tackling the blog bio...

Okay, time to tackle the blog bio.

This is hard for most of us but especially so for those of us who struggle with bigging ourselves up. Those of us like me. I get red faced whenever someone asks me about my artwork, my writing, or my blog, I almost apologise for it. Yep, I'm that girl. I'm much more confident about the things I create than I used to be but I still have a long way to go.

Basically, I'm rubbish at showing people the things I'm proud of. That sucks right? 

So I'm trying to change that, and my blog bio is as good a place as any to start.

The blog bio is an introduction, a way of telling people quickly and succiently who you are, what you do and why you're here.

There's no room for being coy or running yourself down. You need to lay your cards on the table and tell people what you've got that they would like or be interested in.

But what should I include?

I began by writing a list of reasons why I blog; why I bother putting all these words and images onto the world wide web for anyone to see. 

And here's that list:

•I do it for social reasons; to meet wonderful people who are a lot like me and amazing people who are very different. 

•I do it because I love to write.

•I do it to promote my artwork, my writing and my shop.

•I do it to create a record of our lives.

•I do it because I believe it makes me focus on what makes me happy and gives me pleasure. 

•I do it because it motivates me and gives me the momentumn to make good things happen. 

What do I need to include in my blog bio that faithfully represents all these aims? What do I need to mention?

So with that question in mind I started typing...

I had a few false starts...

I'm Anna, I'm a mum, I'm a wife....

Um, nope, I was bored already. Start again.

I'm Anna. I make things. I like peonies, walks on windy beaches and Scandi design...

Gah, that just makes me want to slap myself.

And then, just to confuse things, I thought 'do I write in the first person or the third?' 

Anna is a British artist, designer and writer living in a leaky 1920's house in South Wales.

But no, I didn't like it. It's not right for me. I want something more immediate, less disconnected. So I went straight back to first person...

I'm Anna, a British artist, designer and writer living in a nearly renovated 1920's house in South Wales.

Well, that's all true I guess. Makes me cringe a little but that's my problem, right?

I have a business called Goldlion, through which I sell my artwork and products. You can find it here.

My prints are bold and colourful and aimed at both kiddies and adults. I like to make stuff that brightens up walls and makes people happy.

Yep. 

I also run community art groups, a part time job that I love.

I write here, on my blog, as often as I can about my artwork, my children, my home and whatever else takes my fancy.

I try to be kind, to live in the moment, to keep things simple and to laugh as much as possible. I love my family.

In my past lives I've completed an art degree, an MA in Writing: Practice and Issues, and I worked as a freelance writer in London before coming home to Wales.

Now I can bring in the peonies, right?

I love swimming in the sea, starry skies, cheese boards, dancing in the kitchen with my kids and big bloomsy peonies. 


I'm a feminist, a vegetarian and a leftie and I'm proud to be all three.

I love that this blog is my online diary, my portfolio, my gratitude journal, and my place to meet people like you.

If you've got something to say or would just like to say hello you can get me here:

hello@goldlionstudio.com

Okay. It's a start. It's a work in progress. Anyone got any tips or is there anything else you'd like to know about? I'd love to hear what you guys think. 

And would any of you like to offer their bios up for inspection? So I can have a nose around? I've checked out quite a few but the more the merrier.

out of puff

image from Life magazine (found on Pinterest)

We had this little routine going over the weekend. We get ready to go somewhere outdoorsy and just as we get in the car it starts hammering down with rain. So we go somewhere where we can drink hot chocolate or lattes and eat cake. 

If we were hardcore outdoorsy people we wouldn't let the lashing rain stop us, would we? No, we'd make ourselves miserable and wet and I'd lose the feeling in the toes of my right foot (that always happens when my feet get cold, it's not nice). 

But we're softies. And when it's tipping down we like sitting down. Inside. With cake. 

The facts of the matter, however, are that I'm not getting enough exercise. The other family members all daily get their heart rates up by various means whilst I'm getting out of puff just popping out to the kitchen for a look in the fridge. 

I've always been *quite* fit but this wet winter combined with me having a baby has seen my opportunities for exercise diminish vastly, but enough excuses, I need to get my wellies and waterproofs on and get out for some early morning dog walks. Or maybe I should do a exercise dvd. Although that sounds more improbable than the dog walking. 

We shall see.

What do you do to get your exercise? I like dancing around the kitchen, maybe I should just up the ante on that and work up a bit of a sweat whilst cooking dinner? Ew, that sounds a bit gross, so maybe not whilst cooking, but dancing in the kitchen, that's the best idea so far.

this baby boy

It's been more than 10 months since this fella came to join us. He's growing fast; look at those teeth! They took a while to pop through but there's no stopping them now. 

Everyone says what a chilled out baby he is and it's true, he's so laid back and smiley, and it's so easy to make him laugh.

Griff loves dancing, bopping away to any music he hears. Then he gives himself a clap and has a little chuckle. 

He's a slow crawler so when he makes a run for it I've not got to panic. He's a very determined fella, just not a sprinter... Bless his chubby legs.

He finds Lola, our dog, hilarious and cracks up laughing whenever he sees her. 

He's terrified of Edie's little rocking horse. Terrified. It's really the only time I see him upset. So we've hidden it out of his way for a while. 

And I, of course, am as madly in love with him as ever.

with open arms

March

• bluebells • green shoots • longer days • shorter nights • new things • in like a lion, out like a lamb • daffodils • a touch of warmth in the air • but still the chance of frost (or snow) • flasks of tea • woolly jumpers • colour • buds • catkins • lambs • waterproofs • wellies • walks in the woods • goodbye winter • sunsets after 6 • bright things • optimism • light • mud • frogspawn • red sky at night • salty sea air • plan making • green fingers • breton stripes • more outdoors, less indoors • busy days, cosy nights • 

March is here. And about time. 

a song to get things done by

It's been a long, hard week. I've not been outside since Sunday. The kids have been ill, I've been ill, we've all been flopping around the house with aches and pains and runny noses. I've had more than a few moments when I've felt a little stifled; sometimes my patience has been a bit short, sometimes I've had to give myself a kick up the bottom to get myself motivated to cook for the kids, to bath them and keep them in clean pyjamas. So I put on some music that helps me do that.

Like this one here.

It's one of those getting things done songs. 

And you gotta love Karen O, don't you think?

bleurgh

How is it the 19th of February? HOW?!

I'm constantly surprised by the date, the time, the year even.

Winter is almost over, and I'm hoping that's going to mean the weather is going to get better. I'm naive like that. 

What do you want to do when the weather gets warmer?

Last summer I had a tiny baby and so the gorgeous weather we had kind of passed me by. I was in baby mode, I remember a few barbecues in the garden, I remember a couple of days out... um... I remember a baby mostly. Which was clearly the important thing.

But this year... do you think we'll get a little sun for s/s 2014? Because I want to get outdoors. I want to drink wine in the garden, I want to swim in the sea, I want to sit in a beer garden, I want to go bike riding, I want to make the most awesome picnic ever and spend the day in the park with the kids. Normal stuff, but normal stuff that doesn't involve umbrellas (unless they are in a cocktail) (no actually not even in a cocktail, just give me a bottle of wine or a pint of lager, sod the umbrellas full stop).

Because right now it is certainly not looking much like spring. It's looking like it's raining outside and there are ill children lolling around the house wiping their noses on their sleeves. It's looking like it's been 4 days since I've been outside. It's looking like me in a pair of leggings and a stained hoodie trying to sort out the house insurance online. In short it's looking a bit bleurgh.

But these days can't go on forever... we'll get better soon and the weather will get better soon and I'll throw my leggings into the sea and dive in like a mother fucking mermaid.

slap it on

I'm painting again. In little snatched doses. I can coat a canvas in 15 minutes, leave it to dry, return to it later (or even the next day) for an hour or so. It's fine; that way of doing it suits me although it's tough dragging myself away when the baby starts grizzling. 

You know that slogan 'do what you love' (which actually annoys the hell out of me, if only life were so simple), well, I love painting. Just getting stuck in, not thinking about the outcome too much. It's my meditation. 

I get a little high while painting And I don't think it's the fumes. It's the marijuana (note to my mother- that's a joke).

Paint; beautiful, colourful and responsive to my every impulse. 

It's just lush.