Anyway, I'm not sure that this kind of tool is my strength really, but it was a good exercise in not putting the housework in front of my art.

"I've seen women work long, long hours at jobs they despise in order to buy very expensive items for their houses, mates, or children, and putting their considerable talents on the back burner. I've seen women insist on cleaning everything in the house before they could sit down to write...and you know, it's a funny thing about house cleaning . . . it never comes to an end. Perfect way to stop a woman.

A woman must be careful to stop overresponsibility (or overrespectibility) to steal her necessary creative rests, riffs and raptures. She must simply put her foot down and say no to half of what she believes she 'should' be doing. Art is not meant to be created in stolen moments only" Clarissa Pinkola Estes: Women Who Run With the Wolves

 Even though I know it, (and you know it) I still forget - and not only do our inner artists suffer, if we overrule our bodies with our heads for too long our bodies cry Enough! Over the bank holiday last weekend I slowly got more and more ill until I just had to withdraw to my room and my bed.So frustrating! All the things I want to do, need to do, should be doing!

But it was dark moon, a time for withdrawing and turning inward (my migraine made sure I did) and then,  as I recovered, I found myself reading avidly, and years after I first bought and read a copy of 'Women Who Run With the Wolves' I read it again and was re-inspired. Sometimes, I find, a good book will speak to different selves at different times. And I always synchronistically find the right book waiting for me at whatever cross road I've come to, ready to point me along the right path....

This year, finally, after 7 years of working towards it, and 7 years of challenges at every turn,  I plan to make an actual start on the courses I've wanted to offer in Tuscany. Clarissa has reminded me that I need to re contact my own 'Wildish' side and let her lead the way.

This year, after many years of travelling other paths, I am returning to my roots, which grow deep into the earth, and this week I got my hands into the muck in my new studio. (It's not finished yet, I still have no functioning kiln, but all that is scheduled in..)

This year I am weaving together the strands of my life into another new web that stretches across Europe

So to all of you out there on Arachne's most modern web, I encourage you to dream your wildest dreams and  
this year - make them happen!