Haiku: Gaze down at your feet - Every tiny blossom head - Was once imagined 🌸— Fenix

Clockwise from left: Dylan x3 🎉 Also, planting seeds, recording piano, park flowers, car bed rest & ‘lasagne’ planted tulips have arrived!

Hello friend,

I truly hope that the beginning of spring is spreading its joy to you as we see much of the world bringing new growth slowly outwards.

You did not hear from me mid-month because I have been going through health challenges, but I am so grateful to finally have some medical explanations after decades of not knowing. The not-so-great news is that I have to go extremely slowly 🐌 with difficult days needing total rest. Thankful for my partner, and my Dylan puppy who have been steady as the sunrise. Also thankful to my optimistic brain which keeps me going.

The haiku I’ve written for you today, in a way I think, is how creativity is born. Imagining and experiencing brings inspiration and ideas through. The magic seems to build if ideas are handled carefully in their initial raw form, trying not to load them with expectations (which may turn them rigid, or cause them to fall away), and guarding them privately until they feel stronger. By following the unfolding with trust, diving into the joy of it, and expecting that there will be elements of surprise, something firmer takes form.

For me, this often looks like different pieces of music bubbling away for months or years at a time in secret (except for a few supportive/interested people who I might share with). I accept that some will remain half-cooked, I will have a trillion weird voice notes of beats and melodies I forget about(!), and others may arrive almost fully-formed, or become complete after multiple sessions tending to them.

All of my complete work is not without what I see as some smaller imperfections, and I think that these are natural because I have to stop working on the songs at some point & sometimes have to go with decisions. I can change my mind about completed pieces, but generally I feel a certain settled feeling in my chest when they're ready to go. I always try to be respectful and thankful about all creations, knowing that my inner child has been the magician tending to the magic!

If we think of a blossom tree as a whole for example, we walk past admiring it despite some browning blossoms, or wonky flowers. In fact we might not even notice these things unless we start to study them closely (like the way many of us listen to a song for the first time, versus the hundredth!) Those tiny extra details can be the most endearing parts, too if noticed, showing the tree’s character, the beauty of time passing, and ageing life.

My creativity is a beacon for me, and has always been an antidote to feeling behind, building a sense of recovering, and feelings of excitement and hope. A lifelong gift of mine has been an ability to notice the many pearls and diamonds of details in the experiences there are to have in life, amidst the tricky and the mundane. In admiring others, taking in nature, patterns, and feeling free!

Above: From the film ‘Francis Ha’

So, the news for you is that taking this skill of mine to notice and to wonder, I have been gathering some of these ‘experiences’, and using them as springboards to channel into music which has surprised me over and over. For over two years I wrote random pieces written here and there, not realising that these experiments would connect. One Sunday morning I sat in bed listening to them all and saw a map of an album appearing before my eyes as I wrote about the themes of each. This was astonishing & exhilarating stuff, I've got to tell you!

I am going to release the album in four chapters beginning with late spring, arranging pieces to reflect the energy of each of the four seasons. The music is ambient, meditative, electronic music with some voice, but focuses on non-verbal sound primarily. There will also be visual films to reflect the music, and live sounds (field recordings) woven through the music to add another layer of storytelling (think crunchy snow recorded in my garden whilst wearing a dressing gown!)

Now is the time to comb through the music for chapter one of the album and send it off to set sail (fingers crossed!) 🌬️

Hope to share more news soon, and will leave you with a few bonus pieces of creative inspo, below.

Love to you,

Fenix

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☕ Creative things I'd tell you about over coffee:

1. I keep thinking about a rainbow photo series by Paul Octavious of precious dogs, which I think is the most wonderful and unique style of photos I've seen in some time. Paul is a creative genius imo and I have been following them for years. I find their art energising, imaginative and there is a finesse about it that makes you want to lean in.

   You can scroll to see Paul’s rainbow portraits and other work on Instagram, here. & This is Paul in a photo taken under the rainbow neon lights 🌈:

   

2. Completely random link for you next (thanks, ADHD!), as I'm often thinking about the genius of Donald O’Connor in Singing in the Rain. Remarkable! His face wash like rubber!

   Make 'Em Laugh!

   It will make you smile, I'm sure

3. Reminder: Don’t forget to look up at the sky this week… it is an ocean for the imagination to wander/wonder…

Take care! :)))

Thank you for reading! So much!

Haiku: These little glimmers - Treasured gems we then carry - Help protect our peace — Fenix

Hello friend,

Coming into Spring in the Northern hemisphere, I notice a clash between the little heads of flowers that have risen, the new and exciting things happening in daily life, and traumatic global events. I’ve actually drafted this letter about five times and nothing has felt right, which gives you a glimpse into how I’ve been feeling. The answer turned out to be simple, with the following letter written on 26th Feb, inspired by the birds in my garden who I am gladly getting to know.

Standing in my kitchen my eyes drift to see the blue tit briefly stopping for a drink, the large pigeon bopping and swaying under the feeder to find food that has fallen, the two magpies waiting for their turn in a nearby tree. I placed sunflower hearts out this morning because nothing brings more joy in the garden than finding these creatures enjoying it, and it has taken me much longer to provide this for them than I intended. I wonder if the birds could, what they might tell us about nature’s balance for them in their lives? To me as a bystander it seems as though they’ve really got it sussed… surviving in the wild is their natural habitat, but I wonder if they get tired of the harder parts of their lives?

What I do know is that the birds are here today, showing up in the present to feed and drink, skittish and seemingly merry. Birds are often glimmers for me, filled with joy watching them soar, run and hop about, imagining how tiny their hearts must be. Birds teach us to keep on keeping on with our routines as they do come rain or shine, and to try to be present as we ‘do’. They also teach us that flying is possible 😉

To sign off, I would like to share with you some glimmers from the past month:

🌱 Sights of the heads of pansies, tulips, crocuses and daffodils - my first attempt at ‘lasagne’ planting (bulbs in different layers and the idea is that they will flower at different times from the same pot).

🐟 My baby nephew discovering fish and his reflexes at The Science Museum in London with my lovely sister (who said I could share this with you)

🎶 Composing music in the rustic setting of bed. No frills here… Hair scraped back, Dylan on my lap and sensory distractions reduced to improve focus (room is tidy and I am wearing my fave tight clothes, lip balm and hand cream because I hate having dry skin) I finished a piece and this weekend am creating the first visual art for the album!

🍫A recipe for dates coated in dark chocolate, filled with peanut butter and topped with salt flakes (I didn't add the extra nuts)– You need to try this if you like all of these things because who knew you could feel so chuffed with yourself after creating something so simple?

🌝 The most peaceful dusk of the year so far spent standing in the garden with Dylan, watching the full moon

Until next time,

Fenix

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Happy love day! Whether it means something to you or if the sight of giant teddies and roses makes you cringe, I think we can all agree that love is so important. It’s one of the nicest emotions to feel, and where we find so much meaning.

Today’s poem is called Compasses… & it is dedicated to friendship ✨

Take care,

Fenix

Thank you for reading! If you think a friend would enjoy this, please send it on!

Subscribe below to receive new posts and support my work (which is free to do and much appreciated!) I’d be uber grateful if you’d take a moment to interact with a comment/like, annnd you can follow this link to find my Instagram and music on various streaming platforms: Click here

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PS I’ll be back on 1st March :)))

Haiku: Didn’t understand - Cold darkness could be a friend - Leaned in to find rest — Fenix

Before we get stuck in today, I just wanted to say that I know the world is so much to handle at the moment. In these dark times, what I can offer is my art… a hopeful balm in the form of this email and songs to come throughout this year (first release of my album will be April!)

“We have to create. It is the only thing louder than destruction” - The late, most wonderful Andrea Gibson

Today you can read the letter below, or alternatively watch me live record a music accompaniment to the letter voiceover (the music was improvised after I hit record!) Would love to hear what you think in the comments! See the video of today's letter, here :)

Hello friend,

So many of us think of the grinding beginning of the new year after the fanfare that was, and freeze in the forgetting that spring is near…. This is where mother nature is building her magic, unseen, unheard to human ears.

I’ve wished away too many winter weeks like this, hiding inward to hold it at bay. But my puppy longs to rush about on crisp grass, to explore the forests and smell for creatures who have been there. So I’ve learnt to follow. To say yes to wrapping up, pockets stuffed with gloves and treats, tucked up with only my face exposed to the soft light, cold nose getting pinker as I tread carefully to follow my little one into the trees, head over heels in love with these found adventures, in the season I dreaded for so long.

Soothing soups and warm blankets, curtains open to invite the sun and closed early to nuzzle down into heat and connection. More time for inner work, cacao and hot tea, body enjoying the soothing effect of warm oils and steaming cloths. The heat sinks through me and I finally realise that I too am building energy to enter spring. Each daffodil will remind me of the different joy that is coming next.

Love to you,

Fenix

Thank you for reading! Subscribe below to receive new posts and support my work (which is free to do and much appreciated!) I’d be uber grateful if you’d take a moment to share this post with a friend, interact with a comment/like, or follow this link to find my Instagram and music on various streaming platforms: Click here

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☕ Creative things I'd tell you about over coffee:

1. Episode of Ramblings walking podcast:

   This podcast is recorded whilst walking if you haven’t heard of it, and I love the soothing background sounds such as the crunching underfoot. Clare was accompanied on this walk with artist Richard Shimell who creates stunning prints of trees. On his website he describes his fascination with the branches and silhouettes of trees.

   Ramblings Podcast: Trees in Winter near Abergavenny, Wales - 24 mins

Richard’s website: https://richardshimell.co.uk/ & Instagram

If you have any podcast episodes to recommend, feel free to send them over! I find a simple artist date*, for me, is to walk, potter or cook whilst listening to something interesting!

2. I salute Barney Desmazery for this lasagne recipe because I have tried it a few times and my goodness, you will be thrilled with yourself if you give it a go. My versions have replaced many ingredients and all have tasted good because the flavouring is so on-point (including oat milk, dairy free cheese, meat and alcohol free!) The mushrooms, if you include them 🍄‍🟫 add a real sense of lavishness to the bechamel.

   Recipe & Barney’s Instagram

   

3. One of my lovely friends and I were talking about winter decorations to make winter more of a celebration… soft blankets, fairy lights, candles. I am someone who just loves fairy lights… have put some in the living room, bedroom, office, kitchen and all the way up the stairs… it makes everything feel twinkly and I put them on during the day time if it's a low light day ✨ So winter decorations really are feeling lovely!

*My definition of an artist date - Julia Cameron’s term (author of The Artists Way) for a once per week solo-time hour plus doing something that interests you, quite simply. The idea is it may spark your imagination, fill up the well of images from which you can create things from, and is meant to be something to look forward to (although, I’ll admit I have to work to create space for them, even though I have never regretted any!) Artist dates are for everyone… we all have an ability to be creative, so artist dates nurture that part of ourselves.

Take care! Speak again mid-Feb :)))

Thank you for reading!

Mid-January already? Yes! I am so glad to say that I am working on 16 pieces to release over the course of the upcoming Spring-to-Winter seasons in four chapters… they aim to reflect the seasonal energy and the very special experiences of living that we go through. These pieces will form my first album, and are something entirely different to the songs I already have out in the world, featuring mainly electronic instrumental tracks, some with spoken word and only a few with sung vocals. The most exciting part I’m having fun with right now are the field recordings that will play in each track of real life moments (an example is the sound of crunching about in snow!)

Here’s a poem I’ve written called Blessing, about my hopes for each and every person ✨

Take care,

Fenix

Speak soon :))) Next letter will arrive with you 1st of Feb!

Haiku: I look to the sky - The same hues feel different - Possibility! — Fenix

Setting intentions, seeds into soil, I set forth and discover gently.

In reality so much less happens than my child-heart imagines. Small bursts like ripples on still water, my heart sees things fruiting and blooming but I know the truth… that each grows in its own time.

Perhaps my role is to live awake, to clap at small delights… watching for the tiny details that pass on by. Smiles and interactions, tiny mushrooms, small birds full of song taking flight.

I imagine my year as an open book, scent of fresh pages and rosemary. Daring to place ink, etch it into pulped wood, to manifest and to appreciate what is already here. Hands to hold or reach out to, shelter from rain and wind, soft bed and warm light, bountiful food and sunlight to walk under.

In dreaming from this den, I am so grateful.

Sending love to you for the year ahead, for the seasons you’ll experience again, and the new memories you will make.

Fenix

Late December photos

You can listen to my music in various places, here.

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☕ Creative things I'd tell you about over coffee:

1. I like doing one-off creative projects, to learn a new skill and play, really :) Here are some jumpers I sewed initials onto for my nephews. I was going to use fabric transfer paper but decided instead to draw on the initials (with fabric pen that washed off with water) and then sew over them using chain stitch. If you fancy doing something similar or learning about how I made them, I followed this video to make these:

   

2. Learning about the artist, Howardena Pindell… painter and mixed media artist.

   This is random 😄 but the internet took me down an interesting rabbit hole where I learnt about an Howardena who has been creating art for many decades and is now in her eighties. In these videos you too can learn about one of her recent exhibitions and more about her life which I found fascinating.

   Of all the stuff the internet takes you to, you won't regret watching these:

   Topics include why she creates as she does, how Howardena learnt different techniques, why work features circles and numbers, the focus and mindset of an artist to overcome rejection, and in the longer video, race and misogyny.

   I hope you enjoy them as much as me!

A 5 min interview which ends in Howardena’s kind words of encouragement.

Longer YouTube interview can be watched, here.

Photos of Howardena Pindell

Speak soon :)))

Haiku: Cycle of rising - Reborn from ashes and fire - Finding new freedoms — Fenix

Hello friends, and welcome to this warmly lit, cosy corner of the internet on the first official day of winter at solstice. Through this ‘newsletter’, I’ll be sharing my music, writing, creative updates, thoughts and hopeful reflections.

My artist self is Fenix Wild. Wild because that is what speaks to me most in life. Huge trees, tiny seedlings, bugs, vast open beaches, vibrant sunsets, heartfelt conversations, deep healing that leads to inner change, and the spirited approach to living I try to follow.

A photo I took of Flight of Fancy by Sculptor, Jilly Sutton🌿 Hannah Peschar Garden, Surrey

My main art form is music, currently experimenting with fusing sung vocals, spoken word and field recordings with electronic sounds and beats. I adore filming things outdoors and creating visual art to be projected at performances. That said, I’ve taken a step back from performing and I’m currently in an inward phase of creating, working towards an ambient album which I will be posting updates about! My other joys to stoke the coals of inspiration are walking, writing, trying new recipes and crafts , and going on adventures to do new things. I’m a big fan of Julia Cameron’s books and am currently part of a creativity circle where each member is on a personal exploration of their artistic selves, the idea being that we all have an inner artist child.

I also wanted you to know that as well as Fenix, I am also Elle… partner to a lovely human, proud dog mama, grateful friend, auntie, sister and daughter. I work as a Voiceover Artist, dreaming up the future creations I might make (character voices and stories are my favourite), alongside of songwriting and composing projects.

Little Dylan & me

That’s me, and I hope to get to you know you more as the months go on. Feel free to say hello… where you’re from, and anything else you want to share. My intention is that these letters will bring a sense of connection and care to anyone who wants to join this community.

Wishing you the kind of finish to 2025 that you need 💜 In the last few weeks of the year I hope to be found in deep hibernation under blankets, walking with my loves, songwriting and pottering (my favourite!)

My next post will be early in the new year, and I'm going to see about sharing something musical 🎹

Take care,

Fenix

Christmas tree sourdough for family

You can listen to my music in various places, here.

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☕ Creative things I'd tell you about over coffee:

1. At the end of every year I like to spend time wrapping up the year that is, and planting seeds for the year to come. Here are a few resources you might find useful if you’re looking for some inspiration (I tend to combine these methods):

• Rachel Brathen has a longer ritual (you can do one or both) through her podcast. The one to process 2025 is live, and the 2026 intention setting is yet to arrive, here.

• Unravel the Year by Susannah Conway is a lovely workbook I’ve used multiple times, before (download for free, here).

2. In case you looove gingerbread like me, I made some…

These were the most photogenic of the batch (and are giving away my quirks!!) as many had wonky eyes and random blobs of icing everywhere because it kept pouring out, haha! They tasted delicious though, and my nephews approved of them, so here is the recipe for you. Would love to see photos if you make some!

Speak in 2026 :))))