Prosperous & Creative Soul & MFW Year 3

jwil

Hope you can get some time to rest and relax.

SandyShores

Take care savingholmes, its easy to overdo it especially in this heat.  Prioritise your health and getting ready for your holiday at the moment.  Try to leave everything else until you return if you can. 

savingholmes

Thanks TG, Lucielle, KK, Jwil and Sandy

I know you are all right but I'm kind of already over-committed right now so need to see it through. My cleaner having left and the agency not being able to find someone else is also making life harder. I'm pushing myself to learn Italian and that's taking up quite a bit of time. I'm doing the art course - so have suddenly ramped up how much time I'm spending on art - which I'm loving but - takes a lot of energy (but also nourishes me and gives it back). I knew I wasn't going to be able to go in the office for the next 3 weeks due to the course and then being on holiday - and with my job being at risk - and wanting the support of others - I did go in in the end yesterday. A bit report was available yesterday which detailed some of the potential future of the kind of work I do but it wasn't clear whether because of the proposed change date whether I'd miss out on the best opportunities.

It was very unsettling as many of my colleagues are looking to escape before the big change happens and are very actively job hunting. I'm not doing that yet. My building block list of necessary tasks is slightly different to theirs.

• I started with working out my worst case scenario finances. 
• Then what courses I'd like to do so my skills are as fresh as possible.
• I've had family social events - some good - some hard.
• The family member whose seriously ill is still in denial and actively resisting the most likely diagnosis. They're not coping and their comms aren't great.
  
• I am working in spurts of motivation and focus but feel like I'm playing catch up and trying to cram everything in before my course and going on leave.
• I only plan to seriously consider looking for other jobs after my holiday. I still need to redo my CV and my online profile -but have sent myself the info I need to help do that.

I didn't get to sleep until 5.40am and got up around 10am today - so not the best situation. I think that was part meds and partly eating late night dark chocolate. I know better but wasn't thinking. I did make art and listen to a story for part of that but genuinely couldn't have slept. I'm very happy with what I produced and did a little more on it after work tonight. I haven't touched Italian yet -but need to so I don't lose my streak!

savingholmes

I'm over spending - but still within a tolerance but it's eroding my savings. I have cashed out the mobile rewards - so that's £30 sat in my mobile account so that helps a tiny fraction. I will also get lots of cashback after I return from 3 of my hotel stays.  At least not having a cleaner is cushioning my art and other spends - it is mainly art and food - and more fuel than normal.

I'm making of list of priority sites when I land in Italy and  I can go to a concert in an amphitheatre - potentially the evening I land. My hotel is within 10-15 minutes walk of it. I need to book that - I get paid tomorrow. There's a tourist card I can buy that gives me included access to stuff and discounts in others. My travel money came today so that is positive and I've roughly mapped out what I plan to spend my money on. When I get to my main hotel the next day - there's a card that's included for there that gives me free travel and discounts etc. I'm started to get excited about that again.

I'm not worried about packing for the trip this time - as I have a better idea of what I wore in practice while I was there now I've been. I've got my walking poles but haven't practiced with them yet. DD has agreed that she and her BF will look after the cat as long as I give them something towards fuel. So that was a weight off my mind. They will let the cat out every day - as he's more like to return for them than someone he doesn't know.

In terms of urgent things that need sorting:

• I'm worried my computer isn't good enough for the course - and really need to test that out tomorrow. 
• Ideally I'd improve my travel insurance before going. 
• Buy a tourist card for the first city.
• Buy airport valet parking.
  
• One of my suitcases has a slight hole - I have been considering replacing it but haven't yet.

Just have to keep plodding as Beanie would say.

beanielou

Always keep plodding xx

savingholmes

Thanks Beanie.

I've been paid today. So another £450 went to AVCs.

I did a really good piece of art work this week on black card that fits with my desired brand and it could be the first piece I try to create prints of and sell. I've therefore looked up the price of a few printing companies but need to investigate more. I've talked about earning money from art forever I know - but finally feel I have identified a way to test the market - starting with postcard prints of my art - and then if that works - expand. I'm thinking of creating options of multiple copies of the same print and some variety packs. I plan to start by ordering one design (but then if the quality of that is okay) rapidly progress to at least another 4 designs. I think one of my blockages with selling my art has always been a reluctance to let go of originals - and this also helps to overcome that. 

I think some of my designs would also work well on posters, bigger prints, clothing and reusable bags - so want to try and get some samples and pricing for them. I will investigate whether I can get variety packs of cards printed from the start - but they seem to be cheaper for single print runs. I will investigate local printers as well. If anyone has experience of similar feel free to PM me.

Later I'm going to go out and try and buy some frames for my art too - and that will then help flatten it before I take its final picture. It could also mean that I am able to offer some other printable options too - perhaps even framed art. I possibly prefer printed canvases though as there is less to break or giclee prints or just plain matt. I will see what my options are. It would be worth trying to visit a local printers in person with examples of my art work and see what they suggest. 

Right best get on with my day job. I have counselling later too which is good as this week has been difficult again. But really grateful I have my holiday coming up in less than 2 weeks.

dawnybabes

Sorry you fell - on the Apple Watch you can set a fall monitor up to alert people if you don’t respond - there might be something like that on yours ?

jwil

Lots going on.  Not long til your holiday.

Blackcats

Marketing/merchandising ideas for your art sound very exciting.
great that you are looking forward to your holiday - seems like you are much more confident this time which you should feel proud about. 😎

TallGirl

Loving the ideas for your art, well done for pushing yourself out of your usual boundaries. You have sounded so much more confident lately about your art definitely take advantage of that now. Having a holiday to look forward to is just the icing on the cake enjoy the planning etc. all sounding really good.