Rag Tag Magpie

This artist guide is a collection of practical, honest ways to navigate the ebb and flow of creativity. Rooted in my own studio practice, it offers gentle prompts, exercises, and reflections designed to help you reconnect with your work when inspiration feels distant. Rather than focusing on finished outcomes, it encourages play, curiosity, and a more compassionate approach to the creative…

Turn your goals into action.You’ve reflected on your year, set your intentions for 2026 — now it’s time to make them happen. Transforming Goals into Plans is the final part of my Plan Your Year Ahead series. It’s designed to help artists turn creative goals into achievable, step-by-step plans. Inside, you’ll find tools, templates and prompts to help you stay focused, motivated and inspired…

Turn your ideas into action.The Year Ahead 2026 is your guide to setting clear, achievable goals for your creative practice. It walks you step-by-step through exercises that will help you define your direction, stay focused and bring your artistic ambitions to life. This is your chance to: Create a vision for your ideal 2026 Set both process and outcome goals for your art and life Build…

Set your art practice up for success in 2026.Before you dive into another busy year, take time to review where you’ve been.The 2025 Review is the first part of my three-part planning series, created to help artists build a more intentional, sustainable and fulfilling creative practice. You’ll work through three sections to: Review your year honestly and without judgement Identify your creative…

Sometimes it’s easier to get started with a simple, structured plan. That’s where this printable checklist comes in. Designed as a practical companion to my full guide, this worksheet helps you brainstorm what inspires you, choose the right format for your board, and gather the images, colours, and textures that will bring it to life. With clear prompts and tick-box steps, it’s easy to follow…

For years, I’ve tried to squeeze as many studio hours into my week as possible. If there were spare hours to be found, I would be in front of my painting wall, mixing paints or working in my sketchbook. Recently, though, that rhythm has shifted. Some of it has been due to circumstances beyond my control, but I’ve also noticed that stepping back has its benefits. Taking more time to think and…

As the Northern Art Fair prepares to return for another exciting year, I caught up with its founder, artist and organiser Sheryl Roberts, to talk about the journey of the fair, what visitors can expect, and why events like these are vital for both artists and art lovers alike. I will be exhibiting at the fair this year – my first time as both an artist and visitor, so very excited to see the…

Over the past couple of months, I’ve experienced a burst of creative focus and productivity, which, quite frankly, is unusual for me. Before this, I found myself painting without much direction, hopping between different ideas, and struggling to commit to a project or series that truly sparked my passion. During some much-needed reflection time over Christmas, I realised that this lack of focus…

I hope you all had a wonderfully festive break and found time to relax and reconnect with loved ones. Christmas felt especially magical this year for me. We hosted family and friends for a lively Christmas lunch, followed by a whirlwind few days catching up with more relatives. Amid the busyness, we managed to carve out some downtime to recharge—just what the season called for. 2025…

Unlock your creative potential with my Free Artists Guides. Welcome to my three part programme designed for artists. This programme will help you make 2025 your most inspired and successful year. The final part of the three part programme is all about planning and tracking your progress. Dreaming big is great, but planning is what will get you results! This FREE workbook will help you turn…

Unlock your creative potential with my Free Artists Guides. Welcome to my three part programme designed for artists. This programme will help you make 2025 your most inspired and successful year. Part 2 is all about setting goals for the year ahead. The FREE workbook has been designed to help you set realistic, powerful goals that keep you focused, motivated and on track all year…

   Facebook   Twitter   Messenger   Linkedin   Pinterest The past few months have been so busy that I haven’t kept up with my monthly blog.  Our new venture Interview Room One has started to get some traction. I have been preparing for a new exhibition. And last month we had an extended vacation in the US.  Every time I sat down to write a post something else needed to be sorted out. New…

How is it already August??? One of my goals this year was to write a blog post and send out my studio newsletters every month, but I’ve failed!  Despite best intentions, I kept putting off writing in July.  In part I can blame the sunshine.  We get so little here in the UK that on any nice day I took the opportunity to read in the sun.  But the main reason was I just had too much to do.  A New…