Student Success Story: Deborah Bygrave

For Deborah Bygrave, creativity has always been woven through many parts of her life. Based in Oakley, a small rural village between London and the south coast of England, Deborah spent many years working in learning and development and coaching before she had more time to focus on her creative pursuits.

With a long-standing interest in photography and, more recently, bookbinding, Deborah was already exploring different creative directions when she discovered Take Two and Shelley Rhodes’ course, Finding Fragments. Through the course, she discovered not only new techniques but also a new way of seeing how all her creative interests could come together.

Deborah had admired Shelley Rhodes’ work for many years and owned her first book. When the opportunity arose to learn directly from Shelley through Take Two, the variety of techniques, materials, and possibilities immediately caught her attention.

Bringing separate creative threads together

Before joining Finding Fragments, Deborah had explored many creative workshops and courses. She often chose subjects she felt could connect, but those areas sometimes remained separate rather than forming a cohesive creative practice.

Through Shelley’s teaching, Deborah began to recognise connections among the creative skills she had already developed. Photography, paper, fabric, stitching, bookbinding, and mixed media no longer needed to exist as individual interests but could become part of a larger creative language.

“So I think that it’s given me confidence, not just to work more in mixed media, but to see the value of all the things that I’m interested in coming together.”

Learning there are no failures

One of the biggest shifts for Deborah was changing how she approached her work during the creative process. Through Shelley’s techniques and philosophy, she came to understand that an artwork did not need to be finished or perfect the first time.

The idea of cutting into work, reusing materials, reworking sections, and allowing pieces to evolve became an important lesson. Rather than seeing something unfinished or unexpected as a problem, Deborah discovered another opportunity within the process.

A significant turning point was realising that even pieces she liked could continue to change and become something new. “And I think a real turning point for me with this course was realising that there are no failures.”

Finding confidence through materials and mixed media

One unexpected discovery for Deborah was stitching. After an early school experience left her feeling disconnected from stitching, Shelley’s approach helped her see it differently and explore it without pressure or judgement.

Hand stitching became portable, enjoyable, and a natural addition to her mixed media practice. It opened up new ways to combine materials, including mark-making, paper, fabric, and collected fragments.

The course also encouraged Deborah to look at the materials already around her. Instead of feeling the need to buy everything new, she began recognising creative possibilities in everyday objects, old fabrics, and found materials collected from the places around her.

Experiencing the studio from home

As Deborah’s first Take Two experience, she was unsure what to expect from an online course. What she discovered was a learning environment that made her feel closely connected to Shelley’s studio process.

She was particularly impressed by the quality of the filming, the structure of the modules, and the supporting resources throughout the course. The combination of clear demonstrations, photographs, notes, and references created something she could return to again and again.

The live Q&A sessions and community experience also became an important part of the process. Being able to connect with Shelley and other students around the world helped create a shared learning environment where ideas, questions, and encouragement could continue.

A new relationship with the blank page

Journaling had always been part of Deborah’s life, but Shelley’s approach brought new energy to the practice. Preparing pages, creating backgrounds, and experimenting with materials changed how Deborah approached her journals.

Instead of facing a blank page, she found ways to create starting points that invited exploration. These simple shifts helped overcome hesitation and encouraged her to continue developing ideas.

“So I never face a blank page anymore.”

Creating work that deserves to be seen

Since completing Finding Fragments, Deborah has begun thinking differently about what happens after the making process. Rather than placing finished pieces in drawers or files, she has started exploring ways to display and present her work.

Shelley’s approach to creating a series of connected pieces also opened another avenue for Deborah. She hopes to continue exploring artworks that relate to each other and tell a broader story.

For Deborah, the course created a lasting change in how she approaches creativity. It gave her new techniques and encouraged her to trust experimentation, revisit ideas, and continue developing her own creative direction.

Deborah's advice for future students

For anyone considering Finding Fragments with Shelley Rhodes, Deborah understands that investing time and energy in a course can feel like a big decision. She considered it carefully before joining, but looking back, she is grateful she made the choice.

“I am so glad that I went for it. So my message would be to go for it. You won’t be disappointed.”

Deborah believes the flexibility to learn at her own pace, return to lessons whenever needed, and have ongoing access to the course materials makes the experience valuable long after the first viewing. For her, the ideas, techniques, and inspiration have continued well beyond the course itself.