reflecting + resolutions

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Being the beginning of the year {and this blogs very first entry}, it seems only appropriate to reflect on the year that’s been and to encapsulate the year in writing. Not only that but to list my New Years resolutions for 2012.

There are many things that I’ve learnt from the year just been, but the biggest lesson that I’ve taken away is that there is no such thing as perfect. I’ve had to ask myself, what would I do if I didn’t have to do it perfectly? The answer, a great deal more than I am. I am like that artist who redraws the chin line on a portrait until the paper tears, the poet who fixes on one line of a poem over and over - until no lines are right. I am the designer who will rework a single pattern to perfection, forgetting that there is an entire range patiently waiting for attention. Stemming from a desire to do one thing and one thing really well, I restructured my label from designing full ranges to now designing shirts and shirts alone. I am a firm believer in investing in quality over quantity. Last year my husband and I moved out of our spacious two-bedroom house and into a tiny-teeny character filled studio apartment. We thoroughly enjoyed the exercise of culling unnecessary belongings, simplifying life down to the bare essentials. It’s the simple things that make life so fulfilling – the smell of an old book, music playing quietly in the background, sparkling water, baggy t-shirts, dark chocolate, happy memories and long drives heading nowhere.

So, where to for the year ahead? 2012 is going to be the year of making it happen, listening to my heart and trusting my gut. I have found that more often than not, my instincts tend to lead me in the right direction. I recently read that if your heart is telling you to go in a certain direction or to pursue a certain passion, then take a leap of faith. Despite the million reasons why you shouldn’t {the timing isn’t right, I don’t have enough money, I’m giving up so much}. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars” – Les Brown. So here goes.

- Get my website up and running
- Open a pop-up store
- Travel to India and The Netherlands to visit my extended family
- Go to the gym 4x/week
- Read more
- Cook more
- Write more

{Image via Derek Henderson}