What lies beyond the frame of a photograph or painting? Visual artists are also storytellers, they reveal and conceal, hinting at the back story, the why of their creations. As artists it is our job to dig deep within ourselves to find out our why, as this leads us also on the path to self discovery.
Rejections equals redirection. If you have a Plan Bs this softens the blow. Plan Bs lead you into unchartered waters but they are worth the risk and challenge you to grow.
How a collection of rocks became a 5 year arts project and a painter found her way to write her family’s immigrant story by exploring the rock, Granite. Sometimes stories and artworks need a long time to ferment before they are ready to emerge into the world.
Even the humble apple can inspire a series of artworks that can then be formatted and exhibited. A bite into a red apple takes you back to your childhood, and suddenly the prints become folded artist books with stories that are ready for exhibition.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
