This year, in 2026, I have made the decision not to exhibit.
That includes stepping away from events like Hampshire Open Studios.
This hasn't come from place of stepping back, or avoidance (I have asked myself many times whether It's laziness) - These voices do creep in, even now.
But over the past few years, I’ve worked towards exhibitions, open studios, and deadlines. I absolutely love greeting visitors and chatting about my work but it felt like the right time to explore my work without pressure.
I’ve started to notice how constant deadlines can quietly shift the way I make work. Instead of creating from a place of curiosity, I can find myself creating to finish.
And that pressure, over time, begins to take something away.
Making Space for a Different Kind of Practice
It feels like the right time to pause and refocus—to concentrate on developing my art practice in a way that isn’t led by timelines.
I want to give myself permission to slow down.
To make work that doesn’t need to be resolved quickly.
To follow ideas that might not lead anywhere.
To experiment without the question of “Will this be ready in time?”
Because creativity doesn’t always thrive under pressure. Sometimes it needs space, uncertainty, and even a bit of mess.
“But You’re Not Exhibiting?”
I’ve had a few surprised reactions when I’ve shared this decision. For many, exhibiting is seen as a marker of progress or success.
So choosing not to exhibit can feel, from the outside, like stepping away.
But for me, it’s the opposite.
It’s about stepping deeper into the work.
It’s about trusting that not everything needs to be shared immediately, and that there is value in the quieter phases of being an artist....The ones where you are learning & experimenting.
A Year of Play and Exploration
If I had to give this year a theme, it would be this:
Play and exploration.
Letting go of outcome.
Following instinct.
Allowing ideas to evolve without needing them to become something finished or “presentable.”
There’s something both freeing and slightly uncomfortable about that. But I think that’s where the growth happens.
Choosing With Intention
Choosing not to exhibit this year is, for me, an intentional decision. It’s about aligning how I work with what I need creatively right now, not what is expected, or what I’ve always done.
There will be time for exhibitions again.
But this year is about building something deeper. Something more honest. Something that will, in time, shape the work I eventually do share.
I am excited to see what 2026 will bring and be sure to me on social media and sign up to my newsletter to be the first to hear about new work.