Thinking outside the box.

Thinking outside the box.
A phrase we have heard one too many times before, a phrase I actually find ridiculously frustrating to apply when told to do so. I only think outside the box unconsciously, I only experiment when I’m completely in tune with what I am doing, because when I’m fully focused I don’t even have the capacity to think of limitations or boxes.
I swear by the philosophy of not to overthink things; the unnecessary stress is not needed!

Change your environment.
If you have a list of goals in mind make sure your environment is set up to encourage you, make it work for you not against you. A surrounding should positively contribute to motivating you, by removing distractions the temptation to waste time is reduced. So it could be something as small as decluttering, organising your area, introducing more sunlight into the room or even moving your workouts from indoors to outdoors, whatever the factors may be pinpoint them and address them. Don’t fall into the trap of using them as excuses that hold you back.

Practice being open-minded.
With the state of the world and the ever changing opinions around us, being open minded is needed more now than ever. Being prejudice doesn’t work, it doesn’t make the world go round; acceptance, empathy and love does. If you want to stimulate new ideas and think outside the box you must allow for a different way of thinking to flow. Address things you could have overlooked, consider other points of views, experiment with your process and keep in mind that mistakes are simply re-routes. Don’t be afraid to fail, embrace the changes these setbacks create and try again. A defeated attitude doesn’t get very far, a curious, determined and creative one will surely stumble upon something new, that’s the magic of serendipity!


When the going gets tough the tough get going.
Wait, what? What does that even mean? I was just feeling fancy so I’ll keep that heading. But my last point is based on our perception of tough times.
Do you ever recall saying ‘I can’t do this, I can’t carry on, life’s over, woe is me’ or something along those lines? Well I’d like to congratulate you 1) for being alive 2) actually reading this far down. *I truly appreciate it*
My point from babbling is that tough times do not last. Nothing worth having happens overnight. Everything is work in progress, if you feel defeated it’s very unsettling, so for that reason continue to push your boundaries, carry on experimenting, of course naturally you will encounter some setbacks but resolve and work through those trials and tribulations. This is life!
These are minor glitches in the grand scheme of things, what determines our success is our attitude towards the mini ‘failures’ Outwork them, outgrow them and change those weaknesses into strengths!

Things that make me feel good.

I’ve been umming and ahhhing about what to write for this post and after putting together the final images last night I felt a sense of achievement. Mainly because usually after the type of day I had I would crash out on the sofa and waste a couple of hours in the evening fighting over a faux fur blanket with Gurpreet while we catch up on sitcoms and series.
I’m smiling while looking at these pictures because I’m happy with how far I’ve come, mentally and physically. I’m at a stage in life where my actions are keeping me happy, not only is this feeling evident in my day to day activities, my general wellbeing has improved tenfold.
It’s common knowledge to many of us what keeps us happy but I find writing here so therapeutic I’m going to share with you what it is that makes me feel good.

1) Self-love
I live by the mantra ‘Let it be’ there are so many things that happen to us daily which are not within our control and over time I have learnt to not let them get me down, feel anxious about or even upset, I simply remind myself of the path I am going down and to focus on my own goals. Unfortunately there will always be spiteful people out there that get you down, love and respect yourself enough to eliminate them from your life.
The minute you surround yourself with people who cherish you for who you are, you naturally start treating yourself better. And by not focusing on the negative your energy is then shifted to completing goals and moving forward with life. When you love yourself what others think and how they act become irrelevant to your life.

2) Maintenance
I love myself by respecting my mind and body. Every day I exercise, I eat healthy and practise gratitude wherever possible. I’ve noticed when I don’t follow through with these my moods alter and become erratic. The negative energy has such a knock on effect to so many things in life so I find it is key for me to make sure my eating habits are clean.
Eating unhealthy leads to tiredness, which means I’ll skip the gym, then I start feeling like a little fatty, which means I don’t feel like dressing up, that leads to me feeling yucky and my skin starts to show it and then when I look in the mirror I feel crappy, all of this turns me in to a sour faced Mitika.
Whereas when I eat well, I am motivated to exercise; after having a successful workout I am more inclined to spend extra time on my appearance; if I feel like I look good I’m more confident and determined to achieve my goals. I’m sure you get my drift but it’s so easy to snowball either way.

3) Spreading love
Have you ever told anyone but your partner you love them? I have, I whisper it to my dog every other 5 minutes :) but jokes aside, a saying I've popped up in conversations lately is 'communication is key' I strongly believe relationships fall to pots because of lack of communication. I am open with those close to me and express my feelings clearly towards them, if I miss them I let them know, if I love them I let them know, if they mean anything to me I let them know. The point I'm making is, if you realise you have people you cherish in life let them know this. Just by sending my love to my sisters I feel better, loving others is very rewarding and knowing you have said everything on your mind when you had the chance is the best feeling.
I don't like the idea of waking up tomorrow wishing I should have let someone know what they meant to me when I had the opportunity. This life is too short for those regrets, love freely : )


4) Something new
Something new doesn't have to be in the form of a new bag or new shoes, new to me is a different experience to what I'm used to. Theres a little part of me that gets so excited from experiencing 'new' things, this weekend we will be visiting The London Illustration fair which I cant wait to see, last weekend we had a change of scenery and dinned in GBK. It was lovely but I'm not going back anytime soon, even though I enjoyed the meal £35 for two burgers and milkshakes gave me a heart attack, maybe I'll go again when I become a millionaire, HA!
I look forward to experiencing new as it gives me a buzz and don't get me wrong I'm still a sucker for good old retail therapy but thats on hold as the wardrobe isn't closing very well at the moment (it's a sign to stop shopping!)

5) Music
I am so thankful to be able to listen to music, it has this magical quality that can take you away from any type of feeling and switch your mood instantly. That sounded a bit cheesy right?! Well try sitting a day or two without sound and then read that line again, it's something we are so used to and programmed to be around we don't realise how much it can impact our moods. I find music so therapeutic I have a trillion different playlists that are like the soundtracks to my life, one for mornings, train journeys, gym time, even right now I have one playing in the background so I can concentrate on writing. I love the emotion music brings out in people and the passion it shows, it for sure is a big part of what makes me feel good.


6) My dog
I used to dream of having a pet when I was young, luckily 6 years ago my brother came home with a little bichon fris and maltese mix. We named him Jambu (after an Indian sweet dish) He is literally the light to my life, I love everything about him, his innocence and character make me SO happy. No matter what mood I'm in his enthusiasm to greet me remains the same, he is always so loving, playful and embodies this skill to be excited about literally EVERYTHING. Sometimes you can feel like humans fail you and that leaves you feeling a little low, In those types of situations Jambu has never failed to put a smile on my face. Animals are such wonderful creatures, my love for him is a big reason for why I chose to turn vegetarian 3 years ago and over the past couple of months I have been refining my diet to be Vegan, I want no part of causing harm to these wonderful creatures : ) I love all animals and they make me so happy.

7) My hobby
My art and this blog are my outlets for expressing myself. I absolutely love sitting down with pen and paper to sketch, I love drawing fashion, models, garments and designing new things. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I make something out of nothing. Everyone has a hobby or something they are passionate about, whatever it may be I would recommend exploring the avenues that lead to expression through it. It's never too late to take a course or learn more about it. I think we all need a slice of happiness that isn't linked to work stresses. A hobby doesn't have to generate money, if it does that is a bonus, but I think when someone is passionate about something it can be an escape route; when they are stressed they can dive into what they love doing and its almost like a free therapy session.


8) Writing
When I think about it, this list could go on forever, there are so many things that keep me happy but if I had to pinpoint it to a handful this would be it. I am so happy I changed the style of this blog and started to open up a bit more, I find writing so therapeutic and love getting my thoughts out, whats even more rewarding is my thoughts go hand in hand with yours, its so nice for me to connect with people that read this and on days I feel like don't fit in, I can remind myself of the online family I have created through this site : )

Outfit - Cami/Mango Skirt/Handmade Choker/MissSelfridges Earrings/KateSpade

Fancy pants

Outfit - Top/Zara Trousers/Riverisland Heels/Primark(old) Bangle/OttomanHands Rings/OttomanHands Earrings/ToryBurch

Blush and bows

As I pick out the pictures for this post, I keep thinking to myself I'm closer to 30 not 13 so I really shouldn't have put that ribbon in my hair. But I was feeling like the ultimate girly girl in the blush pleated skirt so I went with it. This item of clothing is definitely becoming one of my favourite wardrobe staples. The pleated midi is elegant, feminine, easy to wear and to top it off compliments virtually every body shape. Hurrah!
Not to mention, they do a good job of keeping you warm! I'm dead serious about that note, originally I expected the wind to go straight up there and freeze my ass off, but it didn't : ) so I'm very grateful this style is coming back into fashion!
This shade of pink is my complimentary colour, I have a natural blush tone in my skin and this pink sets it off nicely.
Non blog-look related I am happy to tell you there has been major progression with my artwork! Yeppie : ) All the press packs I sent out to potential clients in December were successful, fashion week was successful and I even got the chance to be featured by a couple of designers whom I admire greatly! First and foremost Marc Jacobs and his team have helped me so much to broaden my audience and motivate me. Anya Hindmarch spotted my work online as well as Markus Lupfer, Amanda Wakely and the lovely Bora Aksu. *Currently doing a victory jig whilst typing*
Sure by all means that does not mean I am satisfied with where I am, I am appreciative for the encouragement and opportunities I have been given but I am so dedicated to pushing to the next step and get my art onto merchandise and work with more brands/companies.
Here is something I read this past week on the Humans Of New York post which made me think;
“I don’t enjoy observing people as much as I used to. Everyone acts like they’re on stage. People used to come to The Village sheepishly. Nobody was sure if they belonged. We didn’t know if we were artists. These days everyone walks around like they’re contributing something. There’s no angst anymore. There’s too much certainty. And that’s a shame. Because all the best art comes from people who feel like they don’t belong. Art is a way of proving your existence. When I was a young man, a person that I respected told me that I was an artist. It was one of the worst things that could have happened to me. I stopped walking into museums or galleries with a sense of awe. I walked in feeling like an ‘artist.’ My arms would be crossed. If I liked a piece, it was ‘good.’ If I didn’t like a piece, it was ‘bad.’ I didn't feel vulnerable anymore. I lost my humility. And that’s when growth stops.”
I can relate to what this man said entirely, but one thing that defines my character when producing art is my uncertainty. I know I am talented, from the age of 4 when I painted a badass self portrait I nailed it. All the other kids painted stick figures, I was two steps ahead and drew fingernails and eyelashes, these were details others my age didn't pick up on. From that point I knew, I knew I was special. But saying that I would never openly show people my work. I knew it was good but I wasn't too sure on others reactions to it. I still hold that attitude towards my art to this date. I secretly love my work, my paintings are like my babies, all my sketches show my mood at that exact moment in time, its like a visual diary of lines and strokes.
I suppose what i'm getting at is, never stop trying. I don't know what tomorrow holds, I just know if I keep producing art true to me, one day it might fall into the right hands and that person will appreciate my detail for finger nails and eyelashes. Who knows.

Outfit - All clothing/Zara Bag/Mulberry Jewellery/OttomanHands

Nudes

Today I feel like I’m on a mission, after seeing the highlights from the Glamour Woman of the Year awards I feel so inspired. I feel like anything is possible right now!
Cheesy, I know, but it’s true. If you follow my scribble-gram you will see I have been whipping up a couple of illustrations daily, it’s not for the fun of it, I’m collating images from all the SS16 shows for a special project, which will hopefully go to print by the end of the month!
I am forever writing down lists, goals and aspirations, it feels good to be getting close to actually completing one! Once my pieces are in print I will show you how I started to make my dreams a little bit more tangible. Just about 7 weeks left to 2015! Let’s make each one count : )

Sorry to disappoint but this outfit is outdated by 5-6 years! The good thing is, neutrals keep making a comeback every season, so if you like them the stores stock similar items for the ‘Winter whites’ collections that hit around this time of year.
This leather jacket was a Christmas gift in 2007 from the Mr. the scarf was an impulse buy in my college days, I used to buy all shades of pink because it’s a colour that compliments my cheeks during the colder months. The jumper is relatively new, from Zara last season, its woven with metallic threads which is ideal for the festive season, a little glitter goes a long way this time for year!
Well prepare yourselves, the fairy lights, Christmas lattes and Santa grottos are all around the corner!

Outfit – Jacket/ River Island (Similar) Jumper/Zara Jeans/River Island Boots/H&M Scarf/Bershka (Similar) Bag/MichaelKhors (Similar) Necklace/OttomanHands Earrings/OttomanHands Bracelets/OttomanHands Rings/OttomanHands, 2,
Enter 15MITIKA15 for 15% off on all Ottoman Hands orders.