In a surprising career development, media personality Abbie Chatfield has announced a bold new creative direction, revealing her ambitions to become a professional artist. The outspoken podcaster shared her debut artwork with followers this weekend, signalling a significant expansion of her professional portfolio beyond broadcasting and writing.
From Podcast Studio to Art Studio
The 30-year-old television star introduced her first completed painting to the world through an Instagram Stories post on Sunday. The piece presents as an abstract portrait featuring what Chatfield describes as a 'psychedelic slug', marking her official entry into the visual arts scene. This revelation came alongside the confession that she has recently taken up painting as a serious pursuit.
Following the completion of her vibrant slug creation, Chatfield demonstrated her commitment to this new venture by establishing a dedicated Instagram presence for her artwork. The account, operating under the handle Bug Doing Art, achieved remarkable early traction, accumulating over 1,000 followers within mere hours of its launch.
The Long-Awaited Literary Project
In separate communications with her audience, Chatfield provided updates regarding her frequently discussed but yet-to-materialise book project. The media personality confirmed that writing continues, though she disclosed having changed the subject matter yet again. She has not elaborated on what new direction the literary work will take.
This development represents the latest chapter in what has become an extended writing journey for Chatfield. Last year, she acknowledged having abandoned her initial book project approximately four years prior. The former Bachelor contestant had originally secured a publishing deal in 2020 for a feminist handbook titled 'S**T', an acronym for 'So, let's unpack that'. However, she ultimately returned the advance payment, and the work never reached publication.
During an episode of her popular It's A Lot podcast, Chatfield explored the psychological barriers that initially prevented her from completing the manuscript. She expressed concern that her 'basic feminist ideas' might become irrelevant over time, worrying that readers might consider her perspectives obvious or outdated within five to ten years of publication.
Overcoming Perfectionism
Chatfield attributed her previous inability to complete the book to self-imposed pressure and perfectionist tendencies. 'I ended up giving [my book] advance back because I just couldn't write it,' she confessed to listeners. 'There was a lot of pressure on me, from myself, to make it perfect in a first draft way.'
She elaborated on her previous creative struggle, explaining that her mindset demanded immediate perfection in her writing. 'I think my brain is programmed to want perfectionism from the moment I write it down,' she shared. 'Previously, it was hard for me to write anything because I'd look at it from a lens of "is that the most intelligent take?"'
The FBoy Island host compared her concerns about her book becoming outdated to reading historical feminist texts, acknowledging that while such works were revolutionary in their time, they can appear dated as societal understanding evolves. 'But obviously for the moment it's important and back then, they were important and they were revolutionary,' she reflected.
Chatfield has adopted a new approach to her writing, noting she's now 'approaching it with less criticism' and simply 'word-vomiting' to overcome creative blocks. Importantly, she has not yet secured another publishing deal, deliberately avoiding that pressure while she focuses on the writing process itself.
The book, originally scheduled for release in July 2021, was initially conceived as what Chatfield described as 'an entry level handbook for my baby feminists'. She had previously explained it would 'unpack all the sexist bulls**t that exists and explain how I deconstruct certain pervasive patriarchal narratives.'
As Chatfield navigates these parallel creative paths—developing her visual art practice while continuing her literary efforts—she represents a modern example of a public figure expanding their creative footprint across multiple disciplines, all while maintaining her successful podcasting career.
