vulnerability and a new direction

words and photograph by Jake Carnley

After three years of making candles, it seemed valuable to take a quick step back to assess our vision, to see how we have progressed, and to take time to see it all from a different perspective. The past few weeks have been just that for me. I am wary of using language like "burned out" because I do not believe that was the case but I feel safe saying that I, personally, felt dangerously uninspired. I began to put all of my ideas through an impossible test that no idea could ever make it through. I was hard on myself. I would scroll through Instagram or photo journals and feel exhausted by it all and it eventually got to a point where I did not want to be a part of these things anymore because it felt unproductive and creatively exhausting. This is not said with the expectation that I am bringing, to the table, a new conversation. It seems that the trend is to reject certain "connecting" platforms for these same reasons, but rejecting social platforms is not what I want to do at all and I am certainly not in the business of questioning or judging people's "authenticity". I really do love our connections via the internet and pray to continue growing those, but all of this has led to a point where it became necessary for me to reevaluate a bit, to reevaluate what I really want from all of this. Over the last 8 weeks I have not spent much time in the shop. While I was discontented, the last thing I wanted to look at was our candles. It was a real effort to hide my creation from the uninspiring thoughts. For what it is worth, I think that was a wise move. I was at the helm of a ship off course and I knew it, my team knew it. 

This year I have had a handful of ideas that keep coming back to mind. Every time they do they bring more with them. They are ideas of sustainability, creativity, and the value of sharing the story. Renovating the online shop pushes us into this direction. Our schedule for the year is already packed and our team has been working hard to execute new ideas that we will be rolling out late this summer. Ideas that call us to a higher standard of excellence. Ideas that bring out our talents and creativity. Ideas that involve you in this story and ideas that beg your participation. Thank you for taking this journey with me. It has been the excitement of a lifetime.

 

 

Comments

  • Posted by Harriet on

    I want to use this medium to share my incredible manifesting with psychic medium Ibrahim, who truly changed my life. For a long time, I struggled with homelessness after losing my job as a nurse. Life felt like an endless battle, and I spent many years trying to win the lottery, hoping for a better future. But despite my efforts, I had no success and was growing increasingly frustrated. That was until I came across an amazing testimony from a woman named Racheal, who shared how psychic medium Ibrahim helped her win the National EuroMillions jackpot. I had always loved playing EuroMillions, but winning seemed impossible for me. However, after seeing Racheal’s story, I decided to reach out to psychic medium Ibrahim prepared a special spell to help me with guaranteed lucky numbers. Within 34 hours, he provided me with the winning numbers and instructed me to play. To my amazement, I won £156.656 million in the EuroMillions! Thanks to psychic medium Ibrahim, my life has been transformed, and my financial situation has changed for the better. I will never forget this joyful moment, as it has been the best thing to ever happen to me. If you’re struggling and seeking a way out, never give up. psychic medium Ibrahim can help you, just as he helped me. Keep your faith and take a chance – your life could change too! contact him at profibrahim98@gmail.com

    WhatsApp +27785149508.

    Website:https://africanspellcaster.mystrikingly.com
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s1ewUeVVAHk
    https://write.as/ibra/
    https://rumble.com/v6up0ez-finding-the-best-psychic-in-your-area-27785149508.html
    https://uaeplusplus.com//pages/registerNew/companyRegistered.aspx?ID=fqaUj4kc2u8=

  • Posted by Jimmy on

    I want to use this medium to share my incredible manifesting with psychic medium Ibrahim, who truly changed my life. For a long time, I struggled with homelessness after losing my job as a nurse. Life felt like an endless battle, and I spent many years trying to win the lottery, hoping for a better future. But despite my efforts, I had no success and was growing increasingly frustrated. That was until I came across an amazing testimony from a woman named Racheal, who shared how psychic medium Ibrahim helped her win the National EuroMillions jackpot. I had always loved playing EuroMillions, but winning seemed impossible for me. However, after seeing Racheal’s story, I decided to reach out to psychic medium Ibrahim prepared a special spell to help me with guaranteed lucky numbers. Within 34 hours, he provided me with the winning numbers and instructed me to play. To my amazement, I won £156.656 million in the EuroMillions! Thanks to psychic medium Ibrahim, my life has been transformed, and my financial situation has changed for the better. I will never forget this joyful moment, as it has been the best thing to ever happen to me. If you’re struggling and seeking a way out, never give up. psychic medium Ibrahim can help you, just as he helped me. Keep your faith and take a chance – your life could change too! contact him at profibrahim98@gmail.com

    WhatsApp +27785149508.

    Website:https://africanspellcaster.mystrikingly.com
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s1ewUeVVAHk
    https://write.as/ibra/
    https://rumble.com/v6up0ez-finding-the-best-psychic-in-your-area-27785149508.html
    https://uaeplusplus.com//pages/registerNew/companyRegistered.aspx?ID=fqaUj4kc2u8=

  • Posted by rade on
    Thank you, Jake, for sharing such a candid and thoughtful reflection on creativity, burnout, and the journey toward renewed purpose. It’s inspiring to see vulnerability embraced as a strength, and the commitment to sustainability, storytelling, and community involvement truly resonates. Creative work often requires these pauses to realign and reimagine what’s possible. At prirodnolecenje.in.rs, we also believe in the power of honest storytelling and sustainable practices to connect deeply with our audience and promote wellness. Wishing you and your team great success as you embark on this exciting new chapter!

Leave a comment