Gathering the Threads

Aeliana, imagined ancestor who I connected with through journalling and art as part of the TimeThreads prompt.

As we come into the last stretch of the year, I have been noticing how the different strands of my work have started to sit together in a way that feels gentle and steady. My artwork, my writing, my journalling practice and the community projects I am part of all seem to be speaking to one another and giving me a quiet sense of things rounding into shape. When I look across Joy Ethic, Motherline, Stories of Our Lives, the Hale wellbeing hub, the new commissions, and the podcasting work with Me Time, I can see one clear thread running through it all: people gathering, sharing voice, expressing experience and making sense of their lives alongside one another.

Motherline has been a big part of this. Spending coming up to a full year with a group of women, listening to stories about mothers, ancestry and creativity, has shaped me more than I expected. Preparing for the celebration event at HOME Manchester has made me realise how much depth can grow when you stay with something for a long time. The project has held tenderness, humour, grief, playfulness and a great deal of courage, and it feels special to be able to share the outcome with the wider public. Details for the event are here: https://homemcr.org/whats-on/motherline-an-event-from-mothers-who-make-rsyq

Another lovely element of this season has been working alongside Danielle with her beautiful TimeThreads project. It invites people to explore creative ancestry and imagine encounters with relatives from different eras. I personally have gained a lot from being involved in this magical, imagination and connection boosting project. Danielle has created an online version that anyone can try, and it sits so well alongside our Motherline work. You can explore it here:https://timethreads.my.canva.site/We will also be offering in-person TimeThreads sessions as part of the new year’s programming, and people are very welcome to get involved.

My artwork has also been shifting and opening. The new commission for Chorlton Community Garden, Windows Through the Seasons, has invited me to bring my community work and art practice closer together. I love that people will literally shape the piece with their own memories, drawings, fragments and photographs. It feels right for the artwork to grow from the community rather than sit apart from it. That approach has been central to Stories of Our Lives for years now, and hosting another round of sessions at Chorlton Library, including the Sense of Place gathering and the end of year reflection, feels like a natural continuation. Details for the group sessions: https://storiesofourlivesnow.org/come-to-a-session/

Then there is the new wellbeing, arts and faith hub in Hale. Working with Dave, Nat Kate and Kieran and the other lovely volunteers, planning wellbeing sessions this year and the upcoming Tuesday and Thursday sessions for next year that centre choice, warmth and welcome, has reminded me how powerful it is to create spaces where people can simply arrive as they are. No pressure, no expectations. Just a place to breathe, chat, create, rest or explore something new. I will be leading the Tuesday connection and wellbeing sessions, using the 10 Keys to Happiness as a gentle guide. More about the hub’s home: outreach@altrinchamurc.org.uk

Radio and podcasting have also run strongly through this season. The Joy Ethic Show has given me space to share a range of stories and services, including sharing the Motherline story in full, which was a labour of love. Also, supporting the Me Time group in Tameside to learn podcasting skills at ALL FM has been one of the quiet highlights of my year. There is something powerful about watching people gain confidence in their own voices, especially those whose stories are not always heard. They have been producing and sharing their work with such pride. You can listen to their existing episodes here:https://bcped.podbean.com/And you can find the Joy Ethic Show links here:https://linktr.ee/joyethic

Alongside all the outward projects, I have been paying more attention to how I hold myself through them. I have been slowly increasing my capacity, not by speeding up, but by simplifying. Staying off screens outside of work tasks has helped. I noticed Instagram creeping back in recently, so I course corrected again, blocked it, and now only use Meta to post when needed. Journalling has been steadying, helping me process the different layers of work and feeling. Small practices have made a real difference: more sleep, proper rest, a morning brew outside (brrrr somedays but worth it!) then a walk every day, eating without screens so my nervous system remembers there is time and space. These small things have given me steadiness, which in turn lets me hold a wider range of projects without feeling stretched thin.

When I look back over the year, it feels like everything has been practising the same muscle. Listening, connecting, creating, reflecting, sharing stories and making meaning together. Some of it has happened in libraries, some in community rooms, some on radio, some outdoors, some around a table. And somehow it all fits.

I think that is what I want to carry into the new year: the sense that the different kinds of work and creativity I am drawn to does not mean separate pieces. It can be one ongoing conversation, held in different places, with different people, but all pointing towards the same thing. A kinder, more connected way of being with ourselves and each other.