I remember at High School, filling in all the careers questionnaires and having my appointment with the careers officer. Everything I spoke about was my love of Art and my want to pursue it further. I was very academic so my teachers thought Art was a waste and wanted me to study English or Architecture and my careers officer explained that, based on the information I'd given (bearing in mind I had specified Artist as my desired career) that a Dental Technician would be a good choice for me!

The messages I received, strong and clear, throughout my formative years were that Art wasn't really a proper subject and I needed to be sensible and choose a proper job. It has taken me decades to realise that this belief has held my creative career back for years and it is only now that I am beginning to shake it off as I start banging the drum for Art and shouting about how important it is.

I was very lucky - my parents were incredibly supportive of anything me and my siblings wanted to do so I was able to dedicate myself to pursuing a creative life. But maybe you weren't so lucky? Maybe you loved Art when you were younger but haven't thought about doing anything creative for years. Maybe you would have loved to have gone to Art college and now think it's too late to develop your artistic skills.

But it is never to late to pick up your love of Art again - and that is why I am developing The Dusty Pencil Case.

It is very much in its infancy but its aim is to help, encourage and inspire you to dust off your old pencil case and get creating again, doing the kind of creative work that you want to do and in a way that fires you up.

You can follow The Dusty Pencil Case on Instagram and Facebook where you will see it begin to grow - and hopefully your rediscovered love of Art will grow along with it.