Bend and stretch – reach for the stars

Posted on December 5, 2016 by KSediting

If twelve months ago, I time-warped myself to today I’d gasp in disbelief.

It’s 8:00am. I’m dishevelled, dressed in my daily usual (t-shirt, Lorna Jane’s and thongs) dreaming up blog post ideas.

Blog posts? Seriously K-Bags, you’ve lost it.

My former self would barely be digesting breakfast as I blow-dried my hair, slapped on my war paint, squeezed into high heels, clip-clopped to the car to crawl through peak hour traffic on the way to a day job I loathed.

My current self would say, “Meh. No thanks.”

My new day job creates more excitement and happiness than I ever thought imaginable. And I want MORE.

Writing. Blogging. Selling products. Helping people. Meeting people. Being creative. My frustration is how can I overdose on this stuff.

Obviously, building a business takes time and work will always come along in waves. I have had weeks and weeks of full on forgot-to-feed-my-family type of work, and other times it’s a slow and steady drip-fed supply. Every morsel is a blessing.

It wouldn’t have happened had I not taken a detour from the day-to-day drudgery and checked myself in for back surgery to fuse my ill-fitting lumbar spine. Not only did my seven-day hospital stay remove a debilitating roadblock, the following six weeks of rehabilitation kick-started the next chapter of my life.

So, where has the last six months taken me?

I’ve presented/written/edited/proofed my way through the following exhaustive yet exciting list of tasks from the comfort of my home office:

Property Management Marketing Booklets / Landlord Guides
Real Estate Sales & Marketing Promotional magazines
REISA Award Submissions (all of which passed through to finals)
realestate.com Agent Marketing Training Power Point presentations / infographics
Kangaroo Island promotional brochures
Home Stylist brochures
Award winning home builder website edit
Over 40 real estate editorials / internet copy
Sales and Property Management email templates
Multiple Agent profiles
Video prompts for agent video presentations
Agency / Company profiles

And worked for some amazing clients across Adelaide (and beyond):

Gary J Smith Real Estate
Ray White Unley Real Estate
Harris Real Estate
Sotheby’s Realty
realestate.com.au
Harcourts Williams Real Estate
Harcourts Plus
Harcourts Venn Millar
Harcourts Adelaide Hills
Harding Real Estate
Precision Homes
Fox Real Estate
Homestyleco
Adcock Realty
LJ Hooker Mile End

I bloody well hope I haven’t forgotten anyone, and I cannot thank them all enough for taking me on board – whether for one job or twenty – I’m having a blast.

I’ve stopped to breathe, reviewed my health and wellbeing and I now know what makes my heart sing.

As we come to the close of an incredible year, it is nice to experience progress. They say you should never look back, but when your journey is paved with passion and your small steps forward produce positive outcomes, it’s ok to look over your shoulder and smile.

I’m walking tall and standing proud. I’ve got this.

KS x

Soul searching; a solo adventure story.

Image

My writing journey has introduced me to some beautiful people.

Last week I met a lovely woman who was preparing to sell her mother’s home in North Adelaide. We got chatting (after discussing the house for sale – the reason I was there!) and she asked me how I began writing.

She proceeded to tell me about her goddaughter, who, with Multiple Sclerosis, was keen to find a career that would fit into her physically restricted lifestyle. She loved to write children’s stories.

This gave me goosebumps. I told her about my back surgery, how I’d found a release through writing and how my part time hobby had become a full-time, paid obsession.

“Writing would be a perfect choice for her,” I said. And it is true.

Whilst my back pain journey pales in comparison to a debilitating disease such as MS, making writing a daily ritual has become a wondrous escape. My thoughts can wander and develop into any type of fantasy tales my mind can muster, and the slightest inspiration paves a prophetic journey into magical metamorphosis.

You too can celebrate your creative brain, build your imagination muscles and ditch the daily stresses of life. You are in control of your next unfolding story!

From a career where my soul was stifled and every move I made was measured, I am now in control of my own destiny. And as my own boss, I’ll work for her seven days a week because I know it makes her heart happy.

So much so, I made a vendor cry last week.

Just to clarify; they were tears of happiness. I wrote for a new client who needed an editorial quickly. I obliged over the weekend and it was the best piece I’d ever written.

I got lost in that one. My love for writing shone through the copy which reached the owner’s soul too.

Writing is where my heart lies. And the valuable byproduct is it brings imaginative, marketing material alive because I have a zest for it.

I’m always on time, I produce new and exciting work every day, and I surprise myself with what my imagination can deliver.

So, my question is – where shall my creativity wander today?

KS x

Dish of the day or death by chocolate?

Posted on November 1, 2016 by KSediting

food

There is something about food that just makes you feel good.

The layers of love – the stories behind the chef or the baker, the history behind handed down recipes through to the art of assembly. There is a celebration factor that spans continents, where everybody speaks the same language, sparking memories from an aroma or a crunch.

I love everything about it. I love buying it, cooking it, sharing it and I seriously love eating it. Food is communal and giving. Food makes you happy and fulfilled.

Am I an expert on the topic? No. I’m happy to leave that to the somewhat scathing food reviewers in the world. I’m a food lover, and there are no special dietary requirements here.

But I’m chuffed to say I can confidently write about food.

And since satisfying my cravings in the classroom, every “plat du jour” now conjures up paragraphs of palate cleansing creativity in my head. French fried or flambé, tartare to tarte tartin – I relive every recipe (minus the reflux) and swirl them into stories in my mind.

I blame the zodiac, my date of birth for my obsessions. I’m a true broad shouldered Taurean with an insatiable appetite for everything beautiful, tasty and luxurious.

Why not experiment and take the taste test?

I would love to write about your creations or your restaurant or café. Live your journey and your menu through the mind of a word connoisseur!

KS x

You keep on knocking but you can’t come in…

Posted on September 26, 2016 by KSediting

Let’s be honest; sometimes that “hills are alive” feeling doesn’t radiate with the lustre that everyone expects of you.

It’s in there somewhere… it just needs a little downtime.

So you’ve stashed the stilettos and spray tan away for a day of sitcoms on the sofa – there are no casualties – it’s ok.

Life gets hectic, work overwhelms and clogged social calendars vie for your attention. You are entitled to slow down, so when you are temporarily done with expending all that energy you release into the universe, take a load off…

Does it make you lazy? No.

It’s your recharge mechanism. Your body’s way of restoring and replenishing. And if you were to delve a little deeper, you may find an underlying cause for your lacking vitality.

Thought processes, relationships, perfectionism… weed out the noxiousness and narrow down the not-so-happy thoughts to bring you back to a fresh and positive outlook.

Whenever you feel “out of alignment” get real and find that plug-in which gives you a kick. Yoga, Pilates, a quick dip in the pool – activity and flowing oxygen is the best medicine by far. Or there’s always the sofa…

In my world, writing takes me away from everything and allows me to flex the muscles of my mind… it may not rock your world, but finding your own missing puzzle piece could be the defibrillator to your destiny.

Finding your purpose is pivotal to happiness. Follow your heart – and your energy will adjust accordingly.

It could be the jumpstart you need!

KS x

Atrocities of the written kind.

Posted on September 22, 2016 by KSediting

Welcome to the inner ramblings of my creative mind.

Every waking moment my thoughts drift to the words around me; written, spoken, advertised, thought and read.

I’m drawn in like dog hair to a Dyson vacuum cleaner.

With advertising and marketing saturating our screens on the daily, we are often exposed to shocking abuse of the English language. Though some choose to ignore it, poor spelling and grammar squeals at me like fingernails down a blackboard.

Do you really gain PIECE of mind from your insurance provider? (Uh hum. That is PEACE).

This is just to much to bare… (No, this is too much to bear!)

DEFINATELY! (Now you’re definitely killing me).

Effect vs affect / should of vs should have / their vs they’re vs there…the excruciating slaughter continues. Is there no end to the carnage?

There’s no need for it. EVER.

Spellcheck takes seconds; it’s literally a highlight and a click away. (The calorific burn is negligible…I promise you won’t raise a sweat). And that little squiggly line that appears beneath your text? It’s telling you something…

Proofread. Edit. Check. It even gives you the answers.

If it’s all too much for you – send it my way!

Call me crazy, but once I’ve drafted a written piece, I email it back to myself and set it aside for a while – I use this refresh time to grab a cuppa, stretch my hip flexors or walk the dog – whatever it takes to clear the brain fog.

Changing the viewing platform helps; from laptop to iPhone, I read the words out loud and listen to the rhythm of each sentence:

Do the words flow seamlessly from the tongue or is it awkward and clunky?
Can I say more with less text?
Am I too heavy-handed on the adverbs?
Should I tone it down or ramp it up?

In my world, obsessive compulsive is good. Really good.

Bring peace back to your words…your readers will love you for it.

KS x

If walls could talk.

Posted on September 12, 2016 by KSediting

Do you ever think about the home you live in, and who lived there before you?

I bet there’s a story. There always is. The kind of story that lasts generations, embellished with age like a frisky game of Chinese Whispers.

I often think about this when I visit people’s homes, talking to owners as they prepare for sale.

The best stories are kept close to their chests…obviously. When posed with the question “What have you loved most about living here?” The usual suspects rise to the surface, which in itself is beautiful; conjured memories of births and birthdays, anniversaries and graduations, friendships formed with neighbours, the community and the leafy tree lined streets.

If walls could talk – what these homes have seen, the folks that have traipsed through the plush pile, those who’ve dined (or spilt wine), the loves, the losses, the friends and the families.

It’s a beautiful thing, and the older the home, the more passionate I become! I’ll never get the juicy goss on a home’s history, but then that is personal and not for prying ears.

What is crucial in the copywriting game is getting a sense of personality, positive experiences that buyers can relate to. Get personal. I’ll always dig deep for these…beautiful lifestyle stories sell properties.

As we speak my home continues to create tales… not that I’m selling!

KS x

You budding beauty…

Posted on September 5, 2016 by KSediting

Flowers

Spring. It’s beautiful to watch and even better to experience.

Our nostrils fill with the fragrance of blooms and we emerge like heat seeking missiles for a healthy dose of outdoors. Gone are the layers… I dare you to bare.

But that’s not the only reason I’m feeling energised this week.

My world is on the move, as if by natural selection, I am experiencing a rebirth – a metamorphosis is underway. Spring has sprung and so has KSediting.

My slow release formula has dynamically lifted, sprouting a magical new cycle of life that’s beginning to bear fruit.

Ready as I am to withstand dry spells… I’ve established an extensive feeder root system of clients and I’m determined to nurture them like evergreen perennials.

KS x

Romancing the phone

Posted on August 26, 2016 by KSediting

As a newly fashioned entrepreneur, laptop magnate, homebound hustler, it’s my business to sell myself – selling my wares to the world. It’s exciting and excruciating all in the one breath.

I’ve never been a “talker” – I’ve always been the one to sit back and listen to everyone else asserting their points of view. Listening is a valuable skill no doubt about it, but it’s not going to pay the bills. And comfort zones have never made millionaires.

The business world is mobbed by mobile phone mavericks. Wheeling and dealing, profits made and lost in the grip of a handset. It’s the mouthpiece of their craft, the aperture to seductive persuasion, their voice music to a buyer’s ear.

Salespeople selling visions to dreamers, possibilities to planners. Sound speaks and sells volumes. Oh to have the gift!

I have a talent to share, daring to divulge colourful content into a sea of grey. I might not look like the professional salesperson on the surface. But I don’t want that anyway. Sure I’ll dress to impress and make all the right noises. Talking is fun when it’s about something you love.

It will get easier; time will teach me. Until then, I’ll type…

KS x

Schedule of Services as at 1.8.2016

Releasing the captive narrator

Posted on August 16, 2016 by KSediting

Reading is tedious. Who spends time reading anyway?

Words are everywhere. You skim the newspaper, swipe your iPhone and scan TV channels like a demon.

But are you really reading? Do you find words merely float past, buoyantly bobbing on the surface, or do they permeate your inner being – invading your thoughts enticing you to take a different path, challenge an idea or impress on you a new product or emotion?

Why don’t you sit, absorb, feel and reflect for a while?

My writing journey is just beginning. My mind is racing with the power of visual language. Sensory words that awaken sentences, and bring statements to life.

Sight, smell, sound and motion can be experienced through words… and I am sure as hell ready to carve up some literature for lunch.

KS x