The thought of "starting again" as an artist always felt a little strange to me. It’s as though creativity has always run like an invisible thread through my life, quietly connecting moments and experiences in unexpected ways. So when I say "starting again," I’m really talking about shifting focus and priorities—something that I believe many artists, or anyone with a creative soul, can relate to at some point in their journey.
I studied art at university with the clear intention that it would always be a key part of who I am. It was never just a passion—it was going to define my life. After graduation, I found my place in the art community, participating in exhibitions and projects, feeling connected and inspired by the work of others. I was an artist. I was creating. It felt like I was living my truth. But then life shifted.
I moved to a new place, took a job away from the art world, and the creative practice I once lived and breathed slowly slipped further into the background. I won’t lie—my confidence took a hit. I wasn’t making art as I once had, and that space, that regular practice, was lost. But here’s the thing: my desire to be creative never truly disappeared. It morphed and took different forms.
In place of painting and drawing, I turned to curating my home, learning modern calligraphy, arranging shop window displays—anything that allowed me to create in small, meaningful ways. I would find myself chasing that spark of creativity, always feeling like I needed to make something, anything. And then, during a particularly insightful conversation with my acupuncturist, I voiced a feeling that had been growing for some time: *"I feel like I’m losing the art within me."*
His response was simple but profound: "Creativity ebbs and flows. It’s always inside you, even when it feels dormant." This gave me a glimmer of hope. It wasn’t gone; it was just waiting for the right moment to emerge again. And that moment eventually came.
Of course, life didn’t slow down to make space for my art practice. In fact, it became even more complex. There were unexpected jobs, the arrival of my wonderful daughter, profound loss and grief, and a big move to a new place. But looking back now, I see that all of these experiences—every twist and turn—were part of the bigger picture. They provided the inspiration, the internal dialogue, and the questions that now inform my work. They were the stepping stones, leading me back to art.
So, here I am. Back at it. Perhaps not in the way I imagined years ago, but in a way that feels more authentic, more grounded, and more connected to my own life’s narrative. I now see that those years of diversion were not a loss of creativity, but rather a time of growth, reflection, and preparation. Sometimes, your focus needs to shift in order for your soul to gather the experiences, lessons, and inspiration that will eventually fuel your next creative phase. It’s like a quiet brewing of ideas, quietly simmering in the background, waiting for the right time.
And this is the message I want to share with anyone who feels disconnected from their creativity right now: *the creative seam is always running through you*. Even if it feels buried or dormant, it’s there, gently pulsing with the potential to be tapped into when the time is right. You’re never starting from scratch—you’re just shifting gears, re-aligning your focus.
Isn’t that a comforting thought? That creativity is within you, always there, ready to flow when you carve out the space for it. And when you do, it will emerge more powerful than before, enriched by everything you’ve lived and experienced along the way.
So, if you find yourself at a creative crossroads, or feel like you’ve lost your way—remember, it’s not about starting from the beginning. It’s about allowing your creativity to find its rhythm again, trusting that the journey, however winding, has been preparing you for this next chapter.
Your art is always with you—waiting, patiently, for when you’re ready to bring it back into focus. And that is, without a doubt, the most beautiful part of the creative process.