What 2025 Taught Me as a Cornwall-Based Lino Print Artist

As 2025 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what a year of growth, change, and unexpected opportunities it’s been. I’ve lived in three different places, rebuilt my lino-print business here in Cornwall, and continued pushing myself to learn and evolve in my day job. Change may not be my favourite thing in the world, but I’ve proved to myself that I can navigate it—with determination, humour, and a fair bit of stubbornness.

This year marked a real shift in my linocut journey. I moved from selling on Etsy and at markets to having the privilege of being represented by The Bull Pen Gallery, The Blue Bramble Gallery and The Coastal Craft Studio. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, there were rejections, unanswered emails, and countless hours spent behind the scenes, but every small win has felt worth it. Whatever effort you imagine it takes, multiply it by a hundred as I’m sure fellow creatives or small business owners will understand! There were even moments, like the day all my prints slid off my trolley in the rain in Truro, when I wondered, “Why am I doing this?” Thank heavens all my prints were in plastic boxes which saved them from the rain.

If I’m honest, I’m still not entirely sure why I do this. What I do know is that it supports my wellbeing and gives me a sense of purpose. I’ve always had a stubborn drive to succeed in my current chosen hobby, even if this dream feels a little more achievable than my teenage ambition of becoming a world-class showjumper.

Being a lone creative is not always easy. Many of you will understand the delicate balance of holding onto self-belief while navigating the sensitivity, doubt, and outside opinions that come with building something of your own. But this year, I’ve learned that feeling your way forward is sometimes the only way. Working with galleries has been a huge learning curve, and I’m grateful that the ones I’ve partnered with have been so supportive. Clear expectations and a good old-fashioned in-person introduction seem to do the trick. One introduction came from my husband hitting his head on the door frame of the gallery (he’s quite tall) and we just got chatting to the gallery manager about lino printing. So, a chance can appear at any time!

The most challenging part of moving back to Cornwall has been trying to find my place among the many talented printmakers already here. There are a lot of them and the competition for places at good galleries and markets is fierce. Beyond creating the work, the marketing side can be a challenge in itself. Even with my background in marketing and design, finding the time and resources to do it justice is tough. But it’s something I’m committed to improving, even if climbing above page six on Google feels like the slowest of slow burns. The to-do list may be endless, but progress is progress, even in small pockets of time.

I’m not writing this blog to say “oh, it’s so tough,” but to share the reality behind the social media gloss—and to remind you that if you’re finding it challenging as a creative, you’re definitely not alone. I’ve found that taking things at my own pace and making sure I’m actually enjoying the journey really helps. I do have to be careful, though, because I can easily disappear down a rabbit hole of work and lose track of hours. Case in point: I’m writing this blog while waiting for a gas engineer to fix my cooker hob at 7pm, and somehow an hour later I’ve ended up pouring out my life story to you all.

Anyway, I wouldn’t be doing half of what I’m doing without my long-suffering studio assistant (husband). I want to thank him for his unwavering support. I know I’m not the easiest person to navigate life with, but I’m incredibly lucky to have him by my side as my biggest cheerleader. I did one market on my own without him helping to set up and it was a complete nightmare. To all the small business owners who set up at markets solo every week—you have my full admiration. I’ve done it once, and that was enough to know you’re superheroes.

So that’s a wrap on my year. I’m excited for whatever 2026 brings, hopefully more growth, more learning, and more galleries and markets to share my work with you all.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for being part of my journey and for reading my ramblings, your support genuinely makes a difference.