My Instagram archives go wayyyyyyy back - apparently as far as 2017 (I've had it longer).
So I went on a little journey to catch the vibe of what the run up to Christmas was like in image form for you.
And - importantly due to the title of the blog - the dates surrounding them. 

What I found in general was:

1. The years I was juggling 2 jobs - I was working as and when I could and running myself into the ground
2. I was usually sick around Christmas on top of this
3. I obviously wasn't posting what I was making at this time because they were gifts or cards (duh) so most of it was unseen

In general the theme seemed to be - a severe lack of time and lots of last minute requests.

Setting a deadline at first felt like telling people I didn't care about their Christmas requests - but it is the opposite.

I for one am not the most organised person - despite my efforts and ability to run this business.
I live for my calendar but planning ahead Life Things™ gets difficult on top of this -
that includes planning ahead in time for Christmas.

And part of the problem is the workload on top of all the festive meetups and parties and general Christmas madness.
 
So I figured if I set up a deadline day - we're all on the same page.
Enough time for me to make and paint your requests in good time.
Enough time to get it to the Post Office.
And hopefully - enough time to breathe around Christmas time.

Big supermarkets have had their Christmas stock on the shelves since Halloween.
Beyond my Autumn/Winter Prints my 'stock' isn't a physical thing until we've had that chat.

Doing ZDAAP this year and going forwards one of my goals is to create a business that values time and rest.
​So that means sticking to my guns too (eek).

Everyone deserves to enjoy their holidays.
I had way too many years having to use mine as recovery time from burning myself out.

What about you?
Does this ring a little too true for you?

We do it - all the time.
Getting in our own way to avoid things.
For the scary, for the uncomfortable and for the difficult.
But a lot of times those parcels hold something special inside - growth.

Sometimes you come across a piece of work that perfectly encapsulates how you felt that week - this is one I saw (what will now be last week but it's today as I'm writing this). Here's the piece:

I thought it would be a good pause point so you can ask yourself:

I'll be honest and tell you mine if you like.
​
I didn't tick any of the 'I'd like to play this role' boxes on my audition for the next show,
​because I didn't think:
​
1. I'd be able to handle the rehearsal schedule without a flare up.
2. I hadn't auditioned for (drumroll please) 9 years.
3. I was worried it wouldn't be fun to have that kind of pressure again.

But guess what?

1. It turns out the team at LEOs team literally already knew this and aren't discriminatory (oh god who'd imagine - if any of you lot read this I would never think this about yall but I am just great at getting in my own way and mayybbbbbee that internalised ableism is trying to take them reins)
2. A lot has changed in that time - for good.
3. I don't think there's anything more fun than playing a New Jersey Grandma dripping in gold jewellery, who pronounces father 'FWATHA' and makes hilarious remarks.
​
Sometimes it's good to take the pressure off.
But sometimes - a bit of pressure (the right kind) is good -


I mean, have you tried to eat an un-popped popcorn kernel?


​
So after missing the cast announcement and then reeling from the surprise after the voice notes from my sister and friends.

In the words of Grandma Rosie from The Wedding Singer,
"Ahh yew nervous?"

Yes mate,
​Cacking it,
​I guess I'll be doing it nervous.

Recently I bought a big canvas - big for me anyway in my recent track record of acrylic paintings.
It loomed above the paintings I have up.
It's due for a picture I can't get out of my head, waiting.
Since I bought it -I've done 2 murals.
And the concept of 'canvas' has been challenged.
I've done set paintings and designs in the past so I am not a stranger to larger scale paintings.
But it had been a while since I had the chance to paint something physically bigger than me.
So I stood with Elaine and Curtis in front of the Berliner window and said - 'let's get this done before the punters get in'.

The canvas behind my easel feels a little smaller now.
​A little more doable.

This is my favourite part of the mural - it's a hot dog walking 2 hot dogs.
It's ridiculous and I am glad for the opportunity to create something so unserious.
I looked at the Berliner menu and thought '
'how can I anthropomorphise this?'.
And for someone who is a visual learner to the point she gives dance moves in choreo names to remember them - it was a lot of fun.

Thierry Noir's style can be spotted throughout the Berliner - those funky heads on the pillar - all Noir!
Considered the first artist to paint on the Berlin wall (that's him younger in the pic - and him with his work next to it).
I wanted to add some Noir style and popped some of those iconic faces as zombies popping out of the graveyard.
Even the little pumpkins alongside the path are a nod to his style.
You can even spot a figure looking very much like Mr Noir himself.

That's right - the snowmen are kebabs!
And those trees are pizzas.
Muahahha I shall not be stopped.
Even the rocks are cookies.
Cooper's cookies of course!

Thanks Curtis and Katie.
It was a pleasure.
​Long live Autumn /Winter mural!

If you are interested in a mural - I am happy to send you a free quote/estimate.
You can email me here:
Or drop me a message on FB/Instagram.

Thanks for reading!

Did the shock turn you into a ghost?
I am sorry for the jump scare.
It comes at me every year like this.
​You'd think I'd be prepared.

I thought I'd reminisce (pausing for a second to celebrate spelling that right first time).
Over some of the things I've painted in the past for Christmas requests.

Starting with a classic - I used this for my own Christmas cards for quite a while.
In fact I think I still have 1 or 2 left!

Ah, my shining grace.
Become my good friend and maybe I shall doodle in thy Christmas card.
Maybe - I'll make you a Christmas tree hanger, forget to give it you and then finally give it to you at your leaving do as you go to travel Asia with your significant other.
​Maybe.

Something about a cute lil robin warms my soul.
How dare a creature be that adorable.

See - I can be normal!

Painting these beautiful girlies year after year has always been a treat.
It's really nice to see progression in style when you work with return clients.
Special place in my heart for these always.

Can I offer you the beheaded keychain of Henry the VIII or a bear in a dress?
​(I cannot remember the context for the latter).

So I raise you:
​Dog takes a dip in the hot tub with Rudolph refuelling.

Weirder?

Final offer:
Viking boat burial burning - roasting chestnuts.
I'd say that's pretty metal if you ask me.

I'm keeping todays very short indeed (just like me!).
Just to wish you all a very Happy Halloween.
As we journey into November I hope you are taking care of your needs and mental wellbeing.

I'm doing a little 'rebrand' (that feels so funny to call it that when I'm literally just changing my profile pics and throwing in images from this shoot with @whatmonloves.ph).
It's a little Halloween treat to myself ok?!

I'm writing this ahead of time to try and scoop out some spoons for myself post show week.
​And I've decided this is enough.

Introducing this weeks creative,

Family Filmmaker and TV Editor.

Sophie Hurry, TV editor and filmmaker, chats about her creative journey, from working on I’m a Celebrity Allstars in South Africa to launching her own filmmaking projects. She shares how challenges—like managing mountains of footage or balancing creative expectations on low-budget shoots—shaped her approach to work.
Motherhood, she says, was a complete transformation. Becoming a parent expanded her capacity for love and creativity, describing it as a “maiden-to-mother arc.” It changed how she creates, thinks, and prioritizes her energy.
Sophie opens up about pushing through hard days: affirmations, mentorship, small resets, and learning to switch from “sprint mode” to “marathon mode.” She also explains the hidden effort in filmmaking—how even a few seconds of polished editing can take hours of care.
For anyone looking to work with her, Sophie’s on Instagram (@SophieHurryFilms), with her website and mailing list launching soon. Whether you’re a parent or just curious about creative processes, her insights reveal the patience, intuition, and heart behind the work.

Q1: Introduce yourself.
A: Sophie is a TV editor (mainly edit assisting and assembly editing) and filmmaker. She highlights her experience in both commercial TV and personal filmmaking, noting the unique pressures of working professionally.
Q2: What is your favorite project ever and why?
A:

• TV: Working on I’m a Celebrity Allstars in South Africa, pre-recorded post-COVID. She loved the location, wildlife experiences, and learning to manage unexpected challenges with large volumes of footage.
  
• Filmmaking: Model calls for her filmmaking business. The second model call was her favorite, as she knew what she wanted, learned patience during a three-month editing process, and was rewarded by a happy client.
  

Q3: What are specific challenges in your work?
A: Managing huge amounts of footage efficiently, high standards while editing, low-budget projects, and balancing creative expectations with limited capacity (e.g., during pregnancy). She describes herself as a “sprinter” adjusting to “marathon mode” for longer-term projects.
Q4: How do you push through hard days and know when to take a break?
A:

• Push through: Affirmations, motivation from her child, mentorship, caffeine or tea, and small resets during the day. Reframe doubt positively.
  
• Break signals: Task paralysis or physical signs like droopy eyes indicate burnout. Ignoring them can lead to overwork.
  

Q5: What do people often misunderstand about your work?
A: Editing takes far longer than it appears—small moments require intense care. People often underestimate the time, effort, and creative intuition involved.
Q6: What moment changed everything for you?
A: Becoming a mother. She describes it as the “maiden-to-mother arc” or “mother-maiden-crone” transformation. Motherhood expanded her capacity for love and creativity, drastically changing how she approaches life and work.
Q7: How can people hire or contact you?
A: Sophie is on Instagram (@SophieHurryFilms). Her website will launch soon, and her mailing list is active. She emphasizes patience and that building a professional presence is a marathon, especially while parenting.

If you are able to subscribe to me on YouTube - I would appreciate that so much.
​Thank you.

Z: Hello everybody. Today we've got Sophie, and we've also got Baby on speed dial just in case.
S: On speed dial.
Z: This is ready to pipe up when she, uh, yeah, we're going to get to a really poignant moment and tell me more about that, and she's like "MUM!" She probably heard that, to be fair. We can't laugh too loud just because it wakes her up. Um, welcome to the third one. Thanks for being here.
S: Of course.
Z: I forgot to send you them ahead of time. Or did I?
S: No.
Z: No. Are we just going to freeball it today?
S: Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's what I'm doing most of my days at the moment anyway. So, I'm glad to hear it.
Z: I mean, is there any change from the rest of your life?
S: No.
Z: Nice. So, introduce yourself first, 'cause I think that's probably the best way to start.
S: Okay. Hi, I'm Sophie. Uh, I'm a TV editor and a filmmaker.
Z: Beautiful. I think I love that. We'll do the drop-in underneath in the description bit—all the places you can find Sophie.
S: But, um, many, many places. Many places. Don't Google me. There's stuff from my past that, you know, like--
Z: You make it sound like you've killed somebody.
S: Yeah. There's just, you know, those days of the internet where you were just posting anything willy-nilly.
Z: I think they're sweet.
S: There's some sweet stuff. Yeah. Some of them's really sweet.
Z: What do we not know about?
S: I don't want to mention—this isn't weird, by the way—it's just like a certain clothing website that we used to post outfits.
Z: Oh, and you used to take photos of--
S: Yeah. And I cannot get rid of them for love nor money because I can't remember my login details and I contacted customer support like, "Please take these photos of me away."
Z: Is the one where you would put like a mood board with all the—possibly. Anyway, the properly posed and a little--
S: Yeah.
Z: It's just baby Sophie. It's just baby S. She's just doing her thing. It's just baby S. It's just that the digital footprint for our generation is vast. Wild.
Z: Well, we'll go straight into question one, which is: what is your favorite project ever and why? It's a biggie. What's your favorite?
S: I see why getting these in advance would have given my brain cells time.
Z: Would you have had the time to look at them?
S: True.
Z: Fair.
S: Absolutely not. Fair. Um, okay. So, I suppose I can answer in two different ways. Obviously, I've got two things going on in the sense that I've got my TV work, which—I say I'm a TV editor, but predominantly my career in TV has been edit assisting, assembly editing, like junior editing. I was working my way before I had Revy to being an editor. But that's what I say I am. And obviously the filmmaker side of it, although it's been a part of me since very, very young, I probably wouldn't— not that it's not all valid—but I wouldn't count it in a sense that as a practice I probably would only count the recent project with my business as like my filmmaking. It takes on a different weight when you're doing it for work.
Z: Yeah.
S: When you're doing it for money, it's real. You know, it's always real. But it just definitely takes on a different kind of pressure. Anyway, I'm not answering your question. It's fine. I feel like the whole thing's going to be like that, and I'm really okay with it. They've all been like this so far.
Z: 100%. And I'm here for it. So, favorite project and why.
S: Okay. So, I would say when it comes to TV, there are two that really jump out at me. One of them was when I was media managing, which is kind of wrangling all the cards on location. I did a lot of location work while I was traveling abroad. For one, I did "I'm a Celebrity Allstars." Normally it's live, which I don't do, but for some reason, post-COVID fallout, they did one in South Africa because they wanted it pre-recorded just in case. So, I ended up being on that. It was actually a really difficult job because they hadn't really done it pre-recorded before. There was a hell of a lot of footage they didn’t anticipate. We were told we were going to get a certain amount of stuff to deal with and we got a totally different amount—a lot more. So from a day-to-day perspective, it was a very demanding and difficult job. But the location was incredible. I was there for my birthday, went on a safari—well, they call it game drives in South Africa—and visited an elephant sanctuary, fed elephants, got close. It was a sanctuary. That opportunity of being somewhere so different with people so different was just amazing. I did a little jaunt with my friend afterwards to Cape Town. So, from a life experience point of view, less about the actual job—it was challenging—but what it afforded me was unlike anything else.
For my filmmaking, I've done a lot of model calls recently.
Z: What's a model call?
S: So a model call is when you basically offer your services for free in exchange for the rights to use what you create for advertising, promotion, etc. They're getting a free product, but I can use it. Especially when it comes to children and babies, some families might not feel comfortable with sharing the work. I need these model calls to show people what I can do.
Z: Yeah.
S: I'd say the second model call I did was my favorite. The first was beautiful, but I was nervous. By the second one, I knew more what I wanted and came away feeling really good. The edit was long, over three months, because Revy had a sleep regression, classic four-month-old stuff. Some days I just couldn’t create. Best thing was to rest. I’ve struggled with switching from sprint mode to marathon mode. I want everything done now, but now I’ve learned patience. That time actually helped me reflect, and fresh eyes are valuable. They were so chuffed with it when I gave it to them—they sent me flowers. Amazing family, all good vibes.
Z: I think you've answered question one and two and started to add in little bits of the others as well.
S: Checking baby monitor—she's in there, not crying, so we're good.
Z: Um, for South Africa, what was a specific challenge?
S: With media manager work, it’s not really creative. We were inundated with camera cards—SD cards full of footage. There were GoPros everywhere. We had to back up, ingest, sync, LTO archive—all before the cards could go back. They didn't anticipate that amount of stuff, yet expected the same turnaround.
Z: No wonder you say you're a sprinter, having to get used to marathon mode.
S: I was incredibly good at it. Being a sprinter made me efficient, got creative stuff done faster.
S: A very challenging project—I was pregnant, editing a development project. Shot loosely, low budget. The producer had high standards, wanted polished edits for the channel. I had limited mental capacity due to pregnancy. Very challenging, but rewarding. I walked away thinking, “I can edit a full show.”
Z: Question three: how do you push through on hard days? And question four: how do you know when it’s time to take a break?
S: Push through: affirmations help. My kid is motivation. Remind myself I’m doing this for her. My editor friend and mentor passed away—what would he do? Embodying him motivates me. Caffeine or tea helps too. Small reset points in the day are valuable. Pushing through doubt: replace thoughts like, “What if it fails?” with, “What if it goes right?” Anxiety is worrying twice.
Break signals: task paralysis—ADHD brain stacks everything at once. I freeze when it’s too much. Droopy eye tells me I’m reaching a drain point. If ignored, like during my dissertation, it leads to eye twitching—a sign of burnout.
Z: -Sophie brings in Reverie, her baby daughter-
S: Seven and a half months, and she almost dribbled in my mouth—a turning point for me.
Z: What do you wish people knew about the process?
S: The smallest things take the longest. A 3-second shot in editing can take hours. You feel what it needs, you can’t always see it. People don’t understand the time, value, or effort to get it right.
Z: Last question: what moment changed everything?
S: Her being born—obviously huge. Every mother or parent would say that. From a creative standpoint, it was like going through a portal. The maiden-to-mother arc. You go through this portal and it's like the maiden to mother arc, isn't it? And you literally do transform and change--
Z: This is the tryptic thing. The mother maiden crone. I'm not even kidding. – talking about a ring –
S: So many synchronicities. Look at it. Yeah. So, from a creative standpoint, I forever changed, but I also think, um, because that's the obvious one and I, I, I know me and I'm trying to find—I'm trying to get you a juicy kind of like, you know, hidden uncovered one that's less.
Z: Sometimes there isn't. It's fine.
S: It's true. Sometimes there isn't.
Z: There's not been like I even wrote in the original question that it doesn't have to be anything big. Like that's pretty big.
S: Well, that's the thing and almost—it's a classic me thing. It's like I don't like to go for the big obvious stuff. I like to go for the nuance and I like to go to the more specific things that people might not know, you know? All right. I like to uncover. I like to uncover and have my hair pulled, obviously.
Z: Um, she wants the long hair. She's wearing it like a wig.
S: She is wearing like a wig. You'll get your own hair soon. I think I don't think I can think of one. I think it has to be that the moment she was born, I changed as a person. I felt like I was walking around with my heart working at like 5%. And you don't realize, you think that's your 100%. You think, I've got all the love I can give. I've got all the creative energy I can give, you know, and then you create a human who loves you unconditionally and suddenly you've got 95% and it's amazing and it's incredible. So yes, I've never been—I've never felt so creative. I've never had so much creative energy. Um, and how I create has changed as well.
Z: Yeah, exactly. So, I think we'll have a soft end, which is just if people want to hire you for family film, where can they go? And if they want to work with you in terms of editing, how can they contact you?
S: So, I'm on Instagram, SophieHurryFilms, and I'm hoping that in the next few weeks, like the end of September, my website will be ready. So, I say to people, go to my website, which feels a bit fraudulent right now because my website's not ready.
Z: No, because your mailing list is on there.
S: And that's—my mailing list is on there. It's so true. Yes. So, I haven't… Yeah, we're waiting. Yeah. Sign up to my mailing list on there. Um, but like marathon, not a sprint. I had all these expectations that when I would start opening my books that my website would be ready, everything be shiny, complete, perfect. That's not how life works. It's definitely not how things work with a baby. So yeah, my website and my Instagram and my email, which is [email protected]—just the one hello, which, not too hurts. Don't worry, I just wanted to add some little bit of jazz to it, didn't I? Yeah. A little bit accent. Yeah.
Z: I think it's the end.
S: I think it's the end. I think too. Yeah.
Z: Thank you, Sophie. I think it's the end. Thank you. Thank you, Revvie. You've been wonderful.
S: You've been catching a vibe.
Z: She's been catching a vibe. You've been catching a vibe. I will put all of the stuff underneath and go check out her stuff. Go sign up. And you might not have a baby, but somebody you know might be having one and those—that time we were talking to Chris and he was like, time is going very fast, so anything that we've got to kind of encapsulate that.

But at the same time she does understand the pull of it.
It's free.
It's quick.
It's easy.
Times are really, really hard.
And yes - it feels much easier to type 'turn my dog into a watercolour style painting' and hit print 2 days before Christmas.
I mean, that option wasn't available when the picture was taken (circa 2015?).
And things didn't feel so scary a year or so ago when you could spot an AI piece a mile off because it had 8 fingers.
But it is getting smarter - with all the real art fed into it.
The best copycat.

I've been having this conversation a lot recently.
Friends and creators considering stopping - because they feel like they can't win.
Or they are afraid no one is going to want their stuff.

I'm not here to convince you not to use AI.
Who am I to judge.
I use it to prioritize my work tasks when there's too much on my plate and I'm stuck and my brain isn't firing properly.
I do have the skills - but you're right - it saves me a lot of time.

I'm here to shift the focus and say thank you to the people who keep coming back.
You know who you are.
Repeat customers, customers who come straight to me with ideas, customers who say my name in rooms I'm not in.
The people who see my big smiling face or get my many thanks via message when they return to me.
The ones who I create discounts for just because they're ace and I want to give back.
​You are the best of people.

Every time someone commissions me I think about my latest competition - the robots.
And it is a great confidence boost haha.

We can't fight hate with hate.
And yes - we're getting a bit deep here a bit too soon for such a short blog.
Shaming never works.

I'm simply here to say - thank you for thinking of me.
I think of you often.
I wouldn't be doing this with any income without you.

Making art.
Crafting.
Decorating.
Gifting.
All the things that threaten to feel redundant after you've turned on the news for too long.
But at the end of the day - it's connection.
And that's what we need.

I wanted to try something different.
Showcasing a shoot Brooke and I worked on.
She wanted '70's Jane Birkin caught in the moment'.
So we made this.
I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for scrolling.
I'd love to hear your thoughts <3