looking forward

I’ve been thinking a lot about the future lately, for a number of reasons it seems. Obviously school have been encouraging us to look towards the next stage when this final year is over, but more than anything this whole blogging and designing lark has had me thinking about what I really want to do with my life, in a general sense. Sounds like a bit of an exaggeration – I’m hardly the Internet queen after all – but you know when your train of thought just runs away with you? That’s been happening a fair bit to me recently. I’ve allowed myself to become immersed in thoughts of what I could do, avenues I could explore, and things I could do differently.

This September, more than any other, it felt like such a drag to be back at school. I’m by no means the ‘omg schools horrible I hate it’ type and I had missed my friends and teachers, but somehow it didn’t feel quite right this time round. Leading up to the end of summer was when both me and my mum were really working on getting our blogs out into the open, and I was deciding which path I wanted jolihouse to follow. As you can probably tell, I chose to explore lots of different routes. But anyway, what I really found out about myself is that I feel so much more at home in the world of working on my own little business and writing on my own little blog – basically being self employed and working whatever long or short hours I wish. Feeling all growned up if you will, someone who has got their act together!  Productive days are so satisfying – bit of design work, bit of blogging, photography maybe, exercising, making a yummy meal.  More satisfying than a school day anyway;) In short, I feel like I just can’t wait to move on. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy school and am especially looking forward to starting A-levels at college next year, but you know when you just feel like you want to try something new?

My first knitwear design was published when I was 11 years old, and my word have I changed since then. Still loving it though, even with the deadlines and unforseen problems. I’ve never felt pressured by anyone or anything to continue: if anything I tend to create my own pressure. That’s just the way I am really, I like to be busy and am determined to make things work somehow. Designing and making is something I really do enjoy, and this will always be plenty compensation for all the hard work. If it can even be called hard work that is – they do say that if you find a job you enjoy then it isn’t a job at all.

Whilst I will probably continue to be crafty for a long long time, I have no idea if this will/could ever be a career. I may well decide I want to study astrophysics (not joking, I could genuinely see this happening), or ancient history (another actual possibility). Or maybe something completely different, that I haven’t even come across yet. Who knows, I’m not even 16 yet after all. If you’d asked my mum at this age what career she had in mind, photography would probably be the last on the list, yet now she’s never without a camera.

I’m definitely very lucky to have had the opportunities to design and be a part of this blog from such a young age, as it has given me a starting point from which to expand whilst I decide what I want to do career-wise. For now, the plan is to keep blogging, designing and hopefully meeting lots of new lovely people throughout my GCSEs and A-levels, then probably take a gap year to really see just how far I can explore this creative avenue online. Planning ahead is kinda my thing, as you may have guessed by now. In the meantime, I’d love if you could let me know if you have any questions, or anything in particular you’d like me to blog about, or just tell me about yourselves then I can get to know my readers! I reply to every comment individually via email, so please feel free to ask away:)