Finding Balance

For many people, the key to a happy life is to find balance. It seems simple enough, but when faced with counterbalancing a high-stakes, fast-paced, high-octane livelihood, it is not easy to find something equally weighty.

Well, it seems recent Diploma graduate of the Academy, Mike Shelley, has found it. Having spent 18 years in the fire service as well as another emergency response team in a petrochemical plant, Mike was on the lookout for a new pace of life. At first glance, the dramatic intensity of the fire service to the calm patience of garden design, could be considered an enormous pivot, but again, balance can only be found with equal and opposite counterbalance.

For Mike it was a no-brainer.  Since childhood, he has been planting, growing, weeding and finding happiness in the garden. The artistic flair of garden design is not new to Mike either, with childhood memories of sketching designs for garden ponds and fish.  But when a hobby starts to occupy your thoughts on a more substantial level, it’s time to get serious about it.

“The desire to diversify and explore a possible new direction had been on my mind for many years. I completed many small garden projects (both basic design and physical implementation) for myself, family and friends which whilst doing this I would always say to myself “I could do this every day”.”

A patient pace of life

When Mike found the Academy, he was drawn to the flexibility of Home Study and the fact that the course prepares students for professional practice. Mike also enjoys drawing by hand and while CAD is part of the design world and is included in the Academy’s courses, the slower pace and meditative nature of drawing by hand is where he finds his inspiration. Everyone has their own creative method and that’s the beauty of creativity; you make it your own.

“I love being outdoors in general and have a huge appreciation of nature. Like many people, I can honestly say spending time in my garden is an activity I undertake to relax and step away from other elements of life for a while, and this love for gardens has always been there for me.”

Taking on a new set of skills and tackling assignments and the workload that comes with an in-depth accredited course, can be challenging at first. When Mike started out, he had his sights on devoting all his efforts to his studies but as so often happens, life had other plans. The beauty of the Academy’s flexible approach to studying is that it allowed him to engage with his studies at his own pace. And as the old adage rightfully claims; nothing worth having comes easy.

“I reached out to the tutors who were nothing but supportive, offering advice and reassuring me that I still had time to complete the remaining assessments. With 8 months to go of my 3-year timeframe I jumped feet first into the course, completing most of the assignment work late at night but I was ok with this because I got back on the train, I was enjoying the designing and creativity and found the topics to write about interesting.”

And Mike is enjoying the fruits of his labour. Spending time outdoors among nature has a solid reputation for positive mental health benefits. Coupled with design and creativity, it is a recipe for a fulfilling and enriching career path.  Mike enjoys planting and designing in equal measures but also intends to pay his wellbeing forward.

“I pledge to encourage the planting of new trees in all garden design projects moving forward in addition to the incorporation of a body of water of some kind (where appropriate) for both the wildlife and human wellbeing benefits.”

Health & wellbeing

Another intriguing aspect of garden design is that a garden is a living breathing space that continues to evolve, long after the designer has moved on. Plants are chosen based on their year-round behaviour and spaces are arranged to adapt to the seasons and changes in weather. Knowing you are building something that lives beyond your presence is a humble experience and leaves no room for ego.

“It doesn’t take a long time to feel like you’ve achieved something in the garden, whether it’s planting something new, tidying something up or taking on a much larger project to completely transform the space and how you use it. I get completely submerged in whatever the project that I’m doing is, large or small, and I think for my wellbeing it does do me the world of good.”

Life lessons

Since completing his studies, Mike has been working on small private design projects, building his garden design website and launching his brand as a professional garden designer.  His skills and knowledge have progressed greatly, but there are other important lessons that come hand-in-hand with returning to education.

“I’ve learnt that I can achieve and focus even when I’m feeling overwhelmed; and I am proud of my determination and accomplishment. I have also confirmed that garden design is the direction I would like to go in and I am pleased to have started to build the foundations of a pathway to achieving this.”

Mike has spent his life at the reactionary end of protecting life. The fire service are emergency responders and will jump to action as soon as the alarm sounds. Now Mike is investing his time and energy into preserving life and investing in the future of the earth. And for this, we are all humbly grateful.