Journal

On Envy

I’m curious, do you think of envy as being ‘bad’? Something you ‘shouldn’t’ feel? An attack of the green-eyed monster can make us feel mean and hideous, but what if instead we chose to look at it as , a green alarm: *FOGHORN ALARM opportunity for learning here! FOGHORN ALARM*? Envy can be a flashlight…

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On Creating Daily

There are ebbs and flows to my creative practice but, there is no doubt about it, when it becomes a daily habit, the ideas flow so much more easily than when I only turn up to the page every once in a while. Recently, after finishing my second book, Penelope and Frida and the Mystery…

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On the Importance of Rest

How good are you at resting? Not picking up your phone, not cleaning, not tidying, not ringing a friend, not listening to a podcast, not listening to an audiobook… I mean really, truly kicking back and doing absolutely nothing. It’s hard, particularly these days, I believe, to get deep rest. Many of us resort to…

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On Seasons

We are officially in Autumn. But I’ve been in winter for at least a month. What am I talking about? What I mean is that my creativity has been wintering. It started with the boys being off for summer holidays for about six weeks, during which time my ability to get into the studio and…

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On Keeping On Keeping On

This latest book, ‘Penelope and Frida and the Mystery Creature’, took me on quite the most extraordinary rollercoaster of self-discovery. Two books in, and I’m beginning to realise that no single book will happen in the time or manner expected, and that each book will only be completed when its author has learned the lessons…

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3 Ways to Kickstart Creativity

The way that my work works, I am generally either in a ‘creative’ season, or a ‘marketing/selling’ season. At the moment, as I’m pre-selling my second book ‘Penelope and Frida and the Mystery Creature’, my creative output necessarily dropped, as I started to focus more on business mode. But really it is the creative part,…

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On Being Kind to Yourself

My upcoming book, Penelope and Frida and the Mystery Creature, has kindness at its core, and has been a true education for me. I’m continuing to gently explore the notion of being kind to myself, an approach which has, until the last couple of years, been quite an alien concept for me as I’ve approached…

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A Poem: The Mama Contradiction

The Mama Contradiction I’m Scratchy eyed,yet arms fling wide,I fight not to run and hide,Your silk cheeks glide, they give me a notion:Divine Oxytocin. I am desperate to stop, to rest‘sit down’ you suggestor rather roar,from your place on the floor. This is my affliction:The Mama Contradiction.

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On Progress

Whilst I’m in the midst of Amber Rae’s 10 Week Creative Alchemy program (we’re on Week 1 and already it is proving ELECTRIC, with some incredible projects emerging from the group), I am using the time to focus on the completion of my second book, so I’ve signed off of social media – Instagram for…

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A Poem: Luminous

Under the moonlit sky,in the luminous sea,nipples like polka dots,face filled with glee. This was what made herthe woman she wasthis was what showed herhow powerful because Each time she showed upand faced the dark wavesEach time she showed herselfshe could be brave That she could committo herself and to othersShe could commit to her…

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