Around here lately...

Hello there! It has been such a busy few weeks for me that I'm not sure where to begin. I have spent a lot of time setting up and creating my new Etsy store, which has been huge for little ol' me! I'm sure for many people this would be a relative straight forward and quick process, but for me it meant many hours of adjusting photos, re-taking photos (I'm quickly establishing that I am not a photographer!), re-writing, re-wording and re-organising. It has definitely been a learning process - one I nearly gave up on - but I made it, so if you would like to take a peek you can find it over here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MeredithMallin. (Of course this is still early days so stay tuned for more additions over the coming weeks and months - and I'll have a special offer for you soon too!)

Sweet Pods - 5" x 7"

In my studio I've been busily finishing some of my teeny tiny pieces - I hadn't realised how comfortable I had become working on larger canvases where there is more room for playing with texture, colour, shape and size (funny I feel that way considering only at the beginning of the year the thought of a LARGE canvas was overwhelming!). These small canvases were quite a challenge at times - but I also had a lot fun with them too and it gave me a new perspective on letting go - I literally HAD to let go of something if I wanted to add anything else purely because there was no space left!

Dragonfly Love - 7" x 5"

 I love the little lessons that the moments of pure frustration bring - I think if it all came with 100% ease and comfort and knowing I would be missing the point entirely. Just like life, I think we need to face the things that make us squirm to be able to grow and evolve...that's when we can really find our strength in it's most authentic form. It is interesting how as humans we have this urge to always seem like we KNOW - and we do most of this 'knowing' with our heads rather than with our intuition - whether it's knowing information, which direction we'll go, how to handle difficult phases in life, how to contain emotion... how to appear 'together' and in 'control' - so what would happen if we let go of this 'need to know' and just accepted the unknown? I suspect that it would become a whole lot easier to listen to our intuition without all that other noise.

New Life 24" x 24"

I don't think I realised how hard this path could become sometimes - the pressure to have 'everything together' and for life to tick all the right boxes can become such a very loud and overwhelming noise... and I've definitely been feelin' that lately. So, I wanted to make a mention of how grateful I am for all of the support I've been surrounded with week after week. It has really become so apparent how much the tiniest little snippet of positive feedback can mean - these are like little sacred gifts from the universe! It seems that every time I feel myself struggling or feeling overwhelmed these little gifts are offered to me (at the most perfect time) and I'm encouraged to pick myself up and move along. Even writing this blog at times seems, to be honest, a bit ridiculous - but I'll keep on sharing this because of the chance that there may be someone else who needs to know that they aren't the only one thinking "really? Me? I can do this?" - (Because, yes, you can!). And I'm making a conscious choice to believe that myself until my head catches up with what my heart already knows- because it's all about believing in the unknown...right? 

And just before I go, here is a quote to encourage you along incase you are feelin' it too...

"I know that life is hard, and there there's a crushing pressure to just settle down and get a real job and khaki pants and a haircut. But don't. Please don't. Please keep believing that life can be better, brighter, broader, because of the art that you make. Please keep demonstrating the courage that it takes to swim upstream in a world that prefers putting away for retirement to putting pen to paper, that chooses practicality over poetry, that values you more for going to the gym than going to the deepest places in your soul. Please keep making art for people like me, people who need the magic and imagination and honesty of great art to make the day-to-day world a little more bearable. And if, for whatever reason, you've stopped- stopped believing in your voice, stopped fighting to find the time-start today."
-Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines 

Whatever it is that you love to do... I hope you start today. 

xx