CREATIVITY AS SELF CARE

Could you tell us a bit about you?

Hey everyone, I’m Kim! I’m a digital designer and illustrator based in Bristol (UK) and have been in the creative industry for over 9 years working full-time as a digital designer, predominantly working on web design and branding.

In the last couple of years, I’ve also been exploring my own personal creativity by building a side business. I began by using my illustration skills to produce adult colouring books – I simply LOVE the drawing process and the positive impact colouring has on helping to manage mental health issues.

I’m now looking to expand my business horizons even further by introducing planners and courses focussed on helping and inspiring others to live their most creative and happy life. Naturally, with a full-time job, it’s all a work in progress…but I’m taking baby steps each day towards my goals.

Self care, personal development, and being creative are all areas that I love to geek out over. I know that if I blend my own life experience and skill set with the above passions, I definitely have the capacity to help others out there more than what I am right now.

How did you get into what you’re currently doing?

How I fell back into my childhood love for drawing was somewhat by accident. In fact, it was through trying to find a positive focus for my mind, in order to self-medicate for depression, that the seed for my side business ‘Creative Happy Life’ was planted.

During my period of depression, I didn’t realise the mental health benefits of having a creative outlet such as drawing, I was literally just trying to find something that felt like a productive and positive use of my time. Anything was better than lying in bed all day with the curtains closed!

I soon realised that what I illustrated on paper, or how I coloured something in, soon became my little form of escapism…and it still is to be honest! Time literally flies by when I am in the zone with my art, and I truly do believe that art is therapy.

I think we can all say things with colours or doodles that maybe we don’t have the strength or courage to say out loud in our general day-to-day. That was certainly the case for me, and I’m so thankful to have picked this skill back up after so many years neglecting it in favour of pushing pixels around the screen.

Realising the benefits of creativity and self-expression has been the catalyst for me to create illustrations for others, and as I mentioned above, to branch out further with courses and planners.

My mission now is to help and inspire others to pursue their most creative and happy life – much like I have.

What limiting belief was holding you back and how did you overcome it, or working towards overcoming it?

I’ve always struggled with self worth issues, largely stemming from my upbringing and past trauma. Although this can hold me back at times, it has also given me a huge fire in my belly to succeed and always deliver my best work.

Rather than viewing my self worth issues as a negative thing, I’ve re-framed it to something positive. I recognise now that it has given me a deep empathy for others, and a genuine want to help and inspire people to be happier and lift them up.

My confidence in my own ability has definitely grown since launching my side business, and I am constantly reassured of the impact I’m having by the positive feedback and emails I get from my customers. I feel so humbled to have connected with so many people that share a passion for being creative, and love colouring in my illustrations.

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I am truly capable of whatever I want to achieve (even if my pace is slower than others), and if I feel fear around something I want to pursue in my business, it’s usually because I am just so passionate about doing it justice. I try to feel the fear, and do it anyway!

What was the biggest mindset shift you’ve had so far regarding your business?

Hmm, this is a tough one as there are so many. I guess the biggest has to be my most recent commitment to rename my business from ‘Fox Design Den’ to ‘Creative Happy Life’. I really felt like my old name didn’t truly reflect the help I wanted to offer people, and it felt a little bland in comparison to all the bright and colourful ideas I always have whizzing around in my head!

As soon as I made the switch to my new name, I instantly felt like a bird that had been set free! I knew I would lose part of my audience that I’d worked so hard to build up (and this was where I felt the most resistance), and that I’d also have some extra work in regards to transitioning to a new website and figuring out some branding tweaks, but ultimately, I now feel like I have so many more opportunities at my fingertips.

Ironically, these opportunities have been there all along…but it just didn’t feel right to explore them prior to the name switch. I felt too hemmed in by my own beliefs of what people expected from me. Now, I realise that I just need to follow what sets my heart alight and trust my intuition.

I learn this over and over, but I really DO know the answer deep down. I just need to keep trusting myself.

What’s your proudest moment so far?

Definitely has to be launching my two colouring books – ‘Doodles from The Den’ and ‘Faces of the Zodiac’. I knew NOTHING about creating physical books, and the learning curve was huge…but I did it.

My drawing process is entirely digital as I use my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, so to blend my digital skills with the physical print world was really fun. I love digital products as much as the next person, but sometimes, you just can’t beat good old fashioned paper in your hands!

I was also blown away by how well they were received, and as a result, I am now also a 2x featured artist in the Pigment digital colouring app, with my Zodiac pages being added in their February update.

What has been your biggest business lesson?

To follow my own path and to avoid comparing myself to other people’s journeys. There are so many people out there that I could class as “competition”, but honestly, I know deep down that no one will ever be me and vice versa.

Also, it’s so true that comparison is the thief of joy. How can we enjoy our own journey if we constantly feel like we’re playing catch up with someone else? It just ruins the entire experience, and quite frankly, I really enjoying figuring things out for myself and playing around with what I do. It’s all part of the fun and keeps me constantly intrigued about what’s possible for me.

I guess I’ve always been a big learner, and have always tried to push my own knowledge boundaries.

7. How important has goal setting been to you personally and in your business?

Don’t get me wrong…I love having big goals and dreams, and it definitely helps for me to get them out of my head and secure them on paper, but I’ve realised over time that I simple can’t just create a plan and then follow it in a linear manner.

I have so many exciting things I want to create, and if I see a huge list of “to dos” in my planner, I just end up overwhelmed by all the “what if?” and “how to” side of things.

Writing my goals down now is purely a way for me to store the ideas for later, whilst I focus on whatever it is I am feeling creatively inclined to work on that day.

Working full-time means that I often use up a lot of my creative juice doing my best work in my day job, so with the time I have left to spend on my business, I try to work on whatever I feel most inspired and energised to do.

There is a loose plan of course, but ultimately, I go where the energy flows.

What does self care mean to you?

Self-care, for me, is recognising when I need to step off the gas and tend to my own personal needs.

I follow a general self-care routine day-to-day e.g. exercising, trying to eat healthy(ish), drinking lots of water, and ensuring I take time to have some “me” time – even it’s as little as 15 mins to take a nice shower and moisturise my skin after.

However, sometimes I get so swept up in all the buzz of creating, creating and creating some more, that I start neglecting my own self care. When this happens, I force myself to take a complete break until I feel fully recharged and ready to dive back into my work.

My favourite ways to recharge my batteries are colouring, going for walks whilst listening to a podcast, exercising, reading, or just chilling on the sofa with a cuppa and some biscuits and binge watching Netflix. I don’t usually watch loads of TV, so it feels like a very indulgent treat!

Have you ever experienced anxiety and if so what’s helped you through it?

Yes, I actually struggle with anxiety a lot. I think the reality for me is that it won’t ever really go away, but I am now very in-tune with my own body and mind and time / self exploration has taught me exactly what my anxiety triggers are.

I guess I’ve never really let my anxieties hold me back, I’ve just tried to subtly expose myself to my triggers in small doses. Or, if something causes me too much anxiety that my coping mechanisms don’t work as they should, I retreat for a little while until I feel ready to try again.

I definitely have a tendency to overthink a lot of things (which in turn induces an anxious state), and the best way for me to snap myself out of that is to really assess the situation at hand. Are the things my inner monologue telling me based on fact, or is it based on an assumption or past experience, or coming from a place of fear?

I’d say that 100% of the time, my anxious thoughts are NOT factual. It’s just learned behaviours from my past, or a string of worried thoughts about the future. The best thing to do? Focus on the facts in the present moment.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone trying to change their life?

To assess the people who you choose to surround yourself with.

Do they lift you up and inspire you to be your best self, or do they drain you? Are they there through the good and bad, or are they just there for the good times? Do you feel happy in their presence, or do you just feel obliged to have them in your life?

It’s a tough one to contemplate, but honestly, it’s hard to flourish to your best self when you have negative energy around you that drains you.

One of the easiest ways to gain more momentum in your life is to let go of anyone or anything that is holding you back, and surround yourself with people that inspire you, motivate you, or bring you joy.

You’d be surprised how much more you can do with a good support network in place. As I mentioned previously, I’ve struggled with my self worth for many years, but having a husband that is my biggest cheerleader, and being part of online business communities that inspire me to grow, have truly helped push me forward.

I’m still growing in confidence every single day, and it’s down to choosing to only surround myself with people that give to me as much as I give to them. I certainly don’t give to receive, but I am a very caring and open person so have to be careful that I don’t let my kind nature get taken for granted by others who are maybe more inclined to simply take from me.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Jim Rohn

Kim Fox | Designer & Illustrator

Instagram: www.instagram.com/creativehappy.life

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Website: www.foxdesignden.com