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Oil on wood by Celia Turner. Have had to spend the day doing BDT's (Boring domestic tasks) today. That's hoovering, (which is quite difficult as my dog absolutely hates the hoover. I must constantly throw his ball for him with one hand and hoover with the other) Ironing, dusting, waxing furniture etc. Boring, boring, boring. The good news is this painting, I found, tucked away in an old portfolio. I'm sure it is one of a set that I painted some time ago. The bad news is that I turned my studio upside down trying to find the others.

How can one describe the excitement the artist feels at her easel? How can one describe the obscure thought processes that conjure up a picture that absolutely needs to be painted? Why, when I am feeling creative do I feel that Iam living more 'fully' than during the rest of my life? Creativity: The Work and Lives of 91 Eminent People is a study published in 1996 by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. (Harper Collins) In my case I am describing an artist as in a girl standing at her easel but of course creativity is a phenomenon itself too difficult to describe easily. The report suggests that creative people tend to have good physical energy but are also often quiet and rest. We can be smart yet naive. We combine playfulness and discipline. Although we may alternate between imagination and fantasy, we also have a rooted sense of reality. We can be both introverted and extroverted. Humble and proud. Rebellious and conservative. Passionate but objective about our work. ...

The Tooth Fairy. Oil on canvas.  Celia Turner. A little while ago I found myself sitting in the dentist's waiting room. I don't mind visiting the dentist, in fact I quite enjoy it, so different is the experience compared to when I was a child. Back then it was such a gruesome affair, brutal even, compared to modern day dentistry   I remember the waiting room of yesteryear, extremely uncomfortable rickety chairs, peeling paint and pictures of gnarled old trees adorned the walls. My brothers and I would make up stories about those trees, anything to keep our minds from Mr Paddyachy, he of the white coat and cruel intentions. In the surgery of modern times there are no pictures or peeling paint. On the wall is a flat screen television. Sky News is on all the time. We, the patients, are treated to scenes of utter devastation, tiny babies being pulled from the aftermath of an earthquake, dusty faces, and bewildered eyes stare at us from the ruins. We see a shot of a bedroom...

                                                      Looking after your mental health Key Stages Middle Age Challenges facing people in their forties and fifties might include: Awareness of unfilled dreams. Job insecurity or stress. Work becoming intermittent. Concerns over children or ageing parents or both. Family or relationship breakdown or job loss. Realisation that time is finite. Health issues or poor physical health. Try and maintain an optimistic attitude. Eat healthily, sleep well, exercise and socialise. Remember: ' Forty is the old age of youth and fifty is the youth of old age.' Not that old age is necessarily a terrible thing. In fact, some people report to being happier than ever in their senior years. RETIREMENT. Challenges facing retirees and the elderly may include: Unfulfill...

                                                    Looking after your mental health                                                                       Key Stages YOUNG ADULTS.                                          Pressures for young adults include: Starting a new job (or not) Settling into a relationship (or not) Moving away from the family home (or not) These issues can all pose problems for the young adult. It is important to realise that not experiencing,  hoped-for transitions can be just as much of a problem for young adults as the transitions themselve...

 Looking after your mental health. Key Stages. Childhood: Potential difficult experiences for a child include: Going to a new school, starting school for the very first time. Establishing new friendships. Moving away from familiar routines. Being bullied. Death of a family member or pet. Divorcing parents. Arguing parents/ abusive parents. Too much time spent in a virtual world online so that the real world can start to feel non-negotiable. Undeveloped relationship skills. Of course, none of these events necessarily produce a depressive episode. And it should be noted that some adversity in a child's life can strengthen mental resilience. It is important to support your child, look out for changes in behaviour or mood however subtle. Help your child to have fun, relax, eat a healthy diet, exercise, read books, be creative. Teach your child how to explain events to themselves in ways that are not depressing. Offer unconditional love and support. ...

                                                          Looking after your mental health                                                                                   Key Stages  Challenges are an inevitable part of life, but some common life stages pose greater risks to our mental health than others. We all go through them, they are our rites of passage: birth, the transition from childhood to adulthood, marriage, death Often it is at times when we face change, such as illness, divorce, retirement that we suddenly find it harder to meet our needs- and it is at those times that we are at risk of becoming depressed. When ...