What did you study at school/university? Was creativity and art part of your home life growing up? What did you dream of being when you grew up?!
I studied Anthropologie and History of Art at Newcastle University. I longed to do art and spent much time in the university Art Dept, but having been swayed towards ‘more academic’ subjects for GCSE and A Level it was not an option for me.
I was brought up in a creative home, my father always in the garden and my mother busy ‘making’, book binding, drawing, marbling, sewing, she always had a project on the go and we had plenty of access to arty things – it was very normal for a Saturday to give way to making something.
How did your creative upbringing shape how you chose your career? How do you think a creative education gave you tools to be successful in your adult life?
It was very natural for me to ‘make’, I started spending pocket money on kits/wool/stationery/sewing items etc from an early age. Sadly, I did not study physical art post GCSE, but I still have lots of things that I made prior to that that I am still very proud of – for example an Easter chicken made of cardboard, that comes out every Easter! I think all of this taught me to think, experiment, feel pride, find a sense of myself. I am not afraid to give something a go. I understand that things don’t always work out how they were meant to be, but that is all part of a creative process and some things have to be worked on, be given time and effort.
How important is it for you that your own children are inspired by the arts in their childhood and education? Can you give us your top 3 tips on how you add creativity to your own children’s lives?
We have certainly made sure that our children have lots of creativity in their daily lives. At one point they all attended our local Steiner school that encourages a very creative use of the brain and offers a huge range of craft to all students alongside the standard curriculum. Three tips to adding creativity at home:
- 1. When out walking look closely at nature and encourage them to collect some leaves that they can draw round when they get home.
- 2. Play how many colours can you spot on a walk or on a journey… its amazing how we take colour for granted and playing simple games like this encourages an understanding and enthusiasm (I hope) for realising the beauty and possibility of colour.
- 3. Trust your children, they are often much more responsible than we think. We taught our children to use tools responsibly at a very early age and to respect what they are for and how they should be handled.
What artists/people/cultures have/still do influence you the most?
The Bloomsbury group in the decorative applications to Charleston Farmhouse
India and all their amazing pow wow use of pattern and colour – taking trips there have completely liberated me in my confidence and choices in how I decorate. I have also gone flower power mad after exploring many Mughal floral paintings and motifs.
Matisse and in particular his paper cut outs.
The block printers and wood block carvers of Rajasthan. Their exceptional skills and talent blow my mind.
Anyone who does something with minute detail! I am quite slap dash, impatient in my approach and long for an instant result – perhaps that’s why I love block print, because the pattern emerges after one simple placing of the block, it thrills me in its immediacy… I marvel at people who work very very slowly on one thing, so patiently and have such belief in time.
A children’s company or brand that you use that you feel particularly aligned to?
I love Mini Boden as we collaborated with them and they made the cutest little Cherry etc clothing for children that I utterly love!
One recommendation to other parents!
Make time to get messy!!!! It feeds the creative soul…
Check out Molly’s beautiful work here
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