Hi there,
are you awfully busy? In case you are, I’ll make it short and sweet today. - Okay, I knew I couldn’t fool you. I’m the one with lots to do on my list before I leave tomorrow for a week off over the holidays.
One thing *not* on my list is making new year’s resolutions. Maybe you already know I like lists, plans and schedules (made by me, not those coming from other people though). So why don’t I like resolutions?
First, I don’t feel the new year has to be celebrated. It isn’t a new start really, that’s not how time works. Time is linear and all those constructs of months, years, even days are there to give us a structure to measure time. As nice as that would sometimes be: There is no new start. It’s just one line.
Second, I experimented with making new year’s resolutions in the past. It didn’t really work for me. If I want to accomplish something or form a new habit, I work on that whenever I decide it’s time. But only after having the same resolution year after year and never accomplishing the thing due to interference from other people, I gave up.
Third, you don’t have control over everything in your life. And as well as destroying your hope to put that damn thesis behind you this year, this can also work in your favour. And that’s what I’m bursting to tell you about :-)
What about things you can’t plan, imagine or even dream about because they are so unlikely?
Do you have a model who you look up to? A favourite person in your field of expertise?
I’m sure you have a favourite designer at least.
I have one; very well known, very experienced, very “equipped with (a) tech editor(s)”…
When they looked for test knitters for upcoming designs, I applied because I thought I could add “being a test knitter for x” as proof of the quality of my work to convince more designers to work with me. I was lucky enough to be picked out of more than 400 applications. I had fun with the knitting, commented on everything I noticed in the pattern without doing a full edit and waited for the pattern to be published to be able to talk about it.
I was very happy about that and felt lucky because they usually don’t work with test knitters. Even if my story ended here, this would have been something I wouldn’t have had on any list because it was so unlikely to happen. Never in almost ten years of designing they looked for test knitters (as far as I’m aware of).
A few weeks after finishing the test knit, I had an email by the designer themselves (communication before was with one of their team members) asking if I had time to work with them over the next months on a couple of projects. And when I replied that I was interested, they thanked me and told me they were so happy and lucky. We had a Skype call and are now working on a big, exciting project.
From the moment they contacted me, it wasn’t a question of if we would work together but how we would do it. They had decided to work with me based on my test knitting feedback. And they think themselves to be lucky that I had time :-D
This is like a fairytale and more than I would ever have dreamed of! After a few weeks of working with them I can say that I believe it now but only just :-) It would have never have been on any list to try to get them to work with me, not even in a few years time.
So, I won’t start making new year’s resolutions again!
Tell me: what is the best unexpected thing ever happened to you (2018 or any other year)? Reply to this email and let us celebrate together!
With the best wishes for a quiet and restful holiday season for you and your loved ones
Frauke x