The Little Ones project really began more than 2 years ago, after a memory regression I had of childhood sexual trauma (you can read about that journey here).

I have always been creative and had even had a little art business 10 years ago painting watercolours and selling them on etsy, but parenting, work and life meant I hadn’t been creating art consistently for a long time.

Immediately after the memory regression though, I felt called to return to my art practice. Even though I hadn’t been consistent in my practice, the whispers of my soul and the longing to create was consistent, and I finally remembered the deeper knowing that I am an artist.

I am here to create and this childhood memory seemed to infuse a deeper purpose to the art that I would create. I knew that drawing children was to be part of the process of processing and coming to terms with my own trauma, but I had no idea how powerfully this project would help others to reconnect, heal and celebrate aspects of their own childhoods.

Around this time, I was regularly dipping in the ocean with a bunch of excellent humans and perhaps, because I had just been cracked open by my own experience, I found myself in conversations with people of all walks of life opening up to me about their own childhood traumas.

Everything from alcoholic, abusive fathers to dyslexia and being shamed by teachers. It was clear these early experiences held so much emotion and weight in their lives still. I became fascinated by trauma, not only my own, but how much childhood trauma shapes us as individuals and collectively.

Some of the beautiful humans that I shared these vulnerable and deeply moving conversations with, also shared with me photos from their childhood. I remember this had quite an organic beginning. A friend’s mother had just found some old photos and sent them to him so he had them handy on his phone. I asked if I could use them as reference photos and began to ask others for their photos. I felt compelled to draw their portraits - not of them now, but of them as a child, and see if I could capture something of their story in that way.

Within a few weeks, I had 4 or 5 portraits completed but felt they needed colour, and this is when the magic happened. I got some watercolours out and planned to put some subtle colour in the background, to give the image some moody hues… but as I got in the flow, the watercolour formed demons and black dogs and dragons.

I wasn’t sure what meaning these had and they were all quite different in style, I tried not to judge it or ‘fix’ it and allowed the images and colours to simply flow through me.

When I later showed some of the men the finished pieces, their reactions were so moving - one said "that demon has been chasing me all my life". Another, “Hmmmm, the black dog.”

I shelved the project for more than a year, with life beckoning me to study, work, parent, move house and merge families, and start my own business! The ‘little ones’ as I began to think of them, would always be there, in the periphery of my mind, waiting, patiently.

I picked up the project again ahead of my 40th birthday - it was an inner child themed dress up and as soon as I had that idea for a theme, the ‘little ones’ were not waiting so patiently. It’s like they wanted to be part of the party fun!

I asked my guests to send me photos from their childhood for a project - they probably thought I’d print them and have a wall where we had to guess who was who… Instead I surprised guests with portraits and a workshop activity, offering them a chance to connect to their inner child and paint on the portrait I’d drawn from their photos. I loved these collaborations and the playfulness and cheer of a group of adults remembering, sharing and painting like kids again!

The project is gaining momentum, and I’m on track to have at least 100 Little Ones completed this year (2022). The “Little Ones” are all the little souls, the children I sense in a spirit realm, lining up, wanting to come through with messages for the adults that are ready to connect with them through this work. It’s the adults who I will work with of course, but it’s their past child-self who I can feel.

These little ones want to be seen, to be heard, to be loved.

I’m moved by the stories and feedback people have given me, sharing how this work connects them to their past, in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. I can see this is creating change that is healing in both subtle and profound ways. It’s inspiring me and with a child-like curiosity, I’m following the thread to see where this project leads me.

If you’re feeling drawn to connect with your childhood, or get playful and creative with your inner child, these are the ways you can be part of the Little Ones project:

You can commission a piece where I connect with your Little One and channel the painted elements for you
Join a workshop in person and connect with your inner child in a guided meditation before painting over a portrait I’ve drawn from your photos
Commission a portrait drawing that you then paint at home
Subscribe to my email to get updates on the project, access to online workshops and other resources for connecting to your inner child and transforming the effects of childhood experiences.

The Little Ones - Inner Child Art Project