Do you rememeber the Shaw’s radio advert from years ago? The one with the catch-phrase ‘Shaws – almost nationwide’, that one.
Well, they're no longer 'almost' they are fully nationwide. And now, I too can claim to be nationwide after my feature on the RTE series of that title. It's fitting then, that my art is being displayed in Shaw's windows during this year’s Carlow Arts Festival (2018).
Shaw’s is a family owned business in its fourth generation since Henry Shaw first opened its doors in 1864. Many Carlovians have grown up with Shaw’s department store being at the heart of their shopping experience.
Nationwide team Helen and Paul with Caroline Cunningham
Nationwide Artist in 2018
In October 2018, following the publication of my book ‘Seven C’s to Calm – Reclaiming your Anxiety-free Self’, I was featured on RTE’s Nationwide, a popular prime-time television show-casing news-worthy story’s from around Ireland.
Thanks to reporter Helen McInerney, my artwork was featured along with my books and reflexology therapy.
Thanks also to Shaw’s department store in Carlow for their kind invitation to exhibit my art work once again in their window on Tullow Street, during the Carlow Arts Festival 2018.
The pieces on display will be mostly from my art collection entitled ‘The Sacred Lives of Trees’ which many are familiar with from my exhibits at Carlow Library and beyond.
Explore my artwork in the interest of feeding your dreams and keeping them alive. Discover landscapes, trees, inspiration from travels in India and Portugal.
Choose from original paintings in a variety of sizes or a range of prints including some limited editions. See something you like, get in touch and make it yours.
I got the call on a Tuesday. In fact I got a number of calls that day, but since I was busy show-casing reflexology at a network event I missed all of them!
It was much later that I listened back to the messages from at least three different numbers all saying one thing 'Caroline, Nationwide are looking for an author who has written about anxiety, ring this number urgently!!!'
I had no pen and in a tizzy, I picked one of the missed numbers randomly and thankfully it was the right one. I was speaking to RTE journalist Helen McInerney. Straight away I detected her warm personality and her enthusiasm for my work.
Helen had already paid a visit to my website, thanks to a tip off from Carlow Mental Health Association. Seeing that, along with being an author of a book about anxiety, I also had accomplished work as a painting artist, travel writer and reflexology therapist, Helen was keen to get my story on national screens. We filmed three days later on a Friday!
How did an anxious village girl leave a secure teaching job to follow her creative dream and end up travelling to faraway lands in the process?
You can watch replay of that Nationwide episode by clicking the image.
Filming with Helen and her crew was fun, especially as it was not just me who got the opportunity to shine, but my friends at Carlow Library (who have been very supportive of my creative development) and the Visual Gallery in Carlow who display my books in their bookshop. My parents were proud to be seen in their beautiful garden and my mother especially thrilled to have her feet on show for the reflexology piece.
'Seven C's to Calm - reclaiming your anxiety-free self' - that's the book that attracted the attention of this Irish National TV Channel. Thanks to the editor and team at RTE for choosing my story and especially to Helen McInerney for making sure all of my acheivements were on show.
I thought you might like take a peek behind the scenes of how it was all made:
Developing trust for following your instincts can take some trial and error but it’s a powerful feeling when you get a clear sign that you did the right thing.
RTE Nationwide’s reporter Helen Mc Inerney took time to visit my website and realising I there was more to my story she persuaded her editor to allow her the scope to share it.
In particular Helen felt it was important to highlight my story of leaving the security of a teaching job, venturing into the unknown of developing my creative talents.
"Developing trust for following your instincts can take some trial and error but it’s a powerful feeling when you get a clear sign that you did the right thing."
My Story
I left a teaching career in 1999, following burn out from stress and anxiety. Simply putting it I was a mess. I had kept an external façade of everything being OK but with the demands of work and useless coping mechanisms I reached a point where I simply had to stop.
The sad thing is, I constantly see people (men and women) who are allowing this to happen to them, some know they are risking burn out and others are in denial mode. In 1999, you could be somewhat forgiven for being in denial mode as there was less awareness in the public domain regarding wellbeing and mental health. I didn’t even own a computer that time and I had a very simple mobile phone with no access to internet. Now, it’s different and you would have to be in serious denial mode to be blocking out the signs that you’re neglecting yourself.
My burn-out experience was humbling. I had to stop and take stock of things. It was a turning point in my life. Through my search for ways to recover and become more resilient, I uncovered my own healing and creative abilities.
3, 2, 1 Action
I had great fun with the staff at Carlow Library during this shoot. It was fitting that they shared the spot-light as they had been a tremendous support to me, providing a beautiful space to launch my books and to showcase my paintings.
The feature also included The Visual Gallery Carlow as my books are available in their gallery shop. Thanks to Helen all the right people were mentioned in the clip including my parents who were proud to have their garden on show in one of the scene and our family dog who has since gone to greener pastures.
