Daily Doodle Diary 2022 - #7

Hi lovely peeps, 

Sorry for my prolonged silence for the past few weeks.
I was at my grand-mother's funeral during the end of April as you know (thank you for all your incredibly lovely messages by the way, I appreciated them all tremendously), and I fell ill IMMEDIATELY after, so had to delay my return to London as a result.

Once I got back, I had a stupid amount of admin to tend to for a bunch of reasons (some linked to the fact the THE FRENCH ADMINISTRATION IS HELL ON EARTH) and was also battling another swathe of health issues (feeling better now, let's hope it lasts).
I have since managed to get back on track with work more or less, so I can finally share some new art with you, thank goodness. 

Thank you so much for your patience with me. 

So first off, here is a small Daily Doodle batch.
I didn't try to keep up with it during the funeral and then I was out of order while ill, but I have slowly been getting back into it, so while this batch might not be super exciting, I am happy to be picking up the habit again. 

The above spread is probably my favourite from this batch, even though it is nothing very exciting. I just felt good on those days and I think it shows, in comparison to other spreads in this sample. 

I've been trying to take it slow and stay flexible. Most of the images in this batch are small quick studies from reference to get back into the swing of things, rather than concept explorations. 

Something I am particularly happy about when it comes to this little exercise I have now been doing for 2 and a half years, is that I have finally managed to let go of the stress associated with it. I used to feel tremendously guilty about not being able to tend to my daily pages, and seeing empty days or weeks really bummed me out.
Now, I simply feel happy when I manage to draw a few lines, no matter how simplistic. I have come to associate a small amount of daily joy with picking up the diary, but I feel no sadness or guilt about the days where I cannot do so.
This feels like such significant progress when it comes to my attitude towards my art practice, and I am so pleased with that shift in my mental perspective. 

A healthy approach to our own art making process is absolutely crucial to building a sustainable long-term art practice, and something I always knew I would struggle with, so small increments of progress like this make me feel more at peace with myself. 

Anyway, thank you for reading my rambles and being here while I explore my approach to my work. Sketchbook pages, May rewards and Process Videos coming very soon <3

I hope you are all doing well,
All my love,
M