Barbara Gray Blog

Day 26 – August Arty Challenge – I Am Free To Explore And Experiment

26th August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 2 Comments

Art has a wonderful way of taking us places, doesn’t it? Even when we can’t travel for whatever reason, we can still pick up a pencil, a paintbrush or a few inks and let our imagination carry us off to foreign climes. Just think back to our SHAC days during Lockdown! We travelled all over the world together — Japan, Africa, Holland, America, Hawaii — all without leaving home. And that’s where the explore and experiment part comes in too….

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Day 25 – August Arty Challenge – I Will Go With The Flow

25th August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 5 Comments

This one is my favourite so far. And perhaps that’s because I really did just go with the flow — quite literally! With alcohol inks, you can guide them a little, but ultimately they have a mind of their own. They flow, they merge, they wander off in unexpected directions… and rather than trying to control what was happening, I simply worked with it. No fixed plan, no fighting it, no trying to make it look like something I’d already…

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Day 24 – August Arty Challenge – I Am An Artist

24th August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 3 Comments

Well, today’s little arty offering certainly didn’t go according to plan! I had an idea in my head, gave it a go… and it just wasn’t working. So, Plan B it was! And actually, that’s all part of being an artist too. Things don’t always turn out the way we imagined they would, but that doesn’t mean we’ve failed or that we should give up. We change direction, cover something up, add something else, try a different colour, chop a…

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Day 23 – August Arty Challenge – Actually, I Can!

23rd August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 4 Comments

I remember when the kids were growing up, I used to say to them, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way, you’re probably right.” And I still believe that. So often, we decide we can’t do something before we’ve even had a go. I can’t draw. I can’t do that technique. I’m no good with colour. Mine won’t look like that. Sound familiar? But what happens if we change the conversation in our head? What…

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Day 22 – August Arty Challenge – I Allow Myself To Play

22nd August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 4 Comments

I Allow Myself To Play I think sometimes we forget that making art is supposed to be fun! We get so caught up in whether it looks right, whether the colours work, whether we’ve done it “properly”, that all the joy can disappear out of it. So today’s affirmation is a little reminder to loosen up and play. Try the colour you wouldn’t normally choose. Put something where it probably shouldn’t go. Scribble, splodge, stamp, tear, layer — and see…

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Day 21 – August Arty Challenge – Creativity Begins With Curiosity

21st August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 5 Comments

Day 21 – August Arty Challenge – Creativity Begins With Curiosity I reckon curiosity is where most creative ideas start. What if I try this? What happens if I put that with that? What would it look like if I turned it upside down, added some colour, tore it up, stamped over it? In fact, right at the centre of this year’s retreats was a BIG “What if?” session – fun, playful, experimental and completely unpredictable. I LOVED IT! And…

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Day 20 – August Arty Challenge – I’m not afraid to try something New

20th August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 2 Comments

Well, this one couldn’t be more appropriate! Trying something new can feel a bit daunting, especially when we’re comfortable with the things we already know how to do. But that’s where so much of the fun is, isn’t it? You don’t have to be brilliant at something the first time you try it – in fact, you probably won’t be! The important thing is simply being willing to have a go. Yesterday, here at the Retreat, we introduced our second…

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Day 19 – August Arty Challenge – I Enjoy The Process

19th August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 4 Comments

I enjoy the process. And today, that particular affirmation couldn’t be more fitting! Yesterday we waved goodbye to a fantastic, wonderfully creative group after two full-on arty days together, and today we welcome our second bunch of Retreat guests – another really arty crew, I know! There’s a brand new process for them to learn today too, and that really is what this is all about. Not worrying too much about the finished piece, or whether we’ve got it “right”,…

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Day 18 – August Arty Challenge – Believe You Can And You’re Halfway There

18th August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 5 Comments

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. I love this one, because so often the biggest thing standing between us and having a go is that little voice telling us we can’t. I’m not artistic enough. I’m no good at that. Mine won’t look like theirs. Sound familiar? But the minute we change the conversation in our head and think, Actually, why not me? I’ll give it a go, something shifts. You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing,…

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Day 17 – August Arty Challenge – My Creativity Grows Each Day

17th August 2026 Barbara Gray Comments 5 Comments

My creativity grows each day. And I think that’s exactly what happens when we actually use it. The more we make, the more ideas seem to come. One little idea sparks another, we try something different, discover something by accident, and before we know it we’re looking at things with fresh eyes. We’re already on Day 17 of our August Arty Challenge, and today is rather special here at Clarity too, because it’s the first day of our Retreats! So…

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