The Art of Getting Side Tracked?
Life as an Abstract Artist: Creativity, Change, and New Beginnings.
Sometimes life has a rather unexpected way of changing direction. And sometimes, when it does, you discover that the new road might actually be a much better fit.
It's been quite a while since my last blog post, a busy, eventful and rather transformative few months for me. There's been art, new friendships, creative experimentation, a few unexpected twists and one rather significant change to my working life. So, I thought it was about time I shared a little of what's been happening behind the scenes.
A summer of art, new friendships and Chelsea adventures
July saw me exhibiting at The Untitled Artists Fair at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London. It was a fantastic experience, not just for the opportunity to showcase my artwork to a new audience, but also for the wonderful people I met along the way.
One of the unexpected pleasures of exhibiting is meeting other artists. There's something rather special about connecting with people who understand the creative highs, frustrations, experiments and occasional moments of wondering what on earth you're doing with a canvas!
I've made some lovely new friends through the experience, and it's been wonderful to find a little creative community along the way. It's a reminder that being an artist doesn't have to be a solitary pursuit.
I've also continued exhibiting regularly at Sker Gallery, nestled within the beautiful surroundings of Kenfig Nature Reserve. It's a lovely setting in which to showcase my work, and I'm grateful to Lorna and Lorraine of Taylor Griffiths Photography for continuing to champion local, Welsh artists and facilitating me in being part of the gallery.
More time to experiment, play and create
Creatively, things have been moving along at quite a pace.
I've been experimenting with different approaches to abstract painting, exploring new styles, textures and ways of building up layers and interest on the canvas.
My creative practice has always been about exploration. I'm interested in the emotional impact of colour, movement, texture and the unexpected things that happen when you allow yourself to experiment without necessarily knowing where a painting will end up. But more than anything, my painting is basically me expressing what I feel inside. Emotions, frustration, joy, happiness, and so on.
I need (we all need) to express what we feel, and this is what my artwork is mainly about. I can physically feel it in my chest and my gut when I haven't been creative, when I have not expressed myself.
Recent projects have included exploring the relationship between sound and visual art through my ongoing, rather unusual cymbal project, as well as developing new abstract work inspired by the changing seasons, nature and the energy that connects us.
My painting time has increased dramatically since the summer, and I'm finding myself much more immersed in the creative process. There's something wonderfully liberating about having the time and headspace to experiment, make mistakes, change direction and see where an idea takes you.
Not every experiment produces a masterpiece (thank goodness for paint and the ability to start again!), but every experiment teaches me something.
An unexpected plot twist: corporate life takes a different direction
Now for the rather big news.
At the beginning of September, I was made redundant from my corporate role as a Quality Assurance Manager in the pharmaceutical industry.
After more than 20 years working in various roles within the corporate world, it was undoubtedly a significant change. But, perhaps surprisingly, I feel genuinely positive about it. Rather than seeing it simply as an ending, I feel within my heart and mind, that this is as an opportunity.
For a long time, I've been juggling a demanding corporate career alongside my artistic practice and other responsibilities. Finding the time and energy to paint hasn't always been easy. I'm now discovering what it feels like to have more space for creativity, exploration and thinking about what I actually want the next chapter of my working life to look like.
And I feel calmer. Much less stressed. More comfortable with the uncertainty of change than I might once have imagined. I'm not suggesting that I have everything worked out, I have a lot less money for sure, but there's a real sense of possibility.
Taking corporate experience into a creative world
One thing I've been thinking about quite a lot is how I might use the skills I've accumulated over more than two decades in corporate life. Quality management, organisation, administration, problem-solving, business processes, communication and business development are all transferable skills. And it occurred to me that there are plenty of independent artists and creative businesses who might benefit from a little help with precisely these things.
Artists are often expected to be everything: the creative, the marketer, the administrator, the salesperson, the website manager, the accountant's assistant and the person who somehow remembers to post something on Instagram! Making art is one thing. Running an art business is quite another.
Perhaps there's an opportunity for me to take the experience I've gained in the corporate world and use it to help other artists spend a little less time wrestling with the business side of things and a little more time doing what they love. I'm beginning to explore the possibility of self-employment in this completely different direction. It's early days, and I'm still working out exactly what that might look like, but it's an idea that genuinely excites me.
Who knows? Perhaps my next creative project won't involve a canvas at all, but helping someone else build their creative business.
So, what's next?
I'm entering a new chapter, and for once I'm not in a particular hurry to define exactly what it needs to look like.
I want to keep painting, experimenting, exhibiting and meeting interesting people. I want to explore new creative ideas and continue developing my own artistic voice.
I also want to investigate how I can use my professional experience to support other artists and independent creatives.
Perhaps the biggest lesson from the last few months is that we don't necessarily have to choose between the different sides of ourselves.
The corporate professional, the artist, the problem-solver and the creative thinker can all exist in the same person. Sometimes it's just a matter of finding a different way to bring them together. For now, I'm enjoying having more time to create, feeling a little more breathing space in everyday life and seeing where this next adventure takes me. There are new ideas bubbling away, paintings waiting to be started and plenty of possibilities still to explore. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes the most interesting things happen when you let go of the plan.
Here's to new beginnings, unexpected opportunities and whatever comes next.
Thank you to everyone who has supported my artwork, visited exhibitions, followed my creative journey and become part of this little artistic community. It means a great deal.
I'll be sharing more of the journey as it unfolds.
Clairey x
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