Issue 24 – Oct/Nov/Dec 2017

Hello again,

Setbacks. We all suffer them from time to time and it’s tempting give up, put on some pyjamas and live entirely on Cadbury’s Flakes dipped in Nutella. It’s how we respond to setbacks that determine our eventual success.As some of you know, my hobby is making jewellery. I recently completed almost 70 pieces in silver, many set with gemstones for an Open Studios event.I made one sale on day one and none at all on day two. People loved the work, but my sales hadn’t even covered the entry fees. You probably know the feeling. As I came home in the car, I considered giving up making altogether. Maybe I wasn’t good enough. I got home, reached for the Nutella and then I thought,**** it! I’m not letting this get to me. I need to find a better way of reaching my target audience.

Over the next couple of days, I contacted my local camera club to see if anyone would swap photography skills for some earrings or cufflinks and I started the process of getting a shop on Etsy. I contacted a specialist auction house about selling pieces through them, since they have access to a wide pool of collectors and take a lower commission than a gallery. It’s too early to know if this will work, but I feel better for having made a plan and taken action. It’s a theme that runs through this issue. It’s about working out what you want from your life and how to achieve this. We’ve put together some amazing articles to help you. Jane Lawson’s piece on  how she brought together a group of holistic therapists is particularly inspiring, while Elizabeth Ashley’s guide to cannabis in holistic therapy will open your eyes to what will become a huge new industry in the next few years. You’ll find everything from robots to burial mounds, ideas for Christmas to electro-acupuncture, naturopathy to equipment for your therapy space.

We’ve packed a lot in. Enjoy the magazine!

Love,

Alison x