Releasing your creative soul

Before slightly holding your breath....

I have long since thought of artists as quite brave folk. They release their inner creative thoughts to the world and then there is that period of breath holding until the early feedback comes in. I have lost count of how many new collections I have released but the holding of the breath remains the same. Just occasionally, the stakes seem really high and this is because the initial investment has been deeper. Sometimes work will bubble up from deep within my subconscious mind having rattled around there for some time. In these instances it seems more important that someone, anyone likes the work. I work with the singular. If one person has been moved by my work I can breathe again and move on. I call it my ‘going back into my studio’ time. I wander back into the studio feeling a sense of achievement that frees me to move on.

I have never played the numbers game. I never know how many subscribers or likes I have. I am just not interested enough. My interest lies in doing the best I can to contribute to the environmental art movement where folk use their art to tell important stories.

The Lost World collection released last week aims to do just that. It is a small, but significant, celebration of native forest regeneration on the small scottish island I call home. It has been a hard road to watch the felling of healthy plantation trees but in the few years this project has been going we can already see the difference. The reintroduction of native trees has fed the biodiversity on the island and encouraged species to start to flourish. There is still much to do on the island but I think it is important to celebrate the small wins and note the progress.

So I have noted it and held my breath and I am now ‘back in my studio’ developing this collection further. The feedback has exceeded my expectations as I did wonder if this collection was too personal and, possibly, too abstract. I tapped into how the forest walks make me feel which is always a wee bit tricky. Others might not get it….. However, folk have got it and most of the larger pieces have now found forever homes. Textile pockets full of forest inspired contents, studio sets to inspire, handmade journals, tassels and brooches and more have all found their shelf space in my Etsy store and our wee island post office has been kept busy. I have already de-listed a couple of things that I simply can’t part with and that is not uncommon for me!

So, once again I have put myself out there to be judged and come through the process well but it never gets any easier. I am not sure how many new collections I have left in me but I do have the feeling that Lost Worlds might stand well alongside my signature collection ‘Heather Moorlands’. Only time will tell me this…..

I am off to pop the kettle on before wandering back into my studio. Until next time, sending love

Fiona xx