After ten weeks of renovating our new home, I finally unpacked the first boxes in my studio. I wanted it to be perfect, of course – fresh walls, warm light, everything in its place. But it isn’t. Some walls are still waiting for paint, the windows for curtains and the room for heating. My mum’s beautiful vintage bookcase is too tall and her wooden cabinet can’t make it up the stairs. And yet… there is so much to love already. An olive-green wall, bamboo beneath my feet and the hollyhock swaying in the wind beside our magnolia. The Monstera I once gave away, returned as a housewarming gift. My mum’s favourite knitted sweater folded over a chair. A simple trestle desk, pen and paper, my handmade books – all gathered in this sanctuary. A place where the world softens and I can listen to the whispers of my heart. Between my brushes, I found Vivian Greene’s words: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain”. And I smiled, remembering: you don’t need to wait for perfect. You can dance right here… among half-painted walls, scattered boxes and the tender beauty of what already is.
