The awkward first blog post, it’s like a blank canvas that you are too scared to make a mark on. If you’ve read the about page you will know this is a personal project with the general themes of conservation and creativity. At the moment I don’t know exactly how this will look and if one subject area will feature more than the other.
The best way to start is probably a little introduction into me and why I decided to start this blog. I’m Gillian, an artist and conservationist. I have worked in the conservation sector for the last 10 years, but due to covid related events decisions were made that mean I’m currently unemployed. I’m self-employed as an artist however and I’m finding myself in a pivotal time where this creative sideline, which has always been pocket money, might have to start being a bit more than that, while I put myself back into the ring of getting a job in conservation!
So much has happened this year, and I will admit that some of it has been hard, knocked my confidence and made me doubt myself. With this is mind I decided to start Silt & Bone to try and rekindle that spark that makes me passionate about conservation but finally explore the creative link between the two worlds of environment and art, which to me are intrinsically linked.
I’ve had people say to me that being an ranger and an artist are completely opposite career paths, confused that I am equally both. But to me they are not that far apart. Are both not trying to make the world a better place? Both feature creative solutions, whether it is habitat management or conveying a message through artwork. Both are a form of educating and communicating about the world around us. Where their paths cross they are not that different.