Busy, busy being creative..!

Saturday 31 December 2016

Following the Crumbs of Curiosity

What dream, goals and adventures are you thinking about?

If you’ve seen my previous blog post and follow me on facebook or twitter no doubt you’ll have already seen my plans to visit one UK Island a month. My own Creative Adventure for 2017. 

How do you find your own adventures? I follow the Crumbs of Curiosity.



This is how I pretty much find my Creative Adventures (or they find me)! It all starts with a crumb...

Eh? You may ask – what are the Crumbs of Curiosity?

Well, they are those little hints that spark in your brain or create an inner feeling of excitement when you notice them. Let me give you an example (yes it is islands related)

Looking at a map of the UK I noticed an Island near Canterbury. Hmmm I thought – what’s this? Sheppey it said on the map. The Isle of Sheppey…A fission of interest stirred in my gut.

That was crumb no 1

So what do I do next? I follow the crumbs – on to google

I discover it’s known as ‘Kent’s Treasure Island’

My interest increases

I discover that the ‘painter of light’ Tuner used to go there and some of his sketchbooks of the Island and paintings are in The Tate

I discover a ‘Creativity on the Isle of Sheppey Map’ and order it

I discover the marshy landscape inspired Dickens in his book Great Expectations - which happens to be my favourite Dickens story.

I discover (after posting on FB about Sheppey) that someone I went to school with lived there for 16 years and it’s an island full of history, also one that’s rather run down (apparently)

I also discovered it’s not what I’d consider the usual perception of what an Island is (mine is wild and rather romantic!) it’s gritty and if you were born on Sheppey you are known as a ‘swampy’ (which is an accolade).

I discovered I wanted to add it to my list of Islands to visit in 2017. It didn’t feature before.

I followed each crumb of curiosity and uncovered a whole treasure chest of discoveries, links to old friends and new and a plan to visit The Isle of Sheppey via The Tate.

If I’d just shrugged my shoulders and discounted this Island because you can actually get a train there (Is this the only UK Island you can reach by train?) I’d have missed out.

So if you don’t have any adventures yet planned for 2017 – why not play the Follow the Crumbs of Curiosity game and see where it leads you? Be curious.

I’d love to hear from you if you do and what evolves! Of course if I can help you at all with your own Creative Adventures do get in touch.

Love & Creative Adventures

Morwhenna
x

Thursday 22 December 2016

Fancy a postcard from a Creative Island Adventure?

Postcards from my Brecons 2 Morwenstow Creative Adventure in 2015


One UK Island a Month in 2017 – A Creative Island Adventure

I’m starting my UK Islands Project in January and as part of this I’ll be creating unique art postcards inspired by each Island I visit. If you're thinking - ooh I'd like to be a part of this some how, here's one way to be involved - you can receive your very own unique 'Art Postcard from an Island Pilgrim' if you'd like to!

I’ll be searching out Island Magic and exploring how these islands have inspired various creatives - from literature, music, art to the characters that live on the Islands today. You can read about the full adventure here.

A lot of the islands that I’ll be visiting have their own postage stamps which I think adds an extra element to each art postcard. You’ll be getting something completely unique created by me and posted directly to you.

There is no limit to how many you can have by the way – if you’d like the full set of 12 – go for it! If you do choose to go for the full set, any additional Islands that I visit I’ll automatically send you postcards as a thank you. (Reckon the full set would look pretty cool if all put together and framed at the end!)

You can be a 'Postcard from an Island Pilgrim' sponsor for the princely sum of £13. This includes postage (worldwide) and paypal fees. 


Each postcard will be completely unique and will capture the spirit of the Island I’m on at that moment.


Choose YOUR Island!
You can either choose which Island you’d like to receive a postcard from (please specify in the text box) or can leave it up to me to decide. If for any reason (e.g the weather) I'm unable to visit a particular island in the month I’m due to go, I’ll send your card as soon as I’m able to visit and stay on your chosen Island! Do check back for updates as I fill in the TBC gaps.


Islands booked so far:

January - Isle of Portland - Tick!
February - Isle of Sheppey (via the Tate) - Tick! 
March - St. Agnes (Southernmost settlement of the UK) - Tick!
April - Lundy - Tick!
May - Skomer  - Tick!
June - Avalon  - Tick!
July - Anglesey & Skokholm  - Tick!
August - Bardsey - Tick!
September - Looe - Tick!
October - Jersey & Kirrin Island - Tick!
November –Brownsea aka Red Squirrel Island & Isle of Skye
December – The Island of Reflection ;-)


Postcard from an Island Pilgrim
Please specify which Island


Please make sure you specify which Island you’d like to receive your special postcard from. If the box is left blank I’ll send you one at random.


You can choose to have the Artwork sent to yourself or a friend anywhere in the world – please be clear in the notes section and please make sure I have the complete address. 

The postcards are made of strong watercolour card and the materials used could vary from watercolour, pencil, ink to pen. Your postcard will be sent as a Postcard so it will be franked by the post office and will go on its own journey to reach you. The image shown at the top is an example of the postcards I created on my B2M adventure in 2015 to give you an inkling of what kind of thing might end up in your letterbox! 


Funding
As with my B2M trip this is a self-funded expedition. As well as running creative courses, coaching and creating artwork I work part-time for the charity Creativity Works. I am being supported by Great Art who are supplying my arts materials and Pulsin who will be supplying me with their healthy treats! In fact I was pretty much ‘Powered by Pulsin’ for the first few days of my trip last year as I’d misjudged the food options available on route i.e none! So their bars kept me going!!


Very happy to talk to you if you have any questions!

Toot Toot!

Morwhenna (aka The Creative Adventurer)

Twitter: @morwhenna Instagram: @morwhenawoolcock

p.s if you'd like to be involved some other way, have some ideas about which islands I really must visit, or live on one of the islands I'll be visiting - drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you.