Bold

 

I've been enjoying working on paper larger than my usual journal size recently. These are loose sheets of paper and I've taped off the border and then had fun splashing the paint around. It's amazing how different a border can make things look. Peeling off the tape after finishing a page is such great fun as the work suddenly feels deeper, as if it goes back into the page. 

The bold strokes on this page are done with a wider brush - another departure from in my journal. Plus there is a lot of brayer work in the background layers. I'm not sure where these pieces are going at the moment, so I'm just enjoying the play.

Loud and urgent

 

Loud and urgent are not the same as important and useful.

Lots of things are loud in our life, all shouting for our attention. All that noise can make it seem like these things are urgent, but are they really? When the noise is coming from all directions it can be difficult to single out those things that are truly important from the drama queens and kings. 

Most things don't need to be dealt with immediately. There is time to take a breath and really listen to work out what is important and useful. Yes, the urgent needs to be seen to in good time, but a few seconds to triage is time well spent.

Tradition, and mixed media work for sale

Tradition - peer pressure from dead people.

I saw this on someone's instagram post and it made me laugh. As a clergy wife I hit the 'tradition' argument quite a lot. 'But we've always done it this way' doesn't mean it's the best, most convenient, or most efficient way to do things. Often it really isn't any of those things, it's just the most comfortable because it is familiar. Familiar and comfortable is all very well, but it doesn't always allow for growth.

And something that is new for me, and an area of growth as I learned a new process - I have some pieces for sale at shopsala.com.au 

 

Still growing

 

Through wind and storm, still we grow.

We are going through a heatwave here in Adelaide at the moment, but things are still growing.  It's not just the heat but the strong winds that go with it, drying foliage and sucking fruits dry. Making sure to water early in the morning and sometimes at night as well keeps those plants going that are going to feed me. 

The same is true for ourselves. When the storm comes up and the wind blows, we need to make sure to 'water' ourselves so that we survive and still grow. It can be easy to neglect ourselves when things are turbulent, but that is the time when we need watering the most. 

Growth is always possible, even in difficult circumstances.

Straitjackets

 When you've worn a straitjacket for so long, you don't realise how hampered you are.

We get used to our circumstances and to the restrictions that may be on us. We get used to doing things the way we've always done them. It isn't until someone new comes along who questions the way things are being done that we might see our way to a new freedom - if we're prepared to listen. 

Unfortunately, we sometimes decide to cling on to the straitjacket because we have grown comfortable in it. Anyone looking in from the outside finds it difficult to understand why you're not delighted to divest yourself of the straitjacket and relish the new freedom of movement. 

Doing new things can be scary, but staying as we are is stagnation. 

Anticipation

 

Often the anticipation is worse than the actuality.

How many times have you not been looking forward to something, rehearsing it in your mind, preparing possible responses, only to find that it goes much better than you thought? How much energy do we waste in this worrying?

Maybe there's a better way.

Flow

 

Be like water - flow around obstacles.

We can butt our heads against obstacles, or we can find a way around them. It takes a little more ingenuity, and a bit more hard work, but it can usually be done. The thing is, if you manage to get around the obstacle, you don't have whining rights any more. For some people, that is a big downside. They like to whine and whinge, so actually doing something about the problem is not their aim. You know people like that - they complain about something, and you offer several possible solutions, but they just make more excuses. They don't really want to do anything to change.

So are you a whiner or a flow-er? 

Hot!

 

When the heat is on, stay cool!

We're having a little heatwave before Christmas here in Adelaide, so staying cool is on everyone's mind. But the words also apply to metaphorical heated situations. Staying cool is so important when harsh words are flying. Often we take things personally that are not meant that way. If you have the opportunity, sit with your emotion before responding. If you don't have the luxury of time, take a breath and don't make a knee-jerk response.

And I'd like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas. I've been accidentally absent for over a month, but things have been happening towards our Christmas church services behind the scenes, so I haven't been idle :)

Speak up!

 

If you want to be heard, you have to speak.

There is no point whining about things when you had the opportunity to say something, but stayed silent. Yes, it can be scary, especially if everyone else in the room is saying something else, but if you stay silent in the room, then you need to stay silent outside it, too. It's hard.

Steps

Not all steps are equal. Catch your breath on the plateaus. 

Most of us are familiar with the concept of getting in our 10,000 steps a day, or whatever the recommended number is this week. But not all steps are equal. I live in the Adelaide Hills, and unless I walk along the ridge line down the main road, I have to cope with a very steep incline/decline. My phone, which is my chosen step-counter, doesn't take into account whether I am walking on the flat or climbing up a 60 degree incline. My body can definitely tell the difference, though!

In life's rollercoaster often we think that when we are on a plateau that we aren't going anywhere. Unless we are climbing, or heading downhill, it can feel that we are just passing time. However, my walks this week have shown me how the occasional plateau has allowed for the catching of breath before the next climb or descent. The plateau allows us to take time, to ponder, to build up our energy for whatever is coming next. 

So remember, not all steps are equal, and catch your breath when the path evens out.