I would say I’m living my dream now, but by no means am I sitting on a beach with my laptop drinking cocktails and somehow earning a passive income. But what I am doing is learning and growing with unprecedented verve!
None of my plans are stable, which used to petrify me. I'm comfortable, nay confident, with being wholly responsible for my development. And the idea that anything is possible just doesn't seem implausible any more.
My Dad (hi Dad, if you’re reading this, I LOVE YOU) implanted his dream of becoming a lawyer inside of me from a very young age, all the while attempting to dispel my dream of becoming an artist.
I performed (choice word) exceptionally well in my law degrees and my resume was swollen with potential. But life took a turn, and my then long-term boyfriend dumped me, twice. Needless to say I was a blithering idiot back then. Either way, life as I knew it was utterly obliterated.
From the ashes I scrambled out, reborn with the help of my bestest friend and lover. In true Gemini-Monkey form, we kick-started our reunion by flying to the other side of the world, where we’ve been adventuring ever since.
Off to Meredith Festival with my homies
Living in Melbourne has been a wholly liberating experience. I couldn’t have picked a place farther away from London’s monochrome colour palette and overbearing parental expectations if I tried. We’re separated by three continents, countless seas and their midlife phobia to messaging - the millennial’s choice form of communication.
I’m sitting in my local library, on a Friday night, realising that I’m living my dream! It sounds totally ridiculous, but hear me out.
For the first time in my life, I feel like I have absolute control over my destiny. More specifically, I’m teaching myself how to be the creative I’ve always wanted to be. It doesn’t matter that progress is slow and inconsistent. It doesn’t matter that I have an incessant stream of ideas, but as of yet, still haven’t managed to produce a final piece.
Mad creative day
What really matters is that I’m learning to take risks. That now I’m OK with changing my future plans every quarter of the year. From backpacking South East Asia, to doing a working holiday in Hong Kong, to learning German so I can study Visuelle Kommunicationdesign in Berlin, and now we’ve settled on moving to Thailand. How crazy - but super exciting - does all that sound, right?
Oh and now I completely believe in visualisation and the law of attraction. A decade before I set foot in Australia, I wrote that I would be living in Melbourne in ten years time. When I finished my undergrad, I was inspired by a friend and fellow artist who had moved to Thailand. I've followed her journey for years and I've dreamt about living there at some point in my life ever since - now I am - well I’m going to in six months!
The next visualisation exercise is to become a supremely skilled and creative graphic designer, then eventually, an entrepreneur. How will I get there pray tell? This is where Thailand comes in.
Not only does Thailand have a winning climate over Germany, especially because we would've been forced to set up life in the middle of a bleak European winter, but mostly because the cost and quality of living is more suited to our needs. Aka the food is wonderful, the natural environment is stunning and living is cheap as chips.
Initially, we decided to move to Berlin so that I could study an honours degree affordably. Not to mention the fact that I’d become fluent in another language and that Berlin is one of the most creative cities in the world!
But it didn’t take long before the Melbourne winter got to me, and my motivations for Germany began to wane. I started to question whether I could afford to take another three years to study again before launching into a career. I would be thirty by the time I graduated, which isn’t a bad thing, but it made me think of the trade offs.
This stock photo clearly says: Thailand = Happy. Why wouldn't I want that?
Mainly, there’s the impending doom of getting older, which tends to have a direct correlation with being tied down to people, places and things. I guess to put it plainly, we felt like we were settling down too early. As we’d both been having these thoughts, its clear that our itchy feet are still yearning for exploration and the kind of education that only long-term travel can provide.
From this day forth, I will be sharing with you my experience of becoming a self-taught graphic designer. I will show you what I’ve learnt, the materials and resources I’ve used and eventually, some finished projects!
I can’t wait!
Until next time,
Lali
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