Category: Books that changed me

A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.
CS Lewis

I was recently given a book called Ish by Peter H. Reynolds.
It stirred my soul, and as I slowly flicked through coloured and hand lettered pages my throat got a lump and my eyes welled.
Ramon loved to draw.
But his work was criticized and he lost his spark, his confidence.
Nothing he drew seemed right.
Until his eyes were opened; his failed drawing of a vase looked vase-ish.

“Ramon felt light and energized.
Thinking ish-ly allowed
his ideas to flow freely.

He began to draw what he felt-
loose lines.
Quickly springing out.?Without worry.”

Oh the lessons our creative souls could learn from this book!
We are reminded to create with abandon.
To enjoy our craft, without feeling the need to please.
We are reminded not to place so much emphasis on getting it right, or doing it perfect.
We can think ish-ly. And our reflections of the world around us will be just that: ours.
We’ll then have the freedom from fear, from people pleasing.
Freedom from that place where we are held back by the opinions of others.
I don’t know about you, but I totally relate to Amanda’s post here about struggling with self-doubt. As a writer I second-guess my voice, words, my purpose and my craft constantly. Because I think too much about what others expect, or may criticize!
Instead of resting in the knowledge that my work is Em-ish, and simply enjoying the act of writing, the experience of creativity, without concern or anxiety.

The second last paragraph of Ish describes Ramon savoring a wonderful feeling and deciding not to capture it.
Such a valuable lesson in our culture today, where life can be overshared.
We tag ourselves in wherever we go on Facebook, update our statuses for every meal we eat, and often miss the experience of being in the moment because we are too busy trying to capture it for Instagram.

Lets learn to savour, be truly grateful, without feeling the need to share, and miss those moments.

Ish is lovely, and poignant for the creative-at-heart.
And my kids love it too.

So, make yourself a cuppa, sit back, and my eldest, Joel, will read Ish for you.

xx

Em

 

I am so excited about the series that is to unfold over the month of August.

I have asked six of my writer friends, to guest post over the month so that I can snuggle with my newborn and be inspired along with you.

Mondays we sit with Jeff and Julie Crabtree and marvel at their world called the Zebra Collective, yesterday I introduced how much this couple have impacted my life.

Tuesdays we fold into a couch with a cup of tea and a book with a series called ‘Books that changed me’ by Em Hazeldean.

Let me introduce this amazing writer to you…

She writes often on her little piece of land on the internet at Tea Cups Too

She is a writer, she is a photographer.

Her instagram feed is beautiful and messy all in one. This is what I love. She pursues an authentic life not a filtered, sensitised one.

Her three children are her delight and she explores themes such as spirituality, motherhood, friendship and inspiration with truth and relevance in her writing.

She is a poet, a dreamer, a junk collector. Some of my favourite things in this whole world.

So each tuesday of August, grab a cup of tea and sit down with Em and explore the world of literature and her reflections on books that have changed her.

Each Tuesday there will be a link through to book depository as well, so you can buy the book with free postage to any part of the world.

I can’t wait

Signing off

I remember the long, tear filled flight like it was yesterday.

In fact the date was the 6th of February 2007.

I lived in a shared house with girlfriends, I spent most nights out at coffee shops and loved to read. I was to turn thirty that coming year and I was planning a big party. I was the epitome of a single, career orientated, young adult.

Back to the flight, I was flying from LA to Sydney for work by myself and standing in the airport waiting before I boarded the plane a simple book caught my eye.

Things I want my daughters to know by Alexandra Stoddard

This book changed me.

It wasn’t the content, it was the dream it promised.

It was as if, it waved from the bookstore shelf and screamed that I needed to buy it.

There was something about the title of this book that promised me that in my future my desire to have children and to live a life sharing wisdom and life with them would one day come true.

As the flight took off, I sat and read this book cover to cover.

Simple chapters, from a mother, expressing simple wisdom that she didn’t want to die not expressing to her daughters.

I wrote in the front of this book;

‘A lifetime of wisdom that I hope one day to impart to girls of my own. Even if they are not of my own blood, if I adopt, I long to be a mother. I long to see young women live free. I long to live my life inspired and abandoned to who I am called to be. I am called to be a mother.’

On this page next to my scribbles in this book was a quote from St Augustine

‘Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure;

Where your treasure is, there is your heart;

Where your heart; there is your happiness.’

I went onto scribble;

I long to live a life of influence. I long to live a life of love and I long to lead a life of leadership.

Seven years later, sitting on my rocking chair, I was reading along my books in my bookcase and this book once again jumped out at me.

I pulled it down from its dust encased place and I opened it, with memories flooding back.

With no possibility of this dream becoming a reality back then, I dreamed, I believed and I held on even when everyone said this will never happen.

Here I am, with a few short weeks until I give birth to my first little girl and the dream hasn’t died.

Recently my husband and I wrote this on our chalk board from a scripture in Matthew 11;

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Our desire in this next season of sleeplessness and newborn oblivion is to Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

How about you?

Are you tired of carrying a dream that tarries?

Are you worn out?

My encouragement to you is this, don’t let the dream die.

It took 7 years for me to see this dream come true, from one teary, messy flight from LA to Sydney, I cried and begged that one day this dream would come to pass. I had to learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

It wasn’t my timing.

Today that dream is nearing its reality.

She is nearly here,