2019 Update from The Mill

Welcome to The Mill, and to our first blog post! Whoop whoop!!

It’s really happening! It feels appropriate to deliver our very first blog post on the very first day of 2019, to mark the huge progress that has been made so far on this inspirational journey!

Grab a cuppa & I'll fill bring you in on the back story.

Some of you will already know this, but I'll go back a couple of steps, so that you can understand the context in which The Mill project came about.

I'm a creative at heart, a mother of three beautiful dynamic individuals, that I am so bloody proud of, it melts my heart.

I completed a degree in Interior Architecture & Design in 2005 after 4 years at uni/ work placement while raising a young family (definition of multi tasking right there!)

I've worked as a Designer & Project Manager ever since, running my own business for the last 7 years. This has served me so well, taking me to amazing places, working with fantastic people, and providing many a challenge along the way! It's fair to say I love my work and I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that have arisen thus far. It has allowed me to support my family and, just grow! It has opened me up & propelled me forward in a way that I find hard to believe!

A few years back however, I realised that I had lost all connection with my creativity. Yes, I was planning a bathroom or kitchen, or refitting a retail space, which although satisfying, wasn't creative in the freest sense of the word. I think I had hoodwinked myself into believing that the work was creative...enough.

But that changed, creativity has a way of bubbling up & shouting... 'Eh, hello? remember me?' I finally listened and was directed back to my inner core, true self, my creative self.

This came about in 2014, by way of an unexpected re-connection with a very old friend. He is a practising potter and patiently spent some time teaching me the basics of throwing on a wheel. He had me hooked on clay in an afternoon! More importantly, the feeling of connection with the process of creating something with my hands & my heart, was re ignited.

It felt so good, so natural... like I'd come home. In that moment, on that day, in a small studio space in Germany, a re-connection with myself, the true me, had been made.

This time I was not going to tuck it away or suppress it under a pile of 'I don't have time', 'I cant afford it', 'I'm too busy' etc.

I signed up to workshops and evening classes in London and allowed myself time to be expressive, experimental and creative. I challenged myself and drove my course leader crackers - thank you Ricky for your patience! I felt back in my creative flow, somehow managed to fit it in around my work, and felt so much more complete for doing so.

That is how my passion for paper clay started (There is a link below to my website so you can see what I'm on about)

Easter 2016 - An impromptu trip to Tuscany with a girlfriend that needed to get away. At the time of our last minute whistle stop tour of Tuscany adventure, we were both following one of Deepak Chopra's 21 day on-line (free) meditation free courses (highly recommended by the way) I can't remember the exact title, but the meditation for that particular day was about finding the true self, asking yourself what is at the very core of you, who you are, what resonates at your core being, what you want from life.

I was ruminating on these questions, while wandering around the beautiful architecture & splendour of Florence, and it came to me standing in front of an amazing fresco in one of the churches.

To Create & to Serve. BAM!.. that was it... it was just so clear!

It took me by surprise in its simplicity - I had been working on a side project that was a great idea, but it was taking up a lot of energy, and not really moving forward. It would have taken all my time just to get funding, as it was such a large scale project. So to suddenly come to the realisation that I wasn't on the right path, give it up, and go for what my heart really wanted (previously I just hadn't allowed myself the space to realise it was even a possibility, until that exact point) was a a bit of a shock. Not at all what I was expecting to come up. But there it was.

To CREATE and to SERVE.

I felt like I was walking around Florence with a big think bubble above my head with neon text... she's finally got it!!! To CREATE and to SERVE!!! Yah!!!

I had always imagined that some day I would live somewhere in France. I feel very at home here, always have, French blood in my veins may account for that connection!

And having travelled around France for nearly two years (2013-2015) while undertaking a major retail shop-fitting project, I got to know the various areas of France pretty well. I had decided at the time, that if I ever moved to France it would be to the Tarn Gorges/Millau/Aveyron region of France, which I had been to several times for one particular site installation.

It's an area that's generally cooler in the summer than on the coast, but only 90 mins away if I craved beach. Rivers, lakes, gorges, waterfalls, incredible landscape, so inspiring. And of course, an extremely splendid viaduct - thank you Norman Foster and Arup! 4 years on and I drive under that gorgeous structure to get to my local supermarket. It's just so awesome!

The idea of finding a property in France from which I could facilitate the running of artist led, week-long workshops, as well as holistic and wellness retreats (yoga, Pilates, meditation) came to me at that moment in Florence. I want to help other people connect with their creativity, whatever that be, give an opportunity for respite from the daily grind, an escape, a chance to be nurtured with good food, pleasant, comfortable interiors, relaxing spaces, all harnessed in mother nature’s beautiful landscape. The retreat work also allows me a studio space where I can be my creative self - when not hosting workshops, retreats and events.

From that moment in Florence, I basically just bloody went for it- despite that thing called Brexit!

I finally got my brave on!

Summer 2016 - I set off to visit several properties over a couple days that I had lined up for viewing. I had convinced myself that one of them - up on the Larzac Plateau - was 'The One', just from the online images & video. Turned out It wasn't 'The One' once we'd seen it for real!
The morning my daughter and I arrived in Millau,a day before the property viewings, The Mill popped up online... I remember saying I think we should go and look at it as it was only down the road, but it wasn't really what we wanted etc, etc.

I was wrong.. we saw it the following morning. The then owner - now friend - took us around the building, telling us all the things wrong with it! But, it was too late, she (Le Moulin) had stolen our hearts. We went to look at the other 4 properties I had lined up, including the property up on the Larzac plateau, which I had previously thought was going to be perfect. None of them came close to the feeling of 'rightness' and positive energy that came from that initial visit to The Mill.

*Our very first visit in the scorching heat - love at first sight for sure*

*Exploring the local area was just as magical*

Late 2018 - And so here we are 2 years later after a lot of back & forth with banks, Brexit & other b******t, but I didn't give up, I wobbled, but I didn't give up! 'Hold steady' as my friend repeatedly said to me, it will come good! It has... Just believe and it will be so. A bit hippy dippy maybe, but the belief, definitely, got me to this moment in time!

The final official signing of the papers with the Notaire was on 12th November. I moved into the property a few weeks before, very unconventional, but luckily the seller of the property also had faith, well most of the time!

Since moving in I've had a variety of French and English trades peeps, family, and friends helping with the initial works to The Mill.

Major works to the kitchen - big up to my son, master carpenter that he is! It’s still a work in progress, but he has done an excellent job! SO proud! I will share before & after photos next newsletter. All three children were over for Christmas. They were so fantastic with helping to progress the works. We managed to have an amazing Christmas Lunch with half a kitchen upstairs & half a kitchen on the ground floor! They are as much in love with the building as I am, and can so see the potential. Getting lost in her spaces, visualising what we can create over the next few months.

It's a big building, about a third is currently insulated and has power, heating and light. The Salon - on the first floor - where we decided to put the Christmas tree even though the room is unfinished, is the next room to be completed after the kitchen on the ground floor. After that it’s the creation of more bedrooms and bathrooms, this will probably involve running another main waste pipe into the main drain. Its always about the Poo pipe! Tres Glam!

Our lovely Mill is a two part project... phase one, the building works and phase two, the retreats, to start late summer with a good wind behind us! Some of you have already volunteered to come and help which is amazing, the spirit of community is already here, the neighbours have been so kind already, as have the Mayor’s office staff helping me with EDF shenanigans!

Do let me know if you are interested in coming to help out in the spring. Also the self-contained apartment within The Mill, will be available for holiday rentals/ escape retreat/creative writing etc in the not too distant future!

*Another incredible find at the recycling centre Lodeve!*

*this is how we roll... Christmas tree, dump run & picking up metal stud work 💪🏼*

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Happy 2019 from The Mill France!