The foolproof formula for a happy marriage! - Or how to marry an artist and not go mad.

Is there really a foolproof formula for a happy marriage.
Sure there is.
There are loads.
That's the damn problem, you've got to pick the right formula.

Ok. So I've got to come clean, I've not been married all that long.
My husband and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Yup that's right I got married five years ago...three days before my 40th birthday. 

So there is formula number1.  Don't marry too young, you don't know what you're doing.
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Blatantly that's rubbish, my Mum and Dad were teenagers when they got married and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year.

Our wedding day. Salisbury Cathedral in the background.

Vague drawing based on that school experiment with magnets and iron filings that prove opposites attract.

Formula number 2.
​Only marry someone who totally understands you.

Oh hang on that's not right either, I'm and artist, he's a scientist. Professionally we virtually speak different languages. Maybe that's what makes it interesting? We're always learning  from each other. It's nice to chat about stuff knowing the other person has to concentrate to keep up. It keeps us fresh.


Ah so maybe that leads to Formula number 3.
Opposites attract.
​Ah no...that's not right either. Despite the artist v scientist thing, actually I don't think opposites necessarily attract after all. We have the same believes and values deep down. We like a lot of the same music (which helps), we like some of the same movies. 

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The hubs, making me smile.

Right. I'm getting there now. 
Formula number 4. Marry someone who make you laugh. Definitely. This is true surely. Unless you're a very serious person, who doesn't like laughing. Which I'm not.

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I'm definitely onto something now.
Austin Kleon, in his brilliant book "Steal like an artist" sums it up rather well.
​Marry well.

So there it is.
We all need a support network of some kind. Left on their own too long, artists might become self deprecating, anxious beasts.
Whether is your husband, wife, best friend, sibling or nice group of chums who put up with you; support is a wonderful thing.

I believe we all need a bit of nurturing to be creative. And by creative, that's not just artists. Scientists need to be creative too. Engineers, writers, cooks, gardeners, teachers...in fact all of us have creativity woven into our daily lives.