Sian Richardson is a free-spirited creative wizard, currently living it up in her homeland of New Zealand. She spends her days working with ass-kicking brands & businesses to bring their ideas to life at Fresh By Sian, which could include designing anything from branding to eBooks. She’s all about ditching the line between work and play, so one minute she could be working away lake-side on her laptop, next minute she could be back on the road finding another park bench with a sweet view to work from.
She’s also the Co-Creator of Striking Truths, where they gather the loose threads of inspirational talks and quotes, and turn them into beautiful manifestos, to share with the world.
Describe yourself… As if you were your very best friend / lover / secret admirer.
I have no idea how to answer this one. Although, I was poking around the internet the other day, doing a bit of research & sussing out of my start sign, Sagittarius, and it never fails to amaze me how spot on it is. Here’s a little paragraph I found on Astrostyle, which sounds like me to a core;
“As the zodiac’s traveler, Sagittarius is the ultimate free spirit: optimistic, open-minded and ambitious. You’re happiest in wide-open spaces with plenty of adventure and excitement. You juggle a million projects, hobbies and friends. The more, the merrier! Sagittarius is forever pursuing a super-sized goal. Even when you fail, nothing can keep you down. You’ll chalk it up as a life lesson and inspire everyone with tales of your experience. As the sign of wisdom and truth, Sagittarius loves to “tell it like it is,” especially when it makes people laugh.”
If you parents / teacher / god / whoever holds your sense of personal propriety in check was GONE (poof!) and there was no one to upset, offend or disappoint…..who would you become?
I’m happy with where I am to be honest! I’m at the beginning of what I’m sure is to be an amazing life, and I feel although I’m living authentically, so I’m good where I am.
Describe what you do to earn money.
I’m designer, I work with brands and business to bring their kick ass ideas to life. I specliase in designing branding, logos, websites, eBooks, and manifestos.
What is the best business and or life advice you have ever learnt?
Hmmm. There’s 2 or 3 that I can think of…
#1 – Be weary of advice. You don’t need to believe everything you hear, or everything you read. There’s so much information out there telling us how to do this, and how to do that. In the end, you just have to trust your gut, and roll your own way.
#2 – Just that. Roll your own way. Fly solo. Ditch the rules. Abandon everything you’ve ever known, and see where it takes you.
#3 – Always, always trust your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t.
What’s your biggest fear? How do you overcome it?
Getting stuck, and not being able to have the funds to travel the world.
Overcoming it, well, I’m working with a money coach! I think its a work in progress thing. Changing the way I think about money is ultimately what I’m doing to get past this. And having friends + other people that do the same kind of work as me, and they’re doing it just fine… Knowing that other people can do it, that keeps me going too.
Relaxation is….
Being outside… Amongst nature. Finding inner peace.
What are you freakishly good at?
Telling it how I see it. Going with the flow.
What do you geek out about?
I’m fascinated by any kind of extreme sport… Even if I have no desire to have a crack at them, I could watch them, or read about them all day. People that are literally pushing the limits amaze me to no end.
Creativity in your life is….
Seeing with new eyes. Seeking the wondrous.
What do you want to be known for?
Someone who broke the rules and succeeded. Being a badass creative.
Describe your relationship with money..
My relationship with money is getting better, but for a while it was pretty bad. I wasted away pretty much every cent, because I had no idea what to save for. I didn’t have goals, so I couldn’t see any point saving.
When I first quit my job to go full time freelance, I had pretty much no money, but I was happy. For the first time in pretty much forever, I was completely in control of my life. I had no money, but I had freedom. So knowing that I could be happy with barely a cent in my pocket, that changed my perspective a lot.
Money does not equal happiness, but it can equal freedom, treated the right way.
Now that I have goals and things I want to do with my life, I realize that you do need money to travel, and to do things. I work hard, and I love spending my pennies on things & experiences that I will remember forever.
If you had a year to yourself with a ridiculous amount of money, how would you spend it? The time? And the money?
I would book an around the world ticket, and head off on a year long adventure. I’d attend creative workshops & events all over the world. I’d photograph. I’d record as much as I could. I’d go hiking. I’d see the Northern Lights. I’d meet people. I’d live life to the absolute fullest.
Describe the last time you remember feeling happy…
Last week when I was sitting on the beach, in the basking hot sunshine, eating sushi, drinking juice, and watching everyone around me having the time of their lives, and thinking how stoked I was to be able to live this life, and have the freedom to do whatever I like, every single day.
What is your greatest regret?
Honestly I don’t have any regrets. Everything I’ve ever done, and everywhere I’ve been, everyone I’ve met, they’re all a part of who I am. I wouldn’t change a thing.
What’s the one thing you’d change about the world?
Hmmm. Similar to above, I think everything is the way it is for a reason.
Although, I wonder how people would live if we stopped going by all of the ‘rules’ that were set bajillions of years ago… Like the idea that we need to have a 9-5, be a certain kind of ‘religion’, or a certain amount of belongings, or a husband/wife in order to be happy and successful. I think we are starting to wake up to this though, and I’m stoked to see more and more people ditching those ideologies.
Tell me some things that no one else knows about you.
haha! my fam + good friends probably know this stuff, but no one else!
#1 – I have double jointed elbows. It freaks the shit out of people when I stretch my arms. It’s hilarious.
#2 – You’ll never find me without nail polish on. I’m obsessed.
#3 – I hate driving automatic cars. I don’t want a car that drives itself… I’ve always driven manuals.
#4 – I have a crazy photographic memory. I remember so many things, purely based on how things looked at the time.
#5 – My tongue is ‘tied down’. I was born with it like that, so I literally can barely poke my tounge out. Another thing that freaks people out, but I find hilarious.
What is your primary spiritual practice?
At the moment, just getting outside and getting amongst nature is what does it for me. Taking a walk in the woods, or along the beach… Having time to think. Time to relax and refocus.
