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Self-Care

May 14
Ripped up pieces of a watercolour painting showing parts of a pink castle, a blue sky and a garden are scattered on a brown cotton carpet.

Lessons in destruction

Or, my dog ate my painting
3 min read
Mar 08
A silver engraved teapot with a gold and red cozy on the handle sits on top of a gold cushion and white plate.

The Hammam

Soaking up sensory delights at the Arab Baths in Granada
4 min read
Jan 05
A white woman wearing glasses and a denim jacket is smiling at the camera. In the distance is the Alhambra palace and Granada.

A different kind of year in review

Celebrating the moments that made 2025 meaningful
5 min read
Aug 04
A gouache sketch of an entryway with mint green walls, a tiled staircase, plants and a wooden window and door. An edge cutter and a white card with plant illustrations.

An ode to home

How my connection to place took root in Granada.
4 min read
Jun 09
An open sketchbook showing two urban scenes. Two people walking past a navy house with a eucalyptus trees and a yellow restaurant called Colón.

Why I make art

It's not because it was a childhood dream
3 min read
Jun 01
Emma Bolton wearing glasses, a blue puffer jacket and a green bag and smiling at the camera in the Albaicín.

The question Spanish people don't ask that helped me to find myself

5 min read
May 04
An A5 spiral notebook with red and yellow blocks and beige and pale blue flowers, together with a sunflower yellow Lamy fountain pen on a pale pink background.

Write out the song lyrics by hand

When I was growing up, my favourite albums were the ones that came with a booklet of song lyrics. In 2002 I spent hours processing my teenage angst while singing to Avril Lavigne’s debut album, Let Go. Her booklet had lyrics full of slang that made her feel authentic and relatable.
4 min read
Apr 21
Six colour wheels using different combinations of pink, yellow and blue watercolours by emma bolton. Watercolor brush and palette.

Reconnect to yourself with colour

On playing with paint as a form of self-care.
3 min read
Apr 13
Countdown of 15 days left of work in Hong Kong! Quote about hope by Václav Havel, Czech Dissident, Writer & Statesman.

The self-care habit I stopped to find more ease

How tracking everything can make us feel more disconnected
4 min read
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