Blog Archives

should you work for free?

Should I keep working for free? (Creative business advice)

September 11, 2019

Sometimes I am reminded why husbands can be a good idea to have around. I was telling him about how I’d got caught in the sales funnel of yet another Women In Business stream of emails. I’d clicked on one with a video called 5 ways to reclaim your time and how I had to watch it twice incase I blinked and missed the advice. It was just a video of pointless waffle of no practical help, but if I wanted more, I could naturally buy her course…

Magnolia flower bud for silence poem

Silence is more beautiful than any song

After the entire restaurant hears a plate crash in the kitchen. When the final and most devastating insult is slung in an argument. When there’s an unexpected pause in traffic during rush hour. When you remember…..

Derwent Inktense pencils review

Review of the Derwent Inktense ink pencils

Drawing and painting was a hobby of mine that I spent an awful lot of hours on when I was a child. I took GCSE and A-level Art, but since then, I have rarely allowed myself the time to just enjoy it again. You may already know that I have an Etsy shop where I sell my pyrographed items, which often is a form of drawing, but when I’m making something to sell, it’s never quite as fun! I have resolved to stop thinking of time spent drawing and painting as an indulgence, and started allowing myself some free time to enjoy myself and relax. So last year, whilst away in the Lake District, I treated myself to some new art supplies from the Derwent shop in Keswick, and following my discovery of the Derwent Inktense sticks, I put the Derwent Inktense pencils on my wishlist. Chris obliged with them as a gift on our wedding anniversary, and here’s what I think of them so far…

review of things are what you make of them by adam j. kurtz

A review of ‘Things are what you make of them’ – Life advice for Creatives by Adam J. Kurtz

Rain kindly bought this book for me for Mothers’ Day, and I’ve since managed to fit in the odd five minutes here and there to read it. That’s one good thing about Things Are What You Make Of Them – it doesn’t take long to read! Oh that makes me sound like I don’t like it, which isn’t true. It’s a book for the current generation who take their entertainment and information in snippets; in bite-size chunks of Instagram stories. There are even perforated edges so you can choose your favourite little pages of words of wisdom to put up on your copper magnet board next to the foiled print that says Eat Sleep Create….

I knew I should never have given her that fifty pounds

It was one of those freezing cold miserable January days. Everyone is depressed because the fun of Christmas is over and cold and flu bugs are going around everywhere and it was no wonder I’d caught it too. There was no-one at work to cover for me, so I trudged in, coat and scarf wrapped around me, and hoped I wasn’t on the perfume till near the door. My manager took pity on me and gave me the best spot at the back and near the heater. Amy must have forgotten I work at Boots on Mondays. Or perhaps she didn’t know – my shifts do change around a bit. Anyway, I spotted her browsing over the other side and I admit, my attention wasn’t wholly on my customers. She was at the makeup aisles for three-quarters of an hour! Has she not got anything better to do? She swatched lipsticks and tested eye-shadows and I couldn’t believe it when I saw her take a basket of expensive make-up to the tills on the other side. I knew I should never have given her that fifty pounds. It isn’t like I’m rich; it isn’t like I wouldn’t like to spend fifty quid on make-up for myself. How dare she?…..

The story of fantasy artist and sculpter – Soso

November 4, 2016

“…life is like music and you are supposed to dance to it, rather than rushing to the end..” This is a beautiful quote from Soso in this moving and fascinating interview with the talented artist and maker of magical beings. She is bringing a whole enchanted world to life in her creations. Be sure to catch her exhibition in Glastonbury if you’re in the area in December – read on for more information….

The Story of the artist – Katy Jones

October 14, 2016

I’m really happy to be continuing my series of interviews with creative people, and today it’s fantasy artist, Katy Jones. Along with her paintings of mythical creatures, I also love her drawings from nature. If you’re looking for advice on learning how to paint or even taking the step into becoming a professional artist, then please read on as she has given some really useful answers…..

Monthly Memoir – September

October 1, 2016

September is mainly about birthdays in my family – particularly this year as it’s a special one. Jude was eighteen on the twelfth, and Rain is twenty-one tomorrow. So we took a trip over to Kent to celebrate with each of their grandparents; aunts, uncles, and cousins etc and of course eat birthday cake! Although it seems like we travel there quite often, I still miss them all since we moved, so I like a good reason to see them again. A week later, Jude celebrated with friends by having an afternoon tea party in the garden. They all really enjoyed themselves and the food, games and weather were all a success. I’ll be writing a blog post next week about the whole thing, if you’d like to come back and have a look. There are also some pretty pictures on my Instagram!….

The story of a potter – Stephanie Edwards from Poundsgate Pottery

August 11, 2016

I’m another crafter who likes to listen to audio books while they work – the only problem is that time passes too quickly then! If I had a little more time and a little fewer hobbies already, I would definitely have a try at pottery – it looks like so much fun. Stephanie’s is also a little more quirky than the generic bowls and plates you might find at a craft shop. I talk to her about what it’s like to run a craft business….

The story of an artist – Sue Clyne

The annoying thing about having a stall at the New Forest Fairy Festival is that I never have time to have a good look around everyone else’s! There are so many interesting creative people, and artist Sue Clyne definitely has a stall worth visiting. Her paintings are so interesting, I could stop and look at one for a long time! It was fascinating finding out more about her and her work….

Monthly Memoir – March

So the month kicked off with the Oscars. (Ok, strictly speaking that was February, but I’d already written February’s memoir by the time we watched them on the evening of the 29th. Despite our best efforts to avoid spoilers during the day, we were all unable to avoid the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio had won best actor. This is great news as we’re with the popular opinion that it was about time! It was difficult to judge the winning choices without having seen ninety-five percent of the films, but I still find the event enjoyable to watch. The fact that all the creative people in the film industry are being celebrated, I find really inspiring and convinces me that my next writing project should be a screenplay!….