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LIVING July 6, 2018

THREE DAYS IN PARIS

This was my first time in Paris. I don’t know how I got to 30 and had never been! I’ve been in France 6 times over the past 2 years but I’m a lady always chasing the sun so the south of France is usually where I end up. As this was a special trip I planned everything I wanted to see but left time to wander and explore. You could spend the whole summer in Paris and still find new things but you can definitely see all the highlights in a 3 day trip. Day 1 We arrived fairly early to Paris on the Eurostar and headed straight to our Airbnb. It was the perfect Parisian apartment. It’s owned by a musician and artist and along with a classic french terrace and a massive bathtub it was decorated with lots of modern art and retro furnishings. We loved having…

IN SEARCH OF INSPIRATION

Artists of all kinds are always searching for inspiration. I have found that the more you search the harder it is to find. As a child I just drew things or I made things, I didn’t think about it. Before I knew what inspiration was I drew women all the time, they were usually pregnant or curvy and after many years and one art degree later my subjects haven’t changed much. Painting, creating or making has always been a messy process for me. I can spend hours making a drawing look like a photograph but I prefer to paint what I feel and let the paint and brush strokes be more expressive and organic. Painters have been recreating the female form for thousands of years and I am just one more painter creating how I feel on canvas. Art prints available here.

CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION

We tend to label people “creatives” and “non-creatives” but everyone has the capability in one way or another, we just need to learn to listen to our inner voice and not be discouraged by others. You don’t have to be a successful artist, the best singer, or novelist to be creative. Most of us get told we’re not good at something so we don’t do it anymore, but if you’re curious or interested in something you should see where it leads you. Try a dance class, pottery class, join an amateur choir, throw some paint around or sit in the park and draw what you see. We’ve all become obsessed (myself included) with the hustle and being busy, doing something just because you enjoy it is what life is really about. How do you increase your creativity? Watch the world around you. Try to spend time away from screens and watch…