Andrea Ballance

As a child, I was very inspired by my dad’s storytelling so writing stories and being a part of sharing the magic a story can bring became important to me. We were an Army family and we would move regularly. We set up home wherever my Dad was posted. Traveling exposed me to the rich cultures and curious fairy tales of the places in Europe we visited and lived.

Being on the move a lot left me feeling like an outsider but this gave me a unique outlook and taught me to observe the world and the characters that live in it. My nomadic childhood meant I was not one to follow the crowd, after leaving education, I got ordained as a Buddhist nun and spent the next decade trying to develop the skills of mindfulness and compassion. It took me a long time but I realised being a monastic was not for me. I then decided to pursue my talents and develop my artistic practice.

I now understand that for me just like ordination, art really is just another form of connection with people and the world. After I got my degree in Art I focused on community art and created a parade called the Sea of Lights. After six beautiful years of parade making I decided to really focus on honing my skills as a storyteller and writer.

I am busy now, writing and creating, raising two amazing, talented and autistic humans and I am still dedicated to making the world a kinder, brighter and more magical place – one project at a time. www.ballancedcreative.co.uk