Luxury is good for the mind

I knew it.

I knew the minute I picked the brush something was about to change.

And it wasn’t only the décor on my walls (Still work in progress, though). It was much more than that. It was a bit of luxury getting into my home and changing the way I feel.

I have a book to thank for the suggestion. Strangely, it’s a book for artists  rather than a self-help book. (The Artist’s way, by Julia Cameron)

She recommends introducing regular indulgences to help change our mindset.

The way I understand it, those occasional luxuries that we allow ourselves  help us break from the routine, the humdrum of daily life, the ordinary pastimes we choose when we feel unworthy of a more desirable one.

Like when you know you’d really love to sing opera but decide to join the local choir instead, for fear that the higher fees of opera lessons will take you out of your comfort zone. Or when you settle for a cheaper handbag -or several of them- and for years afterwards dream of how chic the other, more luxurious one, would have made you feel.

I do that too.

Sometimes.

It was tempting soon after I quit my previous job: I got in my head that I was ‘allowed’ to spend money on my business (wisely or not) but I should be making sacrifices elsewhere to compensate for that.

…As if making sacrifices was going to help my business somehow.

No. It didn’t.

So I’ve decided to change that.

For instance, I’ve taken the plunge and splurged on paint accessories and paint colours (I found my dream colour at the 5th tester pot). I’ve got a few other jobs lined up around my home (I will not be doing plumbing and electrics myself, obviously)… and wild horses will not stop me until they get done.

I’m convinced these changes will assist in the way I walk and talk and look at people in the eye and tell them with confidence: «I’m a portrait photographer, how can I help you»?

And… Maybe if I stop writing regularly on my blog, or neglect the ubiquitous networking meetings that all business gurus/coaches/mega experts tell me I should do religiously, and I stop doing other things regarding marketing and promotions and getting published and stuff, just for a while…

You can forgive me.

…

I’m going to choose to feel fantastic in my own home first. Worry about business later. See how I feel.

Because sometimes a bit of luxury is all you need to feel better.

…

***(2017 update) Time to get on a new chapter and delete all my previous posts about photography: During my journey into art I decided to stop offering photography services.

All related posts and articles since 2011 no longer have a place on my website, so there’s no point keeping them here to confuse my future readers***

Thanks for reading this.