Be grateful for the good news. 0 Comments

November is slipping away at bewildering speed, like so many months have this year. 2020 vision is non-existent; we’re losing track of every minute, hour, day… it’s all falling away, and before we know it, the familiar festive creatures are climbing through our letterboxes and gently tapping on our shoulders; demanding we fill our tired living spaces with glitter and tinsel, wrap wreaths around our banisters, read the newest nut roast recipes and think about the loved ones we haven’t seen much at all in the past 12 months. 

 
Just a few of our most festive products. Order online here!

It's high time to shake off our woes, and welcome in the warmth. We definitely need some good news. And we need to be grateful for what we do have. 

Gratitude is good for you! A study has shown that people who consistently practice gratitude have a greater sense of self-worth, stronger immune systems, less trouble with aches and pains, and are generally more generous and compassionate. They also feel less lonely, apparently. How about that?

The sea has been angrily throwing up pebbles recently. But the sun is feeling mellow.

So let’s start being grateful. Take mindful walks and appreciate the views; spend your extra pennies in small independent shops… Maybe make yourself a journal, fill it in each morning, with just a select few things you love and appreciate in your everyday life. Maybe adopt the Miracle Morning routine, while you’re at it! My Modern Mentees have been trying it out recently, as part of my Marvellous Modern Messaging course. 

Invest in a good journal from us, or one of your local independent bookshops.
We particularly love The Hastings Bookshop, or you can find your locals at bookshop.org!

It's so warming to know that good things are coming from lockdown. It seemed so unlikely in the beginning; creativity was being crushed by the restrictions and alienation. But it turns out creativity can come from the most unlikely places... 

With that in mind, this month we want to shout about the innovative Black artist, Benny Andrews. He was born in rural Georgia in 1930, and after graduating from the School of Art Institute in Chicago in 1958, he moved to New York and developed a reputation for being a 'socially-minded artist', and an advocate for greater visibility of African Americans in the art world. His work is incredibly distinctive; rough, expressive collages that incorporate cut fabric and paper into his oil paintings. I find his style so fascinating; it's almost cartoon-like, and exaggerated but very poignant and sculptural. My textile background means I am especially warmed to the fabric elements of the pieces. Here are some of my favourites, below... 

Study for Portrait of Oppression (Homage to Black South Africans), 1985.
(Image from the Benny Andrews website)

No More Games, 1970.
(Image from the Benny Andrews website)

Harlem USA, 2004.
(Image from the Benny Andrews website)