Category: News

Words by Anna Murray

The start of Creative Spaces came at an odd time in my life.

Not long before starting with the programme, after a series of invasive and daunting medical tests, I received a diagnosis of a rare chronic illness affecting my vision. The condition brought with it intense light sensitivity and debilitating headaches and sparked a fear within me about my future as a creative. So much of what I loved to consume and create was visual and demanded time and energy I wasn’t sure I still had access to. 

Just weeks before that, I had been a guest speaker at the March 2024 Creative Spaces showcase. I’d first stumbled upon Creative Spaces back in 2023, at that year’s showcase. I’d just started working in the local creative scene with another organisation called Shambellie House, and thought this random event I’d seen on Facebook might be a good time to meet some new people. I’m so glad I went. It’s a tired cliche, but I can’t imagine where I’d be at in my creative career if I hadn’t. I was so excited by The Stove, as an organisation but also just by the people I met who worked there, or came to events, and the ethos behind Creative Spaces. At that point in my life, though, I was still lacking the confidence and creative portfolio I felt I needed to apply.

So, I took the time to look inward and figure out what it was that I wanted to create. I’ve always loved turning my hand to any and everything, so I explored so many different avenues in the pursuit of finding my niche. In doing so, I found that having a particular ‘niche’ isn’t a necessity. Creating for the joy of it, for the expression, for the connection, in any medium, is what is important and valuable. I’ve found that when you allow yourself the freedom to not pick a lane, but to weave freely between as many as you feel is when you really tap into the good stuff. Then, I was invited to do a takeover for the Creative Spaces Instagram page. To be paid to essentially plug myself and my artwork was an amazing thing, laying the foundation for my budding confidence. This was quickly followed by the guest speaker opportunity. That final nudge telling me that my voice was worth something was exactly what I needed to push me to apply for the 2024/25 cohort. I hoped being a part of the programme, and the wider Stove community, would help me to sustain my creativity amidst my new health challenges, offering a paid role in a supportive and understanding community. I was right. Having a team to show up for has made me want to be better, and having support from them on days when I haven’t felt as well I as would’ve liked, helped me to work through my fears about my health and the way it affects my ability to be creative. In fact, I think it would be fair, if maybe a wee bit cheesy, to say that I feel more creative than ever now.

Collaborating with Mia, Sonah, and James has been a joy. Our bond formed so quickly, both personally and professionally, that I think it honestly surprised us all. From our second week together we felt comfortable sharing our stories and learning each other’s quirks. Knowing each other and becoming such great friends made working as a team all the more special.  I’ve loved watching the growth in each of us over our time together, it has been a genuine honour. The positive influence we’ve had on one another is so crystal clear when I look back on our shared experiences. To me, this growth has come out from all the joy and laughter we’ve shared as a group. Some days these wonderful, vibrant people made me laugh so hard I cried. Play and creativity are deeply intertwined, and being part of a team that values these principles has not only been rewarding, but also incredibly validating. Creativity truly thrives through connection and, honestly, fun. To have connected so brilliantly with a group of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise is the greatest takeaway from my time with Creative Spaces.

At the outset, I had set an intention to witness tangible growth within myself and to be a part of something meaningful within the local community. Through working on my personal project, a song and accompanying short film, I had built trust within myself and found the push I needed to continue to work on similar projects going forward. I’ve fallen in love with film photography and feel comfortable in my ability to record and produce music myself – something I never would have done without the support from Creative Spaces.

Events like our Fresher’s Mixer way back in September also exceeded my expectations in their community impact – we had an incredible turnout and went on to see folk coming back to the Stove, making their own connections and getting involved with this community. At our Showcase, I saw this happen again. I can’t overstate how much this has cemented the importance of platforming creative young people’s voices. If I hadn’t gone to the 2023 Showcase on a whim, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Creative Spaces has consistently made clear to me this knock-on effect of inspiration. Witnessing the stories of past Spacers and guest speakers taught me that the creative’s journey isn’t always linear, and impressed upon me the importance of having a strong, caring community in your corner.

In many ways, my time with Creative Spaces left me with more questions than I began with, and at this stage in my life and career, I think that’s a great thing. Behind each question is an open door I can’t wait to walk through, and a new fork in the road. Any new journey I decide to go on will be undertaken in the knowledge that I have found a wonderful community and lifelong friends to offer mutual support and collaboration. I know that I will remember this experience with so much love and gratitude throughout my career, and my life. This is just the beginning.

Words by James Gough

Just a few years ago I was working as a personal trainer trying to convince everyone, including myself, that I liked what I was doing. Working in this industry was all I knew and as a result, it was the only real community I was a part of – one which I began to feel more and more alienated and disconnected from. In November 2022 I decided to give all of this up and move to Australia, this was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I had the time, space, and energy to reconnect with the things that I was truly passionate about, I moved away from my hometown for the first time in my life, I mixed with new people and I began creating art. When I returned home, I continued to create but I began to lose faith in the idea that this was something I could continue to do, certainly not in Dumfries. This is when I found the Stove Network. I was sent the job advert for the Creative Spaces associate artist position by a friend, and I couldn’t quite believe how perfect it sounded.

A huge insecurity of mine in applying and interviewing for this position was the fact that I had zero experience in or connections with the creative and cultural sectors. I was from a completely different world. Thankfully the interview panel could see not just my enthusiasm for the role, but also how important it could be for my personal development, and at a crucial point. I secured the job and as a result was given the opportunity to immerse myself in community arts and solidify my (very small) part in it.

By doing so, I gained a new appreciation for Dumfries. I’ve lived here my whole life and I blamed it for the fact that I didn’t understand who I was. This resentment reached its peak when I came back from Australia. I felt I was returning to a place, and to people who knew me as one thing, when I knew I was something completely different. By exposing me to the arts community and the people within it, the Creative Spaces programme showed me that I can be exactly who I want to be wherever I am, even in my hometown.

In regards to my creative practice, I began my journey here with Creative Spaces as someone who doodled and messed around with art. This became more sporadic and directionless as time went on (which, for the record, is an absolutely okay way to make art). But for me, I felt this was due to a lack of belief in myself and my work. I never took seriously the idea that I could make anything I’d be proud enough to show, other than on Instagram. To my amazement, I managed to use my personal project’s funding and support to produce my debut exhibition “Everything is rubbish and all rubbish is wonderful”.

I can’t see a way in which I would have got to this point without the Creative Spaces programme. The network of creatives I was now surrounded with ultimately gave me the confidence to decide to showcase my work in the first place. Further, it was the continued support, guidance and funding of the programme which gave me the time, space and support to engage with my art in such an intense way. This led me to gaining a far deeper understanding of my relationship with my practice and what I hope to get out of it in the future.

I think what’s clear from my experience both travelling and working with Creative Spaces, is that in order to grow, you need space. It sounds very simple but it is completely invaluable. I feel so grateful to have had this opportunity because finding space is not an easy thing to come by.

Something I took away from the WWDN Creative Placemaking event at parliament in 2024 was this idea that creativity is something as important to our health as physical exercise. It’s a basic human need, just like food and water. 

So, If you can find this space to be creative, you must take it, and you should encourage everyone you know to do the same.