My life has been touched by some uber amazing women whose passion for life and the way they choose to live it have really inspired me. Some are bloggers, some are not, their lives are all different and they are all special. I feel honoured and privileged that they are sharing their stories and sprinkling a little bit of their awesome right here. May you be wom-inspired!
Meet Kim Spiteri.
Kim is all kinds of awesome and I feel very blessed that blogging brought us together. She’s big hearted, she’s clever and she’s creative and I don’t think there’s anything she can’t create, bake or make. The recipes on her blog are simply delicious and the designs in her shop are all uniquely wonderful. What I love most about Kim is that she follows her heart as fervently as she chases down her dreams. Because hearts and dreams were made for following, right?! Meet, Kim. She’s so inspiring!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Blogger… Graphic Artist… Pattern Designer… Foodie… Mum… Wife…. Fur Mum… Chronic DIY’er… Coffee Addict… Donut Lover… Monochrome obsessed colour lover…. a walking contradiction.
Tell us 3 things you are and 3 things you’re not.
Passionate – Optimistic – Honest
Romantic – Fake – Unrealistic
Complete this sentence, ____________________ changed my life. How and why?
Leaving corporate employment changed my life.
4 years ago I left my role as a Regional Business Improvement Manager for a large insurer and never looked back.
I left due to a conflict between work and home, without any employer support it made the decision to leave relatively easy, but emotionally a hard one.
When you have worked your ass off to get to a high managerial level without any education, just pure grit and determination, it is NOT an easy thing to walk away from.
Starting my business and blog was the BEST thing I ever did. It may not make any money… yet, but it has opened opportunities in ways I never imagined and allowed me to grow as an artist which I kept buried for so long.
It allowed me to discover that I have the RIGHT to do a job I love. So much so, it doesn’t feel like a job at all.
To create a career of my own, providing the balance between work and home that my employer could not.
What do they say… If it’s not done right, do it yourself. LOL!
What has been life’s greatest lesson?
To find the happy.
Life is so unpredictable for the good and the bad.
We are so busy trying to grow up, meet someone, make money, have ‘things’, we forget that it’s all about finding the happy, in the small and the big things in life, this is what we take with us when we go, memories and experiences.
So find the happy, live and embrace it.
What is your biggest achievement?
Surviving growing up in Houso. Starting a full time job at 17, four days after my year 12 formal, and working my butt off to corporate level by 30.
Building a house at 20. Getting married to my true soul mate, having kids, following my passion and creating Zonkt Designs.
I don’t think for me there is no single achievement that doesn’t fall out from another, I think following my passion, whatever it is at the time, is my biggest ‘continual’ achievement
What has been your toughest obstacle and how have you overcome it?
Loss, I think loss of any kind, animal or person is the hardest thing.
I also don’t think you ever overcome it. The heartache just softens, but it’s always there.
For me, memories and talking about them is what brings me the most happiness and joy.
So many find sadness talking about past loved ones, because I think it reminds them of their passing. I don’t see that, I find the memories make them live on and keeps my memory of them full and unfaded. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t make me sad or shed a tear in their memory some days, but it also makes me laugh and smile too, I choose to find the happy.
Viktor Frankl says “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.” Everyone needs a purpose, what’s yours?
A ingrained sense of stubbornness. LOL.
I think my determination is born out of a stubbornness to not let the bad win or the failures to beat me.
That ‘what if’ or that sense of ‘possibility’ just bubbles in me with excitement, I can seldom contain myself most of the time.
If you’ve ever spoken to me, with my fast speak and animated hand motions, you’ll already know I get WAY to excited over the sheer possibility of any venture.
If I fail, I try something else, or keep at it, regardless of the long nights, set backs and failures, which have been many.
I push through, because I know if I try there’s at least a chance.
What are your words to live by?
Find the happy.
If you could have any mentor, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
Ryan Renolds… mentor… next husband… same, same, right?
If you could play hookie for a day what would be on your list to do?
I’d love to say, go to the beach, go shopping, ski… but if we are being honest I’d say I’d go and have an awesome late breakfast with friends and family. Then head home to my computer and have a design and play day.
No interruptions, nothing else required to do, no cleaning, no washing, no post scheduling or social media management work I actually get paid to do. Just me and my computer and a free palette to design.
My nerdy hookie day of bliss.
You give so much to others, what do you do to take care of yourself?
Ha… I don’t really think about it.
A bit of retail therapy is always a good idea. A good DIY project around the house gives me great satisfaction too. As does relaxing on the couch once the kids are in bed, cuppa in hand and my Netflix. lol
Thank you for sharing, Kim.
Let Kim inspire you a little bit more…
on the blog
in the shop
on pinterest
on twitter
