are your dreams telling you?

Posted on 2015-09-11 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

How do you train for a 10-month, 10,000km, cycle ride on a bamboo bike?

Posted on 2015-09-08 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a guest post from Claire Le Hur who is cycling to China with her fiancé Stuart Block. The couple will start their journey in East Africa where they will follow new ‘silk roads’ charting the journey of key natural resources as part of an exciting new education project. Claire will be riding a bamboo bike, built by an African social enterprise and Stuart will ride a tandem, keeping the back seat of the tandem free for those they meet en route. They will also be raising money and awareness for two great educational charities. Find out more about Claire’s big adventure here.

People keep asking me how Stuart and I are preparing for the 10-month trip in which we plan to cycle in excess of 10,000km and, to be honest, I don’t really know how to answer.

Those who have done similar things have told me that you can’t really prepare for a challenge like this. They say that the real training happens during the first couple of weeks on the road. I just hope it’s true – and that the places we go and the people we meet will take my mind off my sore legs and bum!

Of course many people who take on challenges like this would go all out to get super fit and bike ready, just look at Mark Beaumont who recently set a new world record by cycling over 10,000km from Cairo to Cape Town in less than 42 days! Luckily for me, we aren’t trying to break any records!

Then there are inspirational people like the retired headmistress Anne Mustoe, who took up cycling at the age of 54 and rode around the world twice – once in each direction – writing brilliant books about her adventures along the way. I love this excerpt from her obituary in The Times:

“… When she resolved to cycle round the world, Mustoe was 54, somewhat overweight and unfit, and without any idea of how to mend a puncture. She had not ridden a bike for 30 years, wobbled when she tried again, and she hated camping, picnics and discomfort. Her Condor bicycle, customised for her by a mechanic with a workshop in the Old Kent Road, was bought for her as a leaving present from the girls at her school, and she was still riding it 22 years and about 100,000 miles later on her last cycle trip this year…”

You can buy Anne’s books here.

Stu and I lie somewhere between these extremes (albeit Stu has Mark’s passion, drive and determination, and being a cycling novice, I’m definitely more like Anne!) but hopefully we’ll make a good team. And who knows, there might even be a book in us too!

But back to my training…

In April 2014 I got on a road bike for the first time in years. Stu and I cycled up the famous Col de la Columbière, which was still closed to cars due to the snow. It was amazingly do-able, although we went very slowly.

Fast forward 16 months and we were back in the Alps. I had cycled up the Col twice, from both sides, and rather worryingly I found it so much harder. There is a lot to be said for being a novice and not having any idea about what is going on!

Getting some practice in: cycling Col de la Colombière in the Alps, one of the most famous and notorious Tour de France climbs

This experience flagged up three big issues that I needed to overcome pretty quickly:

Issue #1: Stop comparing myself

I realised that I had to stop getting disheartened when ‘Super-Stu’ disappears over the top of yet another hill leaving me panting, sweating, cursing him and sometimes even crying, as I make my way up to the top.

Our first ‘training ride’ in the Alps was the perfect example of such a scenario. “Let’s do a nice 60km circuit and go up the Col de la Columbière from the other side,” said Stuart. I thought that sounded OK. Only three hills and 2100m climbing – but I wouldn’t think about that! The first hill proved horrible, very narrow with lots of gravel, and I was slipping everywhere, while doing climbs that were about 18%. I was forced to admit defeat twice (which is not easy for me) and get off and walk.

Now I am truing to stop comparing myself to Stu and be honest with him about how I am finding the challenge rather than getting emotional and snapping at him. I keep reminding myself that I am not a pro, that this is all quite new to me and that I am proud of my own achievements.

Issue #2: Saddling up with smile

My saddle is made by Brooks so it’s made of very hard leather which is meant to mould to your bum ensuring maximum comfort… in the end! I have been using mine for about two months now and must have done hundreds of miles but the saddle is still so hard. After a big cycle ride it’s impossible to sit down properly and I confess I’m slightly worried about how much longer it will take to break in. Watch this space, I will let you know how it goes.

Issue #3: Getting the right bike

My beautiful bamboo bike is finished! British engineer and bike designer Rich Chapman has done an amazing job on it following the wonderful work Kasoma Nordin started in Uganda.

Kasoma is regarded as the best Bamboo bike builder in Africa and he’s now producing beautiful bamboo bikes. This is Claire’s in the making

We decided that riding my new bike around the Alps would be a bit silly as a heavy touring bike might not do much for my confidence! So I was riding my old road bike with temperamental gears and a dodgy back wheel, which finally broke on a fast descent from Col de Croix-Fry. Back in London I rode the bamboo bike for the first time in torrential rain – not really a fair first outing – so it’s been great to get out there and ride it properly.

Claire’s bamboo bike is ready for action

We’ve been trying to be sensible and go out for regular bike rides, with some back to back days, but there is little more to our training programme that than. Stuart did joke one evening that we should try to ‘fatten up’ a bit before we go because we’ll be burning so much energy so that has been the perfect excuse to eat and drink a lot! It will be very interesting to see how my body changes as the months go on. Psychologically things are bound to change too, and I know that I need to relax and not think about things too much… which will be very good for me!

As our leaving date gets closer we have also been doing lots of admin and I am driving myself crazy with lists! There’s so much to do – not just in terms of packing up and making sure we have the right kit, but saying our goodbyes, etc. We’ve also just finished getting the charity and educational side of things up and running now, which will make the trip even more exciting and worthwhile. I still can’t believe we’re about to head off and sometimes I find myself wondering what I’d be doing for the next year if we weren’t about to head off on this great adventure!

My next post will be about our adventures with Kasoma Nordin in Uganda before we head into Rwanda – I can’t wait!

Get out your rainbow colours and make today beautiful

Posted on 2015-09-07 at 11:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

A magical reminder that the world is a kaleidoscope of colour. Image credit: Jamie McCaffrey

Colour is a powerful thing. It can open the door to the mind and the soul and heal us on all levels, it can improve our health and boost our sense of wellbeing and it can also help us to create a happy harmonious home. So forget black, white and grey (yes, all fifty shades of it!) it’s time to open our eyes to the bold, the bright and the beautiful.

Here are our top tips for inviting more colour into your life…

1. Wear clothes that light you up

We all love neutrals but by stocking our wardrobes with the same fail-safe shades we could be missing out on the health benefits implicit in colour. As our very own colour expert Louise Gale says: “Colours can have a big psychological effect on us. Warm, bright colours, such as pink, yellow and orange, instantly put us in a cheery mood and make others feel that way too. Green is calming and soothing, blue can help you feel relaxed, and purple is associated with creativity and luxury and like red, it can also boost your energy levels.” Look for beauty in what you have in your wardrobe and bring your outfit to life with a bright accessory, like a bag, a scarf or a piece of chunky jewellery.

Floral Gypsy Top £26, Jeans £20, Knitted Scarf £12, Tan Belt £5, M&Co

2. Rock bold lips

It’s a small thing but lipstick makes a massive difference to the way you look and feel. As Coco Chanel said: “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack”. Bright lips are back this season and the enduring classic red offers a shade for every complexion; orangey-reds work well on ‘warmer’ faces with yellow undertones, while reds with a hint of blue look great against cool-toned skin.

Lipsticks, £12, Iconic London

3. Love your walls

While it’s great to have a neutral scheme that goes with everything, all that white, cream and beige can start to get you down. Your home is your playground and your sanctuary, so it should feel that way! Vibrant splashes of colour here and there can brighten your mood, stimulate lively conversation, inspire work, hobbies and interests and help you wind down too. If you’re not sure which hue is for you, take this The Paint Personality Test before you get out your brushes and go bold.

Image credit: House To Home

4. Give your living space a lift

A colourful cushion or a well-placed throw can change the focus of a room in an instant, while a quirky accessory will ensure your home reflects your personality and makes a style statement to see you into autumn.

Linea Justapose living room, House of Fraser

5. Go potty for plants

As Oscar de la Renta said: “Gardening is how I relax. It’s another form of creating and playing with colors.” So with cooler weather on its way now’s the time to pop down to your local garden centre and find inspiration. Add a pop of dramatic colour to your garden with containers filled with beautiful autumnal blooms like Violas, large faced Pansies, Heuchera, Nemesia, Snapdragon, Dahlias, Chrysanthemum or Camellia.

Image credit: Homebase

6. Spread a little sunshine

Show someone a little love today by giving a colourful gift – like a candle, photo frame or journal – wrapped in beautifully designed paper or decorated with bright tape. Your act of kindness is guaranteed to brighten their day.

Floral fabric sticky tape, £3.95, Dotcomgiftshop

7. Polish up your act

Dark manicures, brilliant brights, jewel tones, matt finishes and a splattering of nail art, when it comes to painting our fingers and toes there are so many wonderful ways to create our own unique and colourful look this autumn. So now’s the time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Matte nail polish, £2.99, New Look

8. Eat right, eat bright

Multi-coloured plant foods don’t just look good on your plate, they’re good for you as well. Each colour relates to different phytonutrients, which boast specific health benefits for the body and mind. Find out more here.

Image credit: Consciousbitesnutrition.com

9. Bring the outside in

Flowers have a wonderful healing energy, which can instantly lighten our mood or transform the atmosphere in a room. “The best way to appreciate the colour, scent and beauty of fresh flowers is to place them in your hallway and in your bedroom,” according to event-stylist-to-the-stars Matthew Robbins. “That way you enter your living space in the morning to something fresh, organic and inspiring and you end your day seeing something natural and beautiful.”

Botanical vases, Dunelm Mill

10. Connect with creativity

Ask yourself which colours you are especially drawn to right now and use these as a basis for a new creative project. Draw, paint, knit, sew, scrapbook, take pictures, bake – do whatever you love to do – or try something you’ve never done before. To find out how your colour choices reflect what is going on in your life right now, click here.

Which colours make you feel happiest? What’s your favourite colour and what does it mean to you? Which colours would you like to surround yourself with and why? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

An update from DWYL HQ – August ’15

Posted on 2015-08-28 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This month’s DWYL news round up is brought to you by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.

Do What You Love HQ has been buzzing with activity as Beth and Paul enjoy precious time as a family and bond with their new baby daughter, Maia. While Beth takes some well-deserved maternity leave (and pursues her own special passion project during Maia’s naps!) Paul and the team are as focussed on work as ever and there’s lots of exciting news to report:

1. On a mission: Our Marketing Manager, Vickie, has been on a quest to discover if becoming a digital nomad can help people to sustain a happier life while doing what they love. As part of her mission she flew out to Berlin to attend the first-ever global digital nomad conference, www.dnxglobal.com, an event which helps people discover their passions, find out more about starting a location independent business that fits their lifestyle and balance work and travel. She then stayed in Berlin for a week, living like a local, and working remotely. You can read about her experience here. And if you’d love to see if life on the road is for you, download our brand new FREE resource, Are you cut out to be a Digital Nomad?, here.

2. Loving reading week: When work gets busy we often find ourselves going about our daily business, ticking off things on our to-do lists and forgetting the bigger picture. So this August the team decided to spend five days away from email, Skype, the blog, and social media – and instead spend the week reading. We all read a book on a subject we feel passionately about and then using this for inspiration, drew on our own personal experiences and skill set to come up with plans for new resources to help support people who may be in similar situations. It’s not often that we make the time to focus on one big project without distraction but it’s been amazing to see what happens when we do. Watch this space!

An update on our collaborations

Make Art That Sells (MATS):

1. The Global Talent Search has started and we’ve had over a 1,000 participants! The Grand Prize winner receives two years’ international representation from Lilla Rogers Studio, plus a host of covetable product licenses, and a series of prizes to support the development of their professional career – you can read all about them here. Good luck to everyone who’s taking part!

2. MATS Part A + Part B start in October: If you want to learn how to make your art more commercially-viable n the hottest markets while staying true to yourself then join us for Make Art That Sells, Part A or Part B starting October 19, 2015. These five-week e-courses will give you a great insight into the industry while helping you to build a professional portfolio. You can find out more and register for MATS Part A here, or for MATS Part B here.

Make It In Design (MIID)

1. Register for September’s surface pattern design courses today! If you’re interested in becoming a successful surface pattern designer, or are new to surface design and want to hone your design skills and discover more about what the industry can offer you, check out the latest courses from The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design: Module 1 – Designing Your way; Module 3 – Monetising Your Designs and The Ultimate Portfolio Builder. All three courses start September 21, 2015.

2. ‘How to build a brand’ video series – coming soon! When it comes to building a thriving business, branding is vital. It takes time and effort to get your branding right, but as anyone who has a successful business knows, it is absolutely worth it in the long run. In Make it in Design’s brand new five-part video series, Rachael Taylor and Patricia van den Akker from The Design Trust take you on an incredible journey to discover what it takes to create a truly brilliant brand. This fabulous new resource is completely FREE and videos start on Monday, September 7, 2015. Sign up here.

3. Rachael at Printsource New York… On August 11 & 12 Rachael Taylor hit NYC for Printsource New York – one of the top surface and textile design shows in the world. Rachael joined the likes of Pantone and Trendstop to deliver two presentations on ‘The Rise of Surface Pattern Design’ and ‘Blazing a New Trail in Surface Pattern Design’ which were really well received. Rachael was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet so many talented creatives from the Make it in Design community who came to see her talk. Read more here.

4. Summer School: Hundreds of designers from over 35 countries took part in this year’s Summer School, where they had the opportunity to work on challenging briefs, connect with other designers and even win some cool prizes. The Make it in Design galleries are now bursting at the seams with awesome designs in response to creative briefs inspired by WGSN trends. Join the waiting list to be the first to hear when Summer School 2016 returns and to be inspired by all the amazing patterns created during the event.

5. Welcome to the HOME edition of MOYO Magazine! Issue 8 of MOYO, the world’s first on-line magazine dedicated to surface pattern design, is out now! This issue is all about the home and it’s packed with ideas and expert advice to help you style-up your house and make it truly feel like yours. Wherever you are on your design journey there’s plenty to inspire you with design briefs, colour stories, student showcases, travel features, news, trend updates, and fascinating interviews with industry experts, including:

Sophie Robinson (our cover star), one of the UK’s top interior stylists who specialises in magazine features, photo shoots, room sets and high street style
Heather Moore, founder of the wildly successful blog, shop, and online business Skinny laMinx
British textile designer Emily Burningham
Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire, the dynamic duo behind the contemporary interiors brand Mini Moderns
Ceramics expert Kate Thorburn of What Kate Loves

For all this FREE goodness, and much more besides, download your copy of MOYO Issue 8 here.

To make sure everyone you know gets to MOYO Magazine too, we’d love you to share it on your website, blog and social media using the following link: https://bit.ly/moyo8 and hashtag #MoyoMagazine

Thought of the month… a little time can go a long way

“Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.” ~ Brian Andreas

During reading week I read Arianna Huffington’s insightful book Thrive, which challenges us to redefine the commonly accepted definition of success. She likens our drive for money and power to two legs of a three-legged stool; it may hold us up temporarily, but sooner or later we’re going to topple over. In order to live a healthy, productive, and meaningful life, she believes that we need a third leg – a Third Metric for defining success – one that is made up of four pillars: well-being, wisdom, wonder and giving. And that these four pillars are pulled together by an overarching goal, which is to reconnect with ourselves, our loved ones and our community.

This section in Chapter 2: Wisdom rang so true for me during my reading week when I parked my usual work duties, removed digital distractions and focussed on nothing but my exciting new project.

“Slow thinking is is intuitive, woolly and creative,” wrote Carl Honoré. “It’s what we do when the pressure is off, and there is time to let ideas simmer on the back burner. It yields rich, nuanced insights and sometimes surprising breakthroughs… the future will belong to those who can innovate – and innovation comes from knowing when to slow down.”

It also served as a valuable reminder that gaining a sense of time affluence – the feeling that you really do have sufficient time to pursue activities that you enjoy and that are personally meaningful – genuinely can lead to greater wellbeing and deeper wisdom.

What activities are meaningful to you in your life and how can you make more time for them?

Until next month,

Rachel

MOYO issue 8 is out now!

Posted on 2015-08-26 at 11:56 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Welcome to the HOME edition of MOYO Magazine!

With autumn almost here, we’re not only rethinking our wardrobes, we’re also wondering how to integrate new-season home trends into our interiors. Luckily help is at hand! This issue is packed with inspirational ideas and expert advice to help you style-up your house and make it truly feel like yours.

Wherever you are on your design journey you’ll love this issue – and it’s completely free!

Our 111-page ‘Home’ Issue 8 is packed with design briefs, colour stories, travel features, reviews, student showcases, news, trend updates, and fascinating interviews with industry experts, including:

Sophie Robinson, one of the UK’s top interior stylists who specialises in magazine features, photo shoots, room sets and high street style
Heather Moore, founder of the wildly successful blog, shop, and online business Skinny laMinx
British textile designer Emily Burningham
Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire, the dynamic duo behind the contemporary interiors brand Mini Moderns
Ceramics expert Kate Thorburn of What Kate Loves

PLUS

Top tips for building a brand from surface pattern design brand Surfacephilia
Tricks of the trade show with award-winning illustrator and surface pattern designer Abigail Borg
Behind the scenes on a Make it in Design photoshoot
Practical advice on protecting your work from Dids Macdonald
Make your own mouse pad with Bonnie Christine
Designer Diary: Laura Slater
Your guide to designing for wallpaper by Jessica Hogarth
More information about upcoming surface pattern design courses with Make it in Design
And much more besides!

(more…)