I realised recently I didn't have a space in the house that was all mine.
My three girls each have their own bedroom, my husband has a shed full of crap and even the dog has his own bed. Where was my space? I didn't have one. I shared all my spaces with other people.
And even though I work from home, I don't even have a dedicated office. I work at the dining room table.
Right then and there, I decided I needed to create something that was all about me. I needed to start taking up space in our house. I needed to reclaim some space for myself.
Straight away I knew what I wanted to do. I took myself to the local shops and I got a pin-up board. I decided to make myself a vision board. Sounds weird, right, because it is.
There was a time, back when Oprah was giving away cars to everyone that vision boards were a 'thing'. I never made one then, so I have no idea why I decided to make one now, but it just felt right.
I got myself some cool pins, tape and decorations and then sat down to cover the board with activities, objects, people and places I loved.
I searched the Internet and magazines for images and listed activities I wanted to achieve and things I wanted to experience. Once I got started, I couldn't stop. It felt really liberating, focusing on myself for a change.
I collected so many various pictures that it became quite a project trying to work out what I wanted to pin on my board. From images of Italy to winning homes in the lottery to pictures of my kids and elaborate baked goods I'd like to cook. There were feminist quotes and a vision for a kinder world. And I've included a lot of pictures featuring palm trees. I think I need a holiday.
There's a lot more on there too, but not all of it's for public consumption. They're my hopes, dreams and thoughts that would bore everyone else.
But I will tell you, I even stuck a picture of an Academy Award on the board for the winning screenplay I'm going to write.
My kids and husband still think it's all a little strange, but they've got used to my weird ways and I often catch the girls staring up at the board. I like to think they're getting to know me better outside of just being their mum.
The whole process helped me focus more on my dreams and special interests outside of my family.
It's helped me rediscover who I am and what I want.