Blue Sky Thinking

We live in one of the loveliest parts of the country (having lived at one time or another in every region, and with Scottish and Welsh family it's fair to say I can say this with confidence!) When you cross the border into Hampshire, you are welcomed to 'Jane Austen Country'. She lived at Chawton, just up the valley from us in (yes) a perfect Georgian box of a house. Dickens also lived around here, it's the birthplace of cricket thanks to my namesake Thomas Lord, and the countryside is breathtaking. From the cathedral cities of Winchester and Chichester to the glorious open skies and sands of West Wittering, I love it here.

If you are feeling jaded, and perhaps the muse is on holiday there is nothing better for your work than to get out of the house and just walk. There is nothing like refuelling your creativity by simply looking around you with fresh eyes, or refreshing your brain by relaxing and enjoying another art form. In the old days Julia Cameron style 'Artist Dates' involved exciting things like visits to the Tate, mooching round antiques markets, theatre trips, nights at the opera. These days it is more likely to be wading through the water meadows with children, trailing fishing nets and a wet hound. For me, at least, there is nothing like fresh air and glorious views to refresh body and mind - when was the last time you walked on cool grass with bare feet, or pressed flowers, or collected leaves, or really looked at the amazing beauty and structure of a shell? These are all things your children will love to do with you - they are all free, and there for the taking. If you're in the city, why not head to the park (everything looks better hanging upside down on a swing). Get a new perspective. Lighten up. Your work will flow.