From the Compost Heap header. A pencil style illustration of a compost heap with flowers and plants growing around it. A bee buzzes by and a white rabbit hops by.

One Year of Magic ✨

Black and white diptych shows two photographs of children playing with toys including plastic dinosaurs and DUPLO LEGO blocks.
Black and white diptych shows two photographs. One shows a child sitting in a shopping cart with cowboy boots fallen to the floor beneath. The other shows a mother's feet beside a pram on a walk.

I’ve been a photographer for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid I was drawn to photographing trees and birds and cowboy boots lined up beside the swimming pool. But somehow I had never tried a long term photo-a-day project.

That is until Claire Venus proposed a year long creative collaboration. We would exchange photos of our every day life each day for one year.

Black and white diptych shows two photographs of children playing with toys including plastic dinosaurs and DUPLO LEGO blocks.

We started the project without a name, but very quickly found magic in the mundanity. Little moments of synchronicity between the Northwest of Arkansas and the Northeast of England.

I also noticed how well this form of connection suited my neurodivergence. The structured project soon became a container for friendship to grow. Life and art bled into each other.

Soon after we started the project my family traveled out of state for my son’s autism evaluation. And it felt like Claire was right there beside me – even an ocean away. We began to chat about the beauty and the hard things of motherhood, neurodivergence, and creativity.

Black and white diptych shows two photographs. One shows a child size teacup with spilled milk. The other shows a mother and child's hands with small pinecones.

The project also sharpened my artist eye. To the beauty around me. The magic in the mess. In my creative ecosystem framework I call this creative oxygen.

It’s also become a self regulation tool. Pausing to compose a photo was just what I needed when things broke or the milk spilled (again) or the room had become a complete mess.

We talked about this a bit when I interviewed Claire on the podcast.

Black and white diptych shows two photographs. One shows a child in a crib looking out at soft toys thrown out. The other shows a child emptying pebbles out of rainboots.

We’re in the final days of exchanging photos now and I can’t believe this project is coming to and end. Right now I’m working out logistics for how to curate and exhibit this work. (I’ll keep you updated.)

Black and white diptych shows two photographs. One shows an illuminated geodesic dome with father and child in silhouette. The other shows a small child standing above a kitchen sink in silhouette.

If you want more magic you should definitely follow Claire’s Substack. She writes about creativity, slow living, and work life balance. She recently posted her reflection of this project here.

Black and white diptych shows two photographs. One is a small child under a blanket with an AAC device illuminating their face. Another is a child in a sunbeam covering their face.

To celebrate the completion of the Magic Mundane I’m hosting a little giveaway over on Substack chat. Enter to win a copy of my book Discover Your Creative Ecosystem and Claire’s Creativity Island for Mums. 🥰

Creativity Island for Mums art journal shows a mum and child illustrated in yellow and pink laying on the grass surrounded by golden leaves
Discover Your Creative Ecosystem by Sarah Shotts has the silhouette of a bird in flight with a landscape shown beyond. It sits on a wooden table with autumnal leaves around it.

Cheers,

Sarah signed with a swoopy S

P.S. Keep the magic going by using the hashtag #themagicmundane on Instagram.

Black and white diptcyh. One shows a mother's sock feet standing over a child moving a LEGO DUPLO train on a rag rug. Another shows a child reaching into a basket of LEGO DUPLO.

Cross Pollination 🐝