Emma Bull

The Power of Making Something Ugly Last week I painted something truly hideous. Wonky proportions, clashing colours, a general sense of “what is this?”—it just wasn’t working. And yet, I loved making it. Because sometimes, creating something ugly is exactly what we need. My studio’s full of these pieces. Unfinished, awkward, destined to be reworked or painted over. But they still tell a story. They’re part of me. And they mattered in the moment. --- Why Creating the Ugly Matters • Ugly is...

The Healing Power of Creativity Last week, I shared a little about my postnatal depression — how it cracked something open in me, and how art quietly stepped in. Not as a fix, but as a companion. A way to speak when words felt too heavy. A way to feel when I didn’t know how. This week, I want to talk about why creativity matters. Not just for artists, but for anyone navigating the messy, beautiful business of being human. The Benefits of Making Things Making things — whether it’s painting,...

🌿 It Will Get Easier: My Journey Through Postnatal Depression, Art, and Motherhood In 2020, I had my second daughter. The world was locked down, my toddler was full of beans, and I was drowning in hormones, isolation, and exhaustion. Postnatal depression crept in quietly, then roared. There were days I felt like I was disappearing, beneath nappies, night feeds, and the relentless pressure to be okay. I wasn’t okay. And I want to say that out loud, because maybe you’re not okay either. Maybe...