Art and creativity
Combining motherhood with being an artist
To be able to express with love the world and life around them, artists must also be able to live with love in themselves. It is understandable that so many artists, particularly women, have chosen either the path of parenthood or the path of artistic expression. Both need to have an energy of life and love poured into them, and it can be difficult to see how it is possible to carry out both in harmony. I have been a professional artist since 2008 and a mother since 2014; our second child was born in December 2017. With our first, I took no maternity leave, having landed a large commission in the middle of pregnancy. The sling and an amazing partner enabled me to complete the commission in time. With our second, I took maternity leave, and during this period I moved studios and began on a journey of exploration...
Combining motherhood with being an artist
To be able to express with love the world and life around them, artists must also be able to live with love in themselves. It is understandable that so many...
Healing through art and community connection
My reflections in this issue stem from helping with the Art on the Hill trail in Bristol. At last year’s event, it was wonderful to feel such a buzz in the community. After Covid and lockdowns and all the ensuing fallout, perhaps some of the excitement came from the relief that we could all be part of something cultural and communal again. We are still facing a lot of unrest in the world, and it’s crucial we seek balancing, healing, regulating experiences in our lives. Perhaps it is my imagination, but it seems the urge for people to create has been rising. We even have art classes on prescription now, which is fantastic. Humans have been creating since we first began walking the Earth. It’s deep in our bones. It is a way of expressing our emotions, experiences and the individual way we perceive the world. It’s in our DNA...
Healing through art and community connection
My reflections in this issue stem from helping with the Art on the Hill trail in Bristol. At last year’s event, it was wonderful to feel such a buzz in...
Why it's important to encourage creative expres...
Art is a healthy form of self-expression for everyone, but especially children. Creating art opens unimaginable doors, whether it’s physical art, dancing, singing, writing, drama, film or playing an instrument. Young children have a natural curiosity to explore the world around them and express themselves freely. They enjoy making sense of new experiences and discoveries. Art allows children to utilise their imaginations, learn and process emotions, and receive positive attention from the adults in their lives. Creativity can be a positive outlet in this crazy, upside-down world. All human beings are creative by nature, and children instinctively know this in their hearts. However, as we grow older, we begin to have doubts. We live in a culture with ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways of doing things, which discourages our innate creativity. Over time, most of us learn not to colour outside the box. Schools especially have trained us to comply with...
Why it's important to encourage creative expression
Art is a healthy form of self-expression for everyone, but especially children. Creating art opens unimaginable doors, whether it’s physical art, dancing, singing, writing, drama, film or playing an instrument....