Grayson's Art Club: Series 3 started last Friday so I thought I'd move the post I wrote in December 2020, about my experience on Series 1, here to my website. I have submitted my portrait of The Queen for the special episode on her platinum jubilee so perhaps I'll get another 5 minutes on the TV, who knows.
Grayson's Art Club: the exhibition aired on Channel 4 last night and I've been overwhelmed with messages of thanks and about how I've inspired and blessed people.
So now it's my turn to share a rough and ready list of how Grayson and the Art Club team have inspired and blessed me.
Talking to Grayson for the first show. Almost an out of body experience. Being such a fan girl and proud of it. Grayson's ability to connect so quickly and make me feel relaxed so I could chat to him just as I would a friend.
Watching the entire first series and feeling even more inspired to keep creating.
An hour with Grayson, Neil and Adam in the garden!!!
General conversation about creativity and society and faith and accessibility and inclusiveness and politics and life and cats
Being interviewed by Grayson and talking about many different aspects of life in lockdown and creativity and disability and hope and hope and hope.
The joy of meeting the man I have been so inspired by and being inspired even more.
The genuine sadness the team felt that I wouldn't be able to get to Manchester to visit the exhibition. The way they wanted to make it so I could visit it somehow.
Zoom tour of the exhibition, the time that Grayson and Philippa and the team gave me to see it in all its glory.
The way Grayson helped me get up close so that these artworks filled my computer screen so I could see them - better than I will be able to in real life I think.
The joy of laughing together and noticing together and appreciating people's amazing art together.
The overwhelming feeling of seeing my sketch and poem presented in a display cabinet in an art gallery.
The realisation that people will come and look at it and that it might encourage them to express themselves through sketching or writing.
The messages of love and care from the team and Grayson and Philippa when I caught covid and was so ill. The turning on its head of the idea that all media people are in it for themselves - it's not true of these people. The messages from the team before this exhibition show went out letting me know that they loved my contribution. Affirming me and reassuring me not to be fearful of what would make the edit. The amazing show itself which had me in tears both happy and sad. The tweets and messages during and since the show from friends and strangers. The reminder, whilst I'm feeling so low emotionally and physically as I slowly recover from covid, that just being me and sharing my truth can bless people and give them hope. Hope for the world as we emerge from the pandemic together Hope for the arts generally. Grayson's Art Club has connected with so many who might never have thought about going to an art gallery and hopefully that will have made art galleries even more accessible for everyone Hope for an increase in people being creative for creativities sake Hope for the goodness of people
Hope for the future
Hope
It has been amazing to be a tiny part of the Art Club; these are just some of the blessings. Thank you Grayson, Philippa, Neil, Adam, Fiona and everyone who has blessed me.
I'll finish with this quote from the programme from me
"I never realised how powerful creating could be, until I was in a situation where ever other tool I had in the toolbox for looking after myself had vanished"