Windows

On my way to work

This is not about what operating system one should boycott but instead about the gloriousness of perspective. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the goings on of my life that I fail to notice the string of epiphanies passing me by. My head gets so crowded with the busyness of some pursuit of productivity, jumping from one task to the next only to get more done.  Since I started teaching, I feel like my days are filled with playing catch-up and trying to think an unnecessary number of steps ahead to avoid more work.

Lost in a courtyard.

I got so good at doing my weekly plans when my whole schedule was up to me. That was when my schedule was full of things like going to leather merchants, learning German phrases for fabric shopping, making prototypes of whatever popped into my head over the weekend, hunting for doilies and telling you all about it. Now that my weekly plans include other people, I find it much more tricky to find the right balance when it comes  to committing my time and energy.

Enjoying some R&R in Baden

Living in a laid-back city like Vienna occasionally has a cure for this flurried state. Case in point: even on the left (free side) of the escalator, people walk lazily and halt every few steps from the exertion. You cannot be in a hurry so you might as well enjoy the scenery and take a few minutes to think. On one of these forced breaks, I pondered my  lack of energy and decided I needed a diary overhaul. I had to keep the weekends as weekends.

Taking a step back and looking at my life in a relaxed way, helps me notice the good with the bad instead of feeling overwhelmed when things don’t go as planned. I get to see patterns, stop unhelpful habits forming (like eating rubbish) and make space for creativity and other good things like slow food and friends.

Some things that help me get my perspective right:

Waking up ten minutes earlier to walk and not run, to allow for the people who walk and don’t run on the free side of escalators.

Daydreaming about driving cars I like.

Windows with wheels.

Getting away from the familiar whether it is taking a new route to work or going to the countryside on the weekend.

Keeping a clear list of my commitments and limiting them to the essentials until I get past the steep learning curve of lesson-planning.

Taking pictures of the clouds, soaking up sunsets and stroking my chin about the seasons of life as summer crisps to a golden brown.

A view from my window.

In good time, all this hard work will pay off and I will have another experience, another window to look out from.

 

Identity Crisis

 

I’m getting asked for my card a lot more nowadays and despite my affection for scribbles on bits of paper, I feel the time has come to award interested parties with something better than an old receipt fished out from the depths of my bag or my German flashcards mysteriously featuring my name and number.

 

Above is a picture of a page in my notebook that I half-jokingly filled with ideas/doodles. My brand would be an extension of my own personality. So if you’re in a good mood, you could describe me like this: enthusiastic ideas-factory, charming, witty, sophisticated yet playful, globally-conscious, detail-driven, grounded and dreamy, thoughtful and an expressive coconut. Phew! Writing that was tiring and slightly cringey. Anyone else struggle with describing themselves? Any CV, resumé, portfolio advice welcome.

p.s. Coconuts are brown on the outside and white on the inside. I fit into brown cultures and white ones. Hey, it’s ok if I say it. I’m in a harmonious mocha-latté marriage.

So MyPeopleAllOverThe World,

I need your help. As you can see from my Etsy shop, I have my creative fingers in several pies and love to keep things that way. Choosing a name for my emerging brand is one tough job and here is where you come in.

Muchas gracias!