When I was seventeen and studying art, I visited the school library for inspiration. During that difficult couple of late-teenage years, books, particularly art books, transported me elsewhere; somewhere where mundane requirements like time and maths lessons and trauma didn’t exist. So I was searching for inspiration when I sat down that day. But I...
"Capturing life"Continue reading
I’ve wanted to be an astronaut since I was a kid. I’ve also wanted to be a journalist, art teacher, ballet dancer, performance poet, university lecturer, jewellery designer, ceramic artist, writer, florist and farmer. I’ve made pots, necklaces, collages, paintings, clothing, homewares and illustrations. I’ve studied history of art, Marxism, fashion theory, English literature, economics...
"What is a ‘core value’ and why is it important?"Continue reading
I was never someone who chastised themselves in front of others. I did it privately instead. I preferred to do that in the comfort of my own mind where I could use words like ‘stupid’, ‘silly’ and ‘ungrateful’ and no-one would tell me otherwise. But it’s a continuous process to change my (silent) self-talk from...
"A question to help shift your negative self-talk"Continue reading
A few years back, at a similar time to when I began reading Brene Brown’s work, I learnt about Carol Dweck. In 2006, psychology professor and researcher Carol Dweck published a book which outlined the culmination of research on our understanding of where intellectual and cognitive ability comes from. Dweck established that everyone was on...
"Tips for creating a positive mindset as an artist"Continue reading
When did you first really start using social media? For me, it was back when Myspace began. (That was 2003, by the way.) So for nearly two decades I’ve been publishing my thoughts online and connecting with others over everything from politics and astrology to punk music and creativity. I use social media to promote...
"What happened when I stopped using social media for three weeks."Continue reading
Here’s how hard I find it to deal with criticism: I went to therapy for it. Yep, in a classic bit of middle-class white privilege, significant portions of my therapeutic process have been about dealing with being criticised. A former therapist once reflected to me that “goody two shoes” was an identity I seemed to...
"How I deal with criticism as a creative person"Continue reading
I spoke to one of my clients recently who is in the middle of a big potential switcheroo in her world. Lots of new information, life decisions and pivoting to make sure her business, her work, her life and everything else fit together well. And one of the things she said was feeling like she’s constantly chopping...
"The importance of experimenting as a creative person"Continue reading
Building a strong, values-led brand sounds great. It sounds exciting and interesting. And it also sounds expensive, time-consuming and a lot of work. So why would having a values-led brand be useful? What can a good brand help you do in your business? 1. It helps you make more effective decisions. With the right brand,...
"What can a values-led brand help me do in my creative business?"Continue reading
Recently I shared a writing concern on Twitter, asking “Is there a word count at which you start feeling like you’re wading into custard?”. At around 25,000 words into my book, I felt as if I was running out of steam. My natural inclination was to go back and start tinkering with what I’d already...
"Exploring the barriers to an artist’s personal growth"Continue reading
