When I started this site, my goal was to spread positivity through sharing craft and gift ideas, but it’s been slowly drifting into completely new territory and in danger of becoming a blog about CFS/ME (plus now, doctors also suspect I have some mast cell disease 🙄). Perhaps this post will go some way in nudging it back to its original intent. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Although ill health has led me to temporarily close my shop and spend less time on social media, it does not mean nothing has been happening behind the scenes. Whilst a lot of my creative energy is still mostly directed towards special occasions like Christmas…

…I have also been working on some new concepts for when I am ready to re-open my store, and as you can see from a few of the highlights above and below, I’m currently obsessed with jewellery-making and wax stamping (amongst other things, like trying new recipes). 😍

Also, speaking of seals and badges, I want to shout out about something I came across recently, which I believe will perk up my days again. As a child, I sadly missed out on being a Brownie/Girl Guide, but my school had other extracurricular initiatives that gave me opportunities to earn badges or stickers, like the Young Scientist programme. 👩🏻‍🔬 I loved the sense of achievement I used to get from completing those projects, so you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered Rebel Badges for adults! 🎖️ There are even Facebook groups set up for accountability and support (with events you can join), including one for Spoonies like me. 😊

Due to CFS/ME, I’ll have to avoid some challenges that involve physical activities, and because of my lengthy recovery times, I am particularly worried about tasks with time limits. But based on some of the comments I have seen online, it does look like there might be a workaround for those who are disabled. 👩🏻‍🦽‍➡️

There are so many badges I’d like to earn, however I have started with My Brand because I feel it will set the tone. Plus, it is easy. 😅 For the first clause, I have tried to be as true to myself as possible, so I’ve only picked qualities that I am kind of confident I can realistically manage. And yes, I can see how a few of these attributes could be taken the wrong way. For instance, someone cynical might be more inclined to interpret quirky as weird, or free-spirited as stubborn. But honestly, who needs that kind of negativity in their life? 🙄 Still, much as I aspire to have the athleticism of a kungfu heroine (à la Michelle Yeo), or the grace of a prima ballerina, I sadly do not think any amount of positive thinking or willpower will get me there!

That said, I am cautiously optimistic overall. And since my blog/business is an extension of me, it stands to reason that I’d want Cocoon to also reflect these same values as its hallmark. 🦋 Some of these ideals will admittedly be an uphill struggle, with compassion one of the toughest (hence “work in progress”). When everyone was going through the (unsurprisingly short-lived) #BeKind phase, I was too busy summoning the strength to refrain from slapping idiots left, right, and centre. Whac-A-Mole comes to mind… If only there were an award for such a herculean feat, but I suppose I should be grateful I’m not in prison! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I do not want to be yet another person who adds to the darkness that is already in our world, but if it ever comes to it, I aim to punch up rather than down.

The linguist badge is next on my list as, by happy coincidence, I started learning Spanish on Duolingo some months ago. (This may change as It’s not really going so well at the moment.) Some badges — such as ✂️ Craft Part One, ✒️ Writer, 🌿 Apothecary, and 📖 Reader — I am already quite close to achieving as they involve existing hobbies and previous jobs. And regular visitors to my page/blog will know that David and I are also amateur astronomers, so the Stargazing badge is definitely on my radar as well. 🔭

I’m hoping that Rebel Badges will encourage me to slowly build my life back up and add to my craft/skills repertoire, and I look forward to sharing my progress here. I’ll be the slowest Rebel ever, but as Doja Cat says, I’ve now put my foot to the pedal so there’s no going back! 💪🏻