One thing I often hear when people visit my house is that there is so much to look at, so much to feel refreshed and inspired by. In my living space it's very important for me to have something to rest my eyes on and be inspired by, and in turn, that really helps me to refresh my mind and body so that I can deal with what life throws at me with as much grace as I can muster! One of the reasons why I chose to be an artist is that I wish to fully honour how helpful it can be to have beautiful things to make, to use and to look at, and how essential it is in my life to be connected to nature and to myself. Be it for my yarn art or wall art, when receiving testimonials from people, I am always so pleased and honoured to hear how much my pieces enhance their quality of life and help them to rest, relax, and enjoy time to themselves or with loved ones, with peace, comfort and contentment. In this blog post I will talk about a few ways in which art can greatly contribute to enhancing our ...

As it is Mental Health Awareness Week I take the opportunity to reflect on how crucial mental health is and what in my experience greatly contributes to it. Although I have been deprived of physical health and very limited for most of my life, it was when my mental health was not robust that I suffered the most: the physical problems I face daily are nothing compared to the agony and isolation that lasting emotional pain can bring. I like to face this squarely and be here for myself, because feeling centered and stable is by far the most important thing in my life—no amount of positive circumstances will ever matter to me unless I am stable enough to enjoy them and sustain them. So when do we need to be concerned about our mental health? It's perfectly natural and totally human to experience what we call "negative" emotions, that's simply part of any life experience. There needn't always be a reason for feeling terrible and it need not be "rational" or j...

How to Feel Safer in Times of Uncertainty We never know what life will bring. But sometimes that uncertainty is way more obvious! One of the things I hear most these days is that it is very hard to feel safe "with everything that is going on." Currently many people are experiencing a dip in their focus, motivation, hopes, balance and emotional stability. This is a very interesting opportunity to cultivate a better quality of life, something simple that is always in place to catch us when everything feels too much. It really does not need to cost the earth. Here is how. Finding Rituals T he simpler the better. A dear friend of mine takes afternoon tea every single day and really enjoys that little bit of time to herself. Every evening before bed, I like to read a chapter from a book that will help me to relax, to escape in a beloved world, to think about supportive things, to learn about inspiring lives. I make time to paint most mornings, and to crochet most afternoons. Routi...