Choosing to do things differently

Building a slow, spacious and sustainable creative business and letting go of the need to do it alone

In my quest to create the perfect duckling pattern the flock has grown to slightly more than the adult ducks can keep track of.

Hello,

It finally feels like Summer in the UK and whilst I am sad that we seem to have skipped Spring I am very much appreciating being warm enough to come out of my cocoon of comfy clothes, jumpers and blankets. My original plan for this newsletter was to do more of an overview of what I have been up to over the last two weeks and what is coming up. But, every time I tried typing, it seemed to morph into something else. It seems that my Substack wants to become more of a place to document and share my journey, as I try to build my dream crochet business, than the more updates/tutorials place I thought it would be. Rather than fight it and stick to the original plan I have decided to lean into it and see where it takes me.

Whilst I haven’t been online much over the past couple of weeks I have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to figure out what I want ‘from my hook’ to be and how I can put it out in the world. When I joined Substack it was on a whim, I liked the people here, and, a part of me wanted to explore a few ideas that had been in the back of my mind for a while. But, as soon as I started writing, I knew that I wanted more. Despite all of the voices telling me that it is unrealistic and urging me to manage my expectations I find myself daring to dream and the ideas that have been developing at the back of my mind for a while are demanding to be put out into the world.

Over the past 8 years my body has taught me to be wary of hope. There have been three times when I thought the worst of my knee issues was past - that my days might not be entirely be dictated by their whims and that I could start to rebuild a more normal life - only to end up back at the beginning again. So, I have tried not to trust in hope, to be cautious, and, to not ask for too much. Yet, the pull is irresistible; I can’t help but want to try.

The more I have wrote and spoke to people that are daring to build creative and unconventional businesses, the more I realised I wanted one of my own. In ‘normal’ terms the business I want - one that I love, that supports me and that does not demand my health as sacrifice - sounds a bit like wishful thinking. When most of my day is taken up by managing pain/energy, fighting for small mobility gains and just trying to get through, hustling to build something does not seem a realistic plan. But, rather than give up and accept that I may always be dependant on others, I have decided to take a leap of faith and believe that another way might be possible.

One of my biggest realisations so far is that I don’t want to do it alone. I have always been quite independent and self sufficient. I have never really doubted that I can figure most things out by myself and I like the idea of being a strong, smart, independent. But, honestly it is exhausting and I am ready to try a different approach with this. So, I have chosen to say yes to help. I have signed up for the early bird offer to join Your Simple and Spacious Business group by Jen Carrington (

Conversations I Have With Myself

) and I feel really good about that choice. I have chosen to invest in myself, and the chance of a future I want. And, I have chosen to want something I was never told I was allowed to have (or that was even an option). It may not be the most ‘sensible’ or ‘rational’ decision I have made (to say I do not have financial resources to spare is putting it mildly), but, I have no regrets. It has given me the tools and support I need to believe that what I want is possible and the courage to own it. With Jen’s guidance the chaos of ideas that have been darting around my head are arranging themselves into a plan that feels not only doable but energising.

The next stages feel really exciting. The website is nearly ready to go, I have patterns ready to launch (I am nearly overrun with test ducklings) and the tech editing services I want to offer are taking shape. I am sure that there will be setbacks and changes along the way but I am excited to explore the possibilities that a simple and spacious approach to building a business can offer. If you have read this far and want to come along for the journey and see whether I can make this work, please follow. And, if you are trying to build something different (anything that gets you raised eyebrows in the ‘normal’ world) comment and let me know what it is as I would love to connect.

P.S. If you have been considering joining Your Simple and Spacious Business but haven’t made the leap yet I can honestly say that, if it is financially doable for you, go for it. I am completely blown away by how much value Jen provides. I had very high hopes but they have been surpassed by miles. Jen also offers members affiliate links so if you sign up from here - Your Simple and Spacious Business - not only will you be getting an amazing amount of support for your business but you will be helping to make my business dreams come true as well.