Can I ask you something? What’s something you used to love doing that you haven’t touched in years? Painting, doodling, dancing round the kitchen, a hobby you put down when life got busy. It doesn’t matter how long ago, or whether you were any good at it. And here’s the fun bit. If you took yourself on a date, where would you go? It doesn’t have to be art related. In fact, try something that isn’t. The place you like to go, the food you fancy eating, a couple of hours with a massage, or a deep dive in your local charity shop. It’s a thing! 💛 What’s yours? What’s your guilty pleasure? Then block the time off. Put it in the diary, and get your family or partner on board. Mama needs me time. 🙌 No pressure to do anything about it yet. Just name it below. One line is plenty. I’ll go first: Okay, I’ll admit mine are a bit arty... I love a wander around an art gallery or museum, a mooch round an art shop for a new supply I’ve never used before, or a trip to the cinema. 🎬 Go for it!

Hey lovely women, how are you? Not “fine, busy”, I mean really. 💛 This community is still brand new, so I’d love to know how it’s feeling for you so far. No right or wrong answers. Just pop a few words in the comments. 1. How are you finding it here so far? Too much, too little, just right? 2. Which posts have helped you most? The check-in questions, the guilt chat, the 5-minute colour prompt, my story? Or something else? 3. What would you like to see more of? Pick as many as you like: - More 5-minute “get out the scraps” prompts - Worksheets like the Brain Dump to Priorities - Share-your-work-in-progress threads - Little tips on using what you’ve already got - Something else, tell me! 4. What’s getting in the way of making time for you right now? Even one word is fine. It helps me work out what would actually help. I read every single answer. I can’t promise to do everything at once (I’m building this around work and family too), but what you tell me really does shape what comes next. Thank you for being here. Go for it. 🎨

My story Can I tell you what art gave me? It let me stop keeping score. After a full day at work, and with caring responsibilities on top, I’d be there late at night, playing and creating my acrylic pours. Completely absorbed in the act of creating. The canvas didn’t care if I’d had a bad day or a good one. No deadlines. No expectations from anyone else, or from me. It didn’t need to be shared. It didn’t need an outcome. It was just a place I could come to and create for creating’s sake. It relaxed me. It excited me. It gripped me. I could take it seriously or not at all. I could play for hours with colours and patterns, and if something caught my eye I’d follow it and see where it went. And you know what I found at the end of it? Some gems. But that was never the intention. The intention was to play with no expectations. Did I get duds? Of course I did. But it didn’t matter. The bad ones teach you what works and what doesn’t. So how about you? Will you give yourself time to play? Will you give yourself some grace? Can you lose the perfectionism, and the need for an outcome we were taught at school? Tell me in the comments: what would you play with if nobody was keeping score? 🎨