Second Wind
Parrot from a painting I retired from the library service in June 2022. I had worked in libraries since 1984, starting there as a Saturday and relief library assistant. I qualified with a BSc (Econ) Honours from University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1999 and after a few years became a Library Manager in public libraries. In the lead up to retiral, I semi retired working only two days a week for 18 months. I went to art classes at a studio in Sheriffmuir with artist Charlotte Anker during this free time and embarked on an evening art course at Forth Valley College with artist Lesley Ann Derks. I had taken art at school and really enjoyed it but working full time had put paid to the chance of following this creative path and school was very much in the past. Of course as a librarian I had marketing as a big part of my remit, and organising book festivals gave me a fair bit of design and social media experience. I knitted quite a bit in my spare time and as a young mother and ho...