June 2021 – Petra Kidd Writes…

I love a beautiful notebook to jot my ideas in. There is something luxurious about it and I know creativity flows much more easily when you can use tools that look and feel good and are enjoyable to use.

Being lucky enough to live in Norfolk, I often get to enjoy the scenery but I can’t always get to the coast or countryside so it’s lovely to use notebooks that show me a stunning Norfolk view wherever I am.

MyriadLifePhotoArt has produced a collection of Norfolk notebooks with cover images of the city, coast and countryside that I am sure you will love too. You don’t have to be an author to enjoy them, they are great for writing everyday notes, lists, experiences, memories or whatever it is you want to notate.

In addition to scenic views you can enjoy the wit of Gavin the Gull, his book covers feature an image of him with one of his legendary quotes such as ‘Your ice cream looks nice…’ or ‘Did somebody say chips?’ There are many other Gavin quotes to choose from. He might even encourage your children to do their homework…

There are more generic covers too, ideal for surfers/sailors and/or nature lovers.

All perfect gift ideas!

The luxury matte covers are very tactile and while most of the notebooks have lined interior pages, more designs are on the way.

If you would like to discuss a book design you have in mind, please contact myriadlifephotoart@gmail.com

Happy writing!

Take a look at the links below… all available in most countries via Amazon.

The MyriadLifePhotoArt Notebook Collection

If you happen to be visiting the north Norfolk coast, drop into Studio-Line Designs at Wells & Walsingham Railway who stock a variety of MyriadLifePhotoArt notebooks as well as lots of other lovely locally made items.

Studio-Line Designs

Many years ago I knew a man who was phenomenally successful. He’d built his company from scratch in a very lucrative sector. By early middle age he was a multi-millionaire. I remember him saying to me when we were out for a drink one night that people often said to him they were ‘busy, busy, busy.’ He laughed and said to me “what a load of bullshit.” He knew they were trying to sound important. I knew him for some years and I observed that while he would work hard, he never went on about it. He made sure he used his time wisely and enjoyed his leisure time. I’m sure that along the way to his success he must have suffered many a sleepless night and been phenomenally busy but he never had the urge to whine or boast about it. The proof was in his actions not his words, he didn’t need to appear important.

Fast forward to now. Recently I’ve heard people say, “I’m busy” an awful lot and quite frankly I’m beginning to find it a bit insulting. Firstly, it seems to be an excuse at times for not being efficient and secondly, by saying it, it is as if the person thinks no one is busy but them, and the implication from that is that they are more important than anyone else. Not a good look in my book.

Other people have noticed this too. There are those that say they are ‘busy’ and those that excuse poor communication by saying they have been in ‘back to back meetings.’ Yes, we all slip up sometimes but come on, technology has never made it easier to keep in touch. It takes a nano second to send a text and not much longer to send a polite email. By leaving it a week to respond to a question, all you are doing is showing that you are rude or disorganised or both. The most successful people I know are actually the most accessible and often the most humble too.

Then today I came across this article which made for a very interesting read. It’s a potted history of how the cult of busyness came about.

The Cult of Busyness

Now we are all heading back to some kind of normality, it would be nice if the selfishness could take a back seat after all the trauma of surviving a pandemic and if instead of constantly saying, “I’m busy,” people could consider how to organise their time so that they can be more efficient in what they do and make time for others. If indeed they are that busy.

I’ve kept this post short because, y’know, I’m er, nope, not going to say it!

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