Post of the Blank Page

I think I've sat here sitting staring at this blank page for the good part of an hour. Who was it that said "there is no more challenging environment then the blank page"? Whoever they were, they were right. It was probably the only thing they ever wrote.

Sitting and Staring hasn't helped.

A relatively privileged background as regards to education and freedom of thought hasn't helped. Beer hasn't helped. The blank page definitely hasn't helped.

So really I'm left with nothing else to do but continue with a litany of idiotic excuses or to plow right in. Seeing that I don't enjoy portraying myself as an idiot any more than the next fellow, you're in luck and I shall plow right in.

For the past five years I've run a small embroidery and garment production studio in Bali, Indonesia. I love to create unusual and unique things. Years ago, I ran my own garment factory in the north of Denpasar. I closed down shop during the Asian financial crisis of 1998. After a few years of working for others I decided to try running my own shop again in 2004, with the addition of a digital embroidery machine.

Ours isn't a huge factory with rows of machines and platoons of staff. We have a small 'shop' (and yes, we do sweat in it) with a beautiful Tajima 4 head 9 color embroidery machine and a small staff to produce embroidery and samples for our garment production. We can make all kinds of things, from sheets, to art smocks, toys, bags, banners, yoga wear, baby clothes, jewellry and gift boxes and even on paintings.

We design, program and produce embroidery for clothing designers according to their design and specifications. We also create garments made to our customers specifications, with or without embroidery, screen printing and general bending over backwards.

Since December last year, we have experienced a downturn in the embroidery side of our business, and this, although not without it's stress, has created some new opportunities for me as a business owner. I have had to take stock of my business and think seriously about taking it in a new direction. I'm now on the look out for new ideas that could help send my business into an abundant future!<

I guess this blog (today at least) is a way for me to test the waters with some of these new ideas... At some point I could have what I think is a brilliant idea, and post it on this blog, giving any number of readers the opportunity of writing back and saying "Are you daft!? That'll never work...!" or "Brilliant! I'd run with that one!" or "What about, trying it but with this sort of an adjustment?" That's rather more dynamic than just sitting and staring at a blank page isn't it?

And, that said, it appears this page is no longer blank.