Seeking Slow

My book Seeking Slow is out next week!

I have been writing the book for the last year, but in actuality the book has been forming for much longer than that. For years, I have had the kernel of a dream to create a book, to pour everything I know and don’t know about slow living on to pages where they can be read and digested by others. I do hope my words and photos will help, inform and inspire others to slow down the pace of their lives.

It takes a very different set of skills to tell people about your work than it does to create it. And with everything I have done I have always found it easier to get lost in the creation part of the process. I know I am not alone with this and lots or artists and makers struggle with promoting their work. l have been asking myself if my reluctancy is down to fear…  after all I could be about to get the biggest vulnerability hangover of my life. With any piece of work, to spend so long, and put so much love into it, and then share it with world, of course is scary.

However, in truth I haven’t had the calling to be on instagram or any social networks recently. It took all my creative energy to write and take the photographs for the book that I simply needed the whole summer for a good rest and break.

I have loved sitting in the safe space between the book being finished and the book being published  - I could do with longer here. But the reality is Seeking Slow will be published next week whether I am ready or not!

I don’t know about you but I often find myself thinking about ‘should haves’ more than I would like…. “I should be promoting the book more”, “I should be thinking about giveaways, book launches etc”. I have come to the conclusion that ‘should haves’ never serve us well, as they cannot come from a place of true authenticity. I will slowly get round to some, or all of those things as I have the energy and time. Bailey has only been back at school for 10 days, so I am remembering to go easy on myself.

Also, this part of the process is helping me realise how important it is to celebrate our achievements, and to really sit and indulge in the fruits of all our hard work. Something I am not naturally very good at. However, if we don’t slowly relish our accomplishments before moving on to the next project / piece of work, we skip an essential part of the journey. It’s more than okay to let myself feel some joy and satisfaction from knowing that I actually did it! I wrote a book!

Thanks for all those that have pre-ordered already. If you would like to order a copy of Seeking Slow please see the following link for stores worldwide.