The Importance of an Art Practice

First I would like to apologize. Life outside of my art practice has been a little out of sorts and sometimes when situations like this come up, the art practice needs to take a back seat until everything else in life gets sorted. I was to post this blog on the first of July but that was just not possible. I’m pleased to be able to post his blog before the end of the month and hopefully the content in it that I share with you, will explain the busyness of my life. I share this information to give you a realistic example of my life as a creative and how I try to find a balance between the professional and private parts of life. Sometimes they crossover or one side needs more attention than the other but that is just life. 

 Last summer I turned 40. It’s a significant milestone that causes most people to react in one of several ways. Some are horrified, in disbelief and “Not Ready” to be forty because to them, that means they are getting old. Often this reaction occurs because they expected to be in a certain position or to have reached specific goals by this point in their life and they have not yet achieved it. Owning your own home, having a family, a successful career, or achieving a certain kind of lifestyle, are common goals that people hope to reach by the age of 40. 

Other people are reflective and they look back on their past. Evaluating their life up to this point - what they have learned, their life experiences so far, what they know, and what they want. They also think about the future and what’s ahead. This often leads to answering the question - what do I want to do with the rest of my life? (however long that might be). Many of these reflective people realize that time is short. The first forty years has gone by pretty quickly, and that means at least half of their life is over. They often realize there is no more time to waste and now is the time to do whatever it is that they had always wanted to do in life. To go after their version of happiness, whatever that means to them, as each individual is different. I have heard people say that turning 40 was a wakeup call and it was a significant turning point in their life. 

Many people that I know who are over forty have stories of how this was a pivotal year in their life and they took a chance and made the change that led them to the better life they are living today. There are many inspiring real life examples of famous people who made a change late in life to succeed in obtaining the life they dreamed of.  For example Vera Wang, the famous fashion designer, worked in the fashion industry as an editor for Vogue for 17 years and then with Ralph Lauren for 2 years, before she decided to launch her own independent brand of bridal wear at the age of…you guessed it, 40! Today she is a well-known American fashion designer who started her company designing bridal gowns, but has since expanded into designing many other collections including home, fragrance, spirits, accessories such as eyewear and jewellery, as well as other fashion collections to name a few. And she has done very well for herself.

For me 40 was just a number, but I was also one of these reflective people. I have been doing a lot of thinking about my past, life up to this point, what I want to do and where I want to be in the future. I want to be happy, healthy, and I want to do what I love for as long as I possibly can. But sometimes life just happens to you and somethings are out of your control. For me forty has been a really tough year, definitely a year of transformation and change. It has tested my abilities to adapt as I have had to adjust to so much change in just one short year.

At first, it began on a positive note with a trip to Montréal with my best friend (see blog post for more). I love travelling and hope to do much more in the future. Just before my 40^th birthday I started the process of having my teeth straightened. I have always had one or two crooked teeth, but my bottom teeth suddenly became overcrowded and were so close together, I could no longer floss properly. Straightening my teeth meant wearing a twin blocks expander for 8 months before getting Invisalign to wear for another 38 weeks. There have been lots of dental appointments for adjustments, check ups, and cleanings every 3 months, not to mention brushing your teeth after everything that you eat or drink, except for water. I am nearing the half way point with Invisalign. This process will last until at least December of this year, if all goes to plan.

This year has also tested many of my relationships. I have gone through some significant ups and downs with some of those who I considered to be closest to me. In some cases it has created a stronger bonds between us with an understanding that I will be there for them when they are in need, and they will do the same for me. While others have become distant and do not reciprocate those feelings. I discovered that the relationship was not as strong as I once thought. I have learned who I can and can’t depend on. It was a hard lesson, but one I will never forget.

Speaking of loss, it was earlier this year that I learned that our family summer vacation home suffered catastrophic damage during the winter and is completely gone. This place has been in the family for several generations. It has always been there for as long as I have been alive and I always felt like this place was home, not to mention it was my happy place. I have many happy memories spent with some very special people, many of which are no longer with us. It was strange to experience the wave of grief that has come from this. It is even stranger to not be there during the summer, as it is something I look forward to every year. And so this summer, I feel lost and out of place.

Over the last few months several family members have died, have become ill or are in poor health… myself included. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have much of anything... And it certainly impacts your quality of life. Illness is difficult to deal with, as is watching those you care about suffer. For me, I had not been feeling well for some time. Over the past few years I struggled with feeling unwell and having cold like symptoms on and off, but it wasn’t a cold. I had been to see so many doctors last year that I lost count of the number of different doctors I saw and all the appointments I went to. None of these doctors could help me or tell me what was wrong, and it all came to a head when I saw an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist who spent 5 minutes looking me over before dismissing my symptoms by saying, "everything looks fine… it’s probably JUST ALLERGIES". It was then and there I decided to give up on western medicine and try something different. I knew something was wrong and I knew this was NOT just allergies.

I found a wellness clinic and began seeing a naturopath. It turns out after years of taking a medication I was prescribed after being diagnosed with GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), This medication, which reduces stomach acid, led to improper food digestion causing poor gut health and other digestive issues that created the perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria to grow out of control and causing me major discomfort. Finally I had answers to the root cause of my problem and a doctor who knew how to treat it, and naturally. 

After 10 plus years of taking the medication that caused this problem, it wasn’t going to be an easy, quick fix. It has been a long road to recovery, with lots of doctor appointments. I take many different vitamins, supplements, amino acids, etc. in combination with a strict diet, and a strict schedule of when to take meds, eat food, exercise, and get enough sleep. As you might have guessed this medical treatment is not covered under the government healthcare system and it is expensive. In addition to this, any and all my free time is dedicated to learning, researching and educating myself on what is wrong and what to do about it, as well as preparing my meds, finding recipes, preparing meals that follow my diet, and getting enough exercise. It has turned my world upside down and has been a major learning curve to adjust to a new routine that caters to improving my health. At times it has been frustrating, hard to adjust, and mentally taxing. Many times I felt I was doing something wrong because I was still in pain and I just wanted to give up because I thought it wasn’t working. I lost a lot of weight, experienced an increased amount of hair loss, I felt bloated, had a burning sensation in my gut after meals and so much more. I am pleased to say that I am now noticing improvements. Although I am not yet 100% well, I am starting to feel better with less symptoms. I’m glad that my health is improving a little bit every day, and that I didn't give up.

Lastly to top it all off, I found out earlier this month that my position at the art museum will terminate in a few short months…Yes, I will be losing my job. For almost 5 years I have had the best job. I love the work I do, and the people that I work with. I am the kind of person who puts all of themselves in the work they do. My life is my work and my work is my life. It is my passion and I just love it, and that’s all I want to do. Getting this news was a tough pill to swallow. I am going through all the emotions that you do when you lose a job, it’s a lot like grief. There is the initial shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, frustration, fear, worry and the list goes on. I don’t know what I will do or where I will end up, but all I can do for now, is hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

I mentioned briefly that all this has been mentally taxing. It’s enough to make anyone go insane. There were moments where I thought I might suffer a nervous breakdown and didn’t know how I would get through it all.  But then I did something that I haven’t done in a long time, I forgot all about it, and when I did it, it made a world of difference. I MADE ART! I edit old photographs and post them to my social media every once and a while, but I haven’t actually made anything in a very long time. Then I took some photos, put together an exhibition of my photography, framed some artwork, and began to plan my next show. This helped me escape the chaotic state that my life is currently in and for a moment I could forget everything and focus only on creating. It was a much needed escape from the world outside my art practice. I found peace, calm, clarity, and even happiness. This was a reminder of why I fell in love with making art in the first place. Without sounding too dramatic, I definitely feel like my art practice has saved me, and I realize why it is so important in my life. So, as difficult as it is to make time for it right now, my art practice is necessary, particularly for my mental health and overall well being. I should also mention that the support of family and friends also makes a big difference. It’s so helpful to be able to talk to someone who can just listen, give advice, or just be there for you to help in any way they can. I am so grateful to have my family and friends who have supported me through all this, and I thank you all so much.

So I seem to be in a position where so many other inspirational stories of people in their forties once were. I would consider this to be pretty much rock bottom (at least I hope it is because I don’t know how much more I can take) and I have nowhere to go but up. The question is where will I go and what will I do? My birthday is coming up in just a few short weeks and I will be looking forward to putting the big 4 - 0 behind me, I only hope that 41 will be a much better year than the last. I am already starting to see some positive signs. My health is improving, my teeth are getting straighter every day, and now I need to regroup and figure out what my future will look like. Do I look for a new job at another art gallery? Do I focus on my art practice and try to find gallery representation? Or do I go for something entirely different? Only time will tell.

One of my studio sessions earlier this month was editing some images from a trip I took back in 2023. These photographs are of Camden Town and include shots of Camden Market, as well as the culture and creativity that thrives there (which is pretty fitting for this blog as I illustrate the importance of having an art practice). The photo galleries are below for you to flip through. I hope you enjoy, and if you have never been, I encourage you to visit Camden Town in North London, England, it is sure to give you inspiration.

Camden Town Street Art

Camden Town

Camden Market