7 Day Replay – Life Book 2022 Taster Session with Holly McLaughlin

“I cry glitter.” ✨
A lyrical quote from a song by Antony and the Johnsons (now Anohni and the Johnsons), whose music I was utterly obsessed with; so vulnerable, poetic, and soul-baring. One of my favourites, Bird Guhl, is from their hauntingly beautiful album I Am a Bird Now. Anohni’s is one of my favourites; full of ache, truth, and beauty.
This painting, also titled Bird Guhl, was part of my early Paint Over Collage series published in Somerset Studio (2013). I enlarged it in photoshop today and was struck by the wild abandon in the marks I made back then; loose, expressive, instinctive.
It reminded me of beginner’s mind; that freedom we have when we start creating, before perfectionism creeps in. Funny how we spend years striving to “improve,” only to realise that joy lives in the unlearning. As Picasso said:
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
I often feel torn between the illustrator and the painter in me; one seeks polish, the other freedom. But I’m learning that spontaneity has its own kind of perfection.
Thanks for reading. 💗
I’d love to hear if you’ve ever tried to return to that playful, messy, beautiful beginner’s mind in your own creative journey.
#BirdGuhl #Anohni #MixedMediaArt #BeginnerMind #ExpressiveArt #CollageArt #ArtMusings #Willowing #arthealing This is day 6 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Indeed! 😂😁😆

Blessing your timeline with this cutie sketch. 🐶🐾💕

Healing Hands. ❤️‍🩹🙌 This painting was created in 2014 for my very first free course, Art, Heart & Healing.

Unlike what marketing gurus preach these days, I didn’t make this free course as a “lead magnet” or a “low-barrier offer to increase conversions.” I created it because, after running my very first paid course (World of Whimsy – more about this in days to come), I received an email from someone who told me her daughter was living in her attic, struggling with deep depression. She believed my art course could really help her, but they simply couldn’t afford it.

That broke my heart a lot and her email stuck with me. So I decided to offer something for free; not as a tactic, but as a gift to those who truly needed it. There was no sales funnel, no hidden agenda. The only thing I asked what that participants share the course on social media if they felt moved to, but that was it.

Art, Heart & Healing was born out of love, compassion, and the belief that art can be healing and accessible to everyone.

The course attracted a lot of people and introduced many people to the healing power of art.

This course also planted the seed for Life Book (my year long art and healing course I ran for 13 years, more about that soon).

This angel painting is close to my heart. I love the simple colour scheme and gentle expression on her face. I used a lot of extra mixed media supplies in this painting too, which was so fun. It includes texture paste, collage and even glitter! I love the hearts on her hands, like healing hands. Or hands that send out love, like mine. I always hoped that the art my hands created, sent out love the world, one way or another.

Thank you for being here with me today frens.

Happy Sunday.

This is day 5 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

🌸 Day 4 of A Gentle Return 🌸
As I sat down to post today, Damien Rice was singing a lullaby and I felt stuck.
Should I write about capitalism and despair? Or Elliot’s gorgeous lashes and the tiny frogs hopping through our garden? Or maybe just lie in bed reading City of Gods & Monsters and eating cheese?

But then I realised—maybe the stuckness itself is the story.
Because right now, I’m a layered mix of exhausted rage, sadness, awe, love, hope, and deep gratitude. That’s the truth. That’s the Tam-bag. 💫

This painting is from 2013. See the stars and hearts? They`ve always been there—tiny beacons whispering: “You’re still here. It’ll be okay.”

This piece marked a shift: I wanted more than pretty portraits. I wanted mystery. Symbolism. Story.
A bird’s nest on a head, an elephant in a crown, a hand stitched into clothing. Art that asks questions more than it gives answers.

What happens for you when you see it? (This is a condensed caption of a longer more in depth post due to the character limit on Instagram, follow me on Facebook if you`d like to read the full post: https://bit.ly/3INLsTc ) link also on my linktree via bio.