Merry Go round

Jump on our merry go round and join a group of artists/crafts-women as they link hands around the world and tell you a little about their lives and art.

We are group of 10 women from all over the world, we have got together in what would constitute an example of peaceful idea exchange and diplomacy, and agreed to come to our blogs once a month and share a bit more about ourselves.
We choose a question and all of us have to answer it in our blogs. It will be very interesting to read what each of us has to say, taking in account how much our lives and crafts differ.

This month: Did you think you'd be doing what you re doing now (craft/selling) say 5 years ago? What has surprised you the most?

Five years ago I was still struggling with my new life. I moved to The Netherlands 7 yrs ago so, 5 yrs ago- the moment of our question- I was still trying to get a grip of my new reality. I had finished the mandatory language course in a national record time and although that made me a very promising candidate for a job, I was working in a mindless little job that had an ok paycheck but bored me to death. I had trained to be a psychologist so working on a desk shuffling papers around in a no future position was not my ideal life. And the mandatory steel toen/safety shoes did not help.
Five years ago too, we bought the house we live in now. An old house with a huge garden which we found just by chance. There was a lot to do: from changing all the electricity in the house, sanding massive wooden floors, a new bathroom to...painting... but the fact that the garden is twice the size of the house was enough for us.
Did I think then that I was going to be spending my days, 5 years later, crafting and trying to build a business? No. I had always done things one way or the other related to arts but I never thought- or had the confidence to- I could actually show it to the world. Lots of things happened in the middle that allowed me to be today where I am...
I've chosen the path of arts and crafts and decided to immerse myself in that world. To do that I had to say goodbye to my "old" self, and reinvente moi.
Today, on the eve of starting my first workshop with an internationally reknowned professor/artist/felter, I'd say that I have never been more content, satisfied and excited about what the future might bring. I did figure out during these past 5 years, that my life is in a large part, consequence of my own choices and that therefore I have to grab it and manouver it in whatever way I want....with mistakes and triumphs all along.
And now an early night because I'm dead nervous about tomorrow!!! I will tell you about this workshop with Karoliina Arvilommi and Roderick Welch later on.


For more interesting posts, do visit the blogs of the other girls in this merry-go-round:
Jenny at Jenny Karlsson design

Nikki at Beaded Zen
Wendren at Wren
Sara at Sara's Texture Crafts

Agathe at Le Bar du Vent

Fabienne at Easterya

Andreanna at Glamasaurus

Ruth at Birdland Creations