How Dyslexia Changed My Life For The Better.

I never knew I had Dyslexia until I was told by a lecturer at my University at the age of 23. When i was told a sense of relief and happiness came over me as throughout my schooling years up until then I was told that I was stupid and put into all the bottom sets of the class. I was mostly ignored in Primary school with teachers thinking that I was lazy and not intelligent. I won an art competition when I was 8 which gave me a glimmer of hope that I was good at something at last.

I think having Dyslexia and not knowing it caused a lot of self esteem issues and my confidence was very low. I was bullied and had no friends which made the situation for learning very stressful and difficult. I then went onto secondary school where I was in the bottom set for everything other than the art and design subjects. I was mixed in with all the disruptive children and was bullied throughout some of my lessons which made learning even more harder.

When I pasted all my Art and Design A level subjects with 3 straight A’s it was a changing point in my life. I got to choose which of my subjects that I wanted to study and I was supported by the teachers who taught them.

From that point on I felt as though I actually had something to offer the world and my self worth rose. When I was told I was dyslexic at 23 I realised in that moment that I was not stupid and I wasn’t lazy and I wasn’t good for nothing. I was a very creative person who learns in a different way. Due to this I have been successful in my business. For me, having dyslexia means that I think outside the box and have a different way of approaching things. I think it has really added value to not only my business, but to me as a person. If I was to choose for it to be taken away, I would say no as it has shaped me and made me into the person I am today which i am proud of.

If it was not for the Art and Design subjects in my schooling years, I know that I would have left school feeling isolated, defeated and hopeless about life.

If you or a child you know has dyslexia, make sure you tell yourself or them that it is an extra gift that needs to be valued and nurtured. Only in the acceptance of it can we learn to use it to our advantage.

If you would like any 1-1 classes or would like some more information about my Dyslexic story to help others, please contact me as nobody should feel alone in their learning.

Terrified that you are not good enough...

Im sacred I will fail, Im scared I will look stupid, Im scared that I wont belong, Im scared I will be rejected, Im scared i wont fit in, Im scared I wont be enough etc………..

This is something that most people would rather not talk about or acknowledge within themselves, but we all have it and we all, to some degree live our lives by it. It’s what stops us from giving that sales assistant a compliment and to making a move at work. The ‘Im not good enough’ can shape our entire life to a degree that we are just living in a small comfort zone that seems to be getting smaller each day.

The route of all this ‘Im not good enough’ self talk is pain. We do everything we can to avoid pain and in doing so we limit our experiences and to be able to live fully. We hope that each day is going to be a good day with nothing that will come along to create pain in our lives.

The odd thing is the moment to go beyond the fear of pain and move through the very thing that you are scared of, you realise that that pain was a self imposed childhood conditioning which was installed through protecting ourselves from harm. We developed a way of looking after ourselves and that was great for then, but as adults, we no longer need that same avoidance as we can handle the pain if we know we are growing though it.

I love this saying - You are not dying, you are growing. It just resonates for me as its so true. We are not here to avoid pain. We are here to listen to what it means and to work through its meaning, ‘healing’ through it and ultimately ending up living a life that is to the fullest which is what we all want is it not?

In my personal experience, many people are very scared of their creativity. They remember in school that they were judged or negativity criticised. They were put down in some way and it closed the door for further creative expression as continuing with it would mean they were going down a wrong path as they weren’t any good and that made then wrong. Who told you that you were wrong and who told you that you were not good enough? Not good enough for who?

If you really think about it. You told you. Externally people may have said things to you, but you were the one who decided that, what was said was true. That that was it and theres no point!

I was told throughout my childhood that I was not good enough. I was put in all the bottom classes and told that I was not clever. My trigger word in my mind became ‘stupid’ but I later found out that I was dyslexic.

I chose not to listen to those words and ignore my knowing and instead I let those words fuel me to create something of meaning in the world. It was the main reason why I set up my art classes at 26 years old. I wanted to inspire, encourage and help people see that they can create a piece of art and in doing so, making them realise that anything is achievable as you are the one who gets to decide what you want to create in life. Be it art of anything else .

The process of creating the feeling of the fact that you are good enough lies in the action that you take. For example, booking onto my adult art class is scary for some people as they don’t know what to expect and they are not sure if they will be good enough, but its in the process of learning that is the most important thing for our self talk to improve. It’s not the the end result, although everyone does produce stunning work, it’s in the doing that, over time, creates a voice inside that says, ‘you are enough and you are simply more than enough.’

My classes give you a feeling that you are part of a community and you wont be judged or shamed. You wont be made fun of or belittled. Its a place to explore your creative side and bring that teenage self that was chosen to be left behind to come out and play once again.

It’s a place where you can feel belonging and relax knowing that you are achieving something that you may have never done before. Opening new doors of possibilities to what you can create and allowing that to spill over to other areas of your life.

Terrified that you are not good enough? Challenge those voices and do something today that scares you. anything small or big. Once you have done it, the momentum will build and from there, anything will become possible. I know this is true as thats how I live my life now and its drastically changed from what it once was which used to involve myself praying each night, that the day to come would be one where I was not in pain.

If you are terrified of not being good enough to start doing art again - See what freedom you will create by taking the step and booking a class.

I hope in some way that sharing my experience of what works for me is useful to you in some way.

Much love

Emmylou xx

My 365 Day Painting Challenge!

Have you ever set yourself a goal or challenge and failed? Or…..you had set yourself a challenge and succeeded! If you really think about it, was it the goal or the challenge that was the biggest pay off or was it the journey as much as the goal? For me it was more the journey to the goal! It was the mind set and the overall feeling of knowing that I was working towards an end that made me feel motivated and inspired.

When you set yourself a goal or challenge, you not only have something to show at the end of it, but you build up that motivation, the mindset and the skillset to apply the dedication in other areas of your life. Much like going to the gym, you need to build your muscle and taking a course or giving yourself a challenge for a day, week, month or year helps build the mind to tackle other things in your life.

When I started my challenge, I actually wasn’t sure I could do it. I felt very concerned that I wouldn’t get the time, but as the days went on and I painted a piece of artwork each day, I got quicker and I got more and more confident. I then felt a big increase in my self esteem which meant I tendered for more projects that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do before and to I learnt to say yes to offers of works regarding large murals and huge creative tasks. I not only could produce work quicker for clients, but I became more skilled and confident in my art work which lead to other areas of my life becoming more and more inspired.

I ENDED UP SELLING THEM IN SHOPS AND TURNING THEM INTO GREETING CARDS

Even on those days when I didn’t want to paint anything, pushing myself to do it, even if it wasn’t that great a result, it was worth the effort as at the end of the year I had learnt so much about myself.

That I can trust myself. I can believe in myself and I can achieve what I set out to do.

I NOW USE THEM IN MY ART CHANNEL WHICH HELPS PEOPLE SEE WHAT THEY ALSO CAN PRODUCE

Set a challenge for yourself today. Maybe it is a week of getting up early or a month of going to the gym. It could be a course you sign up to, ignoring the fear that you wont be any good!

The results from taking a risk and setting yourself up for success, transforms your life as there is no such thing as failure if you think about it as everything tried is something we learn from!

Come join me for an Accountability class for £3.00 and see how you feel after you’ve set yourself a goal or challenge and smashed it in that hour!

Have a wonderful day and let me know how you get on.

Love Emmylou xxx

How Creativity Healed My Depression

Having gone through years of ignoring my childhood issues, when a life changing event happened back in 2016, all of what I was trying to stuff down, came to the surface and I became numb with a feeling of loss and sadness. I would lie in bed for days, staring at the wall relentlessly crying. I couldn’t stop crying and I was unable to go anywhere for fear of breaking down into tears. I think I had been depressed for years, but never really knew it until my world fell apart and I was forced to confront my demons.

One day, it got to a point where I had to choose life or death and I chose to live. I chose to take myself off to where there was sunshine and a feeling of freedom. Before I left, I created a series of paintings that came from within me. It was raw and ugly and painful to create. It was like my soul was talking to me through these images. These images became the catalyst that helped me observe myself and realise that I was witnessing my pain and honouring it by expressing it on paper in a visual form.

After a year of opting out of life and creating my Paint A Days, I knew that the therapy retreats I attended with realisations along the way, art had helped me heal and gave me the tools to handle hardship that came my way.

Now when I am faced with difficult moments in my life, I turn to the freedom of art. Creating. Making a mess on paper, taking that journey and knowing that it is okay to ‘F**k Up’ and its okay for things to not look perfect. It is okay to express yourself as it is impossible to embrace the whole feeling of happiness when you don’t fully welcome the feeling of sadness.

Teaching and creating art, for me, has developed into a discipline where you not only develop your identity, but you enhance your self esteem, confidence and personality. It is a place where you get to be with yourself and with the artwork, building a portfolio of yourself, in a way.

This all might sound rather deep, but I feel that when you really dare to tap, just a little bit into the real you and face the fear of failure using art as an experimentation foundation, you start to truly see what you are capable of and that ripples into other areas of your life.

Working on a mural in a tattoo studio.

If you would like take yourself on a creative journey and be prepared to make mistakes along the way, book a class below. I would love to join you on your creative journey and teach you everything that I know!

Emmylou xx

The Massive benefits of doing an Art Class on Zoom!

Since the lock down happened, I thought about ways in which I could help as I knew that parents were going to find it stressful with all the schools closed. With that in mind, I created daily FREE YouTube art videos and Zoom Art Classes which went down a storm! Far more than I had expected!

With so much positive feedback from my YouTube art videos, I then decided to do Zoom classes so not only could children create, but teens and adults. I am blown away at how many people signed up. I was also amazed at the benefits that came with doing the art classes! So much so that I had to share them with you!

Group Art Zoom Lesson.

Benefits Of Zoom Art Classes.

* Sense of connection with group without having to take part in the group if you do not want to.

* Independent learning which increases more confidence as although I am teaching you, you have more control over what you want to share and change in terms of choices in your artwork.

* Time saver as you get more out of the lesson as we start on time and end on time with no pick up distractions.

* You get to keep your work after each class and have a finished piece each lesson.

* Great if you are shy or find it hard work in a physical group surrounding.

* You do not have to travel to a venue so you can do the session in the comfort of your own home.

* You get my full undivided attention without distraction or noise from everyone in the class.

* Its great to see other students from different places and not just people that you already know

* You get an email with the finished artwork at the end of each session so you can carry on painting without having to pack away at a certain time

* You get to know and understand the materials that you are using as they are yours to keep and practise with.

* Cheaper than an in person class.

A Student creating from my YouTube ART Channel…

Although I will be teaching in person when all is back to some normality, my business will mainly become virtual, incorporating kids parties on line , group Zoom sessions and 1-1 private art classes as well. If you would like to enhance your life by signing up to my art classes, subscribe to my FREE YouTube CHANNEL that the whole family can do or my classes below.

ZOOM ART CLASSES - KIDS / TEENS / ADULTS

FREE YouTube ART CHANNEL

If you need anymore information or want to chat to me about any of the above, please contact me: e@emmylouart.com

I look forward to teaching you!

Emmylou xxx

Why is it so daunting to start a piece of artwork?

Back when I was in school, I always felt very anxious when faced with a huge piece of white paper and told to draw something. That was then and this is now.

Now, I am an artist, muralist and art tutor and I have taught myself that starting a piece of artwork is very much like taking on any project. It requires some back ground knowledge and skill, but the most important thing that you need is courage. You need to boldly go into it with fear, but ACTION, knowing that it may be your best or worse piece, but whatever the outcome, it doesn’t really matter as its all about getting you used to facing something that you thought you couldn’t accomplish!

After completing my paint a day challenge that I set myself where I painted a painting every day for a year, starting a painting soon became my friend ;). I would look at the paper and just begin. It was always the idea of starting that would cause so much stress in my mind, but once I was into it, I was on a roll!

Practise makes perfect which has been said many times before, but that is because it is so true! If I had not painted a painting a day or set up my YouTube drawing channel, I would not be so accurate and fast as an artist at what I produce now when I paint murals on walls and get huge commissions.

When I get in front of the camera and start my drawing on my YouTube channel, I always feel nervous at the start as the idea of it going wrong is very disheartening as I know I will judge myself quite harshly and sometimes even think I cant draw anymore, but I think its important to have my channel to show people that it is not edited and what goes up is whats happening in real life. I make mistakes and drop pencils etc, but its okay as we are human and its all part of having fun with trying new things out!

I think much like life is your canvas quote, a canvas is quite symbolic of how you feel in your life at the moment and how you approach obstacles. If you kept meaning to start that painting and still have not, where else are you doing that in other areas of your life where you keep meaning to start something and don’t. Have you started the painting but it is still not finished. Where in your life is that showing up for you also?

I think once you walk into the fear of starting something without judgement you never really look back and you never regret it as the satisfaction of trying and having taken action outweighs the worry of what someone or more to the point, yourself might think of the finished result.

Give it a go and start a painting today! If not a painting, a project you have been meaning to begin!

Now is the only time we have.

Emmylou xx

Want to draw more or buy a piece of art? - YouTube Etsy

Are You Scared Of Creativity? If So, Why?

Many people that I ask this to say yes. They are not really sure what the question is, but the answer is almost always yes. There is a story from their childhood about a bad experience that they had with an art teacher in school or a piece of art being judged by someone else and they decided that they were not ‘good’ at art from that point forward. They did not realise it, but they had defined themselves by someone who cannot draw or is ‘good’ at art and is not a creative person.

Creativity is not just art. Creativity is music, cooking, gardening, playing, visualising, experimenting, exploring and seeing the world through the eyes of an inquisitive child. Creativity is so much more than being able to draw or paint. Its about the journey rather than the end result.

We are all able to be creative and we all deserve to make time for these things as creativity is the foundation for everything we do in our lives as it grounds us and balances us and that feeling feeds through to all the other areas in our lives, benefitting not only our wellbeing, but our friends, family and the impact in the world. Businesses everywhere are now looking for more creative individuals as computers cannot create authenticity and that is what the world is becoming more of. People want to be more mindful, more present and in the moment with their loved ones. People want honesty and integrity. They want to be more true to themselves which ultimately leads to happiness and thats all that anyone really wants. to be happy.

Being creative once again like the children we were is about letting the rules go. Let other people judgements go and let yourself be free to explore what you find creating is to you. It might be cooking, journalling, cleaning or rearranging a space. It might be building a sand castle or playing with your kids. Whatever it is, step into it and be present with it. Breathe in the moment and know that this perfect moment will never be the exact same again.

To start your journey of being more creative, watch my YOUTUBE video with you child or just yourself and have a go at creating a piece of art with me. Have fun with it and enjoy the moment spent with your child or yourself.

You are worth the time that you invest in living a life thats filled with happiness and authentic moments. You are worth everything you desire and it starts with creativity of the self.

Lots of love,

Emmylou xxx

5 Simple Things You Can Do Daily To Increase Creativity

It is so important today with so many distractions, commitments and endless chores, to take time out for yourself. Whatever your age, we all face stressful and challenging situations and we need an outlet to express ourselves and feel free to truly be ourselves.

This is not always easy, but to make it a little more simpler, below are 5 things I have personally done and stuck to that only take under 10 mins a day! That's almost half the time it takes to brush your teeth depending, on how long you brush your teeth for..:

Try this out for a week and you will be amazed at how much more connected and creative you will feel in your life.

(1min)

1 - Look out of a window at something green (nature) and say out loud; ‘thank you’ for two things in your life.

(2mins)

2 - Sit on a chair, hands flat on your lap, feet firm on the ground. Close your eyes and breathe in five deep breaths.

(2mins)

3 - On a piece of paper with your dominant hand, write yourself a question that you want to ask yourself: e.g; How do i feel today? With your non dominant hand write the answer. Don't think about it. Just write it. Don't judge it. Just accept what the answer is.

(3mins)

4 - Still stilling on the chair, put a song on that you love. With a pen on paper, scribble on the paper to the movement of the song. Feel the music and let go. Scribble!

(1min)

5 - Stand up from the chair and shake your body. Jump up and down. Shake your hands and dance however your body want to move!

Give yourself a high five then look in the mirror and say - I LOVE YOU!

At first, you might feel strange or silly doing these steps, but everything feels strange to begin with until you get the hang of it!

Want to continue your creative journey? Join one of my ‘I AM’ workshops below!

Have a lovely day everybody!

Much love, Emmylou xx

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