Memories...

Do you ever challenge yourself to go back into your memories and see how far you can go?

I do. All the time. Quite often I go back to when I was 4 and picture myself walking around our old family home. I can retrace every last step from the kitchen right up to the bedroom in the attic.

It's silly things like standing on the 'good' dinning room chair on tippy toes, to reach my hair clips that lived inside mum's fancy green glass vase. A groovy wedding present that seemed to be all the rage in the late 70's. I'm nearly sure my mum & dad's faces were super imposed onto this vase at the back of their wedding album….yes, groovy.

I also remember, much to my brother's amusement, sticking a vitamin C tablet up my nose. Frantically trying to pick it out only to push it up further. "You're just going to have to leave it there until it falls out," my mummy shouted. And it did, right onto my dinner.
Maybe when you get older being a child seems like a very long time ago. I challenge myself to see if these memories actually existed and it’s comforting to sometimes go back there…and just simply remember.
 
I got this feeling quite recently. When I took a trip up the North Coast to design a new giftware range for the Giant’s Causeway.
 
On first approach, the big black and white “CAUSEWAY HOTEL” sign transported me back to 1989 to my first primary school trip to the Giant's Causeway. 62 excited children bounded off an Ulsterbus coach leaving behind the stench of warm sandwiches in plastic lunch boxes. 
 
Reaching the top of the hill where the Causeway revels itself is just breath taking. And there I was again, 1989 free falling down the hill with all my friends. Let loose. Climbing over the stones like frantic ants.
 
As simple as that. Like a big perfect picnic...

It inspired me to make this little video. To show you how lovely happy memories can inspire great ideas. It's by visiting these wonderful places and transferring experiences onto paper allows me to create souvenirs and giftware that hopefully makes you smile and ones you can share with others.

North Coast Sketching from Flax Fox on Vimeo.

As my favourite quote goes:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

I hope you enjoy this video. Please "like" and "share" amongst friends.

Warm regards
Flax Fox