I am a sensitive and creative soul.  So much of my art is inspired by emotional wellbeing, slow, simple living and mindfulness. That isn't because I am naturally some calm, peaceful, floating Goddess! In fact it is quite the opposite. Inside my head is chaos. Daily chaos. Anxiety, fear and worry unfortunately make up a big part of who I am. But I understand how to manage them. I understand how to bring myself to peace. Nature, gardening, yoga, music, solitude and other slow, mindful practices strengthen the light within me. That is why I paint about them. They are reminders to myself and anyone else who needs them to carve time for these moments that bring us back to peace.

The world is fast and busy and it can feel overwhelming. Slowing down feels like a peaceful act of rebellion. 

Social media is part of the chaos. It fuels the dark cloud. There are light moments speckled throughout these platforms- but most of the experience for me is negative. The dopamine ups and downs, the comparisons, the worrying about what people think and the strange feeling like a moment in my life isn't valid unless I share it on a platform. These feelings were all so much softer, some non existent,  before social media. I remember life without it. I am one of those lucky ones who had a social media free childhood!

For so many years, I have recognised the effects it has on my wellbeing, but felt trapped by it. Partly because I felt I needed it to be an artist (how else do you get your work seen these days?), but also because I, like so many of us, was addicted to it.

I did some research in to ways to free yourself from social media and still make a living as a creative, felt a buzz of energy and temporarily disabled my account.

And now here I am. Embarking upon a year without social media to see if I can be an artist without it. To see what difference it makes to my wellbeing. My hope is that I won't need to ever use it again. Let's see.  

By joining my newsletter, you are helping me break free! 

So thank you friends. Your support means so much. 

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