Barbara Gray Blog

And here we are — Day 31. Every Artist Starts Somewhere. Yes, it’s the very same affirmation we started with, and that feels exactly right. Because 31 days ago, somewhere was the beginning; today, somewhere is a completely different place. We’ve played, experimented, made mistakes, discovered things, gone with the flow, tried new ideas and, most importantly, we’ve kept showing up. So perhaps this isn’t really the end at all — it’s another starting point. Thank you so so much…

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My hands can make great things. And today we’re getting right back to the heart of what this Arty Challenge is all about: getting with our hands and seeing what happens! I’ve used the lovely Elementree leaf stamps for today’s artwork, building up those simple leafy shapes and letting the colours do their thing. And actually, this one couldn’t be better timed, because those leaves would work beautifully with our brand-new Nature’s Palette Card Collection, which we launched yesterday as…

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My ideas are worth exploring. As are yours! That’s the important bit here. This affirmation isn’t about my ideas being particularly clever or worthy — the “my” belongs to each and every one of us. It’s about trusting those little creative nudges that pop into your own head and being willing to follow them, without immediately judging whether they’re good enough or whether they’ll work. Today’s little arty session, using Sam Crowe’s fabulous fishy stamps, is a proper don’t overthink…

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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 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 14 – I Will Get Creative With My Hands I must say this nearly every single time I’m on TV: getting creative with my hands is how I switch off my head. And for me, that really is the crux of everything. I have never been very good at doing nothing. My brain simply doesn’t stop. It thinks, plans, worries, works things out, jumps ahead, goes backwards — you know the drill! But give my hands something creative to…

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Day 13 – Every Day Is A Chance To Create Hi there. Day 13 already! And today’s affirmation really does sum up what this August Arty Challenge is all about: Every Day Is A Chance To Create. You don’t need a whole free afternoon, a perfectly tidy craft room or some brilliant idea before you begin. Sometimes twenty minutes is enough. Sit down, pick up a pen, a stamp, a brush – whatever takes your fancy – and just make…

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Day 12 – I Am Proud Of Myself Hi there. Today’s affirmation might feel a little uncomfortable to some of us: I am proud of myself. But being proud of yourself isn’t about being big headed, showing off or thinking you’re better than anybody else. Not at all. It’s simply about acknowledging how far you’ve come, what you’ve achieved, what you’ve overcome – and perhaps giving yourself a little credit for once! We’re often very quick to praise other people…

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Hi there Thanks for stopping by again. So glad you are enjoying our August Arty Challenge! It’s been uplifting for me personally, to see so much lovely daily affirmation card art popping up all over Facebook! You can always post your art in our AUGUST CHALLENGE GALLERY, on Clarity Worldwide. Today’s challenge card? Creativity lives within me. And you. I truly believe that creativity isn’t something reserved for artists. It’s something we all have. Sometimes it just gets buried beneath…

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