We can't become who we need to be by remaining who we are - Oprah

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Forms, Forms, Forms.

Well it's official. I am a third year Textiles student!

The relief I felt on yesterday morning was immense. It was the happiest I had been in a long time, and more importantly I was just ready to get stuck in! Just one thing was stopping me...

One of the things I think I seem to have blanked from my memory was the amount of forms required for university. I spent most of the day running from one person to another with proof of interview forms, enrolment notifications and (mostly) trying to get my library card to work - definitely burned some serious calories!

But. It was all worth it :) At first I was worried that I would be a bit out of my depth and would feel a little out of place but, after a lovely chat with my tutor, I received a warm welcome back and now I feel more relaxed then I had most of the summer (regardless of the long list of work I have to do!).

Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to show you all starting points of my first project!

Found through: http://kaotikrevelations.tumblr.com/post/7567809329

Thought I'd leave you with some truth - something I certainly have learned over the past few years!


Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday!

Jessica :)

Sunday 14 October 2012

Preparation...

Happy Sunday from Yorkshire :)

I hope you are all having a lovely Sunday (perhaps a lovely Sunday Dinner too...). As I said in my previous post I am hoping to get a place back at my University to study Textile Design (Ba Top Up) and, even though I may be getting ahead of myself, I can't stop thinking about ideas for my first project back - The decision to go back seems to have made a huge impact at the moment, it's like I've had the jolt of inspiration I needed!

As a printed textile designer I have a continued love affair with pattern, however, looking back over my old work I have realised I tend to design one off prints for cards, single sheets of wrapping paper or art work. So for a little bit of a personal challenge I have decided to do a strictly patterned based project...and also centre it around a more geometric stimuli. Again something a little new to me, but it seems fitting that I should experiment with these things given my recent spontaneous decision!

Crystals. I can't believe I've never considered this theme before! I love the unusual formations, striking colours and how something so strong can look so effortlessly beautiful. So many ideas are running through my head at the moment, so fast I couldn't write them all down, but I'm so excited to get started! 

Here is an image I found on National Geographic's website that has inspired me...

I can already see the digital prints...
Cave of Crystals in Mexico...I also love the illusion of scale - something quite surreal about this image...

Well, fingers crossed they let me back!




Jessica :)

Saturday 13 October 2012

MIA

Hello all!

As this post title suggests, I've been missing in action for quite some time now and I think it's about time I got back to it...

For lots of different and personal reasons, I've found it very hard to put thoughts and feelings down on this blog, and I've definitely been suffering from writers block. I won't dwell too much on the negatives of taking time out from blogging, and designing in general, and especially not on the reasons for this break...I would, however, like to talk about the most important thing I have learned and the next steps I'm about to take...


In the hopes of not sounding too sentimental and emotional, I will keep this post short and sweet!


When I finished university in June I made the decision to take a year out, with the hope of regaining a little more control of my life and to build up the confidence I had lost in the last few months of my course. Most of the summer, this seemed to be the right choice. I reignited my love for Thomas Hardy, learned to ease my stress with baking and, most importantly, how to enjoy the little things.

However, in this past month I have found that something is missing and I continually have this sinking feeling that something is not right...Of course, how am I to fix this when I have no idea what it is, right?

It wasn't until a a week ago, faced with a blank page, ready to write my next post when it hit me. Designing. Textiles. Pattern. Colour. I missed it all. I was still looking, longing and thinking about these things, but somehow my life had gotten too busy for me to do much more then that, just think. I was too consumed with this idea of reducing my stress levels, panicked that I would loose it again if I was to do too much, yet here I was...with no deadlines, no worries and no expectations and I was more unhappy then ever. I hadn't really thought about what this break was for or , as it turns out, what I would be giving up in the process.

I always cringe when people say that they've "changed who they are" and have become "a new person"...and for the most part, I still think that. In fact, I disagree with those statements even more, because right now I feel more myself then I have for a long time now.


Getting too sentimental now...


Okay. So what does that mean now? Well, now I know the problem, and - in true Jessica-style - now I can try and fix it. And so I am trying to gain a place back at my university to complete my Ba in Textile Design, this year. Its definitely difficult, and will mean big changes for not just myself but the people around me, but thankfully they're nothing but supportive.

It's taken me a while to understand why people say it's so important to do something that you love...perhaps thats because, until now, I didn't know what it was that I loved doing...


Jessica :)

Here is just one of the many quotes that pushed me to make this decision...

Found on Pinterest through the page http://madeofsparkles.tumblr.com