You've got style...

There are many types of STYLE...fashion sense, lifestyle, hair style, artistic style, to mention just a few. Each of us has our very own and unique style since day 1 but forgotten or repressed as we get older by the years. 
Ask yourself: What do I love creating so much right now that it makes me come alive?
If you haven't yet found your passion, start being observant. Try out different media in your art work and see which attracts you the most. Then go crazy creating with your choice to your heart's content. 
Passion changes at different phases of life but follow your heart nonetheless. What you have picked up along the way is not wasted as aspects of each of your passions will be re-emerged and eventually morphed to become your signature style. 
What about lifestyle? This is a pretty sensitive issue to someone who is unemployed or rather, without a stable income.
Ask yourself: what kind of lifestyle do I want to achieve?
And now you have a purpose. 
And now you prioritise everything to make that happen.
The world is changing at break-neck speed and it has become an increasingly transience society, one that requires the ability to adapt, to restructure and to be mobile; thank you very much to the advanced technology. 
And it suits me perfectly. A mobile lifestyle. A nomadic life. 
So why am I stuck in Hong Kong? For reasons I prefer not to expose online.
It doesn't make sense to stay in one place when you can create a better life elsewhere.
This is easier for those who are detached from material things.
Once in a life-time experience speaks louder than staying put in my little comfort zone.
The current trend is about impermanence, our willingness to move.
Fashion. What is that?
I like to look good but to feel good is even better. 
I don't dress according to 'trends'.
I don't care what others think of me as long as my inside matches my outside appearance.
Be authentic. Be you.

What it takes to complete a giant project...

I am currently recovering from intense productivity for the past 3 months, working 24/7 on my e-magazine Potion sans Prescription which is finally launched on 2/10. It was a difficult labour which took a lot out of me physically, mentally and emotionally. There were days when I would rather spend time on housework and organization than sitting in front of the screen trying to figure out the technological aspects of putting the e-magazine together. There were days when I cried myself to understand how the software works reaching out for technological support. Frustration is a part of my daily life and it took a lot of determination and self-discipline to complete a pretty big project on my own.

To produce over 100 content pages all alone, and for someone who is a techno-phobe, removing distraction and being consistent are the rules of thumb. Instead of being reactionary, I am proactive. I limit the trivial, mindless and uninspiring work such as running errands and reading every single blog post that comes to my inbox. I find breaking up the big into the small and do it quickly really helps. Being a night owl, I accept and accentuate my personal rhythms instead of fighting them. What works for an early riser doesn't work for me so I make the most out of the nights on my project. I also don't watch much TV, if at all, and I indulge myself with a DVD every now and then for entertainment. 

Consistency has never been a personal trait for someone who is a scanner / multipotentialite. It is a lot of commitment, devotion, and dedication on my part to see this project through. Setting the frame to make sure work is being produced, albeit little, everyday, 7 days of the week. It is the first thing first and that means constantly thinking about it, dreaming about it, taking intentional and planned action on a daily basis. It is about establishing some kind of routine which allows me to get into the flow of producing. Picking up a new software is indeed something I resist but I learn to enjoy using the program as time goes on. I have come to see the many benefits of the program provides and ultimately it is the tool I use to make the e-magazine presentable. Above all, I remind myself why I am doing what I am doing, first thing every day in the past 3 months. I might only get a teeny tiny bit of work done on any day but knowing that I move forward instead of standing still is enough. 

Now, would you like to show your support to my effort and at the same time learn to love and care for yourself and have some fun doing that? Click here.

MORE about Potion sans Prescription, my new e-magazine

We get so caught up in mindless activities, daily chores,unyielding deadlines, juggling with various roles for others that we never seem to have time for ourselves! Before we get burnt out, it is essential for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing to regularly take time to play. We all deserve some ME time at some point during the day and Psp is one of the many antidotes (a potent drug without the side effects) created with busy people in mind. Psp allows me to pull my love of words and all things pretty and fun into one glorious space.

The content that you find in Psp will vary in different issues. There are articles, poetry, artwork, DIY templates, photography, affirmations and more. The project took me roughly 3 months to complete; the process of which includes an e-course to learn the technical aspects of creating an e-zine, deciding on the theme and creating relevant content, liaising with artists for contribution, designing the layout, and constantly churning out surprises both from the Internet and my own artwork I believe is worthy to share with my readers.

I have faced the fear (I am technology-phobic) and created my first e-magazine all by myself (of course there are credits which go to the contributors). I have been working 24/7 for 3 months straight with one thing in mind: to deliver something of value to my readers who need a breather from the insanity the IT world has brought about. Never mind the sweat and tears, the swearing and frustration, the long hours into the night trying to work out how the software works, I am proud to have finally produced my first issue of Psp, which is by no means perfect, but can only get better and better in the process.

If you have enjoyed Psp, please consider gifting an issue for your friends; and I would really appreciate if you could share it on social media platforms.

Once again, THANK YOU.

Here is the content page to whet your appetite:

To purchase, click here. 

my slow progress toward fruition

I am feeling burnt out from making my e-magazine happen by my deadline and yet, there is always some kind of obstacles which I need to overcome; and in this case, the technical part of converting my pages into a flipping magazine. I hate to break my promises but alas, there is only so much I can do alone in a day and working 24/7 doesn't help when you are stuck. However, I am making little progress everyday and hopefully the mag can be launched in a week.

It's been a learning curve for me big time. For someone who is techno-phobic, there were many sleepless nights, tearful episodes and frustration in the last 3 months of working around the clock, trying to learn the new software and making mistakes after mistakes; all in the name of starting my own e-magazine, which is a long time dream I am determined to make into reality.

There were times when I felt like giving up. However, my challenge mindset put me back on track. I thrive on challenges after all and the fact that I have already came so far is in itself a motivation to keep going. There were days when I didn't feel like working on the project and ended up watching a DVD or went back to bed but that is what my body was telling me: do something different or rest up before I get physically ill. Sometimes I shrink my objective of the day to tiny goals which doesn't seem too overwhelming and plough on

The sea is rough but it is important to stay the course if I really want to get to the end result. For a scanner, the project can become stale after a while and it is easy to become restless  and bored. To keep my eyes firmly planted on the horizon, here are some of the things which help me stay the course:

• be crystal clear about where I am going and why I want to get there
• try to enjoy the process even though I dislike technology
• ask for help
• find the fun part
• cut myself some slack 
• work in moderation
• show up everyday

Yes, I wanted to see the end product fast but sometimes the only thing we can do is to just face the direction that we want to go, and keep moving, even at snail pace. I know deep in my heart that I am on my way to the finishing line and if I keep doing the little that only I can do, the outcome would be phenomenal!