Slow Spotlight: Helen Izzard Interior Design
So many people have inspired me on my own journey towards living a slower, simpler and more seasonal life, and I’d love you to be inspired too. The Slow Spotlights series shares with you some of their journeys, and I hope that by reading about these, you too may be inspired and encouraged.
A huge thank you to Helen Izzard for sharing more about her own journey towards a slower and simpler life below.
I have a soft furnishing and interior designer business based in Somerset. I love working with natural fabrics and colours that are inspired by nature and the landscape around us. I have a real passion for UK manufacturing and the long lost traditions and skills from the past, and I love to work with independent British designers, not just to support our local businesses, but to highlight and support our UK brands. The quality of their products far exceeds anything imported.
We have lost so much history, and so many trades and skills from the textile industry, swamped by cheap imports and the quick fix, throwaway culture we have created. We have changed from a country where the ethos was low consumption of high quality goods, made within the local areas by local craftsmen, to the ethos of high consumption of mass-produced, poor quality goods imported from another country, which we dispose of in the blink of an eye. Somehow, we need to change the way we view things and revert to a more sustainable way of life.
When did you first become aware that you craved a slower and simpler approach to life?
It slowly crept in over the period of a few years but I can pinpoint the time when the real roots began. I was working in a very stressful NHS management environment with a great team around me but a new senior management team above. The work ethic changed from ‘you work to live’ to ‘you live to work’, not at all a sustainable way of working. I always had my small creative business alongside the job, the one thing that had kept me creatively sane amongst the stress of the day job, but even that became hard to maintain. The new senior team did not look favourably on having a creative outlet outside the job.
Over a period of a year, I had lost my creative passion and became very ill from the stress at work, to the point where I had no choice but to stop, I was mentally and physically exhausted. That was the turning point. I realised that I was the only person who could change this and drive my own path through life. So I left, which was stressful in itself, took a few months resting, and then built a new life, focusing on building the business. Having my own business is hard work but it’s my work and my passion, and I can focus on the business in the way that I want to live and forge my own pathway through life.
How do you embrace slow, simple and seasonal living within your business?
It means taking time for us to enjoy life and manage our businesses around our life. My husband also runs his own business, so we are constantly juggling both, but equally, we allow ourselves the permission to take the day off, head out for a long walk and some lunch, or just to spend the day in the garden. Sometimes we head off to the coast and walk, and often just sit quietly, watching the world go by and allowing the sea air to wash everything away.
My work is very seasonal in its own way. January is always a quiet month in the workroom, and it allows me time for all the admin, and plan for the year. It’s my creative time to plan projects, research and get the business ready for the coming year. The long summer holidays are another fairly quiet period as families are spending time with their children, or on holiday, so this allows me time to take some quality time to visit a garden or our local woods with my camera in hand. Living seasonally means running the business around the natural seasonal cycles, and listening to my body when I need to stop and take some time out, to walk and be calm in nature, to listen to the rain or the birds and feel the wind on my face.
I love photography! My camera is another source of creativity and there is so much inspiration to gain from nature, both colours and textures. Nature is not just an incredible healing tool, we can learn so much from the way in which is evolves and remains true to itself.
How do you think the past can help us live with more awareness in the present?
As a generation, we have become so disconnected from the world in our drive for rushing around, money and for surrounding ourselves with possessions. We have lost our sense of connection to the planet, to nature and to the small things that give us joy. From my experience, the best homes are those that are not rushed and evolve over time, as we take time to settle in a new home and don’t rush to make big decisions. I often see more joy in the final decisions as a result of spending time making conscious decisions, and as a result, less waste.
Are there elements of living in this way that challenge you?
We all live busy lives, regardless of who we are or where we live or how we try to live our life. Our natural tendency is to rush around and not see the world around us or breathe the air in, and when you are busy, the hardest thing is to focus on slowing down. I think the rhythm of the seasons has a way of helping us to tune in to the pace of each season, but sometimes it is hard and we forget to listen to that rhythm. For me, January is the month to hunker down and curl up on the sofa or go for walks with my camera. And as much as I try to ease gently back in to February, I find it arrives with a bang and my resolve to ease back in to work goes out of the window! The business can be all-encompassing and I do forget to stop and breathe, especially when I am so passionate about my work.
What is one piece of advice you would give to others looking to embrace a slower, simpler and more seasonal approach to life.
Follow your heart and your own innate instinct. It is your life and no one should force their own way of working or lifestyle on you. Be brave and make changes when your instinct is crying out for something different and listen to the rhythm of your mind and body. Nature has a seasonality that drives everything around us, so listen and feel that, and find your own way.
When I was in management and could see one of the team were struggling, unsure of their direction, my advice would be this: there is a whole world out there to explore, go out and find it and feel it, discover your passion and the thing that sparks your soul. And take time to listen and feel energised on the journey.
Are there any books, websites or other resources which have helped you and which you would recommend to others?
I discovered Elizabeth Cairns a few years ago and her book The Empowered Entrepreneur is about living with intention and going your own way when running a business and staying true to yourself and your goals along the way. Running a business has its challenges, but engaging in purposeful work, enjoying the flow of the creative process and that all important work life balance is important to me. I would really recommend this book and the podcast too, something I often listen to when I am in the workroom.
Helen’s work is beautiful, and I do encourage you to follow her on Instagram, visit her website, an sign up to her newsletter.
All images © Helen Izzard.
