Tom’s Creative Canvas

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Tom’s Creative Canvas Our Mission: To champion creative digital communication within businesses, teams and communities.

Prices start at £30 depending on style/size
You will need to send a photograph via email/WhatsApp for me to aid my drawing
Your image will be sent back to you via email or WhatsApp
Drawings may take between one/three weeks so please take that into account when ordering

CTEC design sprint session #2 at Lancaster and a Morecambe College today.
23/10/2026

CTEC design sprint session #2 at Lancaster and a Morecambe College today.

19/10/2026

One of my favourite interviews this year was with Raymond.

As part of the Arc Creative Wellbeing Centre HORIZONS project, I spent time filming several community groups, including the Hong Kong Fellowship.

During my first filming session, Raymond was the only person who asked NOT to be filmed. Of course, I completely respected his wishes, although it was a bit of a shame because he was the life of the party. He was constantly cracking jokes, making the other group members laugh and bringing so much energy to the room.

Part of my approach throughout the project was to leave the interviews until the later sessions. This was so participants would have more experiences to draw upon and reflect on, but it was also about gradually building trust and familiarity.

I deliberately kept the filming quite low-key at first, focusing mainly on the facilitators, the creative activities and participants' hands as they worked. I wanted people to feel comfortable getting on with what they were doing, rather than becoming self-conscious about being filmed.

When I returned for my second session, Raymond approached me and said, “Okay, you can film my hands if you want to.”

Then, during my third and final visit, I asked the group if anyone would be willing to take part in an interview. Raymond was the first, and only, person to confidently say yes!

It was a lovely moment.

Stockport County

15/10/2026

Delighted to share a project I've been working on over summer/autumn.

'The Art of Noticing' is one of five art and wellbeing programmes I captured for the Arc Creative Wellbeing Centre HORIZONS project.

"...It's about slowing down, being present, and paying attention to the things around us that we don't normally see."

That’s a wrap for Arc Horizons! Or almost …Tonight was the preview exhibition at Hat Works in Stockport (Arc, arts and w...
14/10/2026

That’s a wrap for Arc Horizons! Or almost …

Tonight was the preview exhibition at Hat Works in Stockport (Arc, arts and wellbeing centre). Great turnout! The artwork will be showcased until November.

Tomorrow, Stockroom will be hosting a multi-screen video exhibition that I’ve put together, featuring all 6 artists.

It’s been a bit of whirlwind solo producing 10 films in about as many weeks but I got to work with a great group of people and take on a fun storytelling challenge.

Happy Friday from the Wirral! Today I facilitated the first CTEC North West immersive design sprint. We had colleges fro...
02/10/2026

Happy Friday from the Wirral!

Today I facilitated the first CTEC North West immersive design sprint. We had colleges from Liverpool, Greater Manchester and Cheshire attending.

Really great session!

The next design sprint will be with Lancashire and Cumbria colleges and then we plan to take concepts forward into the prototyping stage.

Biggest takeaway has to be the collaboration. Everyone seemed to enjoy sharing challenges, exchanging and enhancing ideas, and taking shared ownership of the design process. A good start to the programme.

A nice way to finish the working week.

01/10/2026

I had the place to myself this week for a lil photoshoot.

I’m supporting a group of artists who are exhibiting work at Hat Works, Stockport County and Stockroom this month. Part of the Arc Horizons project.

Showcasing on the 14th October.

27/09/2026

The hardest part is trusting the process. Everyone finally admits, that in week 1, they weren’t completely sure what they were stepping into.
I remember feeling that way when I stepped into this world of digital creative producing. But at the end of my first programme, what I experienced was so transformational and fulfilling, I knew it was a process worth repeating.

Sure, goalposts change. The people, the places, the briefs, the technology and with that comes that uncertainty again. Will this work?

But trust in the process, embrace the challenges and it lands right side up.

Success! Yesterday the Emerging Digital Creative Producers finished the programme at MediaCity Immersive Technologies In...
24/09/2026

Success! Yesterday the Emerging Digital Creative Producers finished the programme at MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub, HOST Salford.

Back at the start of summer, I approached Anthony Hatton about launching the programme in Salford.

The challenge was getting it underway within 2 weeks, and running the whole thing in 6 sessions spread out across the summer. We had no idea what the group was going to create, what roles they would undertake, or who the audience would be. But that’s what makes this programme work. The aim was to empower them as Digital Creative Producers so they could discover how to work as a team and unlock new possibilities.

It was wonderful to see the team showcase their original immersive experience to a group of industry professionals yesterday afternoon.

Well done!

I’ve felt really inspired by the artists I’ve been filming as part of the Arc Horizons docu-series. I asked my daughter ...
20/09/2026

I’ve felt really inspired by the artists I’ve been filming as part of the Arc Horizons docu-series. I asked my daughter if she fancied taking up an art challenge and trying some of the approaches I’ve seen over the last few weeks of filming.

I managed to grab a couple of magazines from the local shop on my way home from work and this collage activity filled our Saturday afternoon.

Really enjoyable. What starts as flicking through the pages, waiting for something to catch your eye, turns into a very creative instinctual exercise full of possibilties and interesting avenues.

Good for the soul.

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Manchester
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