Let's face it... the "Introduce yourself" post which we created at the beginning of our Hive journey was not our "finest moment" in terms of blog post - well, not for most of us anyway. Many had little to no clue how to format anything on markdown, let alone what to actually write to an entire platform of complete strangers... diving into entirely uncharted waters! I thought this would be a fun avenue to explore as a contest - not only because for many of us, this post was done eons ago and practically nobody we engage with on a regular basis now would even remember or have seen that post to begin with. It is also a great second opportunity for those newer to the Hive space to share a slice of themselves, having gained a little more "know how" around here.
Lastly, and most importantly it is a way to HUMANIZE the person behind the keyboard. It is all too easy to forget that behind the writing, photography, art, cooking and so forth - is an actual person... living a life in the "real world". Yes, many of us here share snippets of our daily lives in our blog posts... but this does not normally entail the fundamentals of what makes us who we are, where we came from - our life experiences and so forth. I also think this will be a fantastic way for all of us to connect and "re-connect" on a more personal level which is greatly needed in this day and age.
Some people are comfortable disclosing their true identity (I am one of those people) - so feel free to go ahead and do that! Tell us what you do as a day job, a little about your family, what you do for fun in your spare time, hobbies you have... pretty much whatever you are comfortable sharing. Let's hear about the REAL stuff! Do you play an instrument? Have a favorite author? Perhaps you are an Adrenalin junkie or a maybe you have battled with depression your whole life - what are your secrets to coping with that - maybe you have some advice or tips for others in similar situations.
What is your general outlook on life? Are you a morning person - and do you take that with a double espresso or a cup of green tea? Take a look at where you were 10 years ago and share how it compares to your life now. What lessons have you learned?
I think you catch my drift. Free creative license on this one - the only request being authenticity and a couple of logistics which are outlined below...
The contest ends on the 3rd November 2020
Winner will be announced on the 5th November 2020
HOW TO ENTER
Step 1
Create a post titled "HELLO HIVE it's ME @yourusername".
NB: PLEASE put a link to this post as a part of your introduction paragraph so others know how to enter.
Step 2
Details of the post explained above. Minimum 500 words.
Step 3
You can create your own thumbnail, but I have also provided a template below which you can use and just insert your own photo / avatar on the left and your @username in the white section on the right.
Step 4
Publish your quote to the Power House Creatives Community Page and use the tag #hellohiveitsme so I can easily find the entries.
Step 5
Tag 5 of your Hive friends that you would like to learn more about.
Step 6 (only if applicable)
If you share your post to Twitter, please use the hashtag #hellohiveitsme as one of your hashtags so I can easily find the posts.
Here is the thumbnail template, should you wish to use it:
HAVE FUN!!!
I look forward to learning more about all of you!
❤❤❤
So, with that out of the way...
HELLO HIVE IT'S ME
Well, actually my real name is Jayne and my middle name is Lea. I combined the two some years back into "Jaynielea" when I began developing a brand for myself as a designer. "Jaynie" actually came from my eldest brother as this is what he has always called me. Capetonian born and raised! (That is Cape Town, South Africa) for those that are not familiar with our local lingo.
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I am the youngest and the only girl. Speaking of career – it has pretty much consumed a large part of my life and because of that I have never actually traveled anywhere internationally… in fact, I stepped onto an airplane for the first time when I was 30 years old and signed up for an intro flying lesson. That was a thrill I will never forget! Surprisingly, I was not even nervous! There was actually a storm that day and the co-pilot was skeptical about taking me up but I insisted and actually have to say that flying through the storm was probably my favourite part of the lesson!
I have derailed! (I do that). The reason I have never really travelled is because from the time I finished my tertiary studies, which was at the age of 18 - I have been working. I left school in grade 10 and begun studying immediately… mostly because I simply had to find a way to get out of school, as I was failing because of all my “recreational narcotic habits”. That was NOT a very happy time in my life... I started clubbing and exploring the world of drugs at the age of 11 and it only stopped in my early 20's but as it turned out though, I ended up loving college and excelled in every facet, despite what I continued to do in my spare time. Design ended up becoming a true passion of mine and paved the road to my entire career.
I had a couple of jobs after college - each of which added to my "skill set" which ultimately became invaluable as I left my last place of employ in 2000 and began the journey of working for myself.
I have owned two businesses in the design and print field. The first one failed because I had to learn the hard way how to manage money and the second was hugely successful but enormously stressful and after 11 years of trading, I decided to hand the business over to my shop manager who had been with me for 9 of the 11 years. He continues to run it to this day.
Most people see my “professional face” a good portion of the time and for that reason they think I am an extrovert. Quite the opposite is true actually. I am actually incredibly shy and most definitely an introvert. I only really come out of my shell with those I am truly comfortable around. Insecurity is something I have struggled with my entire life as well as mild depression. These are battles which have hindered many of my “aspirations” but as I have gotten older (I am 40 now) I have started to let go of those demons and the ones that continue their attempts at pestering me, I have learned to better manage them.
I am very much an “all in” or “all out” individual. If I am passionate about something, I will give it my all – the whole way down the line and there is very little that will deter me on my mission. I am very much a gut driven individual and rely massively on my instincts… especially when it comes to people and their characters as well as major decision making in my life. Speaking of which, I have always had an incredibly strong pull towards all topics esoteric as well as spiritual. That “pull” shaped a good few years of my life as a teen as I explored paganism for quite some time, but ultimately found that there was a good portion of it which did simply not resonate with me.
Over the years I have adopted the approach of keeping an open mind to all things but only “taking from it what I choose to”. I don’t follow anybody’s “rules” for my life. This is exactly that – MY journey. I have accepted that with my own unique manner and character, I have something special to offer this world – just as everyone else does and in order for me to do that successfully, I know now that I need to be “in harmony” with myself.
Speaking of harmony… I find much of that in my various “happy places” – a few of which are my passion for gardening, which came from my beautiful mother who sadly passed in June this year. I will never have the magic green fingers that she did, nor the limitless knowledge – but from a little girl, she instilled a love and appreciation for the beauty of nature in me and it has become a huge part of my life to this day... oh and I like to take pretty pictures of pretty things too... I am no photographer, but I do enjoy the challenge.
...Right from the garden into the kitchen… which brings me to a lesser mystery around Hive and that is my passion for cooking. I cannot bake to save my life – but cook I can and I love it!
Music, writing and art are some of my other passions – in fact I could probably add reading to that list too, but these days I cannot seem to get that one right… I simply fall asleep after the first few lines. Music and writing have been a huge part of my healing – especially after my divorce. I was married for 8 years and my husband left me and my two month old son for “greener pastures”. Going though that and having to run a business at the same time was probably one of the most challenging things I ever did… but, that was 11 years ago now and as tough as it was, I am ever grateful that it happened because I would be living a very different life today if it hadn’t.
Speaking of my current life… I am pretty much involved in blockchain activity full time – and as I shared yesterday, I have decided to get back into the creative arena again… just a little differently this time around as I am now putting my OWN creative aspirations first, rather than contributing to that of others. I loved my time as a business owner – but it went full circle and I have never regretted leaving that behind. I think you reach a stage in life when you realise that your priorities have shifted. I love how I spend my time now as I finally feel like I am beginning to walk in the shoes I am supposed to. I look forward to the journey and years ahead – and having all of you as a part of that!
Oh... and lest I forget...
I love wine!
I would like to learn more about the following people,
and I hope they decide to join in...
@ninahaskin
@eugelys
@notacinephile
@jerrytsuseer
@pixiepost
❤❤❤
Until next time...
Much Love from Cape Town, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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