After a very relaxing and long summer break, it’s time to head back into the studio!
I’ve spent a lot of time at the beach this summer and a lot of time in reflection on the wins and learnings (ok, so they felt like losses at the time!) of last year. I’m not going to lie, the start of 2022 was a struggle, post lockdown I had totally lost my mojo, and felt very isolated in my studio. The creative solitude that I usually crave, had turned my studio into an echo chamber. Come April, I needed a plan to get me out of my slump and that plan came in the form of Wayfind Creative and Te Tuhis' Interior Design Today course.
When in doubt - get amongst other creative people and learn something new (or in the case of the Interior Design Today course - have some incredible experiences and be reminded of how much you already know about something, which was also good for my soul).
As a consequence, the last half of 2022 was a massive improvement on the first - I met a great bunch of creative people and got some insight into the struggles and triumphs of other artists (turns out we’re all very similar - imposter syndrome anyone?). I had an exhibition at Easel Gallery - gratitude for that experience. I was selected for the Kumeu Arts Awards - I’ve been trying to get into that show for years! I started collaborating on exhibition proposals with two other artists - we have secured our first exhibition together in June 2023. And I had a very satisfactory leap in my creative language, which I can’t wait to build on in 2023.
Of course, there were also shows I didn’t get in to, proposals that didn’t get accepted and days spent in the studio without much progress, I’m choosing not to dwell on these experiences and instead see them as opportunities to grow a thicker skin, exercise my tenacity, and have another go.
Here are my learnings from 2022
Purpose and structure are really important to me; my creativity needs these grounding principals to flourish.
Sometimes it’s good to have company when you’re doing the stuff that scares you, rejection in particular is so much easier to shrug off as a group!
Community and feedback are crucial for progress, this one I need to keep reminding myself of, because I’m introverted and happy being a lone wolf.
When I get stuck in the studio, I need to stay and push through (usually I can get a resolution within 30 mins, but I’m always tempted to leave). It’s better to build the habit of solving, rather than leaving!
My intention for this year is clear; Expansion. That’s my word for 2023 (and I mean it deeply, not in a ‘take over the world’ kind of way). Expand my knowledge, my capacity to think creatively, my sense of authenticity, my skills, my reach and my creative community.
I’ve got lots of great plans and exciting things happening at the beginning of this year; a new gallery in the pipeline, an amazing course starting in February, plus an exhibition to work towards in June. With all this energy and momentum building in my practice, I can’t wait to see what the second half of 2023 will bring!
So, on that note I’ll leave you with one of my favorite paintings of 2022, reminding me that good things can come out of crappy beginnings.
Wishing you a very happy new year!
