Creative support when life is tough.

Throughout my own life, creativity has helped me navigate grief, divorce, redundancy, illness, uncertainty and the many moments in between.

Shifting States grew from that experience.

I offer creative support for people who are going through difficult times and are looking for something practical to hold onto. Through simple, material-led creative practices, you'll discover ways of making that can become part of everyday life, not to solve problems, but to help you live through them.

This isn't about making beautiful artwork or learning to be more creative. It's about using creativity as a steady companion. Something you can return to whenever life shifts beneath your feet.

My name is Katie Taylor, and I am the founder of Shifting States. My work is rooted in a deep conviction that creative practice can offer meaningful support during periods of profound difficulty, a belief shaped by lived experience as well as  professional practice.

Find out more >>

  • "I didn’t expect such a simple process to feel so meaningful. Casting the pewter felt strangely meditative."

  • "There was something powerful about turning raw materials into an object you could hold."

  • “The oak gall ink felt deeply connected to the landscape. It made writing feel intentional.”

  • “It was fascinating to see how something so ancient could be made with such simple ingredients.”

  • “I liked the balance of learning a craft while also reflecting on what the process meant.”

  • “The workshop made me look at everyday materials in a completely different way.”

  • “Making ink from natural materials gave the whole act of drawing and writing a different weight.”

Latest Blog Posts

Blog | Exploring Art, Ritual & Change
Why people lose their creative identity after life changes
Why people lose their creative identity after life changes
Channelling Intuition: Trusting a Deeper Way of Knowing
Channelling Intuition: Trusting a Deeper Way of Knowing
Repair as Remembrance: Mending Socks, Holding Memory
Repair as Remembrance: Mending Socks, Holding Memory
Oak Gall Ink Making on New Year’s Eve
journalling, Ritual
Oak Gall Ink Making on New Year’s Eve
journalling, Ritual
journalling, Ritual
Read More >

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View fullsize Wobbly rings made from old silver rings I didn’t like anymore 🖤 Always better to repurpose and use - than keep and never wear!
View fullsize I’ve made these five inks from foraged and found materials… things gathered outside or already sitting in cupboards. Small experimental batches made without spending anything, just to see what was possible with what was already there. T
View fullsize Adding alcohol ink to water based ink causes the liquids to separate because their solvents are incompatible… I’ve been playing with my homemade oak gall ink and some homemade alcohol turmeric ink and have created these amazing textural
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View fullsize Rewatching the wonderful @nettledressfilm such a wonderfully poetic film about making during times of extraordinary difficulty. “After the death of his beloved wife, textile artist Allan Brown begins a seven-year endeavour to weave a hand-spun
View fullsize While walking near the Oxford canal on Saturday, I found these knopper oak galls and turned them into 3 bottles of gorgeous black ink today! 🖤 Creative alchemy / Personal alchemy
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View fullsize Potential and outcome - silver ingots and silver objects. Found in the @ashmoleanmuseum Silver is deeply tied to the moon’s energy, intuition, and emotional balance.
View fullsize Created an algae yarn ball dyed with charcoal to reflect on feelings of being overwhelmed, confined, and trapped - Algae represents resilience, divine creation, and intense transformation. Charcoal signifies transformation, protection, and endurance.