The road home

Another year ends and a new one begins.
Having not done any drawing over the Christmas period, I made the most of some quiet time to do a drawing today, New Year’s Day. This is it… a simple study of the fading flowers in front of me.

Fading flowers. New Year's Day 2018.

Fading flowers. New Year’s Day 2018.

As I reflect on the previous 12 months, a variety of emotions rise up in me. Deep sadness for those lost and the space they left in passing. Great admiration for the courage with which friends have faced and overcome challenges, in their health and work and personal situations – both hopeful and inspiring. Ongoing gratitude for the support of friends with my creative endeavours and family with their hands-on help that freed me up to spend a week sailing. And then there are moments that are etched in my memory and stand out, though they only lasted very briefly, as their impact was felt deeply.

There is just one that I would like to share with you. I love to make art, but I also enjoy writing – always have done, but it’s something I do quietly, yet frequently. It was a joy to express my experience and whilst I would love to share with you an image that conveys the magnitude of this moment, I do not have one. This image was taken from a different viewpoint on the following day, so on this occasion, I hope my words will suffice and take you there.

Happy New Year!

The road home

The road home, December 27, 2018.

The road home.

I have been home for a couple of days now, taking it slowly, cleaning, clearing, making space for new things. So easy to simply slip right back into the old routine. Instead, making sure that I sit, read, listen and reflect in the quiet days between Christmas and New Year, rather than distracting myself with busy and city. Alone time. Relishing it. And when I think about the days before Christmas, the anticipation and togetherness, my heart fills. So much love and laughter this Christmas. So grateful. Golden memories. In my mind’s eye, I am back to Boxing Day, when we walked to the top of the fell and were gifted a 360 view over Windermere with a rainbow that stretched from the edge of the lake to the closest tree and that moment when clouds parted, revealing snow-capped mountains in the distance and small boy excitedly followed the little old dog we had carried up the hill who was now heading home and big boy smiling, was bathed in the most glorious light and it could have been any day of any year in hundreds, but we were there in the brilliance of that moment and as I had forgotten my camera and refused the suggestion that I return to collect it, I was able to soak up every detail of the moment with my eyes and my heart and hold it there instead of trying to capture it. That constantly changing, yet timeless view spoke directly to my heart and I pondered on the artists and writers inspired by nature’s wild beauty and wanted to stay… or at least return.

The writers’ blog-hop

artLast Monday, I posted an artists’ blog-hop post on this site, having been invited to answer four questions about my creative process. This week, writing is the theme of the blog-hop. I thought twice about doing both as I did not want to be repeating myself, but as my art and my writing go hand in hand, I felt that it was worth participating and sharing with you a little more about my writing.

This particular blog hop baton is being picked up somewhat belatedly as it was way back on the far side of the Summer holidays that Lynsey Whitehouse of ThinkDrawLive.com invited me to join in this post. Since then, Lynsey has launched the Brainy Girls Guide to Business which is now her focus. I will introduce my own nominations at the end of the article, but for now… it’s question time!

What am I working on?
I have just offered my first eBook up for sale on a Pay What You Want basis and I am now working on a couple of other books, both directly related to art. I am slowly finding new ways of sharing my writing and my art and have recently been invited to share my story on a number of blogs, so it is interesting to be writing for an audience outside of the safe haven of my own list and blog, unsure of who the audience is. On a personal note, I always write for myself. Getting the thoughts out of my head and onto paper is an ongoing process.

How does my work differ from others in this genre?
I struggle to answer this question. In pondering my answer, I posted a question on Facebook and it was pointed out to me by a friend that we are put in genres because of our similarities. Each of us brings to our writing, or our art, our own very personal interpretation of the world based on the unique way in which we experience it.
Some artists resist sharing their methods and their inspiration as there is a desire to retain a sense of mystery and for people to interpret their works freely. I have no problem writing about my processes and learnings. I also embrace imperfection and feel it is more important to share something than to wait until you have something perfect to share.

Why do I write what I do?
Writing, like art, comes naturally to me. I have always used words as an outlet. Writing helps me process my thoughts and in sharing my experiences I find that new learnings, realisations and insights come through. Sharing my creative journey on my blog, both in words and images has enabled me to connect with a large circle of creative women worldwide. Like many mothers, I feel I lost myself for a while in the process of bringing children and focusing on their needs. Writing about my experiences and sharing my journey has been a powerful piece in the puzzle of finding myself again. Finding my voice as a writer and artist has allowed me to publicly engage in the process of reconnection, both to my creative soul and to others on a similar path. I hope that in writing what I do and sharing it, I will inspire others.

How does my writing process work?
There are two ways in which my writing process works. The first takes the form of a headspill. I usually write everything I am thinking and feeling out in one long monologue, often as a draft email, as though I was writing a letter to someone. If I am on the hop, I let spill into my notebook or phone. I find this process enormously cathartic and it allows me to release a great deal of mental clutter. Occasionally, a small amount of a headspill will make its way into a blog post, but usually this part of my writing process is used purely for cleansing purposes.

The second way in which my writing process works is as a long, slow period of writing, reflecting and adapting. The Gratitude Daily eBook is the culmination of 18 months work from the initial idea to the creation of a course, the running of that course, then adapting it in the light of feedback from participants and my own experience and finally transforming it into book format. I like to write and edit and then take a step back. I find that in stepping away from a writing project for a while, be it for a few hours (for a blog post) or a few days (a full article or bigger project) and looking at it through fresh eyes, I gain the distance and perspective necessary to create something of substance.

Having answered these questions myself, I am now passing the blog baton on to two good friends of mine…

SheelahFirst up is Sheelah Turner. Sheelah is an adventurer, explorer and story-teller. After departing the UK in late 2012, she and her husband spent 15 months camping their way across Africa, sharing their adventure on their blog www.kapp2cape-blog.net as they went. After the trip finished, their love of exploring new cultures and experiencing new countries has led them to Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. Sheelah is now launching a new blog Our Life … Lived! to continue sharing her musings and observations of the world around her.

eveEve Menezes Cunningham is a freelance psychology, health and wellbeing journalist. She writes articles and advice columns supporting people in helping themselves. Eve also runs the Feel Better Every Day Consultancy, offering holistic therapies for your mind, body, heart and soul.
You can find her blog at feelbettereveryday.wordpress.com


Over to you ladies…