Weekend.

10 things you need to learn to do alone

via: Artparasites by: Tanvi Deshmukh

1. Take yourself out on a date.

Whether in a relationship or not, some days you just need shameless indulgence. You can fight it and get progressively more miserable, or you can put yourself on a pedestal, for a night, afternoon or elegant brunch.

Lavish attention on yourself like the best of suitors. Do what you’d do on an average first date. Put on your favorite bra. Trim that beard. Spritz on the special perfume. Wear make up if you like, but make sure you feel good about yourself. Because guess what, you deserve it.

Eat at a fancy restaurant, or take a leisurely walk around the neighborhood, whatever floats your boat. And when the day is over, look in the mirror and thank yourself for a wonderful time.

2. Go to the beach.

Don’t worry about sunscreen and ugly tans for a while. Sit in the shallow waves and let the salt wash away all the heaviness in your heart. Forget about taking pictures or documenting the sunset. Sure, you can do it if you want, but being alone at the beach is like free falling with an invisible parachute attached to your jumpsuit. Make the most your solitude. Not having to share your beer is just a bonus.

3. Join a class or pursue a hobby just because you want to.

In an age where performance anxiety gets to even the best of us, we’ve lost touch with the sound of our own hearts. Outdoing our peers has become the primary aim of wanting to excel at something and needless to say, we all fall prey to it. So for a change, join a class alone. Or take up those YouTube diy projects. Do it all by yourself, for the joy it gives you, and nothing else. It doesn’t matter if it is a piano class or a “how to paint your nails” tutorial. As long as it makes you happy, do it.

4. Eat by yourself.

Go to a restaurant, cafe or a bar, and order something you wouldn’t normally pick on the menu. If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of sitting alone, carry a book with you. Disconnect from your phone and laptop though. Focus on the food; savor every hit of acidity, every note of spice and every grain of sugar. Let people stare. Tune out the pitying glances from strangers – a meal doesn’t need moral support. Don’t fence yourself in.

5. Travel to place you’ve never been.

Going solo can be an overwhelming experience at first. But then you’ll realize there’s a whole world of opportunities, and you’re your own mapmaker. Take the chance to wander where your feet ask to go, full permission to take a break when you want to. Places and faces turn into temporary homes and there is an awe that comes with understanding that these are memories you’ve made all on your own, that no else has the slightest claim over them – solitude is often the best travel buddy.

6. Lose your way – at night.

Drive around aimlessly and turn that GPS off. Get lost you if you must. Then find your way back through the dusty lanes and trees you never had time to look at. Cities come alive at night; it’s a different world after sundown. And we only ever spend time driving back with friends or rushing home after a long day of work. Take your time and really look at your surroundings and listen to the sound of your own thoughts while you’re at it. You may just lose yourself. You may just find yourself.

7. Compliment yourself.

Strip in front of the mirror and look at all the bumps and lines and stretch marks that you hate. Look at them, and tell yourself it’s okay. You don’t have to pretend to love them. Self-love is hard in theory, even hard to practice. Acceptance is key though, especially when so much of our self-esteem depends on what others think of us these days. And it’s a shame really, because unless you’re truly at peace with yourself, the assurance of a stranger will never be enough. Make a list of all your virtues. Tell yourself you may not be the best looking person in the world, but you’re pretty darn good just the way you are.

8. Tell yourself you’re shit when you deserve that.

If you make a mistake, shake yourself up. Own up to it, rather than waiting for someone else to confront you, because the guilt that surfaces then is ten times as bad. So you had an unproductive day in your pajamas, and you have a whole week’s backlog of assignments to do – don’t get complacent and say it’s okay if it isn’t. You must admit you’re letting yourself down. Sometimes, you need to be your strictest critic.

9. Pay your own bills. Or if you can’t, learn to manage your finances.

Not only is this an invaluable life skill, it could also make or break you in the future. It is far too easy to rely on someone to help you with managing your money, but if you don’t stop using someone as a crutch you will never learn to be independent. As much as it hurts me to admit it, the one thing that holds the world together is money. You’ll need it irrespective of what you choose to make of your life. And the price of dignity can potentially cost you your confidence and your future.

10. Just be. Without worrying about what you’re expected to feel.

Let the moment you’re in get under your skin. Stay put for a while. Touch the walls or the tree trunks, whatever the case may be, and marvel at the texture of them. Sit down in a quiet corner, look around you with your eyes wide open, and your mind open even wider. Think about the people who were here before you, the thumping of their footsteps or the quietness of their breath as they sat in the very same spot, perhaps thinking of the very same things. Feel the place, and let it move you. Let the magic of it crawl up your skin and wind its way into your heart until it becomes a part of you. Zone out, and tune in to yourself.

Solitude is a wonderful companion.

Is it Friday yet?

Beautiful new items now listed in my Etsy shop

...and you can shop all of them on onecreativebunny.etsy.com

Porcelain

Soundtrack to this beauty 

Petit origami paper boat

Another little buddy from my last weeks trip to Greece is now turned into a spectacularly pretty dainty necklace. Available in my etsy shop! 

Look who is back!

One creative bunny Etsy shop is back from vacation! I love to travel, and I always bring back a lot of crafty supplies and pretty stuff from my trips, so I will be adding a bunch of pretty new stuff in a next few days, as soon as I can make my camera cooperate again >:|
From my trip to Greece last weekend I brought a bunch of pretty charms, including one everyone likes - Le petit prince! It is made from high quality zinc alloy and hangs from a dainty stainless steel impregnated chain with antique silver finish. Since there are only two available, make sure you grab yours before it is sold out again!

Zara Copies Indie Artist's Work, Then Says She's Not Famous Enough For It to Matter!

source: http://jezebel.com/

Zara, the Spanish fast-fashion empire that’s made a whole business out of “borrowing” ideas from other designers, is back at it again! Their latest victim: Tuesday Bassen, an indie artist with a large internet cult following thanks to her illustrations and line of pins, patches and apparel.

The photo includes images of her work side-by-side with incredibly similar pieces sold by Zara, along with a letter, allegedly from Zara’s legal team, that states:

We reject your claims here for reasons similar to those already stated above: the lack of distinctiveness of your client’s purported designs makes it very hard to see how a significant part of the population anywhere in the world would associate the signs with Tuesday Bassen.

Bassen, who’s already paid thousands of dollars in legal fees, says that she will continue to fight Zara, both for her work and the work of other artists.

Shame on you Zara!