10 Years of Blogging!

 Visiting The Patron, Manchester

I've officially been writing on these pages for 10 years! In February 2008 I decided give blogging a go; I was in my first year at university, believe it or not I had a decent amount of hair, and Instagram was just an idea scribbled out on a napkin...

Well, maybe that's not quite how "IG" came about, but you get the idea, things were a lot simpler back then. I started Buckets & Spades as a handy place to store images, as well as a way for me to brush up on my writing skills and grammar... it didn't take long before I found myself totally immersed within a community of creative, witty, funny and honest people from all around the world. I've been hooked on blogging ever since.

The way in which we consume new media has changed a lot since my early experiences, and as regular opportunities started to come my way I decided to take a risk by giving this whole full time blogging / content creator thing a shot. And for the past three years that's what I've dedicated my life to - I wouldn't change a thing.

Beams Plus Zip Shirt | Folk x MR PORTER Trousers | NN07 Jumper | Campbell Cole Card Holder | Vans Old Skool Anaheim

Buckets & Spades has grown organically into something much more than I'd ever considered it could, and I am still extremely proud that I managed to turn a hobby into a fully sustainable job, (securing a mortgage wasn't easy but we did it) especially back in the infancy of what is now a flourishing industry. It's been an incredibly fulfilling few years, but I'm definitely guilty of forgetting how lucky I am sometimes.

So, what's next?

As content became spread more evenly across multiple platforms, many of us started to obsess over followers + chase "likes" – we joined a perpetual race to that "next number", seldom being satisfied. With that mindset it's easy to lose perspective of why we started creating content in the first place (read Jordan's enlightening post on the subject here). For me, it was always about pushing myself creatively and celebrating the blogging + design community. Integrity holds that all together.

Sure, we may be way behind schedule with the redesign of Buckets & Spades (it does feels like a proper relic now!), I haven't dedicated as much time as I'd have liked towards my blog reading list, or indeed dedicate time to create regular weekly blog content, but it will happen!  

No one can predict what the next 10 years has in stall for us, but if it's half as rewarding as the previous 10 then I'll be a very happy blogger :)

Photography by Jake Millers

Thank you to The Patron for your welcoming hospitality, as always.

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The Change In Season | Hardy Amies

Cashmere Roll Neck c/o Hardy Amies | Jacket by Several | Trousers by Folk | Sneakers by Paul Smith | Sunglasses by Moscot

Autumn couldn't have come soon enough. I've been awaiting its arrive for weeks, I mean sure, the official change-of-season was in the last week of September, but the chances of finding a frosty car windscreen at 7am have been slim to none. But we're ready for it now. 

The change in season brings a slightly different approach to a few areas of my routine; working hours are adjusted to reflect the daylight change, diet switches to something a little more wholesome, time is set aside to planning the next few months, and layers are piled on like we're in the real-life Buckaroo championships.

In the spirit of change we arrive at the subject of knitwear, and more precisely, this grey MR PORTER exclusive cashmere roll neck jumper by Hardy Amies. The high collared jumper isn't something I've worn since I was a teenager, but I'd be fibbing if I said I hadn't been influenced to try one while scrolling through Instagram over this past month. Time for a change, and the perfect opportunity to try something new.

Talking fresh starts at Store Street Espresso, London. Cashmere scarf c/o Hardy Amies

Other than being blessed with the perfect weather for knitwear, October's crisp, golden front presents us with possibility of it being the last opportunity to enjoy meeting up with friends without our fingers turning blue. Since becoming self-employed nearly two years ago (blimey, time flies!) I've realised the importance of human interaction - from both a well-being point of view, and how imperative it can be to build a solid foundation for your own networks.

With myself, Jordan Bunker + Brittany Bathgate now all being officially being self-employed, it's becoming more important than ever for us to support new ideas, share advice from past experiences, and lend a helping-hand at the drop of a hat. 

Inspiration comes in all different shapes and forms, and those words could be used to describe my venture into the humble roll neck jumper. I turned to Jordan + Brit for inspiration when it came to styling the Hardy Amies cashmere, as these two have a certain way with colours, textures and layering.

Jordan Bunker + Brittany Bathgate

Photography by Jordan Bunker

I limited myself to the simple palette of greys, blues + greens, which has worked for me so well throughout every other season. The roll neck was my starting point, with it's super soft-to-touch cashmere goodness, layered with a simple white t-shirt, and navy seersucker collared jacket for added texture. For the bottom half I brought a slight utilitarian feel into the mix, with sage green fatigue trousers, worn with army green ribbed socks and simple white leather sneakers.

It felt good to leave my comfort zone sweatshirt in the wardrobe for once, and gave me a new confidence to experiment with alternative shapes a little more this season. It may seem trivial, because for many knitwear is a given at this time of year, but for someone who thrives on a regimented routine, it was a step in a new direction for me. But if my first two years of self-employment have taught me anything, if you don't give it your best shot you'll never know what you can achieve.

This post is brought to you in partnership with Hardy Amies. Your support of the brands + businesses we work with helps make this blog happen.

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Discovering a Creative Community + The Freedom of Freelance

 A morning spent at Waste Studio | Card Holder by Bellroy

This May will mark my second anniversary of turning full time freelance. That's two whole years of being my own boss, two whole years of pushing myself 100% into fulfilling and creative projects, and two whole of uncertainty. The unknown is a daunting prospect, but not always a bad one.

Working for myself has been a challenge. I've made mistakes, took risks, and grown from the experience. The community I have found myself turning to - for advice, to bounce ideas off, chat through issues and to collaborate with – has become one of the most important aspects of my freelance life. I'm only a phone call away from several trusted voices, and that next coffee shop meeting.

My community is made up of people I've grown close to + trust. Conversations spark up through blogs, Instagram, Twitter, in coffee shops...These interactions can quickly turn into planning trips to meet up with people who share a similar interest; be that in a town I know well or a city I feel a stranger in. Repeat contact with these familiar faces, in turn, makes the community stronger and introduces you to whole new side of the industry.

The freedom that freelancing gives me means that I don't need much to make something happen. Take mine + Jordan's recent trip to Nottingham for example. We wanted to explore what the city had to offer, so we arranged a suitable date for us to meet, packed the essentials – phone, camera, laptop, notepad, pen, Bellroy wallet + keys – and set about planning our day to maximise time.

 Break time at Outpost Coffee Roasters

 A visit to Nottingham-based homeware + design brand Lane

Having previously visited the city last year I was keen to show Jordan some of my favourite spots, introduce him to some local creatives, and also check out a couple of new places on my radar. We started with a trip to the Nottingham Contemporary Gallery, followed by a break at Outpost Coffee. Fuelled by flat whites + chocolate brownies, we got to planning out the next 24 hours – jotting notes down in my leather notepad – by sending a some quick emails to see who was free to meet up.

A few conversations later and we'd arranged to meet the guys from Universal Works – who previously sent us some recommendations for our last trip to Nottingham – and our good friends Ian and Felicity of Campbell Cole for beers at Junkyard. Our chat turns to the benefits of living in a small city, growing up in the North, and how social media has been a game changer for small businesses and creatives.

For many freelancers it has became a passion to meet the  people behind the brands; getting to know the whys + hows behind the products

 and form lasting relationships.

Sure, meeting these people does definately makes for more meaningful content, but that's not always the motive. For me it's about making a connection with intelligent, funny and inspiring people – allowing us to collaborate and develop new skills through understanding different disciplines.

Early the next morning we spent an hour at Waste Studio, a multi-purpose creative agency with one of the coolest offices going. I could spend hours chatting to Norm + co, if time allowed it... Hearing about some of the design work, brand lookbooks and community projects these guys have worked on gives me that extra push to work on those passion projects I've been putting on the back-burner. Next door to Waste Studio is Ideas on Paper – an independent book shop filled wall-to-wall with hard-to-find magazines, art books + graphic design inspiration.

We also finally got to meet the team behind Lane, an independent homeware and design brand based out of an old school building, Primary Studios. The studios are artist-led spaces that help support local businesses through various creative programmes. It's a great sign of Nottingham's entrepreneurial spirit.

 Talking SS17 inspiration at the Universal Works HQ

The freedom of being your own boss throws up a few constants; the ability to set our own hours, work from any suitable location, (WIFI + coffee as standard), create meaningful work and immerse yourself in a warm and welcoming community. This also means you only have yourself to answer to if your work isn't up to scratch or you become complacent.

"If people don't love your work, or people don't hate your work then have you really done anything at all?

Tinker Hatfield, Nike

Over these past two years I've found what works for me, and one of those is to create a clean, uncluttered, calm and familiar environment – one with good natural light, where everything has its place. Anything "unnecessary" can sometimes act a distraction. I don't necessarily mean "minimal" as such, but rather, considered and with a purpose.

Coat c/o Percival | Sweatshirt by Several | Jeans by Albam | Sneakers by Converse | Bag by Parka London | Accessories by Bellroy

Images of me by Jordan Bunker

I like to try and make the transition from my office at home to a working away as seamless as possible. The products which mirror a similar stripped-back, considered ethos contribute massively to each trip's success. Take Bellroy's Key Cover for example – compacting my keys to a few centimetres in width, or the Phone Case which has a handy compartment for your bank card, all set for contactless payments. It's about working smarter and with more efficiency. And that's the same being your own boss.

I started this piece off by saying that the unknown is a daunting prospect. It still is. But if we took the easy road – one which didn't challenge us, evoke self-doubt or have us looking at missed opportunities as a means to build something better - then how would we ever be truly satisfied that we gave it our all? The path is uncertain but the values stay the same. I'm just looking forward to wherever that next train journey take me. 

Have you ever considered working as a freelancer in your line of work, recently took the plunge, or do you feel more suited to a reliable 9-5 structure?

This post is in partnership with Bellroy. Thank you for taking the time to support the brands + businesses that make this blog happen.

Our New Office + Weekend Links

Buckets has officially set up camp in The Den - a brand new co-working workspace on Bedford Sq, London, just near the British Museum! And we couldn't be more pleased with the location, slap bang in the centre of the city. We'll definitely be following this up with a proper post on The Den, as we'd love to show you all around.

It feels like I've been celebrating my 30th birthday for the past two week; last week spending some time in Liverpool with Hollie, then this week with friends and family. Well that's quite enough exciting news for once day. What's new with you?

Weekend Bucket List

Interesting music video involving Photoshop
A look at Bespoke globe making in London
It's that time of year again, new socks klaxon!
A vibrant photo-journal of Cuba
8 of the best versions of the New Balance 574
In case you missed it - Three Places to Visit in Manchester

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Blogging | How Can We Keep Focus?

Image by Jean Jullien for It's Nice That

I feel like it's time for me to look back over the past few months and see if we're still on the right path with Buckets + Spades. Where do we want to be in a year's time, are we still enjoying it, how can we continue to generate income without compromising our integrity? These are the types of questions myself + Nik will be discussing this week.

We have plenty of people visiting (and hopefully enjoying) our site, but how many of them are actually interested in all the content / subjects we share? Maybe we cover too many different subjects, and therefore is the casual reader only interested in say, one out of five posts? And, are we happy with those five posts? After all, Buckets & Spades - and all things connected to it; freelance writing, styling work and consultation jobs - is my full time job, a job that's constantly taking me interesting places and giving me the chance to work with inspiring people. But at the same time it's not as stable as I'd like it to be. This month is definitely a beans on toast month...

The Nectar Collective + Cocorrina have both been inspiring us this week, I'd recommend them to any blogger!

We'd really love your input on this, your opinions are the ones that matter. What subjects do you enjoy most on Buckets & Spades, do you like the variety or would you like to see a little more structure + regularity? Excited about hearing from you! If you'd like to hear more from us you can sign up for our Newsletter here.

Thanks for reading + much love,
Mat, Nik + Hollie.

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