A Boxset To Devour - The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

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You know that feeling when you discover a new show and know you're going to get lost for a whole day because you can't stop watching it... Well, this is that show. It's set in New York in the 1950s and tells the story of a rich upper West Sider who finds her life falling apart when her husband leaves her. The main character Midge is confident and contradictory. She has to find something else that she's good at now she's no longer a wife. And naturally, accidentally, she falls into stand up comedy. 

The storyline feels so new and fresh. The production values are high, the sets amazing, the costumes gorgeous, the story multi-layered. A real treat.

Comfort TV - Sex & The City

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I've been working abroad for the last two weeks with barely a moment for myself so this weekend called for a complete switch off and reboot. My recipe for relaxation? My sofa, a pack of triple chocolate cookies, a box set of Sex & The City and my watercolour set so I can paint while I half watch the screen. Because let's face it, I don't really need to watch as I know every episode off by heart which is the whole point of comfort TV.

Imagination Illustrated by Jim Henson

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I began to be more and more interested in Jim Henson's creative process a couple of years ago and received this fantastic book as a Christmas present. At the time I was struggling to make sense of the connection between creativity and money. Money was very much a thing you had to WORK for. It seemed out of reach to earn it by doing something purely creative. I read a brilliant article on Brainpickings.org about how Jim Henson had made the connection that if he made money from art, he could make more art... and something clicked. I wonder if this shift actually went some way to fuelling my creative ambitions and believing in myself more.

The book, Imagination Illustrated, contains an detailed insight into Henson's story, ideas and sketches. It's like looking into his mind. I loved finding out that the Muppet Show was turned down flat by American television and found its first home in the UK. I had never thought before about the fact that doing something that brings you so much joy will also bring joy to others. Now there's a thing.