Blog Hop.

I have been asked by Anna of Anna's Drawing Room to take part in Blog Hop, it was just the little nudge I needed to do a blog entry too!

 Anna creates lovely nature inspired lino prints and illustrations and we met whilst doing a craft fair and have stayed in touch since.

 Following on from me I have asked two of my favourite talented ladies Jessica Hogarth and Lisa Stubbs of Lil Sonny Sky.

So here goes...

1. What have you been making at your desk this week?

My weeks are very choppy at the moment I have to admit ( see question 3!) so at my desk this week I have been preparing files for a recent licensing project  (above).

Working on a new range of cards for I Drew This :)

 I always take photos of my work and then scrutinise them when I get home, something about seeing them off my computer screen helps me to see things differently, and then I make notes for the next time I sit down to work on them...

...and I am currently using the table of the 9.25 Brighton to London Victoria to write this!

I am on my way to the BLE exhibition at Olympia as I am considering exhibiting there next year.

Yay, caught up with some friends at BLE, left- Jo Rose from Deer Little Forest, her gorgeous work is magical and her characters are soon being made into an animated kids TV show and right lovely Libby McMullin and Kali Stileman of The Square Card Co. such talented wonderful ladies.

2. Where am I currently finding my inspiration?

Brighton in general is really inspiring I love looking at what kids/teenagers wear and do with their hair etc.

I have also been working in a friends shop called Small Folk Run, its down on the seafront which is immediately a different and atmospheric place to be and is filled with fab stylish kids clothes from brands like Toots & Macginty, Mini Rodini and Beau Loves.

This has been a great place to observe what both parents and kids are drawn to design wise.

3.How important is being creative to you and how do you blend this with your work/life/family balance?

My mom and dad were both artists, I spent most of my childhood with my mom at her space in art college, lived in a house full of art students, being creative is pretty much ingrained in my life, there is no other way!!

Being freelance means that I can slot my work in and around my daughter and luckily I have in-laws who live in Brighton and a very supportive husband who totally believes in what I am doing so I do spend a lot of time either at my studio, meetings about creative work or meeting fellow local illustrators.

There isn't a single day when I am not doing something creative and that I know will never change, since going freelance nearly 6 years ago I have also had Olive and I didn't take any time off even then, I remember gently putting her down so I could get back to my desk, it all feels pretty intense sometimes but I really believe that you get back what you put in and that the work I put in now will pay off later in life, well, that's the plan!!