Category: Creativity

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on the second day…

Place: In Bed

Poison: water

Favorite Things: Michael Buble’s Christmas Album

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…random acts of kindness and love and a place to express creativity.

It never ceases to amaze me how in the pursuit of something so noble as Christmas, it brings out the very worst in people. As I drive people honk in impatience, speed through pedestrian walkways and shove trolley’s into nameless crowds.

I’m not saying I’m immune to hurriedness but today I am trying to remind myself in the midst of my tasks, to focus on people more than my watch.

Random acts of kindness and love in this season will do so much more for someone than another pair of socks! Whether we find ourselves in a queue and someone pushes in or we are late and three people walk across the zebra crossing at a snails pace, lets take a breath and ask silently for perspective.

Perspective often doesn’t come easily, but when provoked is sobering. Yesterday home sick from work with a really sore back, six and a half months pregnant, all I wanted was a hot shower, a bed and a fan. Two out of the three were not possible because our bathroom is being renovated. This means no fan and more painfully no shower.

We have a guest arriving this Saturday from Malaysia and with Christmas in10 or so days, this coupled with pain did not fare well for my husband when he arrived home from work last night. Annoyance, frustration and stress are so often played out at this time of year on our closest.

As I reflected today on friends who will be spending this Christmas in the humidity and danger in the slums of Bangkok this Christmas, as I spoke to my mum who was preparing for her food run today to the homeless in our city, perspective brewed and inspiration reigned.

Random acts of kindness and love to those nearest or to those you will never meet again this Christmas provide perspective and bring us all back to the essence of this season, which truly is based in people. Without people, no baby in a manger would have been born, without that baby in that manger; no reason to celebrate.

Unleash kindness rather than stress.

Celebrate with love, gained by perspective this Christmas.

Quietened

A

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The 12 days of Christmas…day one

Place: the dome cafe

Poison: Cappuccino

Favorite things: all my friends arriving from all over the world ready to spend Christmas together.

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me…a place to express creativity!

It has been far too long between posts and once again I have no excuse’s. Encouraged by inspiration from the season, friends and frustration I have decided to get back on the blogging horse. I am determined to blog the 12 days of Christmas and unlock a little creativity.

I love all the effort that is expressed to prepare a place for inspiration, encouragement and love at Christmas time. The decorations on the table, the menu’s in deliberation, the conversations between family members (awkward or not) arranging whose house at what time. The general effort that goes into thinking about that special something for that special someone, that really does have everything already that they possible could ever need.

Encounter and experience take time to set a table and a place to flourish. However in this time poor economy, anything that is immediate, quick and effortless is encouraged to help us all just endure rather than thrive in its development.

The best dinners I find, are those that take thought, preparation, effort and inspiration. From magazine flicks to discover a new menu addition, the table cloth that is laid with the knowledge that it will need to be washed, ironed and soaked if the dinner table gets loud!

How much more satisfaction is experienced however, when we prioritize our time for those who are the closest?

I find the same when it comes to creative pursuits! When I take time to set a place, grab a fresh piece of paper, dust a coveted journal from its resting place, boil the kettle, bring out the good china tea cups, insert my earphones with a cacophony of musical memories…the experience of creativity is more rewarding than the end product.

I love it!

How come I have recently shy’d away though?

I’m not entirely sure, but this Christmas I want to encourage you away from the immediate, the temporary, the cheap imitations of community, encouragement and creativity. Empty your calendar of the urgent and fill its folds with the important.

On the first day of Christmas…my true love gave to me…a place to express my creativity.

Unleash kindness, the creative, the inspiring that has laid dormant this year. Its not too late to make some christmas cards, to cook some delights, to write inspiring quotes on your mirrors and windows, to drop a bottle of wine in your neighbors porch with a card saying that your glad they live next door!

Take time to celebrate creatively this year, rather than pounding the shops and filling your trolley with technology, jocks and cheap trinkets.

Express yourself creatively this year and inspire those closest.

Silence your inner critic and just have a go!

Expectantly!

A

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Home made christmas

Place: My Office

Poison: Pepsi Max

Favourite Things: Pinterest

As I was pinteresting, I found the most delightful solution to something that has been plaguing my background thoughts of Christmas 2011. What is my christmas card this year going to look like…

I found this blog post: which is the most amazing resource of free printable (very cool christmas cards)

http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/home/2010/12/23/a-super-duper-free-printable-holiday-gift-tag-roundup.html

Enjoy creative types.

69 days till Christmas.

Excited much

Mrs V

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the pursuit of pleasure

place: Il Cielo

Poison: Coke Zero

Favourite Things: Free Wifi

Ayana, Jimbarian Bay and motorbiking in the rain, three moments of extravagant atmosphere, three places of pleasure.

I think we all get a little scared of pleasure because we believe that it might take us off track and lead us down a dark alley of despair.

However, I think balanced with reflection and discipline, there is nothing wrong with delight, pleasure, ambience and love. In fact I think we deny ourselves way too much and end up in a place of self doubt, decay and boredom.

I am not encouraging over the top voyeurism and consumerism, but I am encouraging you to let go and have some fun, laughing uncontrollably, ride on a motorbike in the rain once in your life it will be thrilling and completely terrifying at the same time.

On the pursuit of a perfect place for writing and contemplation, I convinced Charl to take me to Jimbarian Bay, an adventure and an afternoon we will never forget. Paying $5 australian to hire a motor bike, we chucked on helmets, said a prayer and launched into an afternoon of high risk, writing and reflecting.

I wanted to go to Ayana, the 6 star resort in Jimbarian Bay and my gosh it did not disappoint. We got quite lost, but just kept asking locals for directions, and by the time we got there, my inspiration meter was running high, we sat out on a cliff face, with a lift that takes you to a bar that overlooks the ocean and seriously I thought we were pretty close to heaven.

From the chapel on the cliff, to the service, the overflowing infinity pool, to the $7 coffee, every creative bone in my body screamed pleasure, ambiance and creative explosion.

Then the rain came. And did it come hard.

Getting home on the motor bike, through the freeway, over the rickety bridges, was the end to the day we never planned. We screamed, I prayed, we laughed, I nearly cried…

Home safely, with many pages filled in my journal, pleased as punch.

Pleasure attained.

Holidays I love you

A