BLOG: Artist mum takes on her biggest commission after building her career around her son’s health needs

Jodie Cavanagh is an emerging artist who has been commissioned by dot-art in collaboration with Culture Liverpool to create a project celebrating the distinct stories, identities, and accomplishments of Liverpool’s neighborhoods. Reflecting on her own journey, Jodie shares how she transformed challenges into motivation.

In her hometown of Belle Vale, Jodie is working together with mural artist Joseph Venning on a dot-art commission titled Word for Home. This initiative forms part of a larger Culture Liverpool project known as Home: A Celebration of Place, which aims to present a city-wide cultural program uniting artists, community groups, and residents around a central question: What makes a place a home?

Over recent months, Jodie has been engaging with local residents, gathering phrases, sayings, and expressions that best represent Belle Vale’s character. The project will culminate in a collection of large-scale public murals that highlight the neighborhood’s language and identity. Alongside the murals, a community-compiled dictionary of local sayings will be produced, as well as printed artworks, badges, and stickers to be shared throughout the area.

Jodie expresses her pride in the ideas and creativity born from these community sessions. She has had meaningful interactions with a diverse group, including young people from several primary schools, members of the Lee Valley Pensioners Group, and participants from The Vibe, a learning disability community. For her, these conversations are essential, as the strongest creative ideas emerge directly from the community itself.

Reflecting on her personal life, Jodie shares the impact of being a parent carer after her son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This experience reshaped her understanding of work-life balance, making flexibility not just desirable but necessary. Traditional 9-to-5 jobs were often incompatible with her caregiving responsibilities, reinforcing her desire to build a creative career that offers both ambition and adaptability.

Despite the challenges of balancing art and caregiving, Jodie remains dedicated to developing a career that fulfills her creative passions while accommodating her family’s needs. One particularly memorable moment from the workshops involved signing with an initially anxious participant who gradually relaxed, communicated confidently, and proudly shared personal items with her. For Jodie, as the parent of a disabled child, such moments underline the importance of inclusive communities that listen and value all their members.

Looking ahead, Jodie is eagerly anticipating bringing the collective ideas from the workshops to life through the murals. She feels honored to collaborate with the community in creating something meaningful together, rather than simply producing art for them