2026 - a bit of a weird year so far...creatively

This year I find myself yearning to step back into the studio to create more for my practice. To paint selfishly, with the intention of storytelling and personal exploration. There is this fine pull on a thread that niggles at me constantly, under the surface. But the year itself has been, odd, not bad but simply unexpected in someways. 

The big elephant in the room is space,  while my family and I have adapted well to living in a caravan as we understake this exciting new journey with building it has left quite a block in the road to art making. I find myself a night maker of sorts, even now, here I am enjoying the quite of the van while I write proposals, catchup on admin and sneek a tiktok or two at 12:27am. 

But alas there has been limited room, physically to step into my artist self. I find my creative process for my personal practice needs to be 'lived in'. A sentiment that I came to historically through action, after romanticing myself as a shared studio person. A room, or home studio that I can leave setup, and come and go from as I please. Literally living amogst the art as I engage in mental conversations with the pieces resolving them both with marks and imaginings. 

I also recognise that I am extremely fortunate to have a full working studio to create work in, I can hear the audiable sigh through the computer as I type. But there is something about the studio that screams WORK and I find myself instead cleaning, planning, tutting around doing all the things I believe I should be doing. I've tried many methods, and alas my resolve was to just simply take the pressure off. 

Which is where I find my original statement of 2026 has been simply odd. 

I am, without a doubt creating every day of my life, I am teaching, experimenting, sharing, demonstrating there is rarely a time I am not being full arty. I utilise these times to stretch my skills, the ever life long learner and experimentor. There is not a creative moment that is wasted, that's for sure. 

This has also offered the opportunity to pursue more community engagement arts projects with a few bigger ones set to roll out in the coming months, but unfortunately im embargoed so my lips are sealed. Keep following along I guess? 

But where I have landed myself as a studio director and educator is a space of confidence. I have rightly settled into my strengths as a teacher for kids and adults alike and I find myself more at ease than ever before (which might feel impossible if you have ever attended one of my other classes). I know I have always been good at on the go pivoting and problem solving for the individual, the gentle ease nudging people through the discomfort of uncertainty. But I find myself, as I said, comfortable, at ease and with rythm. I guess that just comes with the experience. There is a gentle calm and certainty stepping into the classroom. 

So while I can kinda articulate, somewhat abstractly that this year is simply odd, I acknowledge that it probably feels same same to others, I still get the, Wow you are super busy all the time comments. And you know what I probably am, but I have, you may have also noticed, slimmed down my working calendar, specificially my teaching courses I love. I've brought it back to what I want to do, not what I could do. I knew last year that I needed to desperately find some kind of balance. My health would give me a nice little reminder to slow down by putting me in hospital at the end of each term. And although I am still a semi frequent flyer of the medical institution I do feel like I have more balance in my life. 

So this post is really just a little ramble and a little insight to say to others it's ok to feel odd, it's ok to slow down, it's ok to not have some big exciting news, it's ok as artists to take a break. We are not machines, life looks how it will and sometimes we need to go with the flow and make changes. For some that make look like stepping out and experiencing more, for others it may be going into hiding like a hermit crab or maybe it's some third option I have yet to think of. But cut me a little slack it is 12:41am.