Water power

Go with the flow or let the water power you?

The 'wheel' on the left of this page made me think of a water wheel, and there appears to be a mill in the mist behind it, so it set me thinking. A wooden wheel can float along a river, going with the flow, or it can stand perpendicular to the flow and use it to power machinery.

Do you go wherever the river takes you? Or do you stand firm in the water and use the flow to power your life?

Landed

Feeling like I've finally landed.

It always takes a while to settle in to a new place. In some ways we feel like we've been here for ages, but in others it is still very new. For me, I know that I feel like I've landed because I'm ready to paint some walls and add a splash of colour to the place. Also, I've done a successful workshop, so it feels as if I'm finding my feet and carving out my niche.

What makes you know that you've 'landed'?

Halewood CultureFest Art Workshop

On Wednesday I led an Art Workshop where 11 ladies came along and had fun (according to their feedback 😊) cutting, sticking, and colouring to make beautiful pictures. The landscape above and first vase of flowers below were the examples I made to take along. The rest are the results of the workshop.

I love the range of creativity when you give everyone the same materials and a few pointers and set them going.

(The tape to mark out the border on this one hasn't all been removed yet.)

Head

Just a quick post today as I head off to do a workshop this afternoon.

Every now and again I like to draw faces. Some days I hate everything I draw, but this head I'm really pleased with. I used a reference, and I find that when I do that my faces look more realistic.

Do you use references for drawing?

Not my emergency!

Your lack of preparation does not make it my emergency.

How often do you end up running around because someone dumps something on you at the last minute? It's not your responsibility, but you feel obliged to make it happen. Not wanting to rant, but I get fed up when I send info out to people a couple of weeks in advance to make sure we're all on the same page, only to have them send stuff back the night before things are due to happen (after 9:30pm) with last minute changes they'd like to make.

Aaaagh!

But my husband reminds me: their lack of preparation does not make it my emergency. There has to be a cut-off time. Sometimes it's just too late to make changes.

It can be easy to take responsibility for things that are not yours to be responsible for. Sometimes that is good - when people adopt children, or become step-parents and treat those children as their own that is an honourable thing. But I'm sure we all know people who go through life not preparing and then expecting others to pick up their mess. There comes a time when we have to let those people stand on their own feet, even if it means they fail.

Anticipation and butterflies

Anticipation and butterflies - that's what I feel at the moment as I finish my prep for an art workshop next week. I love seeing people released into creativity, but I'm also a long way over on the introvert scale so standing up and speaking in front of people makes me feel nauseous. My emotions are in conflict, but I'll push on through because each time I do, I gain confidence. Maybe a minuscule amount, but a move in the right direction.

Sun and rain

A flower needs both sun and rain to bloom.

In these parts we are almost ready to wear snorkels to go outside this week! We're definitely getting the rain, but the sun - not so much.

It can be easy to think that the best life is full of sunshine. Having lived in a drought-ridden country, I know what damage months with no rain can do. The ground becomes parched and plants wilt or die. The whole place looks brown and crispy. But as soon as there is a little rain, the plants perk up, flowers bloom, and the whole place greens up again.

It makes me realise that those occurrences that can feel less than ideal - like days of rain in the middle of summer - actually help us to become fruitful. As my husband has preached on occasion - if people are throwing crap into your life, perhaps it's time to stop trying to throw it out again and dig it in instead. Those trees that are not blown about by the wind don't develop strength. When the hurricane comes, they are easily uprooted.

So embrace the hard stuff, the inconvenient stuff, to truly flourish.

Bridge the gap

Always endeavour to bridge the gap.

We are not all the same. Our differences are what make the world a beautiful place.

They can also be the things that keep us apart.

We can be fearful of those who are different from ourselves. We can be distrustful of them, but this is because of ignorance. It is silly to assume that we have nothing in common with people of different cultures, ethnicities, genders, sexualities. We are all human beings - our commonalities are more substantial and more numerous than our differences.

Endeavour to bridge the gap by reaching out, asking questions - even if they feel awkward - and being genuinely interested in getting to know the other party. When people can feel authenticity and true interest in them, they are usually willing to overlook any awkwardly phrased questions. So get out of your comfort zone and make that gap disappear.

Go direct or meander? Both get you there in the end.

On the right hand side are straight arrows. On the left, a meandering pair of lines. Both go the full length of the page but in different ways.

When we visited Wilpena Pound in South Australia, we meandered our way along the path, stopping to look at plants, interesting rocks, an emu with chicks. We were passed by several sets of people who looked like they were on a route march - striding out, moving fast, seeing nothing. We all ended up  back at the cabins by the end of the day, but some of us had seen a lot more than others.

Sometimes the meandering route is the more interesting one.