dance of a painted lady: Enough IS enough - Phase One, Day One Hundred and Three

Project: Enough IS enough: A year of less, to determine what's enough and create space for more… (aka Transformation to Turtle Time)

Why: Designed to tackle my mental, emotional, physical and financial health by recalibrating what’s essential to me, enabling me to become even more conscious about my consumption - on all fronts. Some of it will involve inviting in more of things that enrich and bring joy but I’m also stripping right back on some things, especially to begin with.

Inspirations this month:

Secondhand September - I grew up in a family who knew how to make good use of stuff that wasn't new: furniture we inherited or picked up & 'up-cycled' long before it was a thing, houseplants grown from cuttings, books shared and reshared, clothes passed from one person to another... even as the eldest of four kids, I wore hand-me-downs from my older cousins and outfits made with love from material that was once someone else's dress. At the age of about eight, I remember returning from the local rubbish dump - this was waaaaay before the time of recycling centres - proudly brandishing a reclaimed swan-shaped perfume bottle that felt like a beautiful treasure. When I started to earn my own money as a young teen it was secondhand shops that I most loved to search in for piles of books and quirkier things to wear and decorate my space with. My sister and I spent many happy hours as students scouring the rails of Secondhand Rose for vintage beauties! It still gives me great pleasure to browse & buy in secondhand and charity shops and I love new-to-me goodies. It's fun. And it feels good not to be adding to the demand for unnecessary new stuff in the world and all that comes with that. My sister's gone on to raise re-purposing to an art form with her design and sewing skills and I benefit because it's like having a personal style&sewing guru. It's good to see this approach going large in the world. Secondhand September is helping me tap back into the joy of secondhand and think of even more ways to re-use things.
Aja Barber (@ajabarber) - I've been following her on Instagram since the beginning of the year and have learnt so much about fast fashion that's helped me question and change some of my buying choices. She describes herself as a "Writer who loves fashion but fashion at its best is sustainable and inclusive." Thoughtful and thought-provoking (sometimes outright challenging) in the best way, I love her posts. And the conversations they spark. There are others but if I read only one, hers is it.
The Seasonal Soul by Lauren Aletta - Three months in and I'm still loving this. And now we're moving into a new season to explore...
How To Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum - Received as a freebie in a goodie bag at the last TEDxLondon I attended. Dipping in & out and it's accessible and practical.
Give a Sh*t by Ashlee Piper - Audiobook, just started. So far, so good.

Intentions this month:

Spending ~ Because I'm not buying anything inessential and the season is changing, I intend to use my own wardrobe as a source of new-to-me by revamping individual items or combining things in different ways. I have some existing subscriptions that I'm really not loving anymore and I reckon I'll save a bit more if I can bring myself to face the admin involved in cancelling them.
Letting Go ~ Continue to sort through and reduce the stuff I already own (make-up in particular because I own a lot given I wear very little) and cut down even more on my screen time. Palm oil & plastic - continuing to consciously weed them out of my life (a substantial ongoing challenge). Unsubscribe from more emails, websites, SoMe accounts that bring temptation or don't make me feel good. It's a work in progress.
Inviting In ~ More yoga mat, it was dusted off but still didn't get as much use as I'd like. Time outside in a green space or near water just for pleasure, at least once a week. Artist dates, at least one a month.

Anticipated challenges this month:

I'm not a lover of shortening days and colder weather. I like a lot about the autumn but I feel my energy resisting the shift. It can't be ignored but I'm trying not to make too much of it: just taking notice of what's going on in me.

Progress in the last (3) month(s):

Spending ~ Cut down substantially but there's still room for improvement - see above. I bought two books, which I justified because they were work related but... broke the rules. Also, when I went to the States I did stockpile some toiletries I like and can't buy here - not as many as I ordinarily would though. I'd already committed to themed dress for a festival in August and bought a few things for that. Dyed some things to make them work - that was fun and, again, reminded me of something I used to do a lot in my student days to get more mileage out of things that weren't working for me.
Letting Go ~ Physical stuff - Cleared out more belongings from boxes that I'd sorted through earlier this year but were then damaged when the storage flooded. It was heartbreaking in some ways and cathartic in others. Donated twelve more boxes of things that were salvaged but no longer needed and took a van full of damaged-beyond-saving stuff to the local refuse and recycling centre. I still have a lot of stuff and I notice my attachment to things. None of it has much intrinsic value but it's meaningful to me for the emotion I've attached to each item. Emotional baggage - Having to let go of things I'm sentimentally attached to hurts. I can rationalise the loss but I feel it, hard. I think this is an ongoing project for me. Screen time - down week on week but still needs work. Digital clutter - Not missing any of the email I unsubscribed from - round two of this to tackle.
Inviting In ~ Time outdoors - was great - walked lots, swam, kayaked. Family time - good but never enough. Festival fun - I last immersed myself in festivalling 11 years ago and this was one I'd not been to before. Three days in a field, with friends. Not camping. I loved it! It was a great reminder of things that restore my heart - expressing my inner hippie unicorn; a lovely, diverse & inclusive space; sparkle, sparkle, sparkle; daytime and nighttime dancing; deep connection & meandering conversation; laughing, lots; lying in the grass, sitting under trees, soaking in sunshine, eating & drinking as & when - escaping the 'real world'... there was a lot to reflect on. Furs & purrs - I also house/cat/dog-sat for a couple of friends while they were away for their Summer holidays and I was reminded how much I love (and miss) furry snuggles. Friends & firepits - add to list of things for 'home'. Jam-making - first time. Not the last. Artist dates - one a month: Tate Modern, BBC Proms - Tribute to Nina Simone, private exhibition of a friend's work. All good. All inspiring.