'the challenge for business leaders in the 21st century is to assume the mantle of spiritual elder for their cultures, so that life doesn't become trivial and grey for all the people who spend most of their life at work' - jim channon
certainly no dull moments at poppies.
I look at these flowers, and i must must must make something with those colours. maybe some writing paper or a spring card. jill thomas again. xx
we moved out of our orchard house almost a year ago now. i dreamt i still lived there for months and months. I saw these photos yesterday and it made me think of home. it also made me think of inspiration- and what inspires me- what I steal from! I thought i'd share the pics, and i'll keep sharing. I have a folder on my computer that I drop things into to look at when I am starting a new project. do you do that? it works rather well to open it up and look at what you've collected over the weeks. Certain things always stand out to me, like a colour that links everything together. It reminds me of going hunting as a child- collecting all sorts of treasure- coloured feathers and discarded things. so here is my treasure for the day. When I look at the picture of the table I can't help but imagine what I'd add to it-and thus the process has begun.The wonderful photographer is called Jill Thomas
forgot to mention sara had her little babe in december- sweet finely. how funny that we all have boys, I was so certain of girls. girls like pictures of flowers and birdies. charlie likes me to draw him bikes and trains. he also likes to be incredibly loud and 'crash' all day long. ohh the love.
soooo the book i'm reading. i take notes. thats how much it is shaping me. it is wonderfully empowering. it is full of quotes like this: 'it is high time the ideal of success should be replaced with the ideal of service'- Albert Einstein. to serve- what a word for this day, when it is so easy to be all about me. I will aspire to get there. to live a good life. here are a few sentences i scribbled out madly- 'to actively do good'. 'work that fulfills us'. 'building communities based on interdependence and co-operation'. 'nurturing relationships that breathe passion into our lives'. 'compassion count as much as cashflow'. 'life is no brief candle. but a splendid torch'. 'everything we do matters'. everything we do matters makes my heart beat faster, we can live big lives- pouring ourselves out for the greater good. for community, for an end to poverty and we can do it in a way that is truly us. listen to this:
'any idea you have is like an extension of your personality and any company that you build yourself has your thumbprint on it. It's an extension of yourself. It is your alter ego'- Anita Roddick how enlivening is that! shy lani can make pretty stationery and it be full of the things that make me me. and it may just become large and successful and i can choose to continue to be me in that- by actively doing good and standing up for things that matter. like women. like small businesses, communities and creativity. like children, mothers and the importance of education and a full tummy. I feel very much alive today.
Ended up clicking on a tweet from design tavern to this quote: "Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don't bother concealing your thievery- celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: "It's not where you take things from- it's where you take them to"". - Jim Jarmusch.
Sometimes I worry that the wonderful people that read this blog or buy our things think we have made it in a way they could not, Its just not true- it is the new year- if this is the year you desire to start something creative, start it. Sometimes I wake up and sit down to work and feel like a fraud, I am not one who can sit with a pencil in hand and draw you something beautiful. it takes days or weeks for things to come alive for me. I own a lot of erasers and tracing paper. I am not brilliant, I am not gifted, I stumble on, because poppies makes me happy, I like to make things, do you?
I'm spending my nights reading business as unusual. the body shop story. get ready for some quotes out of the book- it has brought me to tears over and over and breathed hope into me.
looking forward to getting back to work.
