Let it go

Eighteen months ago, my little studio had a big make over. I emptied and sorted everything and in the process found a LOT of old work. Twenty-five years’ worth of work in fact. Some of it went straight into the dustbin, other pieces held more of an attachment and so I squirreled them away in boxes and hid them under beds, in wardrobes, up in the loft, under the dining room table… you get the idea!

Although my studio felt like a much nicer place to work, I realised that my huge back-catalogue of work weighed heavily on me and stifled me in moving forwards.

It has hindered my:

- productivity (if I made something new where would I put it?)

- motivation (what’s the point in making anything new when I already have so much?)

- confidence (does anyone actually want it?)

- security (what if I can’t create anything new?)

And so, I have come to the conclusion that I need to let it go.

Giving it all away isn’t perhaps the most logical thing to do in the middle of a cost of living crisis, common sense would say that I should be selling what I can and making a little bit of money, so why have I made that choice? Part of my motivation is to raise funds for The British Heart Foundation, but that isn’t the whole story. I’m not such a hero, the truth is that I’m doing this for myself…

- Because I don’t want to make decisions based on fear of not having enough and of anxiety about the future.

- Because I sense I’m stuck in a kind of bottle-neck or log-jam and to move forward I need to let go of the things I'm hoarding.

- Because I think I need to do it gladly and freely, to release this body of work into the world with joy and with my blessing, as a celebration.

- Because, in this current climate I think it’s even more important to be generous.

And my final reason, and for me it is the most important reason, is that in doing this I am acknowledging that God is the One who inspires me, gives me inspiration and opportunities, and holds my future.

I am sensing a new season and I am excited.