Ever since I founded The Oak Tree Factory, most of the decisions I’ve made have been about minimalism. I’ve really taken the motto start where you are, use what you have, do what you can to heart. It hasn’t always been easy, I can tell you that. Over the years I’ve given up on well-paying jobs, expensive holidays, living space, furniture, luxury goods – asking myself at every turn: how can I pursue my dreams instead of status, financial security, and really just more stuff? The answer has always been: keep it small, enjoy the little things. Aren’t the best things in life free, after all? But now, for the first time in years, I’m expanding. Taking a step out of my tiny, but comfortable hermit shell and moving into one that is one size bigger. One that has lots of space for all my creative work. You’d think that would be a blissful moment, after years of giving things up. Yeah, not so much. Growth, as I’ve learned, is a painful process. It asks us to take a risk, jump into the unknown, head first. “What if I fall? What if I fall? What if I fall?” The question repeats in my head, ad nauseam. “Yes, my darling,” a soft voice whispers in my ear, “but what if you fly?”

The other day I adopted a cat from the local animal shelter. It was a stressful experience for both of us. For me, because it was a big step to commit to sharing my home with someone I’d only met twice (and under difficult circumstances). For her, obviously, because it involved being shipped off in a carrier bag to an unknown place by a stranger. But now, as she is lying here in my arms, it seems neither of us needed to have worried. The only question that remains is: why ever did I wait so long? As a child my world was filled with cats. So much so, that the first word I uttered wasn’t the traditional ‘mum’ or ‘dad’ – but ‘cat’. They were my tribe: I spoke their language, they protected me. I’ve always felt out of sync when there aren’t any cats around. Over the years I’ve tried to fill that gap with other things. But it can’t compare to the sense of belonging and being at ease that I feel so instantaneously now. I realise that for the past couple of years I’ve been afraid of committing to someone. Afraid of having to give up my freedom. But commitment isn’t the opposite of freedom: committing to the right one allows your spirit to take flight.