Description: It’s New Year’s Eve, and Iris has just found out that her husband, Adam, is cheating on her. Furious, she kicks him out, and enlists her Dad to move in and help with the children whilst she tries to mend her broken heart. But her Dad soon starts to display signs of Alzheimer’s, and Iris realises that if she loses her partner, she’ll be managing an awful lot on her own. Soon, she realises that Adam wasn’t the only one taking their marriage for granted, and for the sake of the children she decides to give him one more...
Welcome to My Creative Notebook, I’ve always been fascinated by the creative process and believe that everyone has their own personal collection of skills and abilities, which just needs time and encouragement to develop.
Finding the time and space to be creative is vital to sustain creativity, one of the most important actions in any day is to seize the moments which sometimes occur when you least expect it; to simply stand and stare, to be inspired by a beautiful view, hear a bird singing, or to watch your family laughing together. Treasure these moments; they form the rich tapestry of living in a creative way.
There are so many amazing sources of inspiration and I hope in this space to share ideas, thoughts, words, books, resources, art, photography, events and interviews, which I hope you will enjoy and find inspiring.
Despite this space being rooted in technology, I see My Creative Notebook as a starting point from which to go and do things!
Conscious Creativity: The Workbook experiment, explore, create – Philippa Stanton
Description: Drawing on the success of her breakout book Conscious Creativity, artist Philippa Stanton dares you to throw away technique and open the door to free creative movement with this hands-on workbook. Acknowledging the power of chance and experimentation, this is a safe space in which to scribble, sketch, tear, scratch, fold, weave – anything that Philippa’s playful prompts inspire you to do. There are no rules here: choose an activity at the back of the book or start at the beginning; pick an exercise on light and shadow, paint your own colour chart or build a collage of found items,...
Expressive Sketchbooks – Developing Creative Skills, Courage, and Confidence – Helen Wells
Description: Expressive Sketchbooks shares a host of creative ideas and prompts, tools and techniques, methods for working around obstacles and barriers, and tons of visual inspiration to help you grow in your sketchbooking practice. An expressive sketchbook is a place for you to explore, express, and enjoy your own innate creativity on your own terms. It is a safe playground for the imagination—a place to mess about, play, and experiment—and to gain confidence in your abilities as you develop your skills. Expressive Sketchbooks offers techniques and creative exercises that incorporate mark making, watercolor, mixed media, collage, words and text, and more....
The Kew Book of Painting Roses in Watercolour – Trevor Waugh
Synopsis: Learn how to create stunning paintings of roses in watercolour that capture the essential beauty of this much-loved flower. Roses have a special place in both art and culture across the world. Published in Association with Kew Gardens, this stunning book teaches you how to capture their character, colour and form in watercolour, and showcases both historical images from the Kew archives and the author’s own extensive collection of inspiring paintings. Guided by watercolour artist and rose enthusiast Trevor Waugh, this book begins with clear explanations of essential watercolour techniques followed by a short project that allows the reader to...
Watercolour Plant Art – 20 prints to paint and frame – Nikki Strange
Synopsis: Learn to paint your favourite botanicals in watercolour through 20 visual step-by-step projects, plus a handy 25-sheet sketchpad with outlines of all the designs A modern twist on watercolour flower painting – learn to paint your houseplants in the comfort of your own home. London-based designer Nikki Strange takes you through 20 highly visual step-by-step projects. New and budding artists can learn to paint beautiful leafy balms, exotic flowers, succulents and more, so you can create a modern artwork that you’ll love to display in your home, use as stationery or proudly give to your friends and family. The process of studying and recreating...
Urban Sketching – Step by Step – Klaus Meier-Pauken
Techniques for creating quick & lively urban scenes Synopsis: Join the growing movement of reactionary artists and learn how to capture our fast-paced world in this inspiring book by popular artist and author, Klaus Meier-Pauken. With useful advice on the basic materials needed, Urban Sketching Step by Step then moves on to honing essential drawing techniques from tone and colour to perspective and composition. The huge collection of creative exercises will help you build your skills, see your surroundings with a new artistic eye and draw lively sketches of your city or town that reflect its character. Whether you are looking...
Photography: History. Art. Technique – Tom Ang
Synopsis: Fully updated and presented in a striking slipcase, this fascinating all-in-one guide introduces you to the art, history, and culture of photography, and shows you how to get the very best from your photographs.A comprehensive guide to all things photographic, Photography opens with a gallery of more than 30 of the key figures in photography, from 19th-century pioneers to famous photographers working today. The gallery provides fascinating contrasts between such diverse genres as art photography, reportage, portrait, and wildlife photography. The book then tells the story of photography, from its “garden shed” beginnings to the rise of the “selfie” today....
Find Your Flow – Sarah Gregg
The Simple and Life-Changing Practice for a Happier YouSynopsis: Flow is an optimal mental state that you can control, create, and experience every day. Once you learn how to master flow, your happiness will flow quickly and effortlessly as you use strategies to gain control over your life, focus on what matters most, and motivate action toward your goals and dreams. In Find Your Flow, life coach and neurolinguistic programming practitioner Sarah Gregg reveals a powerful four-step journal system that can be applied to your everyday life. All it takes is a few minutes a day to help you find your flow...
Hashtag Authentic – Sara Tasker
Finding creativity and building a community on Instagram and beyondSynopsis: In Hashtag Authentic, social media guru Sara Tasker provides tips, advice and guidance on how to turn your personal Instagram account into a profitable creative outlet. Since setting up her Instagram account (me_and_orla) while on maternity leave in 2013, Sara has become a celebrated influencer and iPhoneographer, and through her calm, atmospheric and authentic style has garnered legions of followers. Here, Sara presents the lessons she has learned along the way. Sara’s nurturing voice and enchanting photography provide guidance on: Storytelling, with tips on finding your own visual style and personal...
The Writer’s Creative Workbook: Finding Your Voice, Embracing the Page – Joy Kenward
Synopsis: The Writer’s Creative Workbook is a practical and insightful guide into the joyful craft of mindful writing. Focusing on the transformative process of writing and conscious creativity, this beautifully illustrated part-manual, part-journal explores the holistic value of writing for writing’s sake. Author Joy Kenward invites story-tellers, poets, travel-writers, journalists and letter-writers – in fact anyone curious about the ancient wisdom of mindfulness and its relevance to the modern creative voice – to embrace affirmations, meditations and Buddhist wisdom. With practical exercises and astute notes on dissolving creative block, planning, time, and caring for your words, this is a must-have companion...