Welcome to Freedom

Written By Jess McKenzie

If you’ve found your way here I’m guessing that you’re STUCK and you’re in desperate need of creative expression. I identify as an artist that is constantly avoiding doing the work - procrastinating - which looks like filling my life with a whole lot of other very important looking activities.

I’m a mother to a toddler, I own an online skincare business, I study Visual Arts at university, and I’m a carer to my husband who has a physical disability - so life IS busy. My life is full, and wonderfully so, they are all incredible blessings to me.

BUT.

I am a creative. And I am not creating.

I believe this breeds discontent and frustration which can turn into irritability, anger, depression, anxiety, and really, just being an awful person to live with. I become the mother ‘venting’ at morning playgroups, and complaining about BUSY my life is and how TIRED I am. I become the wife that greets simple requests or comments with glares and the silent treatment - or worse - I respond in anger which can spiral into relationship breakdown.

At this point in time I do not have all the answers for myself, or you. But I do feel guided to share this journey from being a stuck, procrastinating artist that even hesitates to call herself an artist, into a productive, confident and joyful creative.

Inspired by a request to mentor a local girl I also started art sessions via FaceTime with my 9yo niece Lydia last week. This is our second session and we both drew a still life as I attempted to teach her about shading. She was super proud of her dr
A happy belated Mother’s Day to all you Mums out there. My girls made my day extra special with drawings, artwork, gifts, and brekkie in bed. Eleven even picked out what I was to wear for the day!! But my fave thing was doing some painting toge
Does anyone else drool over textures in ceramics? 🤤🏺🍶😍💕🤤🤣There’s a great local community art space here called Fig Tree Galleries. The current show ‘Ceramics by 5 of us’ has some beautiful pieces in it that bought unexpected
George our down-the-road neighbour in Darwin. He’s a character and loved sitting for me. This pencil portrait is done from a photograph. I did this a few years ago and never finished it… but I actually love it as is ☺️#pencildrawing #pen
I stumbled across some little monsters today on my social media deep dive lol and was inspired to create my own. Nothing like a little late night monster creation ☺️Who’s got a name for it? #artistlife #monsterlove #illustrationfun #charactera
Cutest little pumpkin that was given to us this week. I might even have to try painting it.. what else should I add to make it a true still life composition? ☺️
An old pencil portrait that I completed of my late brother-in-law Gaz who died a few years ago. It was such a special moment to reveal this to the family when we were all together 🥰💕 #pencildrawing #pencilportrait #yeppoonartist #graphitesketch #p
A little play with some bright watercolour paint - portrait of illustrator Lisa Congdon @lisacongdon based on her photograph in the @200women book. Finding time to play and try new things. Not following any rules. Just having fun 💕#doitfortheprocess
I’m so excited to announce my 🎨 FAMILY PORTRAIT PAINTING COMMISSIONS 🎨 are now open!!! I have two spots available for my first two families! You get to be an integral part of my development as an artist as I work in collaboration with your
So in love with Eleven’s rainy-rainbow-family-portrait!! I’m taking collaboration with my girls to the next level this year. Stay tuned for some more experimenting and combining our artwork 🎨👩‍🎨🥰😘
My work ‘Fatherhood: Same same but different’ as exhibited @darwinvisualarts in the final group show of 2022. This was an exploration of how to tell a more explicit story of my husbands physical disability and his capacity as a father BB
PLAY. Allowing myself the freedom to experiment with colour and mark making and what better surface to do that than on a cardboard box?! #watercolour #watercolorart #pencildrawing #visualjournal
Toddler-hood. So fun. And exhausting. Physically, mentally and emotionally drained. Parent artists - how did you find the space to keep creating with these little tyrants?! I’ve been doing little bits and pieces with her ‘contributing&rsq
Sometimes line and light make you stop in your tracks 💕☀️💕 What do you think - should I try painting this?
🌈 My first ever fabric design!! 🌈What you think?! Loving the 5 day free course by the incredible @bonniechristine 🫶🏼💕 There’s still 2 days to go to refine and make more 💕This pattern is inspired by my rainbow loving 5 yo Eleven 🌈🥰 the s
Having way too much fun with the @bonniechristine Start Simple in Surface Design 5 day free course 💕🌈🎨 #learnwithbonniechristine #whilethebabysleeps #doitfortheprocess #surfacedesignnewbie
Been so blessed to have this guy as my hanging/childminding hero these past couple weeks in preparation for my Territory Portraits exhibition opening tonight. Gratitude is amplified as it’s been 2.5 years since we last saw him in the flesh. Tha
🥰 🤩 I'm excited to announce my first solo exhibition of portraits and figurative works at the Darwin Visual Arts Association gallery at the end of this month! 🥰 🤩 If you're in the area please come along to the opening 6-8pm Friday 28th October 🥳




Jess McKenzie

Artist. Creative. Procrastinator. Freedom seeker.