A New Chapter
I am sure you can agree that the last two years have not been kind to some of us and our intentions. For me having a new creative project and something to put my positive energy into has been a true blessing and it helped me to navigate through these difficult times. I am very grateful for being able to follow my dream of starting 60 North Publishing, where I can focus on creating beautiful and inspiring publications from Shetland.
Starting the Shetland Wool Adventures Journal has been my dream for a long time, and I am so delighted with how it came together. Created during these strange and challenging times, it wasn’t an easy feat, but it brought me joy and a destination to steer towards. I am grateful to have been able to start this new venture which will hopefully spread the joy of creativity and positivity further afield. My aim is to inspire through stories, beautiful photography, interesting interviews and personal insights into our lives here in Shetland.
Why I started the Journal……
Sometimes decisions are taken out of our hands and we simply have to act. This was the case in spring 2020, when things virtually fell apart over the course of a few days when the pandemic unravelled. I had been gearing up towards the busiest Shetland Wool Adventures season yet, with fifteen regular as well as bespoke tours scheduled to take place. You can imagine how much effort and time it took to plan and book everything, to communicate with the clients on a personal basis to help everyone to prepare for their trip they have looking forward to for so long. But sadly it was not to be. Instead I was faced with the additional huge workload of trying to figure out what to do and how to keep my small company going… It felt desperate at the time to be completely honest.
So one early morning, after a restless night full of worry about the future, the thought of starting the Journal came to me. All of a sudden things made sense! Some of you know that I was behind two Shetland publications that became very popular – 60 North magazine which sadly no longer exists and the Shetland Wool Week Annual. Publishing and print have always been something I enjoyed immensely. I love the feel of a beautifully produced book, magazine or brochure. And the smell! Am I the only one who smells new books when you open them?
I hope to continue producing volumes of the Journal and bringing you new ideas and inspiration.