What’s the trait you value most about yourself?
Things have been busy over here. At some point, probably at hibernation time, I’ll be at rest to share the developments. But for now …
My trait that I value, particularly at this time of year and in this time of busy, is my ability to pay attention.
To take a moment to breathe, look around and savour the beauty. Some beauty at each moment.
How do you relax?
This week has been busy. Schools are back and the summer is just hard to shake off, even if I wanted to
Tired has been the word of the week. So tired. Thank God it’s Friday and time to relax.
I know I’ve earned it. So what do I do? I get into the sea. She has the power to excite and relax me both at the same time. I’m washed clean after a quick dip in the North Sea, taking a moment to express my gratitude for this blessing.
Living by the sea never gets old, never gets boring as she is never the same sea twice. Seas would be a more accurate word to describe her.
If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?
A word that I don’t think is used enough by me and by anyone else, even though it’s favourite of mine is LUSH.
Lush is a word that vibrates off the tongue and can if used properly can bring the whole body into the expressing it.
Lush to describe the fullness and luxuriate and attractiveness of anything and everything is such a luscious word to use in itself.
So I use the word lush a lot but I’m never gonna give up using it.
Join me with bringing back the extensive and joyful use of lush!
#lushiscomingback!
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
Are you seeking security or adventure?
I’m got that summer feeling.
I’ve been sky writing from time that come 14 July I’m on holiday. I’m away from work. I’m not answering any of your emails, WhatsApp messages, demands or urgencies. I’m off the clock.
Because of the weather, this holiday time has come a day early. And I’m bubbling with excitement.
I’m having no leaky boundaries here. I’m gonna protect my down time. I’m gonna have a complete switch off to recharge my batteries.
This feeling of excitement reminds me of when I was a kid and the summer holidays stretched out in front of me. So much time to explore and play and just be.
I embrace this feeling now with so much joy and gratitude that I’m open for what adventures lie ahead. Adventures of my own making as I’m the adult now not the kid. I’m not beholden to anyone else’s whims or demands or plans. Whatever happens over the coming month or so is all of my own doing. And I love the sound of that. The feel of that.
Summer. Summer. Summer.
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
There are some days when I get into a funk. When I allow things to get on top of me.
Responsibilities, commitments, inadequacies. Boredom, shame, guilt.
This is when I know I need to get into my body and get into a loving relationship with self. I need to silence the crap rolling around in my head about my self and this world we live in and start loving on myself.
Taking myself on a Photowalk outside as well as inside brings me joy.
The act of moving and recording it, making a record of it brings me right back into the present and helps me to realise what a blessing life really is.
A life not to be wasted away on useless, soul destroying negative self- talk and that crippling sense of failure.
Nah looking myself in the eyes and still being able to smile at myself for myself brings me joy.!
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?
When I start avoiding people. Start avoiding those conversations, connections with other people. Not being able to muster the energy to just look someone in the eye, I know it is time to unplug, unwind and retreat.
When my mind becomes a jumbled mess of to-dos, guilt-tripping myself galore with feelings of not being good enough. Then I know it is time to unplug, unwind and retreat.
When I no longer receive pleasure from the things I love to do, like writing, creating, eating. {BEING}. I know then, time to step away from the tasks, the commitments, the noise, the violence and the ruin and hide.
Stop. Breathe. Lick wounds. Apply water inside and out. And come back to centre. My centre. Me, being just me.
No actions or words in attempt to prove myself. No singing and dancing routine to grab your attention. Nothing wise or in service here.
Just someone unplugging from the system unsure whether or not she wants to plug back in on someone else’s terms.
What is one word that describes you?
“You know life is hard,” my mother once told me with resignation in her voice. She continued, “For years, I’ve been struggling. I’m just plain tired now.” I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me or herself , but once again I hardly listened. I was grown, I knew everything. I was a fool. Here one day, gone the next, I never got the chance to agree with my mother; that yes, life is hard. Too damn hard sometimes and there are people, put on this earth, who take it as a personal mission/ vendetta to make it even harder for some people. But hey I’m not here to complain.
This year, I made myself the promise to practice certain things, certain ways of being.
One, to quit the complaining as it only drains my energy.
Two, to stop saying to myself and others that time is flying, that time is going so fast, what’s that all about? (But come on, admit it, time is flying. We’re past mid March already!) Yes stop this stating that time is flying malarky as it’s energy sapping.
And three, to get my arse out of bed each morning, go to my creative corner and practice my visual journalling because this shifts/ boosts/ aligns my energy.
Some days I win, some days I lose but I know just like life, like everything really, it’s a practice. It’s about turning up each day for me and not having an agenda, or any idea what I’m going to create or know down which path my attention will flow. I just know that when I practice my visual journaling, intentionally showing up at my desk each morning, I feel better. Simple.
Yes there are all those insightful and wise deductions I could make about this practice and the effects of it on my creativity, life, work, relationship with self and others. But on the most simplest of levels, it makes me feel better. It sets me up to be present for the rest of my day.
Since November 2023, I’ve been practicing this little old practice of getting into my creative corner and creating/ being. Usually in altered books, or homemade junk journals or hand sewn books. Moving my hands to smear paint across a page, adding text and images, and stickers and sometimes even crafting found poems from cut-outs, makes me happy. I can say that now because I’ve had months of this practice under my belt. And I feel better because of it.
The one word that best describes me is ‘practice’ and I get to be me, daily, each morning with my visual journal practice which makes sure I’m myself from each moment to the next for the rest of the day. And for this I am grateful because my mother might not have found the secret and passed it on but I feel as if I’ve stumbled upon what makes this life less difficult, less hard, less soul destroying. Practice.
Keep checking back for the rest of the week as I’ll be sharing a spread each day from my visual journaling practice. And eventually all will be revealed in a new portfolio page around this practice. Thanks for reading. And see you again soon 🙂
When are you most happy?
Living Wild Studios 