The Summer holidays are well underway, the annual juggling act of providing enough daily snacks to feed a football stadium and entertainments to stave off the cries of ‘I’m bored’ begins.
That dreaded click of the fridge door and call of ‘There’s nothing to eat’ because the fridge has rudely refused to offer up a 3 course fully prepared meal at their bidding – Heaven forbid that they may have to actually cook something……
It’s every parent’s story. Each year we strive to make sure that we can provide a holiday of memories whilst ignoring the sulks when we don’t produce a waterpark complete with carnival in the garden, on a daily basis.
Whether it’s in the form of a holiday away from home, day trips or precious time given to our families, there’s a call upon our energy 24/7 – and when we’re trying to balance work into that mix, the desire for a child-free log cabin or beach on a silent wine retreat is overwhelming [or is that just me!]
Finding the balance is tough, having the energy to balance it, is even tougher, especially on the days when the sun seems to burn all good intentions away. I don’t know if you do this, but I wake up early each morning with the energy of a small child to a day full of promise and hope. That lasts about an hour before it evaporates under the weight of tired!
And to add insult to injury, we’re already being bombarded with back-to-school adverts, reminding us of the financial drain ahead…. the school uniform battle. If, like me, you leave it a bit too late sometimes, the selection reminds you of the supermarket shelves during covid. No shoes left in your kid’s sizes [who keeps buying the right foot shoes], only the skirts and trousers they ‘hate’ left, and don’t even get me started on the one lonely schoolbag with a broken zip left hanging on a peg.
Still, the sun is shining, we’re healthy and have each other to argue with…..
Underneath all of the chaos and suncream, I’ve been working quietly in the evenings to keep my creative going. So, what have I been up to?
Well, I’ve been working on the illustrations for the next Bear book, it’s been a while and I must admit to having a bit of writing fatigue. I need to switch my writing time to the early mornings again, I’m far more productive before the after-lunch slump! But it’s well underway, so hopefully it won’t be much longer now…..
I have hundreds of lines of poems that randomly come to me when I least expect it. I jot them down on pieces of paper, in my phone, or I swear I’ll remember them [I usually don’t] At some point I’ll bring them together and like a jigsaw, the pieces will fit.
Having my stall at craft fairs has been an amazing experience, I love meeting customers and hearing their feedback on my paintings, books and jewellery. I even had one visitor to my stall who came wearing jewellery she’d bought from me previously, that felt so special. Meeting other creatives and seeing their beautiful work is an inspiration and something that I would encourage anyone to do – get out there, have a conversation and see what we each do, it’s amazing!
Of course, I’m painting a lot. I have a commission piece I’m working on [no spoilers] and I’ve been quite nervous about it. Getting it right is vital, honouring your customers vision and keeping true to what you do, is another juggling act- and one that needs fine balance.
I’m also working on something bigger, something I’m sooooo excited about but I can’t tell you about that one…. Just yet!
So, wherever you are, just know that you’re doing an amazing job – yes, it’s a struggle sometimes but make sure that you find the time to make yourself smile about something, no matter how big or small a smile is, it’s still a smile – and it’s yours.
