Hello again, how are you?

You know that friend, the one you don't see for ages and then you do and it's just like you were never apart? That's what I'm going for here. I've missed you. Really missed you. I felt like I didn't have anything to say and I knew you were busy. I felt like I didn't have time because there was so much else I should be doing. And I didn't want to disturb you, you've got so much on your plate right now. And sometimes I've been down and I didn't want to bother you with it. Yeah, I know.

But here we are. Do you have time for a coffee? How have you been? Hasn't the weather been crazy this spring? Everything from late snow to heat waves - what's it been like up your way?

I've had the hatches battened down here. My energy has been pretty low, but I've been doing little things to take care of myself. Like earlier bedtimes - I know! Really unlike me, but necessary at the moment. I've been cooking a little more. Susannah Conway asked a really good question at the end of Unravelling 2: what does your future self need you to do? Or something like that. So I've been working away in my studio - not doing any of the fun stuff, but working at rescuing it, making a space I can create in. And I've been decluttering (yes, again, still, both). And I've been doing boring admin that just has to get done, and I started with the things that stressed me out the most. I've been spending time with friends, and long mornings reading in bed with the Mr. And I've done a few crafty bits and pieces. I'll show you the next time you're around.

I kept these to show you. They really resonated with me. See what you think.

Can we just be honest? (Susannah Conway)

Authenticity in a messy life (Hanna Andersson)

Thoughts on energy (Kelly Rae Roberts)

See you soon, really. It's be so good to see you.

A weekend of nurturing

I started the weekend with a glass of wine with friends, followed by a cosy evening in and an early night. 

I read a lot, my book and blogs and magazines. I slept a lot and we watched things we had recorded. Not much to write home about, maybe, but it was needed and it was good.

Mindfulness and the artist

When do you have your best ideas? I know for a lot of people it is outside, walking in nature. Or perhaps, for you, it is in the bath, or in those warm, confused moments just before sleep comes. It might be in meetings, when you've zoned out, or when you have your hands in your materials allowing them to connect directly to your wordless brain that speaks through shape, and imagery and texture. Most of us need to be alone sometimes, to be free from the daily bombardment of stimulus. Our minds need to burble away. And yes, we need inspiration too, but then, at last, we need time for things to bubble up. This has been happening to me a lot in my meditation class. While sitting there, letting thoughts float past, I've found that so many of them are juicy, lovely, inspired thoughts, the sort that really feel like seedlings, ready to really become something. And I try to let them sail past, but sometimes I float along with them and paint a whole painting in my mind, or at least put a pin in it for later. I want to find a way to make time for this in my artistic practice. It's so hard to give ourselves permission, isn't it, to be still, to float away. Have you found a way?