Living with yourself

Hi everyone,

Recently, I framed some work to hang up around my home and it made me realise that I must be happy with it if I am prepared to look at it every day. I know, that sounds a bit illogical, but when you are so busy making and planning and plotting your way forwards with a creative business, it is rare to find a moment to stand back and notice whether you like what you see. During busy times, I find that I just have to get on with it and produce something, anything to put out into the world and see what comes back. So this afternoon, as I was fiddling about with my mantlepiece tableau, I took some time to notice my thoughts about my work.

I am feeling incredibly grateful that I get to work creatively every day. Even if I don't always have time to sit and make work, I am taking photographs or writing something. I have noticed my technical ability has continued to grow with each project and I love that my job is always going to change because of the potential to keep learning as I go. I am becoming more used to the social media aspect of the job and feel much more relaxed about sharing the work, inspiration and process behind it. In fact I would go so far as to say I really enjoy it for that part is the bit I would have loved to know more about when I was a young student. I suppose I have reached a point where I feel pretty comfortable with my ability, my creative output and ultimately, myself. Interestingly, it has not been the work or any success I have had with it that has enabled me to reach this point (and goodness knows I have spent many a long year feeling anything BUT the state of mind just described), but a shift in my perception of it. I have somehow managed to move into a mindset where I am just so deeply thankful for everything I have managed to do over the past few years and while I understand how small my successes have been compared to the brightest stars of my industry, I am not really bothered about comparing myself any longer. I am over it. I just want to work, be allowed to keep doing this and to maintain the perspective on things I've got at the moment. And when I look at my work hanging up in my home I am reminded of that.

I hope that when you look up from whatever device you are reading this on, there is something of yours to be seen. And I hope that if there isn't, you make some time to hang one of your paintings/poems/short stories/knitted mittens/photographs - whatever it is you like to do to express your creativity - ASAP. Because there is only one you in the world.

Have a great day,

Jessie