New Studio at Coachwerks

It was not an easy decision but I moved studios back at the start of March. Don't get me wrong, I loved working at The Loft, and the people were fab there but the travel was starting to be a hassle, especially over the winter months when it snowed so hard that I physically couldn't get there on the train. It's so frustrating to have a space and not be able to access it. I think I managed something like four days throughout the entirety of January. Not good.

I've been doing Julia Cameron's art therapy course for the last nine weeks

So, I began the search for a new space in Brighton - and finding one is like hen's teeth, it really is. I went through too small, too expensive, too long a waiting list, not for painters, and so on and so on, until finally I found Coachwerks in Hollingdean. I'm still settling in and have yet to move ALL my stuff up there, but it's just enough space for me, the people are nice, and best of all it's within walking distance of my house so even the snow can't phase me! On my agenda this week:

• Move the last of the furniture up to the studio
• Paint, decorate and generally funkify all my furniture so the space itself is mega creative
• Get my working day into more of a streamline with sketchbooks and the like (I'll no doubt write about this)

There ARE reasons for the delay in moving all my stuff in - the dreaded creative block. I had some issues after my cat passed away and some other stuff just kind of piled on top of me and I ended up a bit of a wreck. This is where The Artist's Way came in, and I've been doing Julia Cameron's art therapy course for the last nine weeks - just three more to go! Already it's been fabulous, so this week I'm FINALLY getting the studio sorted and the way I want it, and I have plans - BIG PLANS - for some new artwork and of course, I've started the blog up again. I'll be writing more about The Artist's Way this week - I can't praise it highly enough!

And another thing

Not just for painters like me, Julia Cameron takes you on a mega journey to get your creative spark back.
Buy it here

Fab new Canadian online arts mag - this article on Jean-Michel Basquiat caught my eye! Definitely worth checking out
Find it here

If you're stuck creatively, checking out how other creatives organise their day can be a good bit of lateral thinking
from Brain Pickings