New colours, new designs and a new year!

The last (or first) 8 days of the new year have been spent in my studio -morning, day and night. When I am not in the studio I am chasing my active toddler who wants to run around outside poking sticks at rocks and picking white daises, and generally he 'want go garden' all the time. Also, I wash a never ending pile of clothes with bits and pieces of soiled face washers and tea towels.  I have been listening to my husband write and record new songs, been grocery shopping, and reading gorgeous books to my boy.

What can I say? It has been the most inspiring and wonderful start to a new year ever - it is total bliss to be able to live freely and creatively knowing that we have all we need. To bunker down in our creative spaces is to strike gold. We have been working hard over the last sixteen years - experiencing, collecting and improving our studio set-ups and obtaining equipment that enhances our creative explorations. 

I find myself crazily driven, like a multi-tasking Olympic champion of efficiency. After having my baby, I remember feeling a little bombarded by the demands of being a mother and felt as if part of me peeled away and then something was missing - 'I' didn't exist anymore - it was all about the little person.

Hour upon hour of breastfeeding, pumping, holding baby close, rocking, singing baby to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, snuggling and changing dirty nappies all took a toll on any form of creativity blossoming. Or did it?

To be honest, I have found being a mother the most inspiring and creative journey of my life. I wont deny that it has been equally the most challenging thing as well. I guess I chose to turn around my feelings of entrapment, suffocation and creative repression and use them to my advantage. I became driven by my fellow female ancestor's stories of struggle to obtain an identity other than 'mother.'

It was late one night while I was breastfeeding that I conjured up the 'Little Paper Tree' name. It derived from about a list of five possible names I had written down years ago. I created this blog at about 3am with babe in arms out of shear passion, frustration, ambition and need. 

You see, I day dreamed all the time about being the creative director of my own label as a designer and a visual artist. I yearned to be freely creating and sharing every single day of my life and therefore making a living and more importantly, I yearned to support others through creative education programs, and continue to learn from others as well. 

I had a vision of a beautiful space where freedom of expression and support were paramount. The space housed a concept gallery, shop and education facility that proudly displayed the work of all that participated in a joyous wonder of creative expression, technique, soul, goodness and humbleness.

The sharing of technique/s and ideas is part of my inner make-up and soul. I believe a work of art or product made by a 'maker' is unique because it's their hand, eye, experience and intellect that creates each of their pieces. Even if they are working within similar bounds.

Getting back to the start of 'Little paper Tree' - not only was my son born, but my new label was born too and hopefully the above vision becomes a reality one day.

'Little Paper Tree' means a lot to me - it is not just a label, it is a way of living, a way of learning, sharing and being inspired by others and a way of loving life. 

It is all things positive and beautiful.  It's the best of me - and the best of you.

I hope that 'Little Paper Tree' prints are appreciated for their uniqueness; for they are grown from a seed grounded in the earth that reach for the sky like branches stretched upwards forever expanding into the universe. 

New G A L A X Y original print brooch and earring sets - available now on the Little Paper Tree Shop.