Studio Melissa Louise(SML) has officially turned one!
Well, originally launched in 2012 as a personal blog offering freelance interior design consulting, the Melissa Louise brand has evolved and has now been offering full scale interior design solutions and creative consulting full time, FOR.ONE.WHOLE.YEAR!
Thank you so much for your support. Every comment, message, like or share is appreciated and doesn’t go unnoticed.
Our journeys are unique, and because of this we shouldn’t compare ourselves to one another, there is no right or wrong way to get from “A” to “B”. Honestly we may not know where point B is or how long it’ll take to get there and yet in this uncertainty, we are all the same – we face the same scenarios, we learn from them and try our best to help others through them when its their turn. One year ago I was retrenched, not a unique scenario but so pivotal to my world. SML went from being my side hustle, passion project to being my full time, bread and butter project. While I am so grateful that over the years I have had a brand that has been able to grow, morph and evolve as I do, it didn’t make that news any easier to cope with but what it did was allow me the breathing room I needed to clear my head and make calculated decisions.
I could never have dreamed where this personal blog of decor ramblings would take me but as I sit and reflect on it all a special quote pops to mind – What’s meant for you will never miss you, and that which misses you was never meant for you. – Unknown
It feels so good to shake off this anniversary, redirecting the rejection into something positive has been liberating, knowing that I can and will succeed in whatever I set my mind to. This is something we can all do, enough is a decision not an amount.
You may remember last year around this time I mentioned I would be taking small little unnoticed steps in what I feel is the right direction for me while I navigated through my new reality, these small little mostly unnoticed steps resulted in big exciting changes for Studio Melissa Louise and here we are – 6 executed interior design projects, 3 online interior design consults (since launching my new online service in April of this year), a few collaborations with brands & local artisans I admire and 1 published magazine article written by me, featuring our House Raath project.
I am thrilled with this growth, what a challenging but successful year it has been!
Are there days where I feel like I don’t know what I am doing, yes! Are there hours where I would rather have the earth open up and swallow me whole, yes! Are there minutes where I am day dreaming about remote islands where they barter to get by, YES! Would I trade any of it, nope! Over all I have found happiness, riding the balance between the ups and the downs. Thats life, isn’t it?
The points I mentioned in my first week of being a solopreneur still apply but I have built on these over the last 51 weeks of this year, here is what I have learnt;
– The world needs what you’ve got:
So cheesy but so true. There is very little that is original in todays world, but you – you are 100% original, pure gold and only you can do you!
– Show up:
Show up for yourself, believe in your magic and then show up online, in person and in support of others.
– Google is your friend:
True story, when you work from home Google becomes your bestie. Tutorials on how to fix website backend related stuff, discovering shortcuts, signing up to webinars and the list could go on. There is nothing you cant resolve with a quick google search.
To savour these moments and to subtly remind you that you are doing a great job on your journey, I worked with Emma Philip to create these desktop downloads highlighting 3 statements that have carried me through the year, may they carry you too. A gift from me to you.
Download the ‘BLOOM’ desktop wallpaper by clicking here.
Download the ‘ADVENTURE’ desktop wallpaper by clicking here.
Download the ‘INVEST’ desktop wallpaper by clicking here.
Now I face the start of my second year as a solopreneur with a scrunched up nose, squinted eyes and butterfly flutters in my tummy which some days can be confused as anxiety… When I am brave, I open my eyes to see it’s not all that bad, thank you for making me comfortable enough to open my eyes, I am excited for what this year has in store for us.
Written and compiled by Melissa Lawrence, Illustrations by Emma Philip.
So proud of you!
Thank you so much my friend, I appreciate your support.
Hey! I’ve been following your journey this past year very closely as pretty much the same thing happened to me. It’s been inspiring watching your progress and seeing what you have accomplished! Looking forward to seeing what year two has in store for you.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jenny.
May we both continue to grow from strength to strength.