Hi, I'm Georgie!
Founder of Academy Of The Enchanted Arts
‘The sound of colours is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with base notes or dark lake with treble…generally speaking, colour directly influences the soul. Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposely, to cause vibrations in the soul.’
- Wassily Kandinsky
Welcome to the Academy Of The Enchanted Arts!
My name is Georgie (she/her) and I’m so happy you’re here!
I’m devoted to introducing you to the magical world of music and art history. And, I’m not alone in my fascination with the wonders and intermingling of art and music!
The above quotation from Kandinsky’s ‘Concerning The Spiritual in Art’ is particularly apposite to introduce you all to Academy Of The Enchanted Arts.
My Story
Art, music and the crafts found me as young as I can remember growing up in Dorset, nestled between the seaside and the forest.
As clichéd as it may sound, ever since I can remember, I have been making things out of anything that I could get my crafty hands-on. From endless drawings for my friends and family to decorating and painting old broken violins in the style of Jackson Pollock!
At the age of 4 I started to play the piano, and later the violin. My school years were full of performances in musicals such as ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘West Side Story’ where I became besotted with being part of a stage spectacle where art, music and visuals all came together.
It was because of my passion for the arts that I later went to University to study these subjects in more depth.
But I was met with a heartbreaking realisation: that I suddenly had to choose between art or music.
So I had no choice: I had to study art and music seperately and then attempt to join them together my own way.
I became increasingly extremely frustrated at University because I loved both art and music but I was always made to choose to follow and study one exclusively in my work. I found this so unecessary because to me, the relationship between both art, music and colour is inextricably linked.
As you can see from the above, Wassily Kandinsky agrees too!
Whilst feeling deeply lost and extremely unhappy at University, in 2010, I channelled my creativity into a side project and embarked on one of my greatest adventures: a handmade hair accessory business called Beauxoxo.
Beauxoxo and Blogging
I began selling my Beauxoxo hair accessories on a local level at markets throughout the South Coast and through ‘I Love Crafty’ in Bristol, before officially launching my international Etsy store in the same year.
Beauxoxo soon escalated when, in 2011, I was invited to attend and partake in the Clothes Show Live.
During the event, I was approached by Jamie Stevens, the X Factor hairstylist, who subsequently purchased a variety of my pieces for Little Mix to wear on the show. To my surprise, when the Final show aired, Perrie walked on stage flaunting one of my glitter bows!
My hair accessories have been worn by some of the biggest Youtube stars and influencers, such as Zoe Sugg, and featured in magazines like ELLE and Marie Claire, turning what was once a part-time crafting hobby into a full-time dream job!
At the same time I opened Beauxoxo, I also documented my journey through Georgie xoxo, a blog dedicated to seeking everyday whimsy, with a heart full of wanderlust focusing on travel adventures, pretty crafts, wellness, and words on finding the meaning in life through wonder and enchantment.
It’s always been my ultimate hope that my blog, that has been featured in Grazia magazine and nominated for Company and Cosmopolitan awards, can enable someone to travel into the deepest realms of wonder and enchantment so that they can truly feel and embody their own world, and the world around them.
And guess what? This is EXACTLY why I so adore art and music history too!
Chronic Illness
Beyond my wildest dreams, Beauxoxo grew exponentially from the age of just 19 years old, and so became the focus of all of my spare time.
However, it was also during these exciting times that I received the life-changing news that I had developed a benign Pituitary Tumour called a Prolactinoma coupled with PCOs and Endometriosis when I was still studying at University.
Naturally, the news left me feeling like I was existing under a very dark cloud, despite on the surface painting a picture of endless adventures and glitz and glamour through Beauxoxo and my blog.
Alongside all of the above, I was also continuing to develop deeply debilitating and mystifying symptoms that later led to a diagnosis in 2018 of Scerloderma; a rare, chronic autoimmune disease of the immune system, blood vessels, and connective tissue that affects 2.5 million people worldwide.
It was from this diagnosis that I decided to say Au Revoir to Beauxoxo as I lost the dexterity in my hands that I used to have. Fearing I wouldn’t be able to continue my own passion for crafting and music, I had to make a very difficult decision to end this flourishing business I had made with my (literal) own hands.
It has been through the darkness of my health that has certainly provided a contrast that illuminates the wonderfulness of the gratitude I feel in life to dig deeper into everything that I am.
As a result of my painful diagnosis, I delved into my sacred joys in life once more, to discover other gifts I could bring to the world and that I could adapt my condition to.
And here I am now: following my heart to create an online resource that focuses on helping curious humans of all ages, to discover and embrace the arts. And I’m so deeply thankful you found your way here!
The Importance Of Art and Music History
I truly and passionately believe that we’re all creative beings. It’s a signature of our species! In fact, creativity is in our DNA.
It’s found in our ancestors who were makers of beautiful things and it’s also found in you and me.
Human beings have been creative since prehistoric times, dating all the way back to 40,000 BC, starting from aboriginal cave paintings. Our modern times are no different! In the time of social media, images and audio pervade our lives.
Simply put: There’s not an inch of this earth that hasn’t been touched by creativity.
But where on earth do we start digging into the richness of our history and surroundings?
We often associate the arts and creativity with the creations alone. And of course, creativity’s by-products are some of the major achievements of civilisation, from the invention of the wheel to Mozart’s sonatas, to Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
But, did you know that the root meaning of the word creativity comes from the Latin ‘creatus’ meaning, ‘to grow?’
That means that when we are creative we feel as if the world and all that is in it is vibrantly alive.
This sense of rapture and awe in relation to the arts is how I paint the wonders of the history of art and music to my students so that you’ll be able to marvel at the magic and miracles all around you.
Moreover, I truly believe art and music are two of the most powerful forces for happiness and healing in the world, and it’s my life-purpose to help as many people as possible discover this.
What Is The Academy?
The Academy Of The Enchanted Arts is the first resource of its kind that brings together art AND music history (in a way that I always dreamed of) for curious humans of all ages to experience the arts through the lens of enchantment.
At the Academy Of The Enchanted Arts, you will find wonder-filled, inspiring, highly creative and enchanting content to connect you to every aspect of art and music history.
What you learn here in the Academy Of The Enchanted Arts will nurture your mind and soul, open your heart and imagination, and inspire you to give yourself the trust to lead with enchantment, curiosity, playfulness and creativity in everything you do.
To discover your pathway to the enchantment of the arts, you can find the current Academy Of The Enchanted Arts curriculum below.
I long to meet you in class but until then I will leave you once more with the words of Wassily Kandinsky:
‘Lend your ears to music, open your eyes to painting’ ♥
