Get Messy

In this episode I am chatting to one of our Messians, Debbie Siddon. During our discussion Debbie shares with us how having a community of like-minded people has helped her show up for herself and her art, build a creative practice, and develop her creative voice. Having support has helped Debbie achieve her creative goals and commitments to herself. It has been a delight to see Debbie’s art practice blooming and I am excited for her to share her insights with you, too.

Lynda Monk chats to us about the power of journaling within our lives when we allow our journals to be a soft place to land. Journaling enriches every aspect of our lives, if we allow it to. So much of Lynda’s work is backed by deep research. It is fascinating to listen to how science and expression are working together to help people find deep healing reconnection to themselves. Lynda gives us tips on how we can start and develop a journaling habit. She shares questions we can use to connect to our inner wise self and quilt ourselves together.

Meg is nearing 10 years of daily creating! This is something to be celebrated. Meg and I chat about how she started her journey of daily art-making, how her process has evolved over time and what she has gained through the act of sustained practice. Meg shares how she has moved from being present as she creates to savouring the act of painting. As an artist with many facets Meg talks about the alchemy of finding your artist voice and using your art practice to grow and transform various aspects of your life. I loved this discussion. We unpack how you can have a more successful daily practice and how following the breadcrumbs of inspiration can lead us to unexpected places.

Marianne Burger is a collage artist living in Swakopmund, Namibia. This magical place has had a profound influence on Marianne’s choice of colour palette and imagery. Marianne talks to us about how the process of collage has become medicine for her soul, a way to work through her thoughts and feelings. We also talk about the magic of passing down a passion from creativity throughout the generations and the connections that are formed through this relationship.

In this episode Traci Taylor and I talk about staying true to your creative voice through failure and success. Throughout her work Traci lives the essence of the truth that your story matters and deserves to be told. Traci chats about being able to look back through her journals and finds the thread of truth that runs through her work as she keeps showing up authentically, even if at times it might not look and feel like her. We also talk about the power of saying YES to big scary things before you feel ready to do so, and how having a cheerleader alongside you can help you leap before the net appears.

During this episode Nathifa Sligh shares with us the importance of noticing the natural cycles and patterns within our lives and our creative practice. Nathifa shares how this noticing can help us plan ahead and guard against burn out. The importance of rest is a big theme of today’s episode. I loved that Nathifa could share the early signs of burn out, and share ideas on how to recover after burn out with us.

I loved talking with Tania Ahmed. She has such a fantastic way of looking at our creative practice as a place to take risks and make mistakes. It was so inspiring hearing Tania explain how redefining what daily creating looks like can allow us to feel more successful in our creative practice. Tania is a Gelli plate whisperer and she has some exciting offerings that we chat about too.

In this episode Erin Fairchild shares her love for documenting everyday moments through her journaling practice. Erin has found that having the intention of capturing everyday moments in your journal helps be more present in those moments so easily overlooked and creates beautiful time capsules of all aspects of one's life. This becomes a practice of deep gratitude. This chat is beautiful!

This is such a tender episode. Lily Sol shares honestly and openly about some big life changes and current battles. Lily talks about the importance of working with what you have, because that is always enough. This discussion helps us see the importance of being present in life and in our creative practice.

This episode is filled with heart. Eugénie Billotte shares with us that it is never too late to start your creative journey. I love that Eugenie says she went from an observer to an explorer. This really is evident in her work and her approach to process. Eugénie's positive energy and passion for creating is infectious.