do what you love Page 32 of 94

Our small (and perfectly formed!) team is growing by the day… I’m delighted to introduce you to the newest member of the Do What You Love family, Henry Titley. Henry will be taking on the role of Business Analyst here at DWYL HQ. He’s at a pivotal point in his life when his decisions and subsequent actions will dictate the path he follows and the person he’ll become. We’re thrilled that he has chosen to join us and we’re excited about working with him to elevate the company and his life to new heights! – MR K

On top of the world: Henry is thrilled to be part of the Do What You Love team

Never happier than when he’s out exploring mountains, oceans or even the local countryside, Henry loves a challenge. He’s in his element when he’s lacing up his walking boots, strapping on his skis or jumping on his bike to discover somewhere new. He says: “Nothing beats an adventure; whether it’s alone or with friends or family, adventures are what make life so exciting.

Out-going and open-minded, Henry thrives on trying new things. He enjoys new experiences, learning new skills, listening to other people’s points of view and researching places he’s never been to before. When he’s not seeing the world he can be found in his back garden, map or book in hand, dreaming about his next crazy expedition and planning how he’ll make it a reality.

“I left a good job in the city after 15 years because I wanted every day of my life to be enjoyable, not just my days off. I realised that I was never going to achieve all the things that I wanted to in life by sitting behind a desk, working for big corporations. It was time for a change.

After hearing all about Beth and Paul’s adventures abroad and their philosophy of living a life of doing what you love, the opportunity to work with them was far to good to miss. I’m so happy to be involved in something that excites me and that I believe in so passionately. And what’s more, it doesn’t involve commuting on crowded tube trains or sitting in an air-conditioned office!

Over the years I’ve come to realise that there is a point to everything; decisions matter, what you do today shapes your tomorrow and above all every day is yours to be enjoyed. For me being part of Do What You Love, which helps people to achieve whatever they want to in life, is as worthwhile as it gets.”

 

On my happy list this month… lovely surprises! Earlier this week I received a box of gorgeously wrapped goodies from my sister, including a beautiful card and some craft supplies to inspire me to be creative. I was so touched by her random act of kindness. How can you surprise someone you love today?

Each month we share a free downloadable ‘Happy List’ as a place for you to capture the things – small and big – that have made you smile and feel inspired each day. Get yours here.

Wishing you a July filled with sunshine and joy,

Rachel

Skilled, knowledgeable and incredibly talented, Neil Bettles is co-founder and Artistic Director of award-winning theatre company ThickSkin. Renowned for producing heart-stopping visual performances, ThickSkin combines bold Frantic Assembly inspired movement work with sharp, edgy theatre. Since the company launched in 2010, it’s earned a reputation for unearthing and developing new talent and engaging established artists in creating innovative work that inspires and challenges audiences. Do What You Love caught up with Neil to talk scripts, stories and success…

(more…)

Today Do What You Love’s Senior Editor shares what she loves most about her home city…

Picture courtesy of Sheffield City council

We all have an affinity with the place we call home. For me that place is Sheffield. It has a special place in my heart because it’s where I went to university and found my independence; it’s where I accepted my first job as a magazine editor; it’s where I made friends for life and met my husband; and it’s where we bought our first home and welcomed our gorgeous little boy into the world. I’ve lived in Sheffield for 10 years so it’s part of my story and it’s given me lots of happy memories.

Part of the reason I’ve stayed here so long is that it offers the best of both worlds: the buzz and excitement of modern city life with the laid-back feel of a friendly village steeped in craftsmanship, history and heritage. There’s a pulsating grassroots creative arts community, a harmonious multicultural population, a cool mix of Victorian and modern architecture, a plethora of independent shops, striking public art, stylish restaurants, coffee shops galore, the best pubs in Britain, secret parties, urban farms and Supertrams! It’s a city packed with people who want to make a difference, and it’s brimming with possibilities.

(more…)

There comes a day when each of us decides to put fears and excuses aside. A day when we decide to listen to our heart – and follow it. And a day when we decide to take those first small steps towards making our wildest dreams come true.

Let today be that day for you.

As today’s interview shows, the journey towards doing what you love can start at an early age. Even as a child Jared Green was intrigued by clothes and fashion. He says: “I remember seeing the work of uber-stylists like Grace Coddington at American Vogue and being totally inspired by the fantastical imagery she created – I dreamt that one day I’d be doing that too.” Determined to follow his passion, Jared spent years gaining valuable experience in the fashion industry before launching his own successful business – and he hasn’t looked back since. Here’s his story…

(more…)

The Great Diary Project – V&A Museum of Childhood

Dolls, daydreams and diaries… we all remember what it was like to be little. And this summer the Museum of Childhood in London is celebrating all those things and more with an inspiring showcase of story-themed exhibitions and displays designed to take us on a trip down memory lane.

One of the many highlights is ‘The Great Diary Project’ which features diaries from 1813 to 1996 and focuses on the lives of children at particular moments in history. From tales of bedbugs during the Napoleonic Wars to coded accounts of wild teenage behaviour during the Blitz, it’s a fascinating insight into how attitudes have changed over time and how peoples’ unique voices can be captured so beautifully in this very private kind of writing.

(more…)

I have the great pleasure of introducing you to the newest member of the Do What You Love family. Rachel is a hugely talented creative writer who will be taking on the role of Senior Editor here at DWYL HQ. We could not be happier that she has chosen to join us and look forward to watching her flourish.

So, who is Rachel? We asked her to delve deep and give you a little insight into why a simple question can provide such profound answers. – Mr K

Do What You Love’s new Senior Editor – Rachel Kempton

Who am I? Wow, what a question. Surely we all know who we are? I certainly thought I did until a few months ago when I started writing my Real Wild Bio.

When I was a girl I had it all figured out: I knew exactly what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. By the age of 30 I said I’d have been to university; travelled; trained as a journalist; written for newspapers; edited a glossy lifestyle magazine; married my Mr Right; and started a family. As I quickly discovered, creating the life I dreamed of would challenge me, push me out of my comfort zone, send me on some wild adventures and make me face fears I never even knew I had. And it was worth it. By the age of 34 (yes, four years later than planned but who’s counting?!) I’d achieved everything I’d set out to do. So what next? (more…)

The 2014 Global Talent Search is back and open for entries. This is an incredible opportunity for artists – be sure to check it out as it could just transform your career! We are proud to produce this on behalf of Lilla Rogers Studio, one of the top art agencies in the world. This is what Lilla Rogers has to say about this year’s competition…

Every year we get thousands of artists approaching us for representation, so last year we launched our Global Talent Search to find hot new talent – and the competition is back!

Make art? Got talent? Want one of the TOP agents in the world to represent … YOU?

The second annual Lilla Rogers Studio Global Talent Search is here! 

Somebody’s going to win. Why not you?

(more…)

 

Ever since Sienna’s arrival six months ago we have been overwhelmed by how many wonderful messages of congratulations we’ve received. Thank you.

Recently though, something has been cropping up in conversation that has really struck a chord with me. When people ask how old she is I answer accordingly, and then they’ll say: ‘So are you off work today?’ When I explain that both my wife and I work from home the response is always the same… ‘Oooh, you’re so lucky’.

I thought very little about this the first few times it happened. In fact I’d just smile and say ‘Yes’. However, after hearing the same response well over a dozen times now, I want to talk about this, because really  there is little or no luck involved in it at all.

Being at home with my daughter is a choice, enabled by the way we designed how we wanted to work when she came along. A year ago I made a conscious decision to leave a ‘secure’ yet underwhelming career as a Civil Engineer to start a new chapter in my life. Beth and I both made sacrifices to create this set up. It has taken a lot of hard work, and we have taken many risks, to make it possible.

Back when we first got engaged we sat down together and discussed what would make us happy in the coming years. At that point children were just hypothetical, but even so we knew that we’d want to play a major part of their lives from the very beginning – both of us, not just their mother. Back then, I wasn’t enjoying my career and I was also aware that being tied to much longer hours than a 9-to-5 job, with a long commute on top, would steal a big chunk of my time with any children we might have. Not long after a decision was made. I would hand my notice in and start working with DWYL.

Even though I hadn’t been enjoying my career for some time it was still a big decision to make. We would lose my salary and we would be more dependent upon DWYL offering family security. We were just about to get married too, and I knew that if a baby came along, then more than ever, we’d be living in each other’s pockets. Of course we had no idea how it would work out, we just hoped that our time in Japan living in a postage stamp of an apartment would stand us in good stead.

And of course for Beth, once we were working together, her company stopped being about just creating a business, and started being about creating our future.

Even though it was a little risky I knew the greater risk was spending time doing something I didn’t love whilst missing out on experiencing something transient – the early years of a precious child. And however tough it was, that decision is vindicated every time I watch Sienna make a new and exciting discovery – not on a video my wife has emailed to me, but with my own eyes, because I am there. And I am there to see her face light up with wonder because of a series of conscious decisions, sometimes difficult choices, sacrifices and planning. We haven’t got it all figured out yet – like anyone else spinning plates we get tired, of course we do. But we are getting there, and it is not because of luck.

The choice to live and work this way has also been very interesting for Beth. Anyone who works for themselves when they have their first child will know that there is an inevitable impact on your productivity. (Beth would say that is an understatement…) At the same time you get a fair bit of notice that a baby is on the way, so we did what we could to plan for it (and we’re grateful to our wonderful collaborators for their understanding and support as we did that). The reality has probably been even tougher than we imagined, but it has worth every single moment.

A good friend of mine always said there was no such thing as luck. It is when opportunity meets preparation. I tend to agree. Taking the time to design the life you want is always going to improve your chances of things actually working out the way you want them to.

How would you like your life to look? What opportunities can you seize and how can you prepare yourself for them today?

Mr K