Reading to relax the mind

As the nights seem to draw in I often feel that the day ends to abruptly, its dark far to soon for me to feel like I’ve succeeded with my day. Every year I feel my brain lies to me and forgets about how lonely those long evenings are, but recently I have found solace in my reading books. Ask anyone that knows me I have about 50 books on the go at one time, which isn’t to great for helping me feel that relaxed. So I decided the other day the only way I was going to make it through all the list of books was to pick one and just go for it.

I am flitting my time between Ben’s and my family home as I search for somewhere a little more permanent to settle down. Life a little hectic at the moment. But I always have a book inside my bag. When I don’t want to draw because believe me there are many moments like it I pick up a book. Since I lost my brother in March I hate being alone with my own thoughts, I have the constant torturous thoughts about his last moments, the agonising pain of grief. It sits quietly at the back of my mind encroaching on everyday thoughts, I see something it reminds me of him, I smell something it takes me back. So to quiten the thoughts I read. I read about pretty much anything and everything I can get my hands on. I recently stumbled across Kate Mosse’s The Winter Ghost and even though it talks of death and losing a brother its so beautifully written I pretty much read the whole book on a journey to and from Birmingham. Once I had finished I ordered The Burning chambers and The Taxidermist’s Daughter by Kate Mosse’s again and I am completely engrossed. I am a massive history geek, and her writing just combines my love of history and beautifully written word. I had the wonderful opportunity  to meet Kate 2 years ago when I illustrated for the Bailey’s women’s prize for fiction. I was pretty star struck so its nice that its her books that have got me back into loving reading again!

The other book I am sporadically reading is Howl’s Moving Castle as I am entering the House of illustration folio art book cover competition for 2019 and didn’t just want to create the piece from the Studio Gihbli version of the book, I wanted to get more in-depth with the characters. Its not a bad read but I often find if I have watched a film adaptation of a book and I read the book second it can be slightly affected. I am hoping to finish it by next week so I can make a full start on the three cover illustrations I can submit. It’s actually not often I illustrate for books but its a push in the right direction for what and where I want my career to head, so lets hope reading can help me in more ways then one.

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