Designer in China

"We haven't got a plan so nothing can go wrong!" -Spike Milligan

I have been working this entire year, devoting nearly my entire life to this project. I'm in China now to "complete" it. However, by the photo above you can guess that's not going to happen anytime soon. I'm designing 2 homes in Wuxi, China. They are in a residential development similar to US subdivisions, but they are called Villas. This is phase one of this developement & I am designing the interiors for the clubhouse & 1 model. The NY Times did an article about the very type of developement I'm working on, which you can find here. The difference is these homes are not modern or contemporary, they want French/Italian/American style;)

I have so much to tell you about this project & working in China. As the end of this article says... “You want to avoid clients who don’t know anything about building,” he says. “They won’t respect you; they’ll try to change things along the way". This isn't exactly the issue here, the issue is the budget, which doesn't have a real life figure, but rather one that appears anytime it's time to buy something. This may be the ideal that pushes me out of my mind;)

The culture is considerably different, so many websites are blocked so it's hard to work let alone read blogs. Blogger & Typepad are blocked, well blogger is, I just can't see any images on Typepad. Youtube is blocked. There is a snippet from Lost in Translation that I desperately want to show you. It's the scene where Bill Murray's character is being shot for the whiskey advertisement, the photographer goes on & on in Japanese & the translator tells him something like, "smile nicely". Bill Murray says, are you sure that's all he said, I'm pretty sure he said more than that & the translator says, no that is all. Then it turns out it wasn't because he's not doing the poses like the photographer wants. That's my life here. Tangled & lost in translation.

I'll have more pictures & a more interesting post sooooon!!

Jamie

2011.

I'm so happy to get over 2010 & on to something new. 2011. I have such high hopes for you. I launched Jamie House Design in 2010, I worked REALLY SUPER hard to get it launched...then sort of let it drift. Not my business exactly, but this blog & the website. I'm really disappointed in myself about that. I started this business because of exactly what Seth Godin says here...

"The people who successfully start independent businesses (franchises, I think are a different thing) do it because we have no real choice in the matter. The voice in our heads won't shut up until we discover if we're right, if we can do it, if we can make something happen. This is an art, our art, and to leave it bottled up is a crime."

Then it happened that everytime I sat down to write a blog post or update the site I froze. Completely scared that maybe dreaming of my business is ACTUALLY better than the possibility of failing at my business. Scared of this unknown of what a designer is expected to be & how a designer is expected to act. I'm still fighting with it now. But I understand it now. I'm ignoring it & pushing it to the side now. THAT'S how 2011 will be different than 2010. I won't leave it bottled up anymore, my art that is. My designs are my art. That's why I've had this drawing I did staring me in the face for the last few months...

Because it's not too late. I've launched, I've ignored, I'm ready to stop neglecting this website & my interactions with all of you that inspire me everyday. I have a blog schedule set up. I'm planning out the reworking & additions for the website. I have PLANS in place for my business, Jamie House Design.

2011 Goals- condensed to 3 so as not to overwhelm...me.

1. 5 days a week blog posts, weekly & monthly features as well as updates on my projects (their pretty cool,  I can't wait to share some of my everyday life with you!)

2. Update my site to include links to suppliers/shops/vendors that I LOVE so you can enjoy them too, work out the details to get 10% of my profits donated to your choice of 2 charities, include more video & add a new style finder section. I'll also be updating my Facebook page more regularly with special discounts & items that will only be available there (so go "like" me:)

3. I'm putting this out there...I'm going to publish an E-Book. I will make it available for free to all that subscribe to my blog. That's a BIG DEAL for me to commit to putting together a book. But I have good things to share & I'm excited about it.

Thanks for all of you love and support! I'm excited to see what 2011 has in store for us all!

xx,

Jamie

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These ADORABLE vintage doll-houses certainly qualify for my vintage/retro/still officially unnamed Friday Feature:) Somethings Hiding in Here are amazing creative entrepreneurs that happen to be an adorable married couple. They chronicled some of their collections on Flickr. I LOVE these vintage tin doll-houses. I remember actually saving up my money for a long time & buying 1 at the store. I wonder what ever happened to it...

Happy Black Friday! I won't be participating...well maybe some online shopping;) I'd LOVE to hear about your adventures shopping today! Good deals? I wanna know.

 

xx,

Jamie