Art and Mum Life

Life juggling as we all know it

[charliehiom]

So it has been ages! Now there is some time for reflection and I conclude-I miss being creative. I love teaching art and being a mum indulging in crafts when ever there is a moment to but I NEED to create my own work. I still don’t know what that looks like but I am going to have fun finding out.

[charliehiom]

Planning lessons can be fun.. playing with selective development. Haven’t ex loved dark room work in ages. Loved it!!

[charliehiom]

Training the next generation of designers. Really love it when the boy is genuinely interested in what I do. He sketched, photographed and edited his design making all the decisions!!

[charliehiom]

Does it count? A small amount of creativity happening at home but it helps to get my thoughts together so surely it does count. I tell my students all the time to keep busy, keep making and ideas will flow. The student today was my 2year old and she wasn’t keen on my design efforts, at I was in the moment and that’s what counts.

[charliehiom]

I’m doing it... I’m doing it!!

[charliehiom]

So... I’m a bit late on the ‘New years’ stuff but here goes. I’m workin on a design for a chair that I want to have reupholstered but as I begin this journey I suddenly become aware of just how much I love the creative process of designing. I love the beginning, middle and end of being creative. I never want it to stop. I can not believe it has been a year since my last post and that one was work related!

This year! This year I want to progress. In a blink of an eye everything can be taken away from you.. career, health, loved ones! So why am I not pushing to do the things I love more often? I’m my teaching post I work hard to get to the summer, but that only means another year has passed. I still have more growing to do and I intend to do it. I worked on this design a while back and have made some adjustments. Will reveal all soon. But it’s the start of the process, so i’m enjoying it!

Thanks for reading

[charliehiom]

Day 2. MET. Chelsea market. Time Square. Bubba Gump. (at New York, New York)

[charliehiom]

So.... we are here! NEW YORK NEW YORK! ✈️⚡️#empirestate #wetweatherwontspoilthis #wetweatherspoiltit #funresidentialtimes #aglimpseofawonderproduct (at Hotel Pennsylvania NYC)

[charliehiom]

I can not believe it. Yet again such a gap between posts. No excuses and all the excuses. But who wants to hear them! I hope that I am changing for the better with time management around family without time sacrifice with family. Designing at bedtime. Emailing at nap time but always putting the right people first...might still be working on that one. Totally want to introduce you to Mothermerch. The family unity brand of 2 young Mums, yes I’m including myself in that statement. We have been working hard on designs and customer relations making bespoke printed garments for Mums, dads, off spring and older generations. Developing the ⚡️wonder⚡️ stock this year has been such a high light. May it continue to develop in the long term! Watch this space for events and collaborations!

[charliehiom]

I just need to DO! Settling back at work has been interesting. Challenges, fears, anxieties and passion for my job flow through me every day. But one key thing is to be. Teaching creative subjects is what I know but being creative myself is what I really love. The next few months building up resources has to start now... can you call it work when you love doing it?? New deadline-fill the class rooms with examples of work before September!!!

[charliehiom]

Crinkleford Summer Fete is on tomorrow so the stock will be out on show! Come and support the school and our charity work!! Wonder Sweaters, Tees and tote bag all available. #fingerscrossedforsunshine #twinning #familymerchandise @mother_merch

[charliehiom]

So much to say and do.. The last time I wrote I mentioned the 3 Peaks challenge. That is fast approaching and I am trying to fit in 3 or 4 training sessions a week around the usual rabble! How ever, I am back at work next Monday so its about to get real! Maternity leave is a strange beast. It starts of dramatically, however the baby comes into the world, it is guaranteed to be a whirl wind of emotions, then it pretty much all happens again when you go back to work. Nothing has changed, but everything has changed! On the surface its fairly similar to when you left, apart from the desk thief in the office! As time passes, you realise that ‘systems’ have changed, there are new people, and your job, just isn’t the same. How do you cope? Who can help? I have been here before so why do I feel the anxiety again! That, is why I need challenges, deadlines and missions! It would be easy if I went to work, came home, cleaned up and went back again. But, we only have one life. The cabin is our creative hub and the fitness deadline is getting me out and about to engage with the world instead of letting the time pass me by. Also we have our small people watching and learning from us, who better to learn from than the role models bringing you up that are making the most of their lives. The exhibition is down and the training is happening. Bring it on. This week the Arts Lab session gave food for thought. Mapping life around you. Physical, emotional, traditionally or alternatively. Something I have looked into with students in the past but to do myself is another development in my creative world. Freely wondering the grounds of the UEA I photographed, noted and drew the paths of people and objects I passed. What I ended up with I am not struck down by, but it a process. A method of opening your eyes to things around you and forcing you to find a way of recording appropriately. I hope to venture into something like this with the students on my return. 3 more weeks of Art Labs and gym training before the end of term and the 3 peaks challenge hits me, my poor colleagues… hopefully I won’t break. Oh and the baby is almost a toddler. As if that has been a year! Just a shame mum missed this one. ❤

[charliehiom]

Wow...it's been too long. I knew if I gave myself a deadline I would be able to focus on being just 'creative'. The exhibition was my deadline and have loved putting work together for it but now...what now? Enjoyment is my deadline again. Spent an hour in the cabin with a mini sewing project and the little guy. Must make more time for it. The next deadline though is a physical training one for the 3peaks. Spin class here I come, cabin, see you in a while.

[charliehiom]

Just ??? Arts lab this evening was about looking and seeing. I don’t do enough. There are too many things to do in your every day. Routine, chores, tasks. Only when you go on holiday does it slow down a bit. This is what I saw when I slowed down tonight.

[charliehiom]

We did it?? What more can we say? We immersed ourselves in the therapy of the art workshops every week at the SCVA Norwich and framed our butts off. 4 hours of hanging, mounting, labelling and panicking, paid off. The work will be on display until the end of April if you want to check it out. (House Cafe St. Benedicts). There are framed pieces and some mounted pieces and even some gift cards. I think we did good! Bring on the next challenge. Remember profits made from any of these sales are pennies for charity!

[charliehiom]

Count down... 2 days to exhibition installation and 5 days to private view! So balancing life can be hard but harder when we put pressure on ourselves. Can someone tell me why exactly I have done this. 2 kids..at the end of my maternity leave and I decide it would be 'fun' to do an exhibition. Well. I'm basically panicking now. I want to show a variety of things off that I have been doing in my workshops but I am certainly not 'showing off'. I'm also trying to launch a family clothing brand with a friend at the same time. Mothermerch is coming out Saturday March 1st too. Place orders at [email protected]. We want to sell bespoke clothing with a chance to match with your partner or kids. Hence the ⚡️wonder⚡️sweater shot up top. We have some in stock and the etsy shop will go live soon to show you more details so watch this space. Life is definitely for living! I'm doing that currently but mostly in my cabin!! If you're local please try and make it to the private view and celebrate me and my brother reconnecting with our creative sides. Profits go to letsdoitanyway.com

[charliehiom]

Doubt I? Don't I? This is a hard one... I'm making, chopping, framing and questioning all the time. I love the deadline and the pressure of an exhibition. This is what I wanted... but... it has become hard to decide on things. In the real world we have to pay for our house, our car, our food and all the other essentials so it's hard when you want to spend money on frames and materials. Should I buy more frames to show the work? Have I made enough? I suppose I should answer that one. It is for me after all. This exhibition will hopefully raise money for charity but it's more than that to me. I want to celebrate getting back my creativity. Come on Charlie-have some faith in yourself!!