Reality | Samantha Humphreys

January 3, 2026

Finding Joy in Simple Moments: A New Year’s Reflection

Winter Trees (2025) Paper Collage

Despite starting the new year with a headache (not alcohol induced), I was thinking about how 2025 was exceptionally good to me. Reflecting on the past year, I realized that taking a leap of faith by setting myself up as a freelance artist and tutor was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The uncertainty was daunting at first, but with hard work and determination, it has worked out in my favour. I now feel in control of my professional journey, and the flexibility of freelance life has allowed me to cultivate a good work/life balance that I struggled with so much before. My daily interactions now, Remind me of the passion that originally fuelled my decision.

For some of my friends and family though, the year has dealt some devastating and heartbreaking blows. Life is indeed short, and amidst all the unpredictability it brings, one of the most important things we can do is take charge of our mental and physical wellbeing. It’s essential to prioritize our own health and happiness, even when faced with challenges. I’m not suggesting that anyone should recklessly abandon life as you know it, but I encourage taking a small step toward doing something you’ve always wanted to do, a ‘dream’ (a cliche, maybe a better word is … aim, or intention) you’ve put on hold for too long.

There’s a lot to be said for a cliched bucket list, for instance, sunrises are undeniably beautiful, and the best part? They are free, available to everyone in any corner of the world. Getting up early also makes me feel virtuous and taking a moment to appreciate a sunrise and take a breath, gives me the chance to mentally plan my day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all conducive to the spiritual experience it sounds as I’m usually multi tasking already taking my little dog out for her toilet walk, but, you know….thats nice too.

Additionally, decluttering physical objects really helps to declutter your mind. It’s more than just tidying up; it’s therapeutic. It allows you to create space for new experiences, or just create space. By clearing your environment, you can create a peaceful sanctuary that contributes positively to your mental state.

Oh, and before I forget, I must remind you to wrap up warm and go outside tonight (3 Jan). Look up at the sky; the Quadrantid meteor shower will be amazing! Watching the stars blaze across the night sky is not just a beautiful spectacle but can be immensely soothing to the soul. The best viewing times are usually around or after midnight, so gather a few blankets, perhaps a warm drink, and enjoy this cosmic display.

So, instead of the usual celebratory New Year post filled with standard promises, hopes, and resolutions that often fade by February, I will simply say this: I sincerely hope that 2026 is good to you. May it bring you joy, fulfillment, and countless opportunities to embrace everything that life has to offer. Take the time to forge connections, create memories, and above all, chase after the things that set your heart on fire.

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August 31, 2025

Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All in Learning

Remember this? I loved playing with this toy. I learned about the shapes, how they looked, how many sides they had and what they were called. For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, the yellow pieces have their own specially shaped hole in the ball. They need to be slotted through until all forms are safely inside. Once inside, the ball opened up and the pieces shaken out.

It was great fun, simple fun at a time in life when things were less complicated. Of course, it wasn’t just about enjoying the game, it was educational too. There are formed pieces, with specific names and there are places in which they fit. They only fit into the space made for them. If they were to lose any of their form, they would no longer fit. There would be no place for them.

So what of the infinite variations on the forms with a name? the cylinder or circle that isn’t quite round or the irregular shape that has no title? Where in the world is their place? How would they fit into the red and blue ball?

We now live in far more accepting societies. Diversity is celebrated in all its wonderful forms. Opportunities are opening up for a wider demographic all the time. Yet, the schooling system still expects children to fit into the same ill fitting ‘holes’. It doesn’t make sense to ‘recognise’ that we are all different. Each of us is literally unique and will find our place. but not necessarily before we reach adulthood. Yet, the framework makes students think they can excel in all subjects. That this is achievable if they put in the effort. This is comparable to saying, ‘we know you are an irregular octagon.’ We only have round shaped spaces. You need to fit through that. If you try really hard, you can change, because we need the same result from you as we do from the circles’

Does that not sound ridiculous?

Tomorrow is the start of the new academic year. Teachers all over the country will be undergoing their first training of the term. Planning of new and exciting content will commence along with techniques to make learning accessible to all students. If only the education system would align with the progress in recognising neurodiverse conditions. These conditions prove that one size absolutely does not fit all.

What a happy, fulfilled and confident set of achievers we would have then? Always.

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April 15, 2025

Creating Mindfulness in Nature: A Reflective Outing

This weekend, I was working alongside fellow creatives in leading some community workshops in a non residential retreat. Titled, Creative Calm, these were held on the beautiful campus at ARU Writtle. I designed short tasks using drawing, painting, and writing. These short tasks embrace the idea that mindfulness can be achieved by focusing only on the moment.

Engaging with nature is known to improve life balance. It keeps us mentally fit and promotes a positive sense of wellbeing. Walking in green spaces, forests, woods, and fields makes us feel wholesome. More importantly, it allows us to reset our busy minds when partaking at either end of the day. Being creative also holds these powers. It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced and confident artist. You can also enjoy these benefits, even if you consider your skills to lie elsewhere. The secret to unlocking the powers is understanding that we, as humans, are part of nature. We are not a separate entity. Nature is made up of living, moving, ageing and ever-changing matter. We are just that.

Last week was filled with sad news of the passing of friends and family of friends. I chose a corner of the memorial garden on campus to create a watercolour painting. I’m unsure if that is the name of the garden. It has become a place where tributes are left in memory of those that have passed in recent years. It is also a retreat for peaceful sitting. As I studied the leaves, flowers and man made structures; I reflected, just sat and thought. I layered my painting with the subtle changes in green tone. My aim was to give it the depth and richness I wanted to achieve. I pondered (now there’s a word I don’t use often enough) on how and when we turn to nature. We use plant materials to celebrate life, whether that life is in the current, recently or long since passed. Flowers are given, wreaths or bouquets are laid or trees are planted in memorial. We become connected to nature by these acts of tenderness throughout our lives; we become memories planted firmly in those places of solace when we have moved on. This little corner of the campus is truly a wonderful place for addressing life balance and mental reset. Capturing the current through text and poetry can develop or strengthen mindful practice. It lets us close all the open tabs and hit the power down button for a short while.

My outcome from this session? Life really is too short, do what feels right and change direction if necessary. Cliched I know, but there are many paths to explore.

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March 29, 2025

The Calming Power of Circles in Art

Bocking Woods (2025)

Circles feature in much of my art, they are conducive to a sense of calm to me. Seeing such a perfect example with its swooping curve of nature, during an early morning walk filled me with joy. It was a great start to my day.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been recovering slowly. It was from a monster of a migraine. The headache started during a day of teaching at school. I could do little to prevent it from escalating. The Easter holidays will be a time to reset. I will plan how to regain a little balance. Lately, time has been running away with me. I imagine this is why I still have the remnants of pain in my head. It is also why it is taking me an age to finish writing this post!

Walking is like a tool in my well being toolbox. It serves me well in terms of making sure I’m capable of thinking about my day ahead. It allows me to ponder on recent days. I can plan how I will build balance into each part of this one.

The day begins and ends with celestial circles; and I find that using circles in my practice is soothing. Whether it be a mandala, an emotion wheel, a print, or a zentangle pattern. The presence of a circle on my page is always aesthetically pleasing.

Witnessing such a fine example at the end of a long path through the forest was satisfying. It felt like a perfect metaphor for my difficult couple of weeks. It was a lovely addition to my morning walk. It seemed like a magical entrance to a fabulous day.

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March 4, 2025

The Benefits of Journaling Through Art

This afternoon was the first of two journaling lessons I teach at The Art and Design Studios in Great Waltham. Today’s task was my favourite exercise, drawing a tree. We draw trees we find pleasing and give thought to their similarities and differences to humanity. There are many topics of discussion to focus on that crop up during the session. I have taught this exercise over many years and each time it differs in content, outcomes and it develops. I learn from it myself, always.

I have many versions of drawing a tree. The one above is the first from today. I have another class tonight, so I will do at least one more. The tree is one I pass at least once a day. It often has a gang of dog walkers gathered underneath, chatting and socialising their dogs. Whatever the weather, they throw sticks in the river for games of ‘Fetch’. This is lovely to see. I manoeuvre my way around excitable pups who sometimes jump up to say hello. This prompts many apologies all round for a variety of reasons. Of course, all are totally unnecessary. But hey-that’s what we English do right?

This was very early morning yesterday and it was particularly tranquil. The weather was bitingly cold. I was so comfortable because I dress in many layers. I always prepare for being cold, especially when out early. The sky was as blue as early summer and I felt the endorphins flood through me. I reflected on how grateful I am to live within walking distance of these green spaces. I am grateful that I am healthy enough to enjoy them. I am also grateful that I have the freedom to do so. I can honestly say that I owe my new positive mindset, to once drawing a tree several years ago.

Time to think is important, even if it’s only for a minute every so often. Gift yourself the time.

The Art and Design Studios -Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/_theartanddesignstudio/

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February 25, 2025

An unexpected (but very much appreciated) moment of Joy

Yesterday, while I took a short walk around Great Waltham between my classes, I found a beautiful patch of early crocus on some communal grass area. I looked around in the hope of finding a fallen, broken flower so I could take it back for the evening botanical drawing session, but alas, there was none. Also, it was great that there was none, because there were some that had been mightily flattened by the heavy downpours and still looked very securely attached to their stems and firmly rooted in the ground.

I noticed that the colour palette was very much in line with my own yesterday. I was wearing green and purple which I have also thought was very much a Daphne from Scooby Doo signature, so at least now I can instead associate it with spring colours instead.

What were the chances that I would choose to wear that combination on the same day that I decided to go for a walk between the classes and I would walk that way? That I would do this on the narrow window of time that these flowers bloom? Sometimes all the stars fall into line and bring about these small, really inconsequential happenings that do, for some reason, bring some much needed childlike joy to my brain!

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February 18, 2025

Sunrise, Frost and Frozen Toes

It was beautiful yesterday morning as I headed over the footbridge on the nature reserve, but oh my was it cold!! This was at 07.38, the sun was coming up promising to warm me, but I was chilled to the bone and I stayed that way for most of the day.

This morning I went for an early swim, also a cold activity but walking home, I was so wrapped up in layers and the sun was out so it was a lovely cosy, comfortable walk back.

For the rest of the day I will choose from the long list of little jobs I have put off until we break for half term, inevitably, a fair few will be put off until Easter and summer breaks but I have become a lot more chilled. I am chipping away at that list slowly and not doing my usual thing of starting one job, then mid way through it, starting another so I can finish the first! There then follows an endless cycle of unfinished tasks and a huge mess.

I feel I am being a bit hard on myself actually, (the old me from a few years back would never have said that…progress indeed) because I have already been busy over the weekend with sorting bags and clothes I no longer need-I have re-organised my art room as I have had more supplies delivered for workshops and cleaned in general quite a lot. So in light of that-finishing reading my book might be bumped to the top of that list, after walking my dog.

Bring on the spring, I am ready for it!

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February 11, 2025

Mastering the Art of ‘Being’

I stopped to look at the tree I pass each day, the reason I stopped was that the skies behind it were divided into a a summer blue and a thundery grey. The sun was bright on and off so there was a moment when the complex system of nerve like branches were very defined. There was a yellow glow through the moss green that highlighted the creases in the bark, reminding me of wrinkles that have been caked in make up.

It is important to take care of yourself mentally as well as keeping physically fit. If you are anything like me, your mind is constantly in overdrive with worries, lists, texts messages and endless pulls on your time and attention. Sometimes, switching to aeroplane mode just for a short while will see you (or feel) reaping the benefits later on. This gives you the chance pay attention to what is around you whether that be an urban concrete landscape or land wrapped in fields, forests and streams. Either way, there will be air, sounds and sights of all sorts.

It is quite tricky to get into the habit of noticing what you see throughout your day. A way of training yourself to do this is the simple exercise of asking yourself: What three colours can I see? then, Choose one of those colours and find three shades of it; so using my photograph above a reference:

‘green/brown/blue!’

Then, as i’m unlikely to find three shades of blue and there are plenty of neutral hues around the centre of the image, I will look for three shades of ‘brown’ …if you are familiar with colours of a artist palette you might say:

Burnt umber/Raw Umber and Ochre or if not then simply Dark Brown/Light Brown/Beige

While you are doing this exercise, you will be unaware of anything that isn’t about those colours, even if it takes you less than a few minutes.

Life is too short for just coasting, doing what we think we should do and not saying things we want to say. Let loved ones know they are loved and also, just as importantly, celebrate that you are alive and take care of you!

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February 9, 2025

Documenting Our Path

Remains of the Day (2025) Mixed Media

So this past week has seemed like I have been throwing loads of balls in the air and seeing whether any land on my head! Sometimes they all landed on my head at once .

This past week in Journaling I have been teaching Gelli Printing as a technique for capturing and documenting a moment. There were some fantastic results, there was also some beautiful debris at the end of the lessons. The technique serves as a reminder that often, the things that we do, result in a bi-product that is sometimes more pleasing and satisfying than our original intention.

Journaling is proving to be a minefield of memories, both for myself as well as my students and clients. Because we talk during the lesson and share experiences (not a requirement to participate, we can just listen to our peers), memories conjure up forgotten similar experiences for us all. I know its a cliche, but talking is precious, we talk, we share and we listen-then we document these memories in any way we like because these precious moments are too much of a treasure to risk forgetting.

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January 27, 2025

That London

*Private View* (2025) Samantha Humphreys

Last week I attended the opening evening of London Art Fair, an event which I have only missed once in the last twelve years. As always, the Encounters section curated by Pryle Behrman was the highlight for me. This year, the work that caught my attention surprisingly for me were a series of paintings by Zbyněk Sedlecký from the Czech Republic who was represented by The Chemistry Gallery.

*Torso I* Oil on canvas (2024) 100 x 70cm

As my own creative practices embrace real life, I was drawn to the beautiful way this artist captures genuine moments that are not in any sense beautiful. Instead, he focuses on the less attractive ‘in between’ times of life. The paintings were mesmerising because they were interchangeable between being photorealistic and richly painterly and my mind seemed to switch between the detailed positioning of the body parts, the exactness of the light bouncing off the cutlery and the blurry fuzziness of the edges of the paintings. I just love them, they are wonderfully dramatic, theatrical and unexciting all at once. The collection is reminiscent structurally of the renaissance period with its grand still life compositions that celebrated wealth and status: though in contrast the artist is honouring the mundane, yet with the same traditional medium that you can almost still smell.

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Category: Reality