Focusing on the good stuff!

Hello! This is a bit of a strange subject this week but it’s on the back of a pretty horrendous week to be honest and quite frankly my head’s a shed so instead of trying to delve into a theme when my brain’s not quite with it and working, instead I’m focusing on all the positives going on and what I’m looking forward to in the next few weeks in the hope of channelling some positive vibes!

New Creative Experiences

Once again, my curiosity has taken me off in different directions to learn something new…for myself, but I also like to have a go and experiment so I can share my experiences with you guys too, here’s what I’ve been up to!

Pyrography Art

Last week I had a go at something new and as usual I loved it! It was a pyrography class, which is basically using a really hot wire instrument to burn marks into wood to create a design or piece of art.

Jac, from @positiveearthfurntiure and a pyrography artist herself has recently set up the workshop  as an offshoot of their recycling furniture business.

She talked us through how it worked, demonstrating the technique and making it look easy, and then it was our turn to have a go! It took practise to work out the pressure to apply and how to work with the grain of the wood but we managed to produce some pretty good stuff I think and it was really good fun!

   

Some of Jac’s work                   My attempt!

Working with Essential Oils

Thanks to meeting Tamara at our WOW Wednesday group, I had the opportunity to go to one of her new events to learn all about essential oils and how to use them.

Tamara works with doTERRA oils, one of the few that are a higher quality percentage of essential oil compared to many high-street options.

She talked us through the various oils and how they linked into different feelings of well-being, such as calming, tension relief, restful, sharpening focus, uplifting, respiratory support, protective and grounding.

We then got to create our own blend of oils depending on how we wanted to feel which was fascinating as everyone likes different smells! Finally, we used our blend to be taught a hand massage, to release the fragrance and feel very relaxed!

The oils can also help with a whole range of health conditions so I then mixed a blend including respiratory oils for my son to see if it will help with his really bad hay-fever.

It was a great evening and really interesting to see how much oils can potentially help rather than always reaching for medicines that don’t always work and they smell…..divine, I couldn’t stop sniffing my wrists!!

You can find out more about Tamara’s business at her Instagram account – @missbeatyscupboard

My Current Creative Projects

I’m pleased to say that setting up the WOW Wednesday events is not only working for the participants who are coming along, but it’s also working for me, kicking my butt into gear on writing my book! WOW Wednesday is basically a bi-monthly event where a group of local creatives, business owners, entrepreneurs and people who are training, get together and talk trough our aims for the next few weeks in order to be accountable to someone and therefore more likely to do it!

We’re only a couple of meetings in but so far it’s working really well with everyone getting on and tackling their tasks! And it got me back to writing, which I’d been procrastinating about like mad so that’s a major win in my eyes!

The next meeting will be Wednesday 3^rd July, 9.30am at Miriam’s Kitchen Table if you would like to join, we have an array of talented people and very different businesses!

Holmfirth Art Week

One of my tasks on my accountability list is Holmfirth Art Week! This is a huge event locally and many people come to visit. Our Shelley Art Group are once again exhibiting in the market hall as part of the fringe festival and so I really need to crack on a get some pieces ready!

It’s such a great community event, the only problem being I hardly even make any money because I end up spending loads on the art pieces I love dotted across the venues of the whole exhibition!

I help out manning our venue too and I love it, chatting to local people and visitors and leave the week feeling re-inspired and wowed by the sheer amount of talented artists in our area! Cue, there will be talk of wanting to set up an Etsy shop again!

Writing

Once again, I’ll be trying to meet a target of 2000 words by the next WOW meeting, which really isn’t a lot so I have no excuse! I’m determined to get this first draft finished by the time the kids break up, come on Juliet…Focus!

I also have Writing Group homework to do, and I’m thinking of joining the Huddersfield Authors Circle as I know they have a wealth of talent that may be able to offer me some advice and give me constructive feedback, I need all the help I can get!

Photography

Despite all the crazy rain we’ve had across the country and definitely in Yorkshire, Summer is bursting up all around us in the countryside.

I’ve been really enjoying the bright colours on offer; bright blue skies, fluffy clouds, sunny buttercups, fuscia foxgloves, cornflower forget-me-knots, tangerine sunsets and the serene stretches of fields of green – it really is a feast for the eyes out there at the moment and brings a new excitement to capturing images!

 

I’ve recently found out about the Countryfile Calendar Photography Competition for 2020 and the theme this year is beauty and the beast, to be interpreted however you like!

You can enter up to 3 photos and the deadline is 12^th July for anyone wanting to have a go.

I’ve been out there practising and getting some really nice comments on my @soothedbynature Instagram account so I’m definitely going to challenge myself and enter.

I received this lovely comment this week, which made my day as that’s exactly what I want my pictures to do, soothe you!

“I love your account. Such lovely pictures and very soothing to look at. One of my fave Insta accounts!” – @thisalicelife

What else is coming up?

Clare Mackintosh’s new book launch! If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Clare who’s written 3 previous thriller-type books and one based on her life in the Cotswolds. I had the privilege to meet her years ago (see here for that story) and not only is she an amazing author but also a very down to earth, inspiring woman who takes the time to engage with her readers.

For those who know her story, you’ll also know that very sadly, she lost one of her twin babies to meningitis, before she became an author.

Her new book ‘After the end’ sounds like it’s going to be a truly heart-breaking read but also one that makes you think about life and the decision the central characters have to make.

It’s out on Tuesday 25^th June and I am literally holding my breathe on countdown because I know it will be all-consuming,  ground-breaking and emotional, I cannot wait.

Conversations of Inspiration by Holly Tucker – Live in Manchester!

‘Conversations of Inspiration’ is simply my absolutely favourite podcast out there for creatives and new business start-ups.

Holly Tucker (co-founder of Not on the High Street, owner of Holly&Co AND UK Small businesses ambassador) interviews amazing people about how they started their businesses, their background growing up and always finishes with them reading a letter to their younger self – often a very emotional letter – I’ve been known to cry on dog-walks listening to it!

Her interview style is passionate, warm and encouraging and she is such a pleasure to listen to, as are her truly remarkable guests – Levi Roots (of Reggae Reggae Sauce fame) was a recent one and wow what a story, see here.

I honestly can’t recommend this podcast enough! Every creative needs Holly in their life, someone who really believes that creatives and small businesses can change the world and will be fighting your corner all the way.

Just one of the many inspiring quotes I’ve noted down from the podcast!

As a super fan, myself and two friends are going to see a Live version of the podcast in Manchester in July, I know I’ll be coming back buzzing and I’ll be telling you all about it afterwards.

So, that’s all for this week, whilst I wade through current struggles and emerge hopefully more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed next week.

There’s always light out of the dark times yes? Just like the beautiful sunset above, captured by my husband as he climbed the 3rd mountain, Snowdon on his National 3 peaks challenge last weekend!

Hope you all have a creatively inspiring and enlightening week!

Until the next time…

Juliet, The Curious Creative x