by Carla Louise | Aug 12, 2013 | Adventures, carlalouise, Inspiration, Life Magic, Projects & Challenges, Work Happy |
Freedom. It’s a very loaded word, particularly for me as a twentysomething single female. With total freedom, in theory I can do anything, go anywhere, be anyone I want – something that is less accessible to those with responsibilities like houses, children, mortgages.
And yet my definition of freedom in business isn’t necessarily what people expect. Sure, I love to travel (particularly if horses are involved)– but what I want is freedom in terms of time and schedule, and where I am isn’t overly relevant.
photo credit: Gastev via photopin cc
To me, it looks like this:
… dictating my own hours and planning my own day. So if I want to work till 4am then sleep in till 11 the next day, I can, without having to phone someone to explain or call in sick
… a steady passive income, so I can develop the next projects and stages of my work without stressing about money
… time and space to pursue my non-business interests, both those that already exist and those that I fancy trying on a whim
… complete autonomy on decision making for my business, with other entrepreneurial friends around if I need to consult them, but without having to defer to someone else for a final decision (this is one of the things that makes me happiest about Ink Drops – Annastasia and I are so much on the same wavelength that we often don’t need to consult each other about decisions, we just make them)
How I see location independence is also different from the standard view, I think. For me it’s all about freedom (there’s that word again!) of choice.
…not being tied to a desk, a physical meeting schedule or someone else’s timetable, but free to choose when and where I work from. After all, there’s no place like home!
…more often than not, I believe my perfect choice of workspace would be my studio at home, filled with all the things that make me happy, or a couple of local haunts with wifi where I love to work when I have the time.
… to be able to travel around the UK and also the world in short bursts, without having to leave my business behind or hand it over to someone else while I’m away
In short, to work from anywhere I choose even if that choice is my own living room… that’s what location independence means to me.
Part of the Suitcase Entrepreneur’s 30 Day Blog Challenge.
by Carla Louise | Aug 8, 2013 | Alter Ego, carlalouise, Gratitude and goals, Inspiration, Projects & Challenges |
This was my 300th post on Ducking Fabulous, which made me happy and astounded in equal measure. Thank you for being along for the ride – here’s to the next 300 posts!
Onto today’s actual subject… Natalie Sisson is running a 30 day blog challenge over on the Suitcase Entrepreneur. Today’s question – If you woke up tomorrow and were free to do anything you wanted with your life, what would you do and who would you be?
What would I do, who would I be? What do I really want to do?
Once, I’d have said have a horse, and to dance. That was more or less the sum total of what I dreamed of.
Now? Now my dreams are more wide ranging. I’m achieving or on the road to achieving many of them, I’m happy with where I am and I have absolute belief that the others will happen somehow, someday.
But right now, if I could genuinely do anything I wanted? I’d…
… buy somewhere beautiful to live, in the countryside, with a kitchen big enough for a squidgy sofa, lots and lots of windows and light, space for crafting and photography and a huge garage/workshop for my fleet of beloved vehicles
…open it as a retreat to friends and family and likeminded souls who need to get their breath back from life, or who want to kickstart their own creativity
…have a camper van for weekends and a caravan in the garden as an extra spare room/studio
… surround myself with the animal companions I adore – horses, dogs and the occasional unicorn
… regularly travel somewhere warm – I love the seasons in the UK, and wouldn’t change my homeland for anything. But during the depths of winter, I often feel like I’ll never be warm again. The luxury of being able to feel sunshine whenever you fancy it is incomparable.
…ride out over the countryside daily
…write, photograph, dance, create at my own pace, in my own time, in my own space
…there would be a river at the bottom of the garden where my narrowboat lives
…and work wise, I’d help people along the journey to self-employment. The fiddly practical bits and the dreamy planning bits; the awkward conversations with friends & family and the incredible feeling of belonging when you find your tribe.
What would you do? What do you dream of?
by Carla Louise | Jul 22, 2013 | Alter Ego, carlalouise, Dancing, Life Magic, Personal Development, Style |
Quick post today, but wanted to share the photos of our tent at the Fling Festival a couple of weeks ago – it was the most glorious debut for my burlesque troupe. And who knew, when we took that first class eighteen months ago, what it would lead to?
Here we all are with our fab stage kitten Lou:
And here are the rest of the images – squeak!
The Fling always defies description, but to be there as a performer, helping to create the experience for other festivalgoers – it was a privilege, and one of the best days of my life.
Check us out – our troupe is Paper Dolls Burlesque, and we learned (and continue to learn) the art of burlesque with Jem Ayres at Burlesque Jems.
by Carla Louise | Jul 4, 2013 | Adventures, carlalouise |
A little exploratory ride through lovely Wivenhoe led me by chance to the old cemetery. I loved how peaceful and gentle it felt there!
by Carla Louise | Jun 30, 2013 | Alter Ego, Burlesque, carlalouise, Dancing |
You may or may not know that I’m a founder member of Paper Dolls Burlesque – a group of my closest friends, who are a very talented bunch in various crafty pursuits, and who have been brought even closer by our love of burlesque (our weekly classes with Jem have been a fantastic way to make sure we all meet up regularly!).
Last week we got a call to ask us to host a tent at the Fling… a one day festival of quirky amusements for over 18s.
And so I am delighted to announce that we will be hosting a tent of burlesque delights. With dancing, dressing up, mini makeovers, tassel making and even the chance to get the glue and glitter out and decorate your own Paper Doll – it’s going to be a glorious day.
The Fling has been a highlight of my year each time I’ve been – who knew, leaving the last one, that I’d be a performer at the next? Just shows what can happen when you’re doing things that make you happy!
If you’re near Chelmsford, please come and join us 🙂
www.chelmsford.gov.uk/fling
www.paperdollsburlesque.co.uk
xxx
by Carla Louise | Jun 20, 2013 | carlalouise, Gratitude and goals, Jewellery, Life Magic, Memories |
Currently gracing my neck most days:
The ring:
My 21st birthday present from Julia. She and I had wanted Tiffany rings for as long as we could remember. And now we have matching ones – identical, except that mine has a blue sapphire and hers has a pink sapphire. I wear it almost constantly – either on a finger or on a chain. Six and a half years on, it would feel very odd to be without it. It’s a symbol of the friendship that will be twenty five years old this year, and which I couldn’t imagine being without.
The typewriter:
A very pretty little charm which I fell for at a craft fair I did, back in April. I usually have a very strict rule of not spending until I’ve sold, but when I saw that they had a typewriter, vintage camera and an ice skate charm, I had to be very sneaky and buy them all. And given that my collection of real typewriters has accidentally doubled (from two to four, lol) in the last few months thanks to the generosity of a fab friend and a colleague, it seems appropriate.
by Carla Louise | Jun 13, 2013 | Adventures, carlalouise, Inspiration, Memories, Photography |
One Sunday with my parents, after a very lovely brunch at Wivenhoe House Hotel, we went over to see the Beth Chatto Gardens.
I’m both sad and astounded that I’ve lived in Essex nearly six years, and in Colchester just over three, and somehow haven’t ever been here before! 
Five acres of informal, beautifully tended and imagined, landscaped gardens and water gardens, and some incredible examples of plants and trees I’ve never even heard of abound.
Some spots would be perfect for reading, thinking or just letting the inspiration sink in…
and other spots make you feel like you’ve just crossed the bridge into fairyland.
I did my usual from-where-I-stand shot surrounded by blossom,
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by Carla Louise | Jun 11, 2013 | carlalouise, Gratitude and goals, Jewellery |
While moving and doing all the associated clearing out, I realised that lots of pieces of my jewellery have stories of their own. Some short and sweet, some more involved… I’d like to have a record of them and I thought they’d be quite nice to occasionally feature on the blog 🙂
This heart brooch is a familiar sight on lapels, collars and sometimes bags. It came to me as part of the very first Curiosity Box swap I did, back in October 2011. Nicola from Yallop Skin Care was my anonymous swap partner – it was a lovely project to be part of, and this was my favourite thing from my box!
by Carla Louise | Jun 10, 2013 | carlalouise, Photography |
Looking through my archives, it would appear one of my favourite things to take photos of is… my feet. In a non-kinky manner – just because they’re always with me and they show where I’ve been, I suppose. (I blame Susannah Conway…)
(and apologies if you get this twice – I have been fighting with technology this evening!)
Here are a few, from May and June this year.
Getting reacquainted with the dance studio (mirrored, eek!)
Often barefoot, like here at Beth Chatto gardens…
Loving my underskirt and mismatched nail polish at a fair –
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by Carla Louise | Jun 2, 2013 | carlalouise, Creating, Life Magic, Work Happy |
Just a speedy one as it’s somehow half past eleven on a Sunday night as I type, and I have work tomorrow – eeek! More on all of this when it’s less late…
Sneaky snap of my glorious neon pink Cybher satchel from the Leather Satchel Company 🙂
Short version: Saturday: Cybher, fabulous people, fizzing with ideas, squeee. Sunday: amazing brunch, the visual feast that is the Beth Chatto gardens and a blissful sunshine-filled afternoon with Mum & Dad, using the bbq for the first time.
Long version:
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by Carla Louise | May 28, 2013 | Adventures, At Home, carlalouise, Crafting, Work Happy |
Bluebell outside the award winning fish and chip shop in my village, on one of the few sunny evenings we’ve had.
Dad giving my shed a coat of creosote – it looks so much better now!
Because no trip anywhere is complete without a Ducking Fabulous duck, and a really cheesy grin from yours truly…
Living the self-employed dream with Annastasia, the other half of Ink Drops – tea in Hyde Park after a trade show in the morning and a meeting in Green Park, accompanied by cupcakes
Peeling leather off shoes is surprisingly enjoyable – these ones were finally knackered and unsuitable for continued wear (they did pretty well, they were a 21st birthday present from an ex). I’m now in the process of taking off the straps and reworking the heels with words cut from Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights trilogy. (a copy that would otherwise have been pulped, and was already beyond repair. This way, it continues to live…).
It would appear you really can take the girl out of the library, but not the library out of the girl…
by Carla Louise | May 24, 2013 | Acquired, carlalouise, Collecting, Thrifting, Vintage |
When I was invited by the lovely Cheryl to bring Ink Drops to the Make Me Joyful Letter Writing Salon, I delightedly accepted and promised to bring two typewriters.
It wasn’t until a week or so before the event that I realised I only had one that worked properly. Cue a mercy call to the staff of the university where I work (at least half of them are as quirky as me) and lo and behold, one of them needed to get rid of his as he was moving house.
So this lovely little Adler Tippa has come to live with me! 
It needs a proper service, as there’s some rust and accumulated dust, and the shift key is sticking – but the ribbon still works, it still types, and it was lovely to see people using it at the salon last night.
And I couldn’t resist this quick snap when I took it apart for a speedy clean – don’t you think it could be a steampunk typewriter quite happily?!
photo credit: Gastev via photopin cc
