After seven months away from home, I realise that I have taken where I live somewhat for granted. Yet is is one of the few remaining habitats for the endangered Buruwagan (bush curlew) whose distinctive night call is becoming my own call to action.
All in Creativity
Milestones
Stretching yourself is important in art as it is in life. What is also important is to acknowledge and celebrate each milestone, big or small. Like finishing a project or even touching my nose with my knee!
Trying New Things
Invoking the spirit of Michelangelo, I tried out stone carving. I find it difficult to create in 3D but was keen to try new things. Starting with no clear plan, I hoped that the stone would to speak to me. It did!
Settling In
Finding a cosy nook to read in feels like home, especially when it is wet and windy outside. The ghosts of great writers, thinkers and artists once tarried here or walked the 1,200 acre grounds of Dartington Hall estate in South Devon. It’s easy to imagine their benevolent presence as I settle in this year of post graduate study.
Wayfarers All
The call to adventure is strong in me as I succumb to weeks of restlessness, like the Sea Rat in The Wind in the Willows. Taking any kind of journey, creating movement of one kind or another, changes the energy, exhorting us to become wayfarers all.
Sea Fever
The sea is a poem, a song and a fever. It’s where I resonate with the lines from John Masefield’s poem Sea Fever, listen to the slap of water in Dylan Thomas’s fishing boat bobbing sea and look for Emily Dickinson’s mermaids in the basement. Sailing, ferries and boats are a part of my sea fever yearning.
Sailing Away
I absolutely love boats and ferries. My 2021 vision board was all about embarking on a sailing adventure, but so far this has eluded me. Now I am taking action to see if I can make this vision come true.
Start Somewhere
The beginning of a new year is often a time of indecision for me. What sort of format and theme will I use for my daily artworks? There is always a moment of hesitation but I know that I have to start somewhere, anywhere, then the path forward will appear.
Take Care
I think of the notion of taking care as we begin a new year. Taking care of our expectations, setting our direction and steering into the future. People say ‘take care’ when you are about to set forth on a journey or project. But it can equally apply to so many aspects of your life.
Leaps of Faith
This week I listened to my inner voice, booked a ticket to London Heathrow, caught a train to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire and bought a motorhome. Some people thought I was mad to do such a wild thing, but there were others who encouraged me to keep going, so I did.