Are you doing what makes you happy?

It’s the start of the last week of my birthday month and I’ve been reflecting on a few things and marvelling at where my life has taken me. When I was in Primary School I had a teacher who asked as to write down what we thought we’d be when we grew up. I boldly declared that I’d be a Barrister, married, have 3 kids and all by the age of 23. (Obviously math has never been a strong point with me… the timeframe for becoming a Barrister alone would have made me older than 23, never mind having 3 kids and marrying someone!) For the longest time growing up I really thought I’d have a career in the law. It was never my passion and it was never something I really aspired to from the heart, but I thought if I was going to have to get a “real” job I might as well get one that looked exciting (I grew up when L.A. Law was on television!). 

Looking back it’s so obvious that where my passion laid was in writing and creating. I poured hours into my journals and art works. Art was the class at school that I looked forward to the most, however it wasn’t the class I did my best in academically so I never thought it would be a viable option for a career or further studies. Better to be a well fed lawyer than a starving artist, right? (Wrong!)

When I got my job with the Public Service I was so happy. I was happy because it gave me job security, great opportunities, helped me give back to my community and I was good at it. But over the years, as the excitement and novelty wore off I came to realise it wasn’t what truly made me happy. (Although it’s the reason I met the wonderful man I’m blessed to call my Husband and he makes me very happy!) I would say I spent a good decade wandering in the wilderness looking for a way to tap back into what made me happy and I consider myself very lucky to have only had to spend 10 years looking (I know some people that will go to their graves never having found it).

I know now that I’m happiest when I’m creating and sharing that love of creating with others. I’m happiest when I’m just tapping away at the keyboard pouring my thoughts out and making sense of the world I live in. I am, only now, starting to identify myself as a creator and a writer. When people ask me what I do now I tell them I’m a quilter and a blogger. I no longer label myself by what pays the bills, it’s about what makes me happy.

That’s a pretty awesome place to be at at the age of 38. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like when I’m 98!

So I have to ask you, are you doing what makes you happy? If you’re not, what’s holding you back? I just read this great post, Don’t Quilt Your Job to Chase Your Dreams… Until You’ve Read This, and my biggest take away from it was from point #3 – you don’t have to go all in, you can take a run up! If there’s something you’d rather be doing you don’t have to put it all on the line to do it, you can break it down and do it in small steps.

Here’s what I mean… if you’ve always thought you wouldn’t mind being a quilter but you’ve never sewn before and just looking at the long list of supplies you see on most quilters Instagram feeds or blogs sends your bank balance in to cardiac arrest, don’t panic. You can give it a try without breaking the bank! Take a class and have a go. You can often do classes where they supply the majority of the equipment you just need to supply one or two fat quarters. It’s a cheap way of seeing whether sewing is for you without over committing. Or find a friend who’s a quilter and ask them if you can have a go. Approach a local guild and ask them.

If you dream of being a paid writer don’t quit your job and rush out to write the next big novel. Start a free blog. Write a piece and send it to a magazine to see if they’ll publish it. Make time to write in and around your day job. You can do it!

Life’s way too short to not be doing something that makes you happy and you’d be surprised how much happy you can squeeze in around having to work to pay the bills!

Fun things to click on

• I never get tired of making these fun patchwork key fobs. Find out how to make them here.
• If you’re looking for a fun tutorial to use up some of your scrap collection check out this fun block tutorial from Amy (of Diary of a Quilter).
• Do you have a love of all things feline? Then check out this tutorial from Tessa (of the Sewing Chick) for the Cat Weave Mini Quilt.
• It’s practically winter and I’m craving some chicken and chorizo risotto that you can do in the slow cooker.
• Love EPP but there’s only so many long term you can handle, then check out this Scrappy Flower Coaster Tutorial for a fast EPP project on Sew Mamma Sew (and great gift idea!).
• Best gift idea ever; pentagonal EPP magnet photo frame from Wild Olive.
• We’ve been cuddling under this quilt lately and it’s still one of my all time favourites.

Community Cork Board

• Wednesday 27 May I’ll be making a little bit of announcement and it has something to do with THIS! Details will be on the blog!
• The Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild are hosting the “Modern Quilt Show Australia” on 30th & 31st May at Kiama in New South Wales. They’ve got some great classes organised and you can purchase a raffle ticket to go in the running to win a fabulous Swoon Quilt. You can find out more by clicking here.
• Don’t forget, Canberra Quilters are having their annual Biggest Morning Tea on 31st May. Click here to get more details.

Want something included on the Community Cork Board, then why not drop me an email and if it’s applicable to the GnomeAngel community I’ll share it. It can be anything from a local fate, a charity raffle, a class you’re teaching, a pattern you’ve released, a sew-a-long you’re involved in to a community event that’s happening. Be sure to send me as much detail as you can and links to any applicable websites.  Click here to email me.