Now The Green Blade Riseth
A new platform, a new beginning
A new platform, a new beginning
Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain,
Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
In the grave they laid him, Love whom men had slain,
Thinking that never he would wake again,
Laid in the earth, like grain that sleeps unseen
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain,
Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of our hearts, that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
- ‘Now The Green Blade Riseth’, a hymn for Easter by John Macleod Campbell Crum, circa 1928.
Hello all, and welcome to my corner of the world
My online handle for years has been The Inky Baroness, but I’m otherwise known to friends and family as Jess. I’m an artist, a writer, a lover of music, history, and oh, ever so much more!
I began this post with one of my favourite Easter hymns, ‘Now the green blade riseth’. It’s a somber, yet joyful poem, set to a soaring and haunting French medieval melody, Noël nouvelet. There’s a decent YouTube version here:
Given that we are still in the Easter octave, this hymn seemed a truly appropriate way to begin my little entry into Substack. It also provides something of a ‘tourist guidebook’ for why I’m here.
A brief background
I used to run an art account on Instagram, until I hit a very long and dreary period of sickness and burnout that has lasted years. During that time, I’ve watched Instagram transition into a place that’s no longer friendly to artists. I could no longer produce content at the rate that the ‘almighty algorithm’ demanded.
Like the buried grain, I’ve lain dormant — and in many ways, when chronic illness transforms your life, an old part of you dies. Many people describe feeling an intense, protracted, unspeakable grief, as you watch your old self, old dreams, old life, simply pass away…
So, here I am now. I have passed through that grieving process over, and over, and over. My heart has indeed been ‘wintry, grieving, and in pain’…yet the Risen Christ’s touch has and will always bring me back to life when I need it most.
I have rebuilt myself (or I’m in the process of doing so), which means changing my big dreams into little ones, and finding new ways of living my life. The green blade is unfurling from the dark earth.
Quo vadis? — Where are you going?
I’m a traditional artist; I work with ink pens, good ol’ HB lead pencils, and (when I’m feeling adventurous) watercolours or markers. I dabble in illustration, costume design, character commissions, and wherever else my imagination leads me.
Since I stopped using Instagram, I’ve long been seeking a little corner for myself where I can once more share my art, writing, and other creative endeavours, and where people can view what I make without needing an account or being bothered by ads and pop-ups.
For artists, there aren’t many alternatives to Instagram at present. Perhaps some will show up in the future, but currently the online art communities are at a loose end. Most sites that I’ve investigated consist of an overwhelming sea of digital art, now mixed with AI art as well, and littered with ads and so on.
Then, I found my way here. I was introduced to Substack through two publications: Things That Matter (a fellow who writes awesome poetry and posts on all things truly good and beautiful) and Adventure to A Quiet Place (an author’s journey to finding peace of mind again and breaking free of modern addictions and untruths). Substack is a beautiful space full of thoughtful people and creatives, and it’s exciting to watch it grow.
The game plan
My intention is to post once a week. Making art has become a stressful process at the moment, as my pen has been laid aside for months between pieces and my perfectionism usually gets the upper hand — so the plan is to loosen up my expectations and get comfortable with drawing regularly again, whether ‘imperfectly’ or not.
I hope you will consider subscribing — if you do, you can expect to see lovely little pieces like the following:
If you like what you see and you’re keen for more, subscribe to get notified anytime I release a new post. You’ll get to see all my latest artworks, the history behind each piece I draw, sometimes a literary rant or a behind-the-scenes peek at concept art/sketches, as well as access to short stories and snippets of projects I’m working on.
(PS. It’s worthwhile saying upfront: I won’t share your email or contact you without permission — your privacy will be respected, always.)
And thus concludes my (lengthy) introductory post. I’m delighted to be here, and I hope to meet other artists and writers on this platform who share similar interests. Have a wondrous Eastertide!
xx The Inky Baroness