Why am I writing a blog?

“I'm no good with words”… that's what I've always believed. I was encouraged by my teachers to avoid subjects with a written focus, I find reading difficult and often struggle to express my opinion in conversation.

Recently God has challenged me on this, that as a child of God this lie spoken over me has no hold and no place. He is inviting me into a fresh season of creativity, and words are to be embraced in this… poetry, song writing, blog writing… so here goes!

I am currently emerging from being a 'stay at home mum' (now Esme, our youngest of 3 has started school), like a butterfly from it's chrysalis ready to flourish and fly. I launched my business Flourish & Fly in 2013 (which you can read about here) starting with crochet and photography. Now I have more space and time I'm seeking to develop as a fine artist.

I'm learning to paint and wondered if you would like to join me on the journey.

Paint can be immediate, messy, expressive, big, intricate, layered, patterned and colourful. I want to explore these things and find my voice, my own song within it.

I'm doing things in a rather odd order. I went to art foundation college, trained as an art teacher but never got taught how to paint! Over the past few years I've had a growing desire to express myself in prayer and worship to God visually. Tacking sugar paper to the cupboard doors at church on a Sunday and sketching led to a weekend at David's Tent last summer where I painted on my first canvas, this was followed by an invitation at the start of this year, to paint at the front of City Church as part of the worship team once a month. I've found myself painting in public before actually learning how to paint!!

David's Tent

City Church

So I've got myself a painting coach. Pattie Ann Hale who Skypes me from America once a week. And I've started on my journey of discovery.

One of the things that God has stirred in me (alongside my own creative development) is a passion to equip and encourage creativity in others. I believe that creativity is something very close to God's heart and such a fundamental part of his character. It's multifaceted, taking different forms in each of us. It engages with our hearts and minds in different ways, adding dimension, taste, depth, texture, richness and revelation. It aids our expression, our understanding, our memory, our relaxation, our connection to others, going beyond language, beyond reason and beyond the normal limitations of age and culture.

So another hope of mine in starting this blog is that as people follow me on my journey of learning to paint, learning to find my creative voice, they will be in some way inspired in their own walk.