Being a (step) mum of artists: Both my daughter and stepdaughter are artists. One in her last year of school. The other a recent fine arts grad. Both figuring what their authentic exploration is. Both ‘making sense’ through their creativity. So in a world where art is often seen as a luxury, a nice-to-have and where the subjective judgement of the viewer is often the first response, I’m learning about how to best support them. How to help one negotiate the challenge of being self-supporting and creating. And how to support, or maybe trust, the other to keep pushing and extending her thinking. I’m having to learn how to keep my own curiosity alive and listen to their dreams and at the same time bring forward my for-what-it’s-worth wisdom in a way that’s useful and palatable.

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Being creative at work: Over the next few months I’ll be focusing on developing a youth arts policy that outlines our organisation's vision for, and role in, youth arts across Aotearoa. I’m hoping that we will produce something that supports young people as creative beings regardless of whether that translates into a profession – that’s clear about where we can have impact – that makes a difference. I have to be smart, feed in the right thinking and right people at the right time, help sharpen the focus and find the right metaphor for the vision so that everyone can engage. Fact – over the last 10 years enrolments in NCEA arts subjects (years 9-13) have dropped by 32%! And in year 9 they have dropped by 55%!!

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Clay: My deep pleasure is clay and at the mo I’m focused on playing more with glazes and oxides. I’m at the very, very start of this. I love the basics of this form - earth and fire – and my dream is to be able to source my own materials, make from what exists around me and wood fire my work. So I’m starting with oxides and bought glazes and thinking that slowly I’ll figure what’s available locally and at a simpler level. I’m completely seduced by Amaco glazes – oh so beautiful - but they are pre-mixed and imported from the USA in plastic containers . Over summer I visited Greg Barron who digs and makes his own clay and wood fires amazing work as well as building his own house, studio, kiln, claypress, etc. My inspiration.

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Permaculture: And I’m trying to figure how I live my life with positive impact on our world so I’m also learning more about permaculture and trying to apply that to my current garden/life and how I can build a more intentional community and permaculture life in the north (eventually). Newest garden enhancement is three (possibly temporary possibly permanent) chickens and I’ve just found some locally grown chook food and they are popping out beautifully formed eggs. Always a miracle. And I’m trying to re-figure the coop design (homemade) because they are laying under a bush and all three squish into the nesting box to sleep!