Permission to move slowly
Life lately
Hello,
It feels like ages since I’ve written here… and I think I said the same thing when I last wrote at the end of April. I wrote about keeping up the momentum with my sketchbooks and with drawing, and with writing here. But, both of these things have fallen by the wayside. Life has been a bit hectic. Here I am trying to get back on the horse.
Somehow it’s July already. Everything is finally lush and green and abundant, as I knew it would be. I’ve been working two part-time jobs - one which I have been doing for nearly 10 years now (yikes), at the wonderful Curiouser in Edinburgh. The other I’ve been doing for about 6 weeks, at a very lovely farm (a bit closer to home) in the Trossachs. They have a herd of goats, a market garden, holiday lets, and they also make ice-cream. I’ve mostly been helping with the ice-cream making (and scooping), along with various other tasks around the farm. I love my farm days and it’s been really good to push a bit outside of my comfort zone, meet new people (and goats), and do something completely different. I think I’ve really needed it.
I’d also highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area this summer! Find out more here.
Keeping on top of commission work, housework, dog walks and appointments has meant that much of my personal work has shifted further down on the to-do list. And that’s OK. Even though I’d just really begun to feel like I was getting somewhere, I think it’s been a good thing to have a bit of a step back from it all. I was starting to feel a bit disappointed that I hadn’t kept up the momentum, but then I decided to give myself permission to move slowly. What’s the rush anyway?
It’s OK if I take my time. If I move as a slow as a sloth or a snail. If I take time to breathe, to do something else, to reflect. To pause.
In doing this I think it can help to gain perspective, to come back and look at things differently, and often with more clarity. The key thing is coming back; not giving up. That can be one of the hardest things to do as a creative person.
I really loved the post linked below, on the idea of falling behind being a good thing. Taking your time instead of rushing on ahead. Looking, thinking, observing.
So, what next?
I’m feeling a bit more settled in my new weekly routine, and my hours at the farm will be reducing a little when my husband is away for work and I need to be home more to look after Jeffers. I’ll have more time to spend in the studio again, and I’m feeling excited about that. I want to pick up where I left off, diving back into my sketchbooks, and starting to move on to the next part of the process. I think that will be making some small studies and experiments based on my sketches.
I did manage to get out with my sketchbook a couple of times in April & May, so here’s a peek at some of those pages…
In other news
There was a scarecrow competition in our village (like something you might see in Stars Hollow). Jeffers wasn’t too sure about our new resident (she’s still there now and still gives me a fright when we walk past).
We missed seeing the Northern Lights, but we did get to see this stunning flash of pink as the sun set over Ben Lomond a couple of weeks ago. I think that’s a pretty good alternative. Very lucky to have this view from our house!
Here are a couple of recent pet portraits too - a sausage dog called Bertie, and a cat called Goblin. I’m open for commissions as usual, so do get in touch if you were thinking of getting a pet portrait.
Oh, one final note (if anyone has got to the end!), I’m going to temporarily close my online shop next Monday. So if you want anything, now is your chance! I’ve said this before but I really mean it this time, I am discontinuing all the prints on there (except maybe the fox…) so it really is your last chance to get them!
See you next time,
Fiona
Love this and your message that it’s okay to ‘fall behind’ really resonated with me. I too posted my first post since April yesterday so this felt really fitting. Thank you ☺️