To Friendship and New Beginnings
I am currently sat writing this in my car, gazing out over Daymer Bay watching the wild wind and rain drive in across the estuary. I love winter in Cornwall, it feels so very raw and peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of the summer months.
I spend my lunch hour down here most days, normally I have my group of friends with me, laughing and chewing the fat whilst having a brisk walk along the wild coast path. Right now though, due to lockdown 3.0 I am here alone, reminiscing on all the wonderful hours I have spent down here and how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends.
This pandemic has been horrific for everyone, but it has also awakened something in me that was long lost – my creativity. I will never forget that, and I will also never take my friendships for granted ever again. I think most people have been made aware of how important human connection is during this last year, how without it the loneliness creeps in, solitude losing its novelty and suddenly feeling incredibly overwhelming.
During this re-discovery of art over the last year I have been taken aback by the support, help and encouragement I have received from people. Not just friends and family, but complete strangers and especially other creatives in Cornwall. Despite all of us being in lockdowns or forced to distance ourselves from each other, all these wonderful people were reaching out virtually to offer their kindness and support. It blew me away quite frankly. I felt like I had been welcomed into a new community, one that was not driven by competitiveness but rather inclusion.
After talking to one of my dear friends one day about this very community, I suddenly realised how much I want to develop this further, really create a collective of female creatives who help each rise up with their own individual businesses and also come together to create new opportunities. After throwing the idea out to a few of my new creative acquaintances, to my surprise they all loved the idea and were thrilled to be a part of it! The Hyli Creatives were now born.
Our collective is a group of Cornish female artists and creators who are deeply inspired by the beauty of Cornwall and the awe-inspiring ocean that surrounds it. Our name ‘Hyli creatives’ is a reflection of our shared inspiration – Hyli being the Cornish word for salt water. Our aim is to share our love for the ocean, for the landscape around us and to help inspire other female creatives to rise up and discover their creativity.
Each one of us has our own unique story and artistic style but together we aim to create something truly unique. We are planning group projects and events to highlight how all art styles can work together, show people how we work, show you how to tap into your creative style. Since I began this journey almost a year ago, I have tried to shout from the rooftops how I believe everyone has creativity within them, you just have to stop worrying about what people will think of that finished creation.
More than anything I hope that the Hyli Creatives celebrate friendship and support of each other as strong artistic women. I can honestly say I am incredibly excited about what we can achieve together in 2021.