When opportunity comes, will you be ready? I never thought that I was good enough to apply for a major international exhibition. I thought I would fail, but then I thought - what if I am successful? Success takes courage and planning.
Stories, storylines and storytelling
The idea that we all can participate in the giving and receiving of stories via cultural rituals, community theatre, festivals and other events, is integral to many cultures. Art is a form of citizenship, to be celebrated and valued through the telling of stories.
Take Heart
As artists and creatives, it is very easy to get dis-couraged.. We need courage to tackle the big (and small) issues which face us daily and the heart to keep going despite the obstacles we encounter.
Room to grow
Creative activation take courage. You need to be able to recognise when it is time expand your horizons. Like repotting a plant. It’s an energetic thing.
The Marigold Antidote
The Marigold Antidote, it’s medicine for the soul when it feels weary and is suffering from general malaise. Finding joy in the day is the active ingredient. Like marigolds in flower, that sunny splash or orange inspires painting and writing. Creative antidotes to pandemic days.
When flowers pick themselves...
Flowers are a big part of my life. Picking them connects me to my matrilineal lineage. There is a story in all my favourite activities. Such creative play like doodling helps unlock the stories buried deep within and form part of a series of powerful exercises I use in my online creativity courses.
Procrastination or Productivity
Procrastination or productivity, who said we can’t have both. Procrastination can lead to unhappiness, unease and finally to change. We put off what we don’t want to tackle until we roll up our sleeves and begin. And then the magic starts to happen. We become more productive and happier.
Tried and Tested
Whether it’s poetry, painting or cooking, the arts need to be cultivated and nourished. One hundred years ago, household guru, Mrs Beeton believed that putting structure in the week would build good household habits. I believe the same can be applied to creativity and building a creative habit.
Seeking my soul purpose
We are all here on planet earth, right now, for a purpose. Today is the solstice and I would have been in Iceland for it. The solstice is a time of powerful cosmological energy and I would have been joining a thousand women listening to my Icelandic coach Sigrun and a panel of international speakers talking about empowering women to rise up and build a business from their soul’s passion.
Keeping Accountable
What can you do to reignite your inspiration? Being accountable to yourself will help pull you through those inevitable flat times when you are uninspired. Showing up to your creative practice, no matter what, is the main thing.
Bearing Witness
This week has been extraordinary in a year of other extraordinary events. As I map myself into events both personal and political, I learn about the everyday occurrences of the endemic and systematic racism which pervades our society at all levels.
The Daily Practice
What is the secret to having a daily art practice? It is a commitment to something you think is worthwhile, that brings you joy and fulfilment.
Dragon Energy
Why are we in the midst of dragon energy? I keep painting dragons as this energy seems to be in the air, protecting us and the earth from danger as we have time to reflect on our lives and allow the earth itself time to reset.
Following Your Intuition
I believe that we are called to places; by the mountains, the rocks, the sea. Places of strong energy vibrations are portals of time and connection points with the cosmos which can trigger spiritual awakenings within us.
Mothering Day
My mother would never have termed herself a ‘creative’. Yet our house was filled with generations of creative artefacts, embroideries and tapestries that she and my grandmother and great aunts had made. That creativity runs through me as I today I see my daughter taking up the mantle, my granddaughters as well. Creativity is a spiritual connection that connects us to ourselves and the cosmos.
Finding the Still Centre
As we spend more time alone, it starts to build a pattern of going deeper within. I can feel my thoughts drifting, emptying as I spend more time with my innermost being. For the past seven weeks I have been making circles of paper, from reds and orange through blues and greens and now emptying into white, the still centre as I’m learning to trust and let go of control.
Creating the World anew
How do we imagine the future? I have been making a new world of my own imagination, filled with rich blues and greens. I believe that we are holding the world together while a new one is in creation. We bear witness and hold hope while the world is created anew.
Of radishes, potatoes and travel
How carved radishes in Mexico can inspire a potato peeling art event in Australia is one of the memories I have unpacked as I prepare to run my free 5 day Armchair Art and Travel mini course. Now, when we can't travel anywhere, these travel memories give rise to new artworks made from maps, tickets and other paper ephemera collections.
Armchair Travels
While we can’t travel during social lockdown, we can armchair travel. Use this time to document your experiences during the pandemic, however gruelling it is. For it will never come again, just like I will never travel in a horse and cart again. Join me while we Armchair Travel to transform our experiences and travel into art.
Fractal Figures
With all the terrible news of escalating deaths around the world, I feel the need to go within, to remember to give thanks and to laugh. I have created a fractal map to colour in and created quirky characters with them for a bit of fun. It’s my way to revitalise my daily arts practice and keep me on track while the world spins crazily out of control.