Wildly Creative — A Live Abstract Art Journey for Mums

My story

Everyone told me that once I had my daughter, I'd stop being an artist.

"No time," they said. "That's it — you won't paint anymore." And for a while, I believed them.

I'd been an artist for years, but somewhere along the way I'd started overthinking, over-planning, trying to make everything perfect… until I stopped enjoying it altogether. So I stopped.

Then I started painting with my little girl. Not with kiddy paints — with my own real, delicious colours. And oh my gosh. I fell in love with the whole thing again. No pressure. No masterpiece to make. Just the two of us, loose and free and completely present. She taught me how to let go.

Now I paint almost every day. We frame our artwork and hang it round the house. We give it away as gifts. Every birthday card, every Christmas card — all handmade now. I never buy one from the shop.

That's exactly what I want to share with you this summer.

The six weeks are here…

Something to do together that you'll love too.

If you're anything like me, part of you is already thinking: what on earth do I do with them all summer without losing my mind? Parks, soft play, the same kid-centred activities on repeat. (I do all of that too — no judgement here.)

But here's what I've come to believe: it really matters that we do things with our children that we genuinely enjoy. Children mirror us. When they see us fully engaged, lost in something we love, that's how they learn to be fully engaged and love things too.

So this summer, come and go on an abstract art journey with them — and make things you'd actually want to hang on your wall, give away as gifts, or turn into every birthday card for the rest of the year.

A child painting alongside colourful abstract pieces and natural paints

Read this bit twice

You really, truly do not need to be "good" at art.

I promise, promise, promise. You don't need to be able to draw. You don't need to call yourself an artist. The secret isn't talent — it's using a few good materials and colours you actually love.

Do that, and your art is going to look epic on this journey. Children are the best teachers here, because they're loose and free while the rest of us have gone a bit stuffy and rigid. Let them loosen you up.

And no — you don't even need a child with you. If you haven't got a little one to hand, just pretend you have. That's the whole secret to loosening up and shaking off the rigid, set-in-our-ways thing we grown-ups do. Come and paint like a child.

What we'll make

Beautiful collage papers — layer by delicious layer.

I'll teach you my favourite technique: building collage papers. They're multimedia papers, layered up over a few days with gorgeous paint, crayons, pens, pencils and pastels — until little sections of them look absolutely stunning. Then we cut them up, frame the best bits, and turn them into artwork, gifts and cards.

01

Choose delicious colours

Ditch the kiddy paints. We'll use good, natural paints and mix colours until you look at them and think wow.

02

Get loose & free

No masterpieces allowed. Big, bold marks and no worrying about getting it "wrong" — that's where the magic lives.

03

Layer it up

One colour today, another tomorrow, pastels and pens the next. Watch it become something you can't believe you made.

04

Find the gems

Work big on A3, then hunt for the gorgeous little sections — cut them into hearts for cards, or frame your favourite bit.

Framed abstract pieces hanging on the wall

A little hand painting with a brush in greens

An artist's palette beside a finished abstract piece

How the journey works

Simple, cosy, and completely at your pace.

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Where — Telegram

A warm little private group on Telegram where, for the whole month, I'll share videos, voice notes and step-by-steps you can follow along with.

📅

When — happening right now

We're painting together live for a whole month — timed perfectly for the summer holidays. Join today and you can catch up on everything from day one; it all stays in the group, so you can never fall behind.

🕊️

Pace — totally yours

Dip in whenever suits you and your little one. Everything stays in the group to catch up on anytime.

🖌️

What you need

Just some good paints in colours you love, and paper (A3 is perfect). I'll help you put together a simple, affordable kit.

A flat-lay of natural earth paint tubes on a painted surface

The honest bit about cost

"But good paint must be so expensive…"

Honestly? It's not. I bought my natural paints back in October — and here in July, painting several times a week, the only colour that's run out is the white. Everything else is still going strong.

It's not about spending more. It's about choosing colours you actually love looking at, so the whole thing is a joy — for you, not just for them. Every mum deserves that.

Me? I reach for natural earth paints — they're kind to Mia's skin, and they don't wash microplastics down the sink. But that's just my little thing. Acrylics, watercolours, powdered pigments — or any good-quality paint you already love — are all lovely routes too. The only ones I'd gently steer you away from are the cheap kiddy poster paints, because that's what leaves you feeling like you "can't paint".

Come along if…

This is for you if…

✓ You want summer to be more than soft play and screens.
✓ You used to be creative, and somewhere along the way you got a bit stuck.
✓ You've told yourself you "can't paint" — and you'd love to be proved wrong.
✓ You want to make something real and lovely alongside your child.
✓ No little one to paint with? Come anyway — just pretend you have one. Painting like a child is exactly what loosens us grown-ups up. Be free, be loose, be childlike.

Hello

Hi, I'm Natalie 👋

I'm an artist and a mum, and the founder of A Future We Love — a little movement about imagining and making a future we're genuinely excited about.

Painting with my daughter handed me back my creativity when I thought I'd lost it. Now I want to give that same joy to you — one delicious, wildly creative layer at a time.

Hands holding a black frame over an abstract painting

You don't need to find the time — that's the whole point.

When I offered this to two friends, they both said the same thing: "I've got a lot on in August — I'll do it in September." And I understood. But it also made me realise I haven't explained how this actually works.

Because I'm not asking you to find an afternoon.

Mine and Mia's whole process is this: our paints and materials live in a drawer right next to the dining table. If we've got five minutes — the bath is running, the dinner's nearly done — I'll say, shall we do some painting? And we sit down and do five minutes. That's it. That's the whole thing.

We're never trying to finish a picture. Sometimes we put a few blobs of one colour on a page and that's the session — two minutes. Sometimes we pull out a page we painted days ago that's dried, and add marks with our art pens while the dinner finishes cooking. The layers build up over days, all on their own, without anyone planning anything.

And it really isn't a course. There are no modules, no homework, nothing to keep up with. It's short videos in a friendly little group — watch the ones you fancy, ignore the rest. Nothing expires, and you can never fall behind.

You don't need a quiet August. You just need a drawer.

Join the journey

Your place on the month-long journey£11

✦ This is the very first live round ✦

Join Wildly Creative £11

A full month of live painting · Inside a private Telegram group
We're live right now — everything stays in the group, so you can join today and catch up from day one.

Good questions

Before you join

Do I really need to be good at art? +

No. Truly. If you can enjoy choosing colours and making marks on paper, you can do this. The good materials do a lot of the heavy lifting — and this journey is all about being loose and free, not "good".

What will I need to buy? +

Some good-quality paints in colours you love — my favourites are natural earth paints, though acrylics, watercolours or powdered pigments are all good options too — plus A3 paper and any crayons, pens or pastels you already have at home. It's surprisingly affordable, and one set lasts months. I'll share a simple starter list when you join, so you'll know exactly what to grab.

What ages is it for? +

It's designed for you to do alongside a child — toddler and up — but there's no wrong age. And you're very welcome to come and paint just for you.

How much time does it take? +

As little or as much as you like. Everything lives in the Telegram group, so you dip in whenever it suits you and your little one.

What if I miss a bit? +

No problem at all. The videos, voice notes and guides stay in the group, so you can always catch up and go at your own pace.

How do I actually join? +

Tap any "Join" button to pay your £11, and you'll get the link to the private Telegram group. I'll see you inside!

A Future We Love · Create

Let's make something wildly creative this summer.

£11 · A full month of live painting · Inside a private Telegram group

Join the journey £11