Email one themes: Repetitive crafting, tattooing, and wellbeing reccomendations. 

I’m gonna jump straight in:

I’ve been thinking a lot about repetition lately, certain crafts with repetitive techniques can be very mindful and relaxing to create. 

Weaving little raffia baskets is a new love, I’ve always felt drawn to anything woven and it's taken me a little while to get the technique right so it's a good feeling. Something I know for sure is that I find new materials and techniques always exciting and inspiring, the feeling of expanding my already multimedia practice is wonderful but it’s also humbling to be a beginner.

Tattooing is an art form I’ve had a very slow journey with, it is mindful and meditative and uses repetitive actions to adhere ink to skin. I think the process is incredibly beautiful, we trust artists to adorn our bodies in quite a ritualistic way and the aftercare process encourages real care and commitment. Last year I did my first tattoo on myself, and I added to it recently.

Unfortunately, for me, tattoos have always felt like a rebellion since my parents are not accepting of them. This means I’ve been warned so many times of negative ideas surrounding them. Their resistance has reinforced my love for tattoos though, really affirming the personal choice to slowly add to my collection over the past few years. Since living alone, I have had the space to have desires to create them. 

For a long time these past few months I’ve been out of touch with my sense of ambition, I’m really glad it’s coming back. If you feel the same way, try to think bigger and sow the seeds of exciting prospects in your mind. There’s no shame in dreaming big.

My plans: The big one is that I’m developing a series of workshops which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’ll be creating in-person experiences for art and wellbeing. I’m also going to open my own online shop sometime in the near future, Etsy doesn’t feel right anymore with rising fees and ads. 

I’m Always manifesting bigger collaborations, especially murals and live drawing. Please keep me in mind if you ever are in the place to commission or recommend an artist! I love making bespoke pieces :)

My gems, a few things I want to share that I’ve enjoyed recently:

• Wake Up/Wind Down, this podcast has really short episodes to help you start and end each day. Niall’s accent is a soothing Irish one. I don’t really do routines so I haven’t listened consistently, but I like that there’s a new one every day so you can dip into something current. Especially useful when you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning.

• This quick quiz released by Tate for Mental Health Awareness Month, helping you reflect on your mental state and matching you with an artwork. It’s always fun to engage with a random piece of art. It could be something to respond to if you feel creative: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/quiz-how-are-you-feeling 

• A thought: Is there a sense of repetition that you find calming or comforting in your day to day life, maybe a creative technique you could do more often? I think many textile techniques are great for this. One small tip I have with repetitive crafts is to try not to focus too much on the end product or making quick progress. Enjoy the slow process.