A way of making things that feels like you,
and fits the rhythm of your days.
Hi, I’m Jane- I’m so glad that you’re here.
I’m a writer, artist, and creative mentor (in other words, I’m a human wot likes to make things pretty much all the time).
Like so many of us, I have a full and somewhat messy life- I’m interested in what it looks like to make things in the middle of the everyday, and how we stay connected to our creative thread when life gets gritty and complicated and slippery round the edges.
I think this is the part where most of us come unstuck. It’s not that we lack ideas or creative aspirations, but being able to bring them to life inside the reality of the everyday is where things tend to unravel.
For the past fifteen years, I’ve worked in somatic and movement therapies with a focus on nervous system health. That lens shapes how I think about creative practice, particularly in understanding what’s happening beneath the surface when we feel stuck, overwhelmed, avoidant, or pulled away from the things that matter to us.
I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of people, both individually and in group settings, and have travelled the world as a clinician, coach, and speaker.
My own path into this work started from a pretty personal place; I was doing my best to find ways of living with the intensity of being a sensitive person in a world that didn’t always feel like it had space for people like me.
What I’ve come to understand since is that creativity and having a real-world creative practice is a big part of how I make sense of life, stay connected to myself and keep things on an even keel when they get wonky.
I consider creativity to be something essential (not an extra, or a luxury, or a thing that's saved for later).
Having a creative practice helps us process, respond, and stay connected to the things that matter most to us- and yet despite that, in the whirl & twirl of life, it can be a thread that's easy to lose.
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to fit myself into structures that didn’t quite work for me- paths that looked right on paper but didn’t hold up in practice- and while I was often very good at it, there was always a sense that something wasn’t quite lining up.
What I know now is that I carry a strong creative drive, and when that energy has somewhere to go, things feel steady, engaged, alive.
And when it doesn’t, I feel that just as clearly.
When I look further back, I can see that creative thread running through my family as well; women who made things, within the limits of what was possible at the time, and I’m aware that I am the first woman in my family to have real creative and financial agency, which is not something I take lightly.
Making things, for me, isn’t optional. It’s part of how I function.
Creating, for me, isn’t a nice thing to so; it’s essential. I take my responsibility to creating seriously (whilst holding myself lightly at the same time).
These days, my life is full, in all the ways life tends to be.
I have two young children, am the breadwinner for my family, and live on a busy little farm in the South Island of New Zealand.
What I’ve found, again and again, is that making time for creative work doesn’t take away from the rest of my life. It supports it.
When I’m making things, I’m more present, more resourced, more able to show up for everything else.
And when I’m not, everything around me starts to suffer.
That’s why my work is shaped the way it is: I’m not interested in helping you push harder or finally get it right, but in helping you find ways of making things that actually fit into your life, working with your energy, attention, and capacity so that you can keep coming back to it, even when things get full.
Because creativity to me isn’t about what you produce; it’s part of how you make sense of your life, how you stay connected to yourself, and how you keep something alive that’s very easy to lose in a busy world.
All my work has grown from that place.
Together, we'll find ways of letting your creativity live right in the middle of the life you already have.
A random assortment of curiosities for those still reading and interested...
🖌️ I’m a freeform, omnivorous creator. My writing feeds into my drawing, which flows into other forms of art. It’s all part of one living, breathing whole. I think of creativity as a wild ecology: an ecosystem with no rules, no limits, and no “right” way to make.
✏️ I illustrate all my own work. The drawings you see here are all my own.
🪶 I’m a devoted bird lover and deeply passionate about conserving native birdlife here in Aotearoa New Zealand. We’ve put a lot of time and care into making our little patch of land a haven for birds, and a place where other native species can thrive too.
📚 I don’t believe in owning too many books (or sketchbooks, or notebooks, or art supplies). I’m also highly supportive of others expanding their collections… consider yourself warned—or blessed. Maybe both.
🫖 I drink a lot of tea (with a large morning coffee for good measure). I’m particular about cups; size and brim width are everything. Happy to discuss.
👗 I have a strong and growing collection of corduroy flares in all kinds of colours and combinations. It’s a bit of a thing.
🐎 Horses have always been a part of my life, and they’ve shaped how I relate to myself and the world. I’m endlessly grateful for their presence and wisdom.
🌿 Most of what I write and create revolves around the natural world; our relationship with it, our responsibility to protect it, and all we can learn from the non-human beings we share it with.