May 2018

I had assumed/expected that May would be productive like last month.  I was excited because the school holidays were over and I could return to the studio most days during the week...some kind of routine would return. But no. May was a month of having to pause, to make work in the edges of an hour or two in the studio. It was frustrating, there was admin (tax) to deal with, framing and deadlines for a couple of exhibitions, the disappointment of a couple of projects falling through and feeling like I wasn't doing enough, fast enough. I felt like I was starting all over again, having made some large works last month I now had to make smaller pieces that could later be joined to create new works.  On reflection it wasn't an unproductive month.  The time I spent making in the studio I had also spent reading books and articles as well as listening to some new podcasts which have literally given me new life in terms of mindset and strategies for approaching art/life balance. I had to be kinder to myself and take the pressure off trying to achieve unrealistic goals.  I spent time at Centennial Park with my son, we love exploring together and noticing the change of seasons.  We had some wonderful warm sunny days before cold snaps reminded us that winter was approaching slowly but surely.  And little by little things got better even though I couldn't get to the studio as consistently as I would have liked.  I packed a little "portable studio" in a tote bag and would do a little work whenever I could in between studio time. Work began to accumulate once more, new works have begun to emerge and I even managed to have two successful group exhibitions.  The first exhibition was Invisible Bridges curated by Cassia Bundock in the Northern Beaches and the second was a wonderfully refreshing informal show by Backyart titled Origins and curated by Aisha Phillips and Zoe Edema. I have also been reflecting on the amazing women that I have connected and met with over these past few months, a few of whom funnily enough are part of the local community.   I am feeling excited for all that is to come as I continue to refine and develop the workshops and opportunities for dialogue and exchange as part of Heartstrings. At this stage these will mostly be scheduled for the spring season over the months of September, October and November.  What I do hope to do beforehand is hold one or two open studio days so stay tuned!