Finding your passion

As I sit here sipping my summer blend origin flat white surrounded by the colourful and friendly Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town I am reminded of my childhood playroom and the colours that lit up my life as a child.

As a kid I had a huge imagination, I was brought up with the idea that you can do anything you can think of. Between me and my brother we made too many bad drawings and art pieces that no parent would put on their fridges! Our creativity may have been heighten by the bright yellow paint on our play room walls. We spent the majority of the time playing outside, finding new games to make up and new adventures to find. Even on the bleak days when we were stuck inside, imagination could take us anywhere; and creating paintings and sculptures would be our pastimes. The chalk on the pavement and outdoor toys scattered over the cul-de-sac would signify a great days adventure. Not once would it occur to think about what time it was, what were we having for dinner or what should we be doing instead to us which would be much more productive to life going into the future. 

As I grew older my pastimes shifted from riding my bike every weekend to spending my time with friends. still, my imagination and passion stayed with me. Only in my early 20’s did something shift, I lost my way; there was a huge change in my world and it was no longer the safe, stable environment with everyone I loved. I was watching all my friends move on with their lives - jobs, promotions, relationships and experiences. The whole world was moving around me while I stood still. I was no longer the light and bubbly girl I once was; I had turned into a reserved and withdrawn human who wasn’t doing anything. The excitement of life had disappeared. The passion had gone. How do I find it? passionate people are happier people, or so they say. How do I become happier if I cant find passion. I had to go back to basics and ask myself the simple questions. What are my passions? What lights up my heart? 

Questions to ask and the answers I had:

What did I do before which I loved?

Baking, drawing, meeting with friends, shopping, hiking

What spark light in my heart?

Cooking, trying new restaurants, family time, watching movies

When do I forget to pick up my phone?

Cooking, walking with the dog, calligraphy 

What would I be doing if money wasn't a problem?

Travelling, helping people, opening up a sustainable coffee shop

Answering these at face value is pretty easy but to get to the real answers that really speak to something inside you is difficult and can take time. At first you might try Pinterest, instagram or tumblr but these are just crutches and things you feel you should like. For instance, I don’t love fashion, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to look good. I don’t like make-up tutorials but I still like to get dolled up every now and again. After looking at my answers I noticed common themes were reoccurring: 

• Creative

• Food

• Travel 

• Active

I noticed the common themes have been there since my childhood; picking rocks and 'cooking' rock salads turned into baking fresh cakes and finding new recipes. Using cello tape and scraps of paper to create abstract sculptures turned into designing new menus and brands. I needed to reignite my passions and start with small actions each day to excite and create a reason to get up and enjoy the day ahead. I started writing meal plans & cooking different meals each day. I planned a year of travel, during which I would travel on my own and find adventures by myself while reconnecting with my friends. I also started taking regular Pilates classes & started rock climbing to keep active. I now am member of a gym and go at least three times a week. This keeps my anxiety levels down and pumps me with motivation.

I listened to the voices inside (which I discovered at UPW London 2018) and turned my love for food into a new food blog on my website; my love for travel into a lifelong bucket list of places to explore; my love for active into goals of running a marathon & being able to do pull ups! Finally my love of creativity has turned into a career path in the creative industry, my hobbies and activities have become part of my routine.

This blog could go forever about me and my newly found passions but I want to share what I am passionate about and how I found those parts of my life - so you can wake up excited to start your day & discover your true interests too. It isn’t always easy and it takes time, effort & openness but once you have it, it can feel pretty freaking awesome and when the bad days come along you know it wont be too long until your actions can help you to a better day.