As the one year anniversary of this blog approaches, I feel it is only fitting to write an update. You have probably noticed that I have been writing less and less as this year has progressed. There are many reasons for this, time being a major factor and a shift in focus being another, my goals when I started this blog compared to my goals now are vastly different. You see I started this as a way to force myself into caring about my wardrobe, having something for ME to focus on in my crazy life as a wife and mother. I expected to just be writing about my clothes and where I go them, but as time has gone on I've started sewing and cosplaying more and more and very seldom buy clothes made by others. I've also majorly switched to upcycling and sustainable fashion which means that when I do purchase pre made clothes I am very picky about who I buy them from (no more cheap ebay garments) and unfortunately the designers I do trust are currently out of my price range.
This years motto was "Just do it!" After years and years of making up excuses as to why I haven't started this project (I don't have a camera, I don't have models, I'm terrible at making clothes etc) this year I challenged myself to push through and work with what I have. I have been blown away by the response to my work so far, 225 likes on my Facebook page, that is amazing! This is actually my fourth Facebook page and none of them even reached 100 in their first year (some never did). But the likes wasn't what I was after, it was a sense of community and interaction which I have received to my delight. I have loved chatting and networking with you all, it reminds me that I have a reason to keep going.
This year has also been one of the most difficult of my life, I've fought many battles including post-natal depression. The first year of a child's life is always hard, but when you throw in a toddler, full time uni and living on half an income on top that it really takes it's toll. My husband and I bit off more than we could chew with our workload and we're going to be changing our approach next year to make things easier. I'm positive about the upcoming year, If I have learned and achieved so much during this strenuous year then next year can only get better!
That's enough about this year, let's talk about my plans for 2018! Due to the nature of life with small children, hubby and I are taking life one year at a time with few "long term plans", that being said I have been thinking about my career of late. It's pretty established now that I won't be able to go to uni until both kids are in school, I'm fine with and have accepted that, I've read about the lives of mums who push themselves hard while having small children and concluded that I do not wish to live life in the fast lane. That being said I still wish to work towards a goal by self researching and practising until I can do formal education. As I mentioned in my previous blog "
Why I don't Sell" I really dislike commission and making garments to order, however I do want to work in something creative. I've recently bought myself a new camera and will be working on the photography aspect this year. First port of call will be to find models to dress up and work with. While I don't mind being the model, I have always loved photography, but never pursued it (I will be writing blogs on my artistic life journey very soon). This is going to be an interesting challenge as while I have always had an eye for photography, I'm very much lacking in the technical know how. My year 11 photography teacher was pretty useless. But I have taught myself everything I know regarding sewing, so I can teach myself this as well and am very happy you will all be along for the ride.
Of course, this does not mean I am giving up sewing and dressing myself up! But I will be trying to up my game a little bit more. The motto for this year will be "How can I make this a little better?" pay more attention to the details of my clothes and start working on creating more detailed "art garments" (applique, embroidery etc) and photograph them better. I already have a few awesome ideas in mind. This years works were all inspired by plant life and landscape, next years will be inspired by mythical creatures. I will also still be working on my Princess Faeries, although that will be depending on my budget for wigs and such.
I also hope to network more in real life (not just online) attend festivals, markets and such to expand my range. I'm also planning on making some pre made garments to sell to fund my projects as our income is very low and I need to put it towards my family's needs rather than my hobby. More on that later. Once I can get myself organised, I'd also like to start up a Patreon.
As for social media, my goal is to try and produce images that people will want to share. Images being shared around Facebook is the best way to gain exposure, so if you like my pictures, please share them. Blogging wise I'm going to try and go on a schedule
again, but maybe only aim for once a month instead of once a week to try and be realistic, if I find I have enough time I will try for more frequency
That's about all I have for you at the moment, most of my plans are still floating around in my head, hoping to make a more formed plan of action after the craziness of December is over. A big big thank you to everyone reading this for all your support this year, it means so much!
See you all in the next year!
Love,
Sami
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