Writers I love - Natalie Goldberg

Tara Brach interviewing Natalie Goldberg

“Home” by Natalie Goldberg

I am thinking of the rain in New York

the driving rain over the Metropolitan Museum

and the Guggenheim and the small delicatessen

down in the Village that sells flanken

I am thinking of the rain making rivers by the curb

near Ohrbach’s and Penn Station

the shop selling pita sandwiches

the grease and char of lamb

rotating slowly in the raining day

I am thinking of the fruit stands now

the five hundred fruit stands all over New York

I’m thinking mostly of the dark celery leaves

above the green stalks and the bright skins of oranges

I am thinking of Macy’s meat department

And the Nebraska cows

Of the hundred year old air in Macy’s

And the green cashmere sweaters on top of the glass counter

I am remembering the way pizza smells in the streets calling

hunger out of ourselves

I am thinking now of the Hudson River and the rain meeting it

The mist already rising over the George Washington Bridge

And the trees growing wildly on the other shore

Home memories: A photo from when I lived in my home in Port Macquarie.

A friend and I regularly go on Writer's Dates. We take our exercise books and usually head for the mountain. We do Natalie Goldberg's 10 minute writing exercise and then we read out our writing to each other.

Here are some of Natalie's prompts...

I remember....

I'm thinking of....

I'm looking at....

What is your first memory....

These are the rules we follow, we set a timer for 10 minutes and keep writing. We weave in the present moment sounds, smells, visuals.

I highly recommend her book Writing Down The Bones. I have it on audio book and listen to it regularly. It makes my day more mindful, and I seem to notice things that perhaps would go unseen at other times.

When I go back over this writing there's a lot of 'really' appearing. However the task of this writing exercise is not to change things as you write, keep writing. After you write and leave it for a while and come back to it, you'll see where you can learn and grow. Practice not perfection.

Poetry I love - Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

Artist's Date: Monte Lupo Art Exhibition

I first came across the Monte Lupo creations when I was at an open house. This house featured some of their major works and I was absolutely delighted with them.

Then last weekend, I wandered into a gallery that instantly filled me with joy — exhibiting works from the Monte Lupo Arts Collective. The walls were alive with colour, texture, and personality, every piece telling a story. From intricate ceramic sculptures to bold, playful mosaics, the space felt like stepping into a world where art was not just beautiful, but deeply meaningful.

Monte Lupo is more than just an art collective. It’s a vibrant community that provides training, employment, and creative opportunities for people living with disabilities. Each artwork is the result of skill, patience, and imagination — and knowing that your purchase directly supports the artist makes it even more special.

As I moved from piece to piece, I could see the heart in every brushstroke and the individuality in each sculpture. No two pieces were the same, and all had that handmade magic you simply can’t find in mass-produced art.

Monte Lupo also offers pottery classes in Brisbane, where you can learn to create your own pieces from scratch on the pottery wheel, or join a Paint Your Own session and bring a ready-made sculpture to life with your own colour palette. It’s the perfect way to connect with clay, creativity, and community — and walk away with something truly unique.

Visiting the gallery reminded me that art isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about connection, empowerment, and expression. If you’re in Brisbane, I can’t recommend Monte Lupo Arts Collective enough. Whether you visit the gallery, take a class, or simply explore their work online, you’ll be supporting artists whose talent is as inspiring as their stories.

Monte Lupo Arts.org.au

A Few of My Favourite Things - An Artful Exercise

We all have treasures in our homes – those little objects that carry stories, spark memories, or simply make us smile.

My house angels. What I imagine my guardian angels look like after a lifetime of watching over me.

Maybe it’s a ceramic vase you shaped with your own hands, a painting you poured your heart into, or a faded quilt stitched by your grandmother. These pieces are more than “things” – they’re part of our personal museum.

A simple pot my father painted during WW2 in Katherine while stationed there. He loved spending time with the Indigenous people.

When we slow down and really notice them, we connect not only with the beauty around us, but also with the creativity, love, and history that flows through our lives.

Here’s a simple, joyful exercise to try this week:

1. Take a wander through your home

Move slowly, as if you’re seeing everything for the first time. Look for items that make your heart lift – something you’ve created, something handmade by a loved one, or a piece that has been passed down to you.

A pottery vase my son made in primary school.

2. Capture the moment

Use your phone or camera to take a photo of each item. Experiment with angles, light, and background – you might be surprised how artistic an everyday object can look when framed with care.

3. Gather your collection

Print the photos or create a digital album. Give each one a title and jot down a few words about why it matters to you. Was it a gift? Something you made during a special time in your life? Does it remind you of a place or person?

I bought this oil lamp at The Palace of Knossos in Crete, Greece in 1987. It's a lovely reminder of a fabulous trip.

4. Create an “at home” gallery

Arrange the printed photos in a journal, on a pinboard, or in a frame collage. This becomes a visual reminder of the joy and meaning that already lives in your space.

A memory from Venice, I didn't buy it there though, I came across it in an op shop here.

5. Reflect

Ask yourself: What do these items say about me? My style? My creative journey? You might discover themes, colours, or textures that inspire your next piece of art.

Many years ago my son wanted to get into special effects in the movies. I'd come home to find him creating models and plaster casts. Many a time I'd pull up in my car to find a mate lying on our massage table in the front yard in the sun, with straws up their nose, and plaster all over their faces. It amazed me that they'd be willing to do that for him. This is the only piece I have left and have kept it for about 30 years.

Why this matters

This isn’t just about objects – it’s about noticing, appreciating, and documenting the beauty we already live with. As artists, this practice deepens our connection to our work and to the stories we want to tell.

So put on your favourite music, pick up your camera, and go on a little treasure hunt in your own home. You might just fall in love with your world all over again.

What I realised doing this exercise was that mostly I'd picked out pottery or crafted items, tactile ones. It's an interesting exercise, I invite you to have a try and let me know what you come up with.

Unlocking Creativity Through Art Journaling

There’s something magical about opening a fresh page, gathering your pens, paints, and scraps of paper, and letting your hand wander across the surface without overthinking. This is the heart of art journaling — a creative playground where words, colours, and images dance together in ways that are completely your own.

Art journaling isn’t about making “perfect” art or writing something worthy of a novel. It’s about showing up for yourself, page by page, to explore, play, and connect with your inner voice.

Why Art Journaling Sparks Creativity

In our busy, structured lives, creativity can feel like a luxury or even a forgotten skill. Art journaling offers a gentle doorway back in. Here’s how:

Freedom from rules

There’s no right or wrong way to art journal. This freedom quiets our inner critic and opens up space for experimentation — the birthplace of creativity.

A safe container for expression

The pages of your journal are for your eyes only (unless you choose to share them). This safety encourages honesty, which leads to surprising bursts of originality.

A place where mistakes are treasures

In art journaling, “mistakes” often become the most interesting part of the page. This mindset shift helps you embrace imperfection in life, too.

Mixing mediums and ideas

Collage, watercolours, ink, magazine clippings, pressed flowers — art journaling invites you to combine different materials and techniques. These unexpected pairings often spark fresh ideas in other areas of life.

Mindful creativity

The act of slowing down to paint, write, or glue can be deeply meditative. It’s not just about making art — it’s about listening to yourself in the process.

How to Begin Your Own Art Journaling Practice

Start with what you have: a simple notebook, some coloured pencils or markers.

Give yourself permission to make messy, ugly, or nonsensical pages.

Follow your curiosity — if you feel like drawing circles or writing in big looping letters, go for it.

Use prompts like “Today I feel…” or “If my heart could speak…” to guide your first entries.

Play with layering — paint over text, collage on top of sketches, let the page evolve over days.

The Ripple Effect of Creativity

Once you start filling your art journal, you might notice your creativity showing up in unexpected places — in your cooking, your problem-solving, your conversations, even the way you arrange flowers in a vase. Creativity is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.

Art journaling isn’t just an activity; it’s a conversation with your inner self. And when you nurture that conversation, you open up new possibilities — both on the page and in your life.

So, pull out that notebook, breathe in the scent of fresh paper, and begin. The page is waiting.

Poetry I love - Blessings By David Whyte

Blessing for sound.

I thank you for the smallest sound. For the way my ears open even before my eyes, as if to remember the way everything began with an original, vibrant, note.

And I thank you for this everyday original music, always being rehearsed, always being played, always being remembered as something new and arriving.

A tram line below in the city street, gull cries, or a ship’s horn in the distant harbour, so that in waking I hear voices, even when there is no voice. So that in waking, I hear voices even where there is no voice, and invitations where there is no invitation, so that I can wake with you by the ocean in summer or in the deepest, seemingly quietest winter and be with you, so that I can hear you, even with my eyes closed, even with my heart closed, even before I fully wake.

Blessing for the light.

I thank you, light, again, for helping me to find the outline of my daughter’s face.

I thank you, light, for the subtle way your merest touch gives shape to such things I could only learn to love through your delicate instruction.

And I thank you this morning, waking again, most intimately and secretly for your visible invisibility, the way you make me look at the face of the world so that everything becomes an eye to everything else, and so that, strangely, I also see myself being seen, so that I can be born again in that sight, so that I can have this one other way, along with every other way, to know that I am here.

Share the Dream

Artwork today... Share the dream you had for this one precious life.

I've finally returned to my art, it seems like forever that I've been away. Renovating my house has taken my focus for the last year and a half and we are now looking forward to another new dream. I'd almost forgotten just how pleasurable it is to simply put paint on paper.

Have you ever woken from your sleep in the dawning hours of the day? It's so quiet and peaceful at that time usually. I've been waking early for the last few days, out of a dream, that disappears as quickly as it came. How real some dreams seem. In my dreams I'm often looking for a house or going on a journey. What about you, do you have a recurring dream?

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.

Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.

Don't go back to sleep

People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.

Don't go back to sleep.

Rumi

Have you struck gold yet?

"All of us are far richer than we imagine. None of us possesses a life devoid of magic, barren of grace, divorced from power. Our inner resources, often unmined and even unknown and unacknowledged, are the treasures we we carry, what I call our spiritual DNA.

Just as our physical potentials are encoded at conception, it is my belief that we also carry the imprint, or blueprint of our gifts and their unfolding. Often we have far more gifts than we imagine. For example, a love of music may indicate a gift for it as well - a gift we may not have developed due to the circumstances of our birth.

Similarly, many voracious readers are closet writers, afraid to step into the arena of their dreams. This arena is our spiritual DNA, the treasure chest we bring into the world are are charged with developing. The tricky part is recognising it." Julia Cameron In Vein of Gold.

As you read these words by Julia, do they bring up anything for you? Maybe you love to watch dancing - do you dance? What dreams lie hidden within you?

Tao Porchon Lynch had a dream to do ballroom dance, so at 85 or thereabouts, she set off for lessons, because as she says, 'there is nothing you cannot do'. The beloved Tao passed away earlier this year aged 101. She is one of my role models.

Do you have role models? If not I invite you to create a gathering folder where you add images and stories of people who inspire you. Regularly open it, and add info. How could you integrate some of their inspiration, into your life.

Tao Porchon Lynch - this was taken after she had had 3 hip replacements! No more excuses. Dearest Tao, thank you for your grace and inspiration.

Keep Calm and Stay At Home

Well it's been a while again in between posts. We've had a lot of work to do in our new home that has been unexpected, the move didn't go as smoothly as we'd thought, and we're both missing Port Macquarie. We'd been thinking about putting this house on the market, and now we are all in social distancing mode, so I'm not sure what the market will even be, or when we'll be able to do that.

So given that we all have so much going on, how do we artfully express ourselves during this time? Art Journalling can be helpful, to calm and collect our thoughts express emotions and longings.

While we are staying at home, it can be a good time to 'hatch ideas'. What would you like to do once this retreat time is at an end? I'd thought we'd go to the Greek Islands again this year, but tour on a slow pace around less visited islands. I'd still like to, one idea to hatch.

When I watch a TV series or movie now it seems strange to see big groups of people so close together. I'm astounded how quickly I've become used to space and distance. I don't like it, but I've become accustomed.

And what about social distancing? How is that for you? What are you noticing about how you feel, what are you noticing about how others respect new social rules? I've noticed that some people are respecting the new boundaries and some aren't. What do boundaries represent to you? Are they a safety for you? Or do they feel constricting?

Could you explore the theme of boundaries in your art journal? Perhaps you could try some slow stitching and then paste it in your journal.

What are you missing at present? I'm missing simple things, visiting an art gallery, coffee with a friend, yoga with my group, dancing a couple of times a week, listening to live bands.

It's a time to notice the little things that bring joy, and focus more on those, not to ignore what we are feeling, but to give ourselves space to change the track of our thoughts, like a train being given another track to go down, pull the train of thought into a station, get off and get onto another train of thought. Where would you like that train to take you today?

The Art of Christoph Neimann

I've been having fun creating art doodles on my Oppo phone photos recently. This morning my yoga teacher shared an image of our class and had edited the heads of the group with lotus flowers for those who didn't want to appear on facebook. I loved how she did that. Then later was delighted to discover the Art of Christoph Neimann. Christoph takes the art of doodling to a whole new level.

National Geographic and Tourism New Zealand sent artist and author Christoph Niemann to New Zealand, to bring his experiences and impressions of the country alive through art.

Visit Christoph on facebook... click here

Where joy hides and how to find it

Find out where joy resides and give it a voice far beyond singing. For to miss the joy, is to miss all. Robert Louis Stevenson

What creates joy for you?

Cherry blossoms and rainbows, bubbles and googly eyes: Why do some things seem to create such universal joy? In this captivating talk, Ingrid Fetell Lee reveals the surprisingly tangible roots of joy and shows how we all can find -- and create -- more of it in the world around us.

I discovered Ingrid's work today online, and did a search on her work after watching the TED talk above. I really enjoyed reading through some of her writing and listening to another podcast. Here is another snippet from Ingrid's writing...

Emotional tenor affects a lot of the things we do. If these aesthetics really bring more joy, we become more affectionate, more open, more collaborative, creative, willing. So, how can we use our environments to help us get the best out of ourselves? Or the best out of people who are coming to work each day, or going to school each day, or happen to be in the hospital, or moving through a crowded city? How can we actually shape the environment and insert things that are going to bring out our best selves, because our best selves are essentially context dependent?

I know when I visited the colour filled town of Burano in Venice, it was a joy to wander around seeing all the amazing homes. I wonder, what started the residents painting the houses, and how they all got involved?

So I googled it, as you do... And apparently.... "If someone wishes to paint their home, one must send a request to the government, who will respond by making notice of the certain colours permitted for that lot." Wikipedia / Burano

I've only just moved into a lovely area in Queensland, and heard the story of how one of the residents painted her home pink. Sadly the neighbours complained and it is now beige like many in the area. Mind you the chunk of rose quartz in the garden is a rather wonderful remainder, from her initial vision.

Colour is one of the things that gives me joy. Would I be game to paint my house a bright colour? Hmmm, maybe not, but I sure do admire those who do. What about you?