Ok, I’m a day late…. but it’s for a very good reason! You see I’ve had a gorgeously busy week and next week is set to be the same. I’ve been creating some special illustration for two wonderful magazines The Mother Magazine and Juno magazine. Both gentle and beautiful parenting magazines that I can really identify with in my work.
Alongside these I have also decided to submit my animation (the official video of The Glass Child’s song Yesterday) into a few competitions and festivals as well as submitting other work to a couple of static Art exhibitions and competitions, so it has been a fun week so far! I intend to have the weekend off and then I am heading to another amazing hubdot event next week and having an exciting meeting with some potential new clients.
I would never have imagined just two years ago the opportunities that are presenting themselves now. I am a lucky woman to have some wonderful support and encouragement from others who have similar growing ventures. It is definitely the case that the more I do, the more I can see around me.
So here’s to creativity, connections, support, encouragement and ‘doing it’!
This week I’d like to let you know about a wonderful project that I am supporting. The wonderfully wise women of Moontimes are holding an online auction on Facebook over the weekend of 20th/21st March to raise money for a community Red Tent.
For those of you who do not know what that is, I shall expand 🙂 Anyone squeamish about women’s bodily cycles don’t read, or Do read and be enlightened 🙂
A red tent is a wonderful place (an ancient tradition) where women may go to spend quiet reflective and positive time during their menstruation, period, moontime, whatever you want to call it. Instead of the modern trend to see this time in our cycles as a pain, a ‘curse’ something to keep hidden and hate…. it is where women can share ways of nurturing themselves, easing this time of the month and actually celebrating it.
When a girl begins this stage of life wouldn’t it be wonderful if it was always celebrated, as a rite of passage, along with wise words from women about how to feel good or at ease with it.
Culturally there are massive variations in what this time means for a woman, I don’t have the space or knowledge to now go into FGM, child prostitution, human trafficking and child marriages, but I also didn’t want to bring up the subject of being able to celebrate one’s body without also remembering that there are too many girls and women who are not able to do so.
So, to begin to spread the word further of what a positive and wonderful thing our cycles can be, learn more from moontimes or perhaps have a bid for one of the items in the auction, take a look at their website blog here, or their FB page here. The item I have available in the auction is the image below, Moon Dreamer. An original framed and mounted watercolour that I created for Veronika Sophia Robinson’s book ‘Cycle To The Moon’. It is an image inspired by Veronika talking about our dreams, and the power within women across cultures and centuries to look to our dreams for inspiration.
I’ve recently spent time considering a comment I heard recently, that Mother’s cannot give everything to their Art. The reason given, that they give everything to their children so they cannot have another passion. This is part of a debate that has been going around for a very long time as far as I am aware, and there are mainly strong opinions on this. The answer for to me is in each individual life and experience. For me, it’s just not something I have found to be true. I have found my best creativity and productivity since having my children, so much so that this is, wonderfully, my life and business now.
I am aware that there are times when I cannot just ‘go paint’. But when I do get the times and opportunity either planned or not I find I am hugely productive and it’s a huge thrill for me. My children too benefit from me being creative, we try things out together, we talk about Art and nature and beauty and texture and what these mean to us. I get to experience my life, with my little ones and my husband, and I also get to delve deep into my creativity and create using the experiences that I am having, living.
Now I’m not saying its all roses working or creating while having young children, but it certainly makes me plan well and prioritise. It’s also a huge benefit to be working for myself and setting my own schedules.
So I feel excited that I have this life of Art, creativity, of inner searching and of love and friendships, but also that I have this craziness called motherhood to throw in the mix.
Night Night for now
Susan xxxx
P.S Don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day soon, I still have some beautiful prints and cards available on Etsy celebrating Motherhood.
P.P.S I have the pleasure of creating some more editorial illustration for The Mother Magazine again this month and I have added a couple more beautiful Magazines and Publishers to my list of clients for this year.
This month I’ve been creating a ‘doodle’ or illustration a day for Instagram. It’s been a really fun way to share my work and forces me to think of a new idea each day. Some of the ideas are simply me testing what I can draw! Others were more related to something I was feeling that day.
This month my ‘theme’ was simply the letters of the alphabet and I thought I would share them here with you today. I have only done A-W so far so you will have to check instagram or twitter to see what I come up with for the last tricky letters!
Thank you for joining me for my Wednesday Wondering…. my space to wonder, wander (around topics) and write about my Art and anything else that happens to take my fancy.
This week I am starting to make some big changes and it’s all really exciting, the kind of exciting that makes me a bit giddy and look like I’ve had too much coffee…. which I often have.
It’s been a really exciting week too because I released two FREE e-books last Friday. Have you seen them yet? See below for more details!
I’ve been reading a lot about attitude recently, and how important our attitude towards life is in terms of what we do, and how we feel. How we respond to life and everything in it is so important, and it’s so simple.
I would love to say I am an ultra calm person and respond to everything by taking it in my stride…… hmmm, I like to think I am. What I can do though is reflect on how I respond and try to learn from it. This is very much how I approach my Art. Sometimes my Art is a proactive creation, but often it is a ‘reaction’ to something. A thought, a feeling, a glimpse of an image in my mind. It doesn’t always have a well thought out response, but that is often what makes the most exciting images. What is important for me is to reflect on it. Reflective creativity can be a real self awakening, sometimes a shock even. But it is a really important part of my process. Probably a bit like this little blog of mine. A reflective wondering about the past few days……..
Be creative, look at your responses today, reflect, smile and have a coffee (or fruit tea/beer/whiskey if you prefer). I hope it surprises you nicely.
The first is a printable sample of some of the holistic colouring pages that are in the larger colouring book I co-created with The Mother Magazine. The images are really sweet and we have had some great feedback from the children (and adults!) who have enjoyed colouring them.
The second e-book I am giving to you absolutely free is a book of my recent exhibition Music, Art and Passion. The book pulls together all the images and my inspiration for the exhibition, sharing with you the work that I was pulled to create in the build up to the wonderful live gig with The Glass Child.
To download these free books simply click on the FB link above and enter your name and email in the newsletter sign up pop up. Alternatively you can do the same on my home page. In addition to the e-books you will then also access my monthly newsletter which will be the place where I announce any new work, images or gigs and from time to time offer you some great deals.
