BECOMING AN AUTHOR - IT TOOK A DEVASTATING DIAGNOSIS
Ever since I was a child, I have loved writing and painting. My great-grandfather was an artist and my Mother is an artist, so I am following a family trend. After school, I went to College to study Art, then to University to study Fine Art. After graduation I became a professional photographer and for many years worked in Cyprus.
I returned from Cyprus in 2012 and then worked in a Nursing Home. Unfortunately, I sustained a serious, life-changing back injury. Because of this injury I was unable to resume my life as a professional photographer. I made the decision to return to my love of writing and painting. I had written some children’s stories and short stories as a student and had always enjoyed drawing and painting, so it was a pleasure to revisit my creative side.
In December 2019, I suddenly became very ill. My heart was pounding rapidly and irregularly and I felt really weak and cold inside. My mother rushed me to hospital and, to cut a long story short, I spent the next seven years undergoing multiple tests, investigations and treatments in the search for a diagnosis and solution to my health issues. This was an extremely difficult time. I was in constant, often excruciating, pain and suffered from long periods of extreme exhaustion. Eventually, I received the devastating diagnosis that I needed urgent heart surgery, which carried a risk of 1:100 that I would not survive the procedure. This was a life-changing moment for me. Here I was at the age of 40 facing the prospect of dying. I felt that I had to do something to leave behind in case I didn’t make it off the operating table.
I decided I would write a novel. At this stage I did not have a firm plan or structure in my head, I only knew that I wanted my novel to be about art and artists. In my opinion there are very few novels written by artists from the perspective of being an artist. Many are written about art and artists, but generally from the perspective of someone who has “not walked the walk”. My dilemma was where to set my novel. The answer came in a flash one evening when I walked into Gyros Restaurant in Newmarket Street in Ayr! I felt the vibe and smelled the smells which took me right back to memories of Cyprus. There and then I determined I would set my novel in Cyprus.
That decided, the content was still vague in my mind. I wanted to distil myself into the book. I wanted to convey the colours and vibrancy of life in Cyprus and to make artists the central theme. I cannot pretend that it was an easy write. Because of my health issues, I was unable to concentrate for long periods of time, so I got into the habit of writing in ’snippets’. I had inspiration about short sentences or paragraphs which I foresaw as part of my story, but which did not necessarily or obviously link together initially. Authors write in different ways, this was the style which suited me.
Self-publication means, basically, you have to do everything. After the writing, there’s the editing, the proofreading, ensuring comprehensibility and accessibility, doing artwork, and engaging fully in promotional and marketing activities. It’s a long, challenging task. However, on the day before my heart surgery, I declared my novel finished! I left precise instructions regarding its publication with my mother in case I was no longer around.
Happily, I survived the surgery and my health is much improved, although my mobility is still seriously restricted because of the back injury sustained 13 years ago. Gyros restaurant is no longer at the same location in Newmarket Street, the premises are now occupied by the Narture Artisan Cafe. I am delighted to say I held my book launch there in August this year. My book is now widely available. I am proud of it and from early reports, it gives joy to its readers.
I was born in London and spent many family holidays in Dunoon. At an early age I fell in love with Scotland, its scenery, its people and its culture. After my back injury, I knew I needed to find a beautiful place to live, where there was scope for my imagination to run riot. I certainly did not wish to live in London or the grey/beige concrete world of the South of England. I need colour I my life! I moved to Ayrshire in2013 and am totally content living in this part of the world.
I have engaged with local artists through the Ayr Art Circle, the Troon Art Club and through initiatives at Narture Culture Collective in Newmarket Street. Interacting with other artists is immensely stimulating. We bounce ideas off each other, we constructively criticise each others’ work, we challenge each other and, from time to time, we have demonstrations from visiting experts who expose us to new ideas, new mediums and new techniques. All of which helps us grow as artists.
I am occasionally asked if becoming an author has changed me as an artist. Yes, it certainly has. I had to do an enormous amount of research for my book and that love of delving into the history behind people, culture, places, and events has spilled over into my approach to art. I now do a lot of research on the subject of my next painting, whether that be as simple as a flower or as complex as a Spanish galleon.
I am optimistic about my future and have extensive plans for further publications. I am collating the children’s stories and short stories I wrote for my college and university studies and will publish them in due course. My next novel will be set in Ayrshire and again will feature the world of art and artists. I have already begun to write the ‘snippets’ which will eventually be collated into the final story.
Due to my disability, I have not been able to visit the Alloway Railway Tunnel. I have looked at many, many photographs and have been thrilled to watch its progress over recent months. Even as an armchair observer, I realise that the Mural is bringing so much colour and joy into our local area. What a fantastic initiative!
Sarah Dean-Hunter
