My First Painting Commission

I am so excited to have done my first painting commission.  Its for Cathy Phillips & Co - an interior design company based in London and Brighton.  The colours are to echo a beautiful fabric used in a cushion on the other side of the room, and its a stylised portrait of her client's daughter, Olivia.

I am wrapping it up and dropping it off today. 

Portrait commissioned from @moyrascott art. Love it! A lovely unique piece of art. The brief was pretty prescriptive but the individuality and love (can you spot it?) shine through. More of this! #collaboration #portrait #portraiture #moyrascott #artcommission #interiordesign #sharethelove

A post shared by Cathy Phillips (@cathyphillipsinteriordesign) on Feb 15, 2018 at 11:03am PST

Wild Painting 2017

Here is me half way through a demo painting.... it's the one we ended up hanging in our living room - looking entirely different of course.  Everyone's painting turned out different.  I love how that happens.

Next Wild Painting is happening on 7-8th October.  I have a few spaces left.  Let me know if you want to come along and paint wildly and bigly in the amazing Lawrence Road Studios in Hove.  This is the last time this will be run at this price and in this format.  It has been a fabulous experiment and will run again but in a different model.

Wild Art Journaling will also change its model.  For the time being I have a few spaces available for drop in over the next 3 weeks on Friday.  Let me know on moyrascott@gmail.com if you want to come along and join in.

Bestest

change is exciting

I have just come a realisation.  Things need to change.  What I am doing is not sustainable in the long term.  I love it all, but it is somehow just not quite working right.  And I am finding this disheartening.  I know I have some really good things in place, but the pieces are not aligned, or  - configured in the right way.  Or maybe I just have one piece missing that will hold it together in a way that works better.  Or maybe its all just one step away.  So near yet so far.  And yet if I just keep swimming....

I have no idea what to do next.  I am not sure.   Responding to the next stimulus. Play with with different ideas and try them out.  Or to stop everything and hunker down in a chrysalis soup sort of way.  One thing is certain.   It is not going to be the same old same old.

I don't think anything I have done is wasted or has been any sort of waste of time.  Its all relevant. But something is going to change soon.  I am changing the way I show up in the world and how I make the biggest bestest positive difference I can.

And.  This seemed apt.

Wild Motherhood with Morgan Nichols

My friend Morgan Nichols from Wild Motherhood  will be doing a Facebook Live (video) reading of her book, "Wild Motherhood: Tending the Fire of your Creative Spirit" on Thursday 7th September at 8pm BST. You can watch it on her Facebook timeline from anywhere in the world.  Book Facebook Live Reading: https://www.facebook.com/events/1790047721010954/. https://www.facebook.com/events/1790047721010954/   https://www.facebook.com/events/1790047721010954/ 

I am one of the mothers she interviewed!! (am not featured hugely  - see if you can spot me.....)  She also interviewed me on her fabulous blog (link here!) 

The book explores the question "Is there creative life and spiritual practice after motherhood?" through the stories of 22 mothers from a variety of creative fields, spiritual paths and family circumstances, as well as deeply personal revelations from my own diary extracts. Hear the real voices of mothers talking about their dilemmas, struggles and triumphs as they continue to engage with their creativity and soul life. "Wild Motherhood" celebrates mothering itself as a creative act, and the gifts of motherhood to women's personal development.

Be inspired by the resourcefulness, versatility and strength of mothers as they adapt to the huge changes in their lives. The book includes tools and tips to create flow, connection and inspiration - and time to create - even in the middle of a busy mothering life.

"Brutally honest, beautifully written." - Sara-Mae Tuson, author, former editor of Trespass Magazine and The London Miscellany, member of the "Loose Muse" board.

​"It's brilliant. A great exploration of what it means to be a wild mother and the practical ways we all strive to reach it. Inspiring! I was making time to incorporate creativity with my toddler when I had only been reading on and off for two days. Thank you... Really enjoyed every word. Fantastic exploration of the topics of creativity and motherhood and the dialectic of living in the two realms. As a mother trying to run a full time creative business this is a valuable resource. I enjoyed Morgan's commentary and especially excerpts from her own journals allowing a snapshot of the emotional journey that is the early years. Interviews with other creative mothers allow the reader to explore different options and approaches to balancing the commitments required as a mother and the need to express ourselves creatively- such a rich variety of approaches to show us there is no one correct way to wild motherhood. I couldn't put the book down and am excited to walk the path to wild motherhood in my own unique way. It's the little kick I needed to redefine this guilt laden role that is "motherhood" my own way. Thank you Morgan!" - Michelle Morgan, artist mother-of-two.

"I found this book to be very unique, inspiring and moving. After experiencing a long block in my own creativity it was a lovely read that will definitely be staying on my bookshelf to be read again! I have since purchased a copy for a friend and lent my own to my sisters!" - Gemma Harvey, artist and doula mother-of-two.

Find out more about the book here: http://wildmotherhood.org/shop.html. and about me here: www.wildmotherhood.org. You can connect with me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/morgan.h.nichols. 

Appreciation

Sometimes appreciation is easier than others.  But this morning I have to say I am appreciative of being part of a group course, that is currently asking me to be actively appreciative and grateful.

Cos quite frankly before I sat down to read the stuff from this week's module, I was not feeling much appreciation!.  So here goes, because I damn well could do with feeling better!

I appreciate this little back room. The new spare bed I am currently lying on to write this is very comfy and I really appreciate this.  I love our newly painted hallway and the fact that we have plans for this house and they are good.

I appreciate and am grateful for Ted having his friend Jude over and they seem to be having such a good time.  I am grateful that they have this friendship.

I am grateful for good friends and family that love me and support me.  I am grateful for my full health and full wits.  I am grateful that my husband loves me.  I am grateful that is is warm and almost sunny today.  I am grateful that I am alive and can feel.

Friday Round Up

 

FRIDAY CHECK IN

• What were your intentions this week?

I think it was all about the office move.  

• What have you actually done this week?

I have started the process.  I emptied Hub's stuff from the bureau.  I have painted the bureau - am going to share some pictures of it because I am so pleased with the results! though am annoyed that I forgot to take before pictures of the ugly beast it was!) I have unloaded one box from the cupboard. 

I have cleaned out bins, taken stuff to the dump, sold the Tripp Trapp baby set (something mums of a 6 month old will know about!) given the car booster seat to a friend who will have nieces and nephews visiting. I have checked out the options for a possibly adjusted camping (inclement weather scenarios), cooked meals and taken kids to the park. I have become an affiliate for the Wildfire Women event in Brighton for September.  I am on the list to run a workshop at the next one - they were already at full roster for this one.  As an affiliate I get to go, as long as I share the event widely.  And that's cool because it looks rather awesome and I am really looking forward to seeing who I will meet there.  If you want to have a look at what it involves click here  & come via me   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wildfire-women-2017-tickets-33894073085?aff=GeneralAffiliate&afu=116304237369 

I went to my Coaching Circle  - which is in effect a mastermind (hate that name!) we are a group of 4 business coaches based in Brighton, and we meet to chat about our work and support each other.  Its super good to have a peer group to chat with. Such top advice and input ladies, love you all.  

What else have I done?  I can't really remember.  Life stuff.  

• What have you learned?

I need stronger boundaries around my work time, or just 'my time' when its the holidays.  I love the coaching circle.  That I want to be an artist of instagram and sell my work.  That i need to be clearer and more definite and claim my desires clearly.  (I learned this on my weekly call in for the M2M360 group I am part of online (you might like to join me as part of this group too? have a look via the link and see if it is for you) Its an online master mind (sure there is a better word) with group coaching weekly.  Keeps me on track.  

So  - I want to be a successful artist.  I want my workshops and retreats to be full of the most amazing, energy filled, dynamic, creative souls.  So far this is who I have attracted and I LOVE that these are my people.  More please.  I want to run Creative Magic Living retreats in beautiful places and spaces.  I want to earn more  - so that I can create more, pay off my mortgage, buy out next door and run a boutique air bnb there, I want to do more coaching and be an international and well paid supercoach so that I can help more people be more creative and do their best work and live their best lives.  And I definitely want more holidays.  I want to go to Berlin, and Brussels and Goa.  (Shilpa, lets do this thing!)

• Did you do some S&P work? 

am going to count setting up my office here.  not much else.  OH - well, reinstating my 'miracle mornings' is sort of a system? right?  I have also booked in for a social media session in September, which will teach me buffer so that I can schedule my posts and be more visible without my constant checking in.  

• What one thing, when done will make you feel better about this week?  

writing this.  also am going to join an online programme for artists.  I am worth this investment and I am going to make it work!

• What can you do today that will set you up for a great week next week?

tidy up the house and sign up for the course.  

an oracle card from my deck

OK I decided to use an oracle card set that I made on a retreat in Glastonbury about 2 years ago. It was intuitively made and doesn't have the same set of characters. I got a card - which I hope to post here if my sync from phone to computer works! - so I need to interpret it myself. It has the words "hear" on it. And an intense looking eye in the top right hand corner. And a figure, which is kind of male and looks a bit like a monk. He is calm and patient. there is also a bright lights and red five pointed star in the bottom left hand corner. I take it that here, my guide is a calm patient spiritual person. Who can hear me. He is a listener and he sees with burning intensity from a slightly outside of himself perspective. The watcher takes no bullshit and there is no escape, but my guide is calm and unfazed. He is from Africa. There is my emblem of the star (my favourite shape) and this is lit with bright lights. So I feel safe and sparkly, even though the terrain is quite barren and unforgiving. He is a desert walker. Under the night sky and burning sun. He is quiet. He hears everything.

(sync bloody upside down - next time. posting imperfect)

I drew him calling for a guide for the next few months. I have no idea what this means right now. Listen carefully to the world around you. Be quiet and listen.

Alternatively on a page - which prompted me to use this deck in the first place. I went and read it properly and in it, it said to go to her page and put in birthday details and it generated a card for me, to be a guide for my stage of life. And that card was the sun. And it means all sorts of good things about shining and the world meeting me by shining back at me. I like it.

I not much used to Oracle cards. I am not sure what to do with it all. But I enjoyed looking at my desert sage character.