Ep 002: Make creativity a lifelong friend, with artist Ann Vastano helping us add colour to our lives, especially in tough times

<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Ann is an artist, café gallery owner, fellow mum of boys and wife, and, lucky for me, my neighbour in the Scottish Highlands.</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">She describes an idyllic, simple, uplifting childhood, spent mostly outside, and how this developed her creative thinking from an early age.</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">From her, you’ll hear how to nurture creativity so it becomes a lifelong friend, there to celebrate the good times and help you through the tough times.</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">You’ll learn about the importance of nature in her creative practice, as well as the importance of not dismissing ideas as silly without experimenting with them. (I love her story about how a ‘silly’ thought while ironing led to Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon commissioning her!).</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">She is full of inspiring ideas for how you can easily infuse creativity into your life without needing to take any time out of it. As she demonstrates, a creative approach to living creates a rich, vibrant, grateful headspace which allows her to connect better with herself, others and her natural environment.</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">As an added bonus, her gentle Scottish accent is mesmerising and relaxing to listen to!</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">Where you can find Ann:</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">On Instagram: @annvastano.art or @kincraigartcafe</span></p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">On Facebook: Ann Vastano Artist, @kincraigartcafe</span></p> <p class="p4"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">The painting that initially got Ann noticed by first minister Nicola Sturgeon, which hung in the Scottish Parliament was <a href= "https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/nicola-sturgeon-asks-aviemore-artist-5085375"> <span cla