A Behind the Scenes Insight into What’s Next for Art Trails Tasmania

My dreams for creating a little art farm are coming together.

It’s been a dream for many years and now, as it is happening, I’m feeling all manner of emotions; from excitement and joy to overwhelm and trepidation.

Yet every time I come back to focus on my dreams and hopes I feel safe in the joy of it.

Dreams of an Art Farm and Realities

Mum and I talked about what would be next in my life. I believe that she felt safer and at peace knowing that I would have a happy future.

So when I shared with her my dreams of having a little farm that I could convert into an art farm, running workshops, retreats and residencies, she was delighted.

This idea started evolving in early 2022. I’d thought for a long time that I would move to Tasmania at some point but I didn’t know how that would be possible – moving is very expensive and having a financially sustainable income is vital. 

I was a permanent stall holder at The Rocks Market, two days a week, arriving at 7.30am and leaving after 6pm. I was single and renting in Sydney, so very merger savings and a lot of financial distress. 

I was a frog in slowly boiling water who couldn’t see a way to making a life in Tasmania.

With all of this, I did love market life, the market family, being one of the welcoming faces for visitors to our beautiful harbour city (would that the government market organisers and minister understood this!), and earning my living from my creativity. Plus, it gave me the weekday space to step up for my family over those 20 years, from the time that my sister passed until COVID reshaped everything.

Art Farm Location Influences

To be really honest, this is only possible because of what I’m inheriting from my darling mum.

I don’t know how much her house is going to sell for, quite a significant portion is going elsewhere (as it should) and I’m so deeply thankful and grateful for the housing security that I’m being given in all of this. I’m finding it really quite humbling.

This means that I have to be thoughtful and careful with my property budget. If I want a little art farm, have a budget for converting the shed into a workshop space, then I’m going to have to be mindful and sensible. 

My budget won’t go very far in the south of the state, it goes further in the north. So in the north I am looking.

The sort of properties that I’m interested in aren’t flooding the market, there are only a few around and when I find a delightful one it has been selling – but I’m not ready yet or able to put money down on anything.

To be honest, this waiting period does my head in some days. Other times I’m all good with it, but it is something that is making me grow as a person.

Getting Started and the Path to the Art Farm

Once I sell mum’s house and move down to Tasmania there’ll be an unknown amount of time before I am moving in and nesting in my new home.

So I’m thinking that it may be a wise idea to rent a commercial space and start running workshops there. It is all making sense in my head at the moment but reality does seem to have a mind of its own, I’ll just have to see how it works out.

I will also need a space for me to work, to have access to my Creatively Belle stock and I can look after my stockists. Hence why a rented shop space with a few rooms and decent internet is appealing.

Launching Online Courses

It is also a time for me to finalise my plans and efforts for the first Art Trails Tasmania online course. 

Again, I’ve been working towards this for such a while. Looking after mum, then the aftermath of her passing has put it on the back burner and this is year is the time for it to really get going.

At this stage I have outlined online courses for creative small business owners as well as a series for creative practices, techniques.

Because such a large part of belonging to Art Trails Tasmania is about enabling members to have more success with their events and creative small businesses, I’ll be starting with the business skills sharing courses.

Workshops at the Art Farm

I’m very eager and excited about getting started with the workshops. I’ve been thinking on them for years, have outlines for workshops written up in a dedicated notebook – actually the first one is full, I’ve started on a second one! I do love my notebooks.

Plus, it will be easier to launch the art farm workshops from a place of established workshops.

Art Trails Tasmania Members and Workshops

My intentions with the workshops and retreats are to run a series myself as well as invite Art Trails Tasmania members to apply to run workshops.

I think it is crucial to keep adding benefits to being a member. And they will also have special discounted prices for workshops just as they do with the annual Art Trails Tasmania exhibition.

Retreats at the Art Farm

The quilting group that I belong to here are all excited about coming to visit the art farm and stay to do quilting retreats. While I’m loving the idea of having quilting retreats I’m thoroughly daunted by the idea of providing onsite accommodation for so many people.

There is a great deal involved in either building or converting accommodation space, there’s a great deal involved in setting up, cleaning and maintaining the facilities too.

A key purpose of the Art Trails Tasmania art farm will be to add money into the local community, by bringing visitors to the area, and by us makers, us creative small business owners, having an income earning opportunity with the workshops and retreats. 

So I think having guests stay at local accommodation providers is an ideal way to walk my talk about helping to inject more money into the local economy. All small rural communities benefit from more money moving within them.

Nesting at the Art Farm

I’m so ready to start my own nesting experience at my future art farm. While watching “A Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking” I heard Analiese Gregory say how she’d bitten off a great deal with her move to Tasmania, with the setting up of her home and new life and it landed on me like a deluge. I sobbed with the realisation that this period of massive change that I’m in, and have been in for a few years already, will continue, all because of this big dream of mine of setting up an eco art farm in Tasmania.

Acknowledging this reality and releasing the tears has let me take another teaspoon of concrete. 

I keep telling myself things like “back yourself girl, just do it” as I pack up this house, try to figure out moving logistics, nurture my small savings so that they last longer than I need them to and let myself cry when the tears flow.

During all of this I’m hot flushing and realised that wine creates more hot flushes! Even single malt scotch creates them. Really now, how is that fair? 

I’m keeping hold of that vision of being nested in my new home, of regularly welcoming interesting and creative souls to workshops happening at my beautiful eco art farm, of watching platypuses and Green Rosellas, wombats and echidnas, possums and wallabies do their thing. Of sitting on the deck and watching the stars and moon rise and set for years and years.

What Comes Next

To be very open with you, I’ve been a tad daunted about writing this story, of sharing all of these big, hopeful, creative dreams of a new life on an eco art farm in beautiful Tasmania.

As if writing and publishing it would somehow extinguish these hopes.

I already have my first international workshop ready to be booked in once I open the doors, I have workshop supplies and equipment ready to go, outlines of workshops prepped and members who have already put their hand up to run workshops.

And I have you, dear reader, who loves creativity in your own way, as much as I do.

So I hope you’ll stay tuned in to what is happening, choose to be part of this eco art farm dream, turn up for events and have your creative spirit nurtured in a space that I intend to bring much joy to all who come through the gates.

Wish me good luck with this adventure!