About my Blog

Shortcuts:

Find the latest Blog posts here, or explore a random Blog post.
To find my Top Articles about a specific topic, try these links:

Use the Blog Topics to help you find all articles on one theme, such as all poetry, or use the search box at the end of every page, it’s pretty good.

To start from the beginning, go to What am I up to at the Moment? from 1 August, 2011.

Artist Statement: My Blog is a Public Artwork

Watercolour logo cropped copyright

This website started as my Blog in 2011 and has grown from there. The Blog has been my largest and longest running art project and is very dear to my heart! It’s at over 1,400 posts, and averages about 4,500 page views a month.

I understand my world through writing and art. I’ve been writing poetry since I was introduced to it as a child, and have kept extensive journals since I was 14.

Blogging has been a complex and fascinating process of choosing to make some of that process of thinking, feeling, and reflecting public. There’s both a cost and a freedom in sharing publicly. I know that some of who I am and what I’ve come through bewilders people. Without honesty, we’re left with myths. I also know there’s many people out there with these experiences who feel the way I once felt – so profoundly alone it was like being the very last one of my species. Loneliness like that can be life-threatening.

Like all my art, this blog explores what is means to be human. I share to claim my own truths, and tell my own stories, because people like me are so often voiceless, so often written about rather than heard. I challenge cultural taboos about what should remain private and unspoken, what we should hide and keep secret. The things we can’t bear to say or see where so much of our joy, pain, and humanity reside. It’s not about shock or cheap thrills, it’s about common ground. Finding ways to make it bearable to look at the heart of things.

This shifting of the ground between private and public, exploring taboos and gently, safely exposing some of my very personal experiences in ways that support community and connection is a key aspect of my art practice.

Why write a blog?

Because I hear it is a useful resource. Sometimes people contact me about particular posts or tell me this blog has saved their life, which is deeply moving. This is a free artwork. I do not advertise or sell through this blog. Sometimes people send a donation to say thank you for my time, which is always very appreciated.

“I am an artist… I am here to live out loud” -Emile Zola

Site Disclaimer:

Everything on this site is my own personal opinion. It should not be taken as medical advice, legal advice, or personal counsel.

Comment Policy:

Comments are welcome. They are occasionally turned off for my own sanity. Offensive, defamatory, or abusive comments will be deleted. Spam will be deleted. I determine what constitutes each of these.

Copyright Policy:

You’re welcome to share links to these posts.

  • Reblogging is welcome. All posts (articles) have Reblog and Press This options at the end.
  • Sharing on social media is welcome. There are many options provided at the end of posts.
  • I am happy for anyone to print and keep posts for their own personal use.
  • I am happy for anyone to share my posts in a therapeutic, peer work, or mental health support or teaching setting. I love to hear if you’ve done this so consider dropping me a line or supporting me.

You need my permission if:

  • If you wish to use my work in a commercial setting, (with the exceptions of support and teaching)
  • If you want to reproduce my posts in full somewhere else
  • If you want to reproduce and edit or modify my posts somewhere else
  • If you wish to share an image from this blog

I am happy to discuss your ideas and do offer licenses for images of my artwork.

FAQ:

Q. What’s the difference between the blog and the mailing list?
A. The blog is updated more frequently, and contains a lot of personal thoughts, reflections, and behind the scenes look at my life and art. The mailing list is a less frequent shout out about public events I’m involved in, exhibitions, and other big news. You can of course, sign up to both if you wish.

Q. Why do some links take me to sarahkreece.blogspot.com?
A. I started this Blog on blogger, then after two years moved it across to wordpress. A few old posts still have backlinks to the original site.

Q. Where do you get your images?
A. Most of the pictures on here I’ve taken myself. These are all watermarked to discourage theft. 🙂 The rest I usually find on royalty free stock photo sites such as rgbstock.

Q. Why is your Blog called ‘Holding my childhood to ransom’?
A. It’s a line from a song by Nick Cave, one of my favourite artists. It’s about recovery and survival and reflection and investigating where we’ve come from and what we think we know. It’s about finding treasure in dark places.