We’ve landed somewhere very special for this week’s Around the World in 80 Sketches… 📍 Reykjavik, Iceland ❄️ And I’m extra excited about this one because I’ve actually been there! It was one of those experiences that stays with you forever… even if it was -14°C 🥶🥶🥶 (yes, really!). The air, the colours, the quiet… it’s such a unique, almost magical place. I’ve popped a little map link here so you can wander and explore. https://maps.app.goo.gl/bpainBi6yZbHPqL79 If you’re new here, Around the World in 80 Sketches is our way of travelling creatively together. Each week we “visit” a new place somewhere in the world and use it as inspiration whether that’s architecture, colours, textures, people, or just the feeling of the place. There’s no right or wrong, just your interpretation. You can draw, paint, write a poem anything creative goes ! ❤️ So go have a little explore, take it in slowly, there’s so much to explore let curiosity lead the way 🙌🏻🤍 I can’t wait to see where this one takes you… ✨ Here’s a few snaps from my time there 👌🏻💜

My mind is full of ideas, wandering off into all sorts of creative places… but my body didn’t quite get the memo. So instead of pushing through, I’m choosing to rest. 🫶🏻🩶 I’ve learnt (sometimes the hard way) that creativity doesn’t always arrive in neat, productive packages. Some days it’s loud and flowing, other days it’s quiet and waiting. So today, I’m catching those thoughts gently… little voice notes on my phone, just enough to hold onto the thread without pulling too hard on it.✨ A softer way of creating. A smidgen at a time 🤍 Pic from a beach we live near 💜

I’ve noticed lately that some of us are feeling a bit anxious or unsure when it comes to creating… like we need the right time, the right tools, the perfect idea. 😬🫠 What if we softened that? What if creativity didn’t need a whole set up… what if it could just quietly live alongside your day? Try this with me this week… keep a notebook or sketchbook somewhere simple… by the kettle, on the sofa, in your bag. 📓 Because here’s the thing… ideas don’t disappear because they weren’t good enough, they fade because we told ourselves we didn’t have time ! 🙈🤦🏻‍♀️ So instead of letting them drift… just catch them. A few words. A tiny sketch. Even a voice note. That’s all it needs to begin.🙌🏻💜 My creativity is rarely instant… sometimes it takes days, weeks, even longer. But it always starts the same way… with a small thought that I chose not to ignore. And when we let go of the finished outcome… when we stop asking “why doesn’t it look like what’s in my head”. we make space for curiosity instead. 🙌🏻 And that’s where the magic actually lives.✨ We can be our own worst critics… but we can also choose to be a little kinder to ourselves. So this week, let’s keep it small. Let’s keep it easy. Let’s just begin. ✨ If it helps, here are a few gentle ways to move forward: • jot down a thought when it comes • do a 2 minute sketch with no pressure • record a voice note instead of writing • collect colours, words or textures you like • sit with an idea rather than rushing it Nothing big. Nothing perfect. Just small steps… towards something that might become beautiful. I’d love to know… what’s one tiny way you could welcome creativity into your day this week? 🤍 Here is something I started a few weeks ago it will be a painting but iam taking my time ❤️

Today in the Uk it’s Mother’s Day. It can be a beautiful day for many… but it can also be a complicated one. Over the years I’ve learned that motherhood isn’t always simple, and it doesn’t always look the way we imagine it should. Some of us have wonderful mothers. Some of us have lost them. Some of us are trying to heal from difficult relationships. And some of us were held up along the way by other incredible women who stepped in when we needed them most. For me, life has been a mixture of all of these things. My relationship with my mum hasn’t always been easy. There has been trauma there, and that’s something I’ve had to work through over the years. Now she lives with Alzheimer’s, and as an only child I’m doing my best to care for someone who once hurt me. That’s not always simple either. But life has also given me incredible women, aunts, teachers, friends, and quiet champions who lifted me when I needed it most. So today I wanted to share a small poem about the women who hold us. The ones who show up with kindness, patience, and love whether they’re our mothers or not. If today feels joyful for you, I’m so glad. If today feels a little tender, you’re not alone. And if there has ever been a woman in your life who helped steady you when things were hard… today might be a lovely day to think of her too. With love, Kate 🌿 The Women Who Held Us Not every mother is the one who gave us our name. Some arrive quietly in borrowed moments of kindness — an aunt who makes tea when the world feels too loud, a teacher who notices the child trying very hard to be brave, a neighbour who opens the door and lets the light in. They are the women who steady us. The ones who place gentle hands on shaking shoulders and say nothing at all, because sometimes being held in silence is the most powerful love of all. Mothering, it turns out, is not always about blood. It is about presence. About the women who step forward when the road becomes steep, who offer warmth, wisdom,

I’ve really loved this week in Smidgen of Calm. It continues to be one of the most wholesome little corners of the internet and I’m so grateful for each of you who shows up, shares, and supports one another. It genuinely feels like a pocket of calm in a very noisy world. 💜 What are you all up to this weekend? I’m heading out today for a bit of fresh air and inspiration, but I’ll be adding this week’s lesson to the classroom later on today, so keep an eye out for that when I’m back. For now… enjoy the weekend, slow down where you can, and do something that fills your cup.☕️❤️ I found a pet portrait I wanted to share with you the other day and couldn’t find it 🙈 I found it Yay ! 🥳 Kate ✨