As I stood in the woods near my home this morning I was struck by just how much I love what I do! To be establishing as a writer, illustrator, author is totally awesome! Yet that has not always been the case. I had previously reduced work to the mere function of earning money to live – hmm… I wanted to post this today to encourage anyone thinking of re-evaluating what they do, to do so. Our time on Earth is so precious…
Harbledown Hope
So early this morning I was in the woods near my home to gather inspiration for a story I am writing with my friends at the homeless charity Catching Lives, with the working title “Harbledown Hope”. Part of the story is set in woodland near Canterbury and also at autumn, so this morning was the perfect moment to gather thoughts, feelings, smells, sounds and lots of photographs. There is nothing better getting out onto location and letting the mind roam, the pen doodle.
Getting down low…
It was also an opportunity to get down low and imagine. The hero for our story is a fox, so it was really helpful to start looking from his height. What would the ground, the trees, the sky look like from his point of view?
The bigger picture
I am loving working with these amazing people at Catching Lives. It totally blows away all media-pedalled stereotypes of homeless people. The people I work with are incredible – they have such acute perceptions of life, of people, of our natural surroundings. We could all learn so much. Stop, listen, talk to others, reach out.
It is such a privilege for me to be able to use the skills that God has given me to impact on the lives of others in a positive way. The work goes far beyond writing a story – it is a form of therapy, a positive focus, a chance to learn new invaluable skills – the sense of achievement for those involved is incredible, me included.
I’m so glad I am now pursuing a career focusing on what I truly want to do. If you are not, can I encourage you to make some time to reassess, to re-evaluate. I am so grateful that I did!
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