Creativity, Life and the Meaning of Paper

Inspired by recently watching the movie Julie and Julia, delving into a multitude of websites and books extolling the virtues of social media, and reading some wonderful, inspiring blogs (see my list of favourites at the end of this post), I decided it was time to take this blogging business a bit more seriously. [Read more →]

Leaf (my other business, for those who are new to The Spice of Life) has just released some gorgeous new Story Starter journals, ideal for busy mums, dads and kids on the go.

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We’re very excited to announce our new Story Starter themes – Foodies, Kid Stuff and Travel.

With more gorgeous designs, these icebreaking games are sure to be a hit.

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I couldn’t possibly better Seth Godin’s post this week, “Where do you look for ideas”. So here’s the link. [Read more →]

Here’s another good one for decision making – letting something else make the decision for you.

I recommend you only use it for less crucial decisions. There’s a fair chance the boss, the board, your partner etc will not go for, “but that’s the answer I got when I pulled it out of the hat!” when it comes to buying a house, relocating, spending millions of dollars of company money or choosing staff.

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Whether you are caught up in “paralysis by analysis” or simply procrastinating, sometimes the best way to overcome making a decision or moving forward is to get something done.

It may not be perfect, or fit in with your overarching strategic plans, but the simple of act of acting will help you regain confidence and may even help you find the direction you seek. [Read more →]

Hmmm… this is my third political/environmental statement in as many weeks – way too activist for me, but hey, there are just some things that get my goat!

Like destroying the habitat of divinely gorgeous animals.

(I promise I’ll do some happy, design-y blogs very soon). [Read more →]

We’re very excited to announce the launch of Leaf, our new paper communications brand.

Leaf is about life – your life.

Our products will help you to be your best, tell your stories, get organised, celebrate life’s special events and celebrate life itself. [Read more →]

Is your head full of stuff that is cluttering up your thinking? Time to get it all down on paper.

Although obvious, mind maps are a great way of doing this – there’s no need to use fancy software or to draw pretty pictures if it’s not your style. Just start with the problem or issue in the middle and go from there. Mind mapping can be used for just about any problem, from project management and new product development  to writing a “to do” list – seriously, I have a friend who does this! [Read more →]

This one is mainly for designers, who often need to look at things in a new way as part of the creative process. But if you take it a little less literally, I’m sure it can work with other applications.

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