We ran away to the seaside; it’s my most favourite place. My little bird adores caravan life and I adore the lack of WIFI and simple days that slip through our fingers in a blur of sandy toes and treasure hunting. It’s where we all unravel a bit, worrying less about what we are wearing and thinking so much more about what beach snacks to pack and where the tide sits.

It’s where I really truly stop and breathe deep, sitting still and watching the world go by. A rare and beautiful thing that we should all likely make so much more time for. Navel gazing, reading books and realising all of the wonder beneath our feet. And there it was. In plain sight.

When I was small there was a magician called the Great Soprendo, who seemed to make magic in the blink of an eye and a piff paff pooofff.

This is how I feel about the past few weeks. Jam-packed weeks with so much learning and thinking and trying and testing and teasing out of ideas. I am a little overwhelmed in truth and feeling a pinch out of my depth (which is where true growth lies right?)

I have been on the most magical adventure as part of my Arts Council Wales Create Award this summer and I honestly can’t quite believe it most days.

Especially the day I met the awe inspiring Ellen Bills at Nomad Letterpress and the serendipitous meeting of Jenny Stringer who happened to live next door.

I am incredibly grateful to have been awarded a Create Award by Arts Council Wales to develop and expand my emerging letterpress skills by working with specialist creative mentors to develop new ideas connected to public spaces within my community.

My research project hopes to deepen and extend my ideas and paperworks through exploration and collaboration; placing value on communal exchange and the simple wonder of learning something new. It’s honestly dreamy stuff and feels like a ‘pinch-me’ moment to have this time, space and incredible expertise at my fingertips.

This month I have a gathering of new paper works and prints available to buy and on show at Made of Place, a small (but beautiful) exhibition of works at Emerald Frames and Gallery in Chalfont St Peter.

The exhibition quietly explores place and belonging. How we interpret our landscapes, memories and communities that shape our identity, from a variety of artistic persepctives. A group show, it features exquisitely talented female artists Ali Mackie, Jacqueline Ford, Josie Clouting and me.

I had a GREAT conversation with another Artist last week, who is mentoring me through some (big-and-moderately-scary) applications that I have my sights on this year. It was one of those conversations that felt effortless and flowed. I felt very much in the moment, because it was easy and honest, and will hopefully lead me to where I want to go. The sense of freedom in our chatter seemed to unlock some of the words that I can often find hard to describe my practice. The why and what’s-it-all-about stuff kinda stuff. And the seemingly simple things that come up again and again.

I’ve been thinking a lot about words lately. The words we say and what they mean. Words that sit in between spaces. The power of words to harm or to heal. A kind word. A thoughtful word. The right words at the right time.