Announcement of October theme

And some messages of thanks.

Farewell to Collections week! But don’t worry, I enjoyed it so much, it will definitely be making regular appearances in our monthly themes. All the content from ‘Collection Week’ is available, including a recording of the drawing session and images.

It’s been a great start to the membership, I want to thank everyone who has subscribed so far and to supporters, family and friends who have sent me lots of kind words and encouragement these past two weeks.

Thank you to everyone who has jumped into discussions, took part in the chat threads, joined in on posts and came to the live drawing session, it’s been wonderful getting to know some of you 🙂

Also, thank you for bearing with me when I experienced the occasional, technical hiccup,  this week has felt like a whirlwind while I get to grips with the platform!

Free for October!

Following the results of the poll I posted on here yesterday, I’m doing away with the free trial and instead, have opened up content for all subscribers until the end of October! Hopefully this will give you the chance to get to know me and the membership better, and take the pressure off signing up. 

For the rest of this month you can revisit content from the last two weeks and enjoy everything that’s coming up this month, which includes a live, zoom drawing session, deep dives into process and inspiration, video posts and subscriber chats. I’ll be sharing more details including the date for the drawing session on Monday.

I’ve been posting a lot for launch week but this will slow down as we move further into October. 

Part of the ethos of The Creative Flock is ‘slow pace’, and that big changes in your creative practice can come from small actions. In the spirit of this, my future posts will be regular but timely. New posts will come out on a Wednesday, with the occasional bonus post or a reminder about what we’ve got coming up.

Notes and chat threads will be popping up regularly, but if you want to dial your notifications up or down, you can adjust your Substack settings either in the web or mobile app. 

So, without further ado, the theme for the rest of October is..

When it comes to the spooky element of October, I was spoilt for choice, but decided on Witchcraft and Magic due to my recent visit to the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall. It was such an incredible place and I'm excited to share details from my visit and hopefully inspire you to create some witchy or magical themed work.

I’ll be back on Monday with details of what to expect in the Creative Flock during this spooky-themed month, including the date for the live drawing session. For now, here’s a few links and recommendations to keep you inspired over the weekend.*

Documentaries -  A couple of suggestions for documentaries on witchcraft, first one is a two-part documentary from Artist Lachlan Goudie which explores his family history and why artists are inspired by witchcraft and the second is by historian and broadcaster Lucy Worlsey, where she looks at the origins of the Witch Hunts in Britain.

Books - I’ll be putting together a witchcraft and magic themed booklist later in the month, but wanted to share this novel I read last year, The Familiars by Stacy Halls. Set in the 17th century during the witch hunt craze and based on real life women of the time, it’s a story of friendship, courage and a fight against power and the patriarchy. Atmospheric and hard to put down! If you can’t get hold of a paperback, an audio version is available.

TV - The Witchfinder. A gem of a comedy series, co-written by Steve Coogan and featuring Tim Key as a failed witchfinder, Daisy May Cooper as a suspected witch and a supporting cast of some of the UK’s finest comedy actors. If you’re a comedy fan, this show needs no further recommendation!

Podcasts - Witch. I’m a bit late to this series, so I have a lot to catch up on! But what I've heard so far is very good. A podcast from India Rakusen which untangles the historical association we have with witches, and explores what it is to be a witch today.

*Some of the content shared in the links are only available in the UK or if you have a TV licence, some are youtube links so can be accessed more easily. If you are a non-UK subscriber and have suggestions for other witchcraft and magic related books, TV or podcasts, please drop them in the comments below!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, please share with someone who might like it too.