The journey begins...

This year, in 2024 I've been given the opportunity to explore, experiment and learn more about art and mental wellbeing. I've decided to think of it in terms of an art gap year. After three hard years of setting up and then running a business through a pandemic and then a cost of living crisis, like many, my anxiety levels are running very high.

I want to find out throughout the next 12 months how I can find better, more creative ways to cope with living a sane life in an increasingly anxious and muddling world.

I've set myself some rules, as I've learned from reading about others who have set themselves challenges, that a set of guidelines to keep you focussed and on track is a good idea. As is the idea of declaring my goals from the outset and making myself publically accountable.

Rules of engagement:

1. I've always looked for a 'quick fix' in terms of how I can recover and get better. This period of time isn't about that, it's about slow, and steady, and really exploring ways that take time.

2. Reduce phone use and social media, try to use more analogue methods to break the digital habit.

3. Daily outdoor activities including walking, cycling and gardening.

4. Creating art and creative projects around mental wellbeing throughout the year to see how both process and outcome help.

5. Read books, instead of scrolling.

6. Work with themes, ie words beginning with C (ie contemplate, creative) to see if this can give me guides to follow.

7. Document all my progress, experiments, and failures.

8. I have to be realistic, there are some work committments that I will need to keep, but as much as possible, for the next 12 months, I need to feel, mentally as though I'm on a gap year.