Category: Blog

I’ve always loved how the holidays bring out a sense of playfulness and creativity. The ‘Festive Geometry’ collection was born out of that spirit—simple shapes brought to life in colors and patterns that feel cheerful yet grounded. Each piece is designed to blend seamlessly into your holiday decor while still standing out as something unique. I wanted this collection to feel like a playful take on tradition, adding a hint of the unexpected.

🎁 Sometimes, a fresh perspective is all it takes to find joy in familiar moments. How are you celebrating in new ways this year?

Minimalism is my way of finding clarity and purpose. Life has a habit of piling things up—possessions, thoughts, to-do lists—and before long, we lose sight of what matters. With each design, I’m reminded of the power in simplicity. The ‘Holiday Spark’ collection, with its clean lines and bold colors, captures that feeling. It’s a celebration of what’s essential: family, warmth, and moments that make us feel alive. This holiday, I hope my art brings a spark of joy into your space without the clutter.

🌲 What essentials are you focusing on this season?

As winter approaches, there’s something magical about those quiet, star-filled nights. I wanted to capture that peaceful, reflective feeling in the ‘Winter Night’ collection. The deep blues and soft gradients remind me of looking up at the stars on a crisp, cold night—where everything feels still, yet full of possibility. This collection is more than just decor; it’s a little piece of that calm brought indoors, a reminder to find beauty in the quiet moments this holiday season.

✨ What brings you peace during the holidays?

Challenges:

I often find myself slipping into ‘zombie mode,’ working for 12 hours or more without proper breaks. This relentless cycle feels like I’m struggling frantically in quicksand. This ultimately leads to reduced efficiency, caused by zero creativity, more mistakes, slower progress and lower self-esteem. Despite knowing the importance of breaks, I struggle to implement breaks effectively, always wanting to do “just a bit more”.

Solutions:

To manage my time better, I’ve decided to use multiple stopwatches, initially to track Estimated Time vs Actual Time for new tasks, on my list. This approach not only highlights ‘perception discrepancies’ but also opens up opportunities in the future to gamify tasks, making them more engaging.

Tools:

An essential tool in my new routine will be the Pomodoro technique. By adjusting work and break periods to suit my needs, I aim to set (and adhere to) adequate breaks. This structured approach should help maintain focus and boost productivity. I’ll also track my ‘overall hours’, in a bid to work smarter, not harder.

I’m aware that I CAN use my phone’s built in Timer and there are numerous suitable Apps available, however I bought a pack of 3 watches for less than £10 on Amazon. There’s something far more tactile about these, than searching and prodding around for Apps.

Trying to ‘just sign up’ with Amazon Affiliate UK, proved to be not as straightforward as I hoped. After logging in and completing a form, I was told that it was only for US members. I eventually began the process again for UK affiliates and discovered options of paying £25/month, a free 30 day trial, Business Duo, etc. 

While trying to progress, it seemed like I was repeatedly being forced back to the US site. I found this tiresome so I emailed their Tech Support and will apparently hear back in 2 days. 

In the meantime I was also considering opening a new email account from my website. How easy will that be? What are the implications?

I simply emailed my web-hosting tech-support, explaining my plan, and they responded quickly with detailed instructions. I was set up in less than 30 minutes. It was almost embarrassingly easy. I TESTED IT! It works. 

There were options for various additional email features, obviously paid for. However at this stage as I’m just starting out, I have gone with the free option and intend to review and upgrade in 30 days as necessary. Enhanced storage and security paid features will be useful eventually. They’re not expensive and should be tax-deductible. 

Next step, to visit the amazon link with my new details.

Any idiot can start a website. I’ve started several. The problem isn’t launching one, it’s making it into a USEFUL resource. 

I’ve had many ideas for ‘useful’ websites, from community groups to keep local people informed, e-training for colleagues and students to share resources, and e-commerce to help pay the bills. For each of these, I quickly learned that I lacked certain skills and time, to complete the vision. Punching above my weight, as it were. 

Fast forward to today and little has changed regarding my skills. I have failed to keep up, whilst Technology has leapt and bounded, almost out of reach. However, just recently I now have more time to catch up. So that’s what I’ve been doing. 

I’m fed up having those “Aha” moments. I might have a dozen or more a day. Each one sneakily concealing a shed-load of unforseen resources. It’s the “Uh, oh!” moments which can provide real value. They’re invariably the best teaching opportunities, if we choose to understand them. 

So I’m embarking upon a new foray into learning how to make a difference (and hopefully a living), in e-commerce. If you’re looking to do something similar, you’re more than welcome to join me. It should be both educational and fun. 
Affiliate Marketing seems like a doable entry point, to dabble my tootsies. What could possibly go wrong? 😅

Amazon has a reputed affiliate program so I’ll start looking there.

At this point I intend blogging my ‘discoveries’ along the way. I may consider writing a newsletter or a concise tutorial later. Let’s see ..

I’m going to see about adding an affiliate page for products I recommend. Be rude to keep those hints and tips to myself. If you find value in what you read there, just order from my page so I might get a small commission. It’s your way of letting me know I’m appreciated. Thank you in advance 🙏

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve:

1. Discovered my own personal “spiritual sanctuary” (aka, a layby near a war memorial).

2. Started not one, but two new paintings. I feel like I’m on a roll.

3. Improved my AI skills, using it to streamline my life with daily schedules, self-development courses, and more. 

The “spiritual sanctuary” might just be a random roadside stop, but I swear there’s some energy leftover from a history-changing event,which occurred nearby. Not sure how that works, but since I’ve started visiting, I’ve been having way better days. Even snapping a few not-so-great pics and pondering them briefly leaves me feeling highly-energised!

As I dive deeper into my art, long-forgotten memories and emotions are resurfacing, matured over decades like fine wine, now richer and more valuable than ever. These insights have gained layers of meaning with time, fueling my creativity in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Soon, I’ll be revealing new pieces, each capturing this depth, excitement, and personal transformation. Stay tuned!

1. Select Your Snaps:

Pop open Photos, tap “Select” and pick your finest images with all the enthusiasm of choosing a biscuit from a tin (you know, after all the good ones are gone).

2. Optional Bit of Faffing:

Feeling posh? Tap Share and save them to Files, pretending you’ll keep things tidy (spoiler: you won’t).

3. Login with Grace:

Fire up Safari, head to your WordPress site, and try not to mutter as you type in that “oh-so-memorable” password.

4. Into the Media Library:

Go to Media > Add New and prepare for the grand arrival of your photos, like guests at a slightly disappointing party.

5. Upload Like a Champ:

Tap Select Files, choose your pics, and sit back as WordPress does its thing. No fanfare, but you deserve one.

6. Post ’Em:

Slap those images into a post with the confidence of someone who’s just brewed the perfect cuppa. Done!

And there you have it, smooth as butter on a crumpet.