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A cup of tea with Em






I have only met Em from Tea Cups Too three times, maybe four in fact and each time I have encountered her, there is something about her heart and presence that makes me smile.

We have some mutual friends and we live a stone’s throw away from each other, but I stumbled across her blog whilst looking for pictures from an event we both went to on the weekend and I stayed at her place online for a while.

So, today I have put my little man to bed, my big man is scraping the peeling paint off our wooden window sills that have been corroded by the sea air and I wanted to have tea with Em online.

The isolation of motherhood has the capacity to take us to beautiful places and dark ones also. As I read your recent post on motherhood, it reminded me of a quote I have been repeating to myself lately.

‘Embrace the chaos’

For those who don’t know me, I am a stay at home mum with one son Maximus, one husband (who works in Juvi with young offenders and is a body builder, I know not sure what happened there…) and I write often here and also here.

Aside from my writing, I do heaps of other stuff, which you can find more about here. To say life is chaotic is an understatement. Max just turned eighteen months; 6 days ago, and the last year and a half of my life has tippled into toddler oblivion,my priorities and preconceived judgements on mothering have been dramatically turned upside down.

This is the quote recently that made me smile and I have decided to make it my summer mantra.

chaos

Chaos (especially in my house and my diary) often makes me feel overwhelmed, but there are moments when I stop my mind from trying to control the moment and I embrace the cry of my heart to live a life that contributes significantly and my little heart secretly starts to roar.

It’s like I have a little dinosaur inside me, that when I think thoughts of beauty and creativity, when I produce moments of inspiration and life, whose eyes grow large and a mighty roar begins to emerge. A roar that no-one can hear but I can feel it rise in my heart.

Finding a sense of purpose and contribution in my days, helps me to embrace the chaos and to allow the dishes to harden, the washing to stiffen, knowing that my time is being given to that which makes an eternal impact.

Your post Em, reminded that the times I spend with my son, screwing the lids on and off, the times that I walk slowly so that he can rip lovely flowers apart, are just as valid and important as the times that I am recording moments for radio, writing books and helping women in far off places.

Embracing the chaos and not trying to contain its place, allows us to live in those moments that full vibrant colour filled memories are made and allows us to build a life of beauty rather than contained order.

Does it mean I think allowing our lives to be messy and out of control everyday is helpful?

No, in fact spring cleaning, keeping my housework at bay and structure allow my creativity to thrive.

However, its just changing the priority scales of its importance and allowing the opinions of others to fade and the ideas that brew late in the evening hour, to become reality.

Embrace the ROAR Em.

Each time I have met you, I have sensed a great potential for beauty, awaken-edness and life.

You are delightful and your life produces beautiful things.

Let’s have a real cuppa soon, or watch the sun on the ocean go down with a glass of wine and forget that toilet training creates a lot of mess, on top of the dust piling on my lovely wooden floors.

Smile often,

Mumma V.

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A cup of tea with Em






I have only met Em from Tea Cups Too three times, maybe four in fact and each time I have encountered her, there is something about her heart and presence that makes me smile.

We have some mutual friends and we live a stone’s throw away from each other, but I stumbled across her blog whilst looking for pictures from an event we both went to on the weekend and I stayed at her place online for a while.

So, today I have put my little man to bed, my big man is scraping the peeling paint off our wooden window sills that have been corroded by the sea air and I wanted to have tea with Em online.

The isolation of motherhood has the capacity to take us to beautiful places and dark ones also. As I read your recent post on motherhood, it reminded me of a quote I have been repeating to myself lately.

‘Embrace the chaos’

For those who don’t know me, I am a stay at home mum with one son Maximus, one husband (who works in Juvi with young offenders and is a body builder, I know not sure what happened there…) and I write often here and also here.

Aside from my writing, I do heaps of other stuff, which you can find more about here. To say life is chaotic is an understatement. Max just turned eighteen months; 6 days ago, and the last year and a half of my life has tippled into toddler oblivion,my priorities and preconceived judgements on mothering have been dramatically turned upside down.

This is the quote recently that made me smile and I have decided to make it my summer mantra.

chaos

Chaos (especially in my house and my diary) often makes me feel overwhelmed, but there are moments when I stop my mind from trying to control the moment and I embrace the cry of my heart to live a life that contributes significantly and my little heart secretly starts to roar.

It’s like I have a little dinosaur inside me, that when I think thoughts of beauty and creativity, when I produce moments of inspiration and life, whose eyes grow large and a mighty roar begins to emerge. A roar that no-one can hear but I can feel it rise in my heart.

Finding a sense of purpose and contribution in my days, helps me to embrace the chaos and to allow the dishes to harden, the washing to stiffen, knowing that my time is being given to that which makes an eternal impact.

Your post Em, reminded that the times I spend with my son, screwing the lids on and off, the times that I walk slowly so that he can rip lovely flowers apart, are just as valid and important as the times that I am recording moments for radio, writing books and helping women in far off places.

Embracing the chaos and not trying to contain its place, allows us to live in those moments that full vibrant colour filled memories are made and allows us to build a life of beauty rather than contained order.

Does it mean I think allowing our lives to be messy and out of control everyday is helpful?

No, in fact spring cleaning, keeping my housework at bay and structure allow my creativity to thrive.

However, its just changing the priority scales of its importance and allowing the opinions of others to fade and the ideas that brew late in the evening hour, to become reality.

Embrace the ROAR Em.

Each time I have met you, I have sensed a great potential for beauty, awaken-edness and life.

You are delightful and your life produces beautiful things.

Let’s have a real cuppa soon, or watch the sun on the ocean go down with a glass of wine and forget that toilet training creates a lot of mess, on top of the dust piling on my lovely wooden floors.

Smile often,

Mumma V.

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be the change

We live in a period of history, where truly you can come up with an idea and then find the resources and capacity to pull it off.

The internet and social media has enabled us to create our dreams at a fraction of the price it used to cost to innovate previously.

I often meet creative people who are passionate about change. They catch the heart of vision to make a difference in our world, but live far from the dreams and desires they feel burning in their hearts.

Have you had an idea that you are stuck where to from here?

Do you feel deeply about issues, that you want to make a step forward and create change?

Well I wrote a book just for you.

potential

It is a 30 day journey, that starts from Perth, Western Australia and travels to Bangkok, Thailand. A 30 day inspiration guide, that combines thoughts about creativity, poverty and innovation.

I wrote this book ‘capture 30days desperate for change’ hoping to release some people from the fear that stops them from realising their dreams.

The best part of this story is that it is free.

I kept the price down, by designing it super simply, a downloadable PDF book, that you can open up on your ipad, e-reader, computer or phone and start to do the journey together.

You could even print it and write into the workbook. If you do, take some photos and share with one another on here or my instagram or facebook.

Download today and write into me.

I would love to hear what inspires you towards change.

change

Capture Life with me

Amanda

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A Perth Creative, making it big in NYC

PERTH-born actress Danielle Brewer has successfully transitioned from Australian ‘Telly’ to the American TV and Film industry with her appearance last month on the The Good Wife and upcoming lead role in the film Silene.

Australia has long been the breeding ground for successful actors taking flight internationally to the big screen and Broadway, including Isla Fisher and Naomi Watts. You might recognize Danielle as Nestle’s national Light & Creamy girl in the Australian Women’s Weekly or the chilly ice cream aisle at your local supermarket. But that was just a scoop of fun on the side for Danielle while she was working on set with lead roles in various Australian independent films, including First Sleep and Newton’s 3rd Law, both shot in Sydney.

The American Golden Globe winning TV series The Good Wife is shot in New York City. Danielle remarked at her time on set with the show. “It was a seemingly normal day preparing for background work in the studio when I got chosen to play Sabrina. Little did I know it was an extraordinary day where preparedness and opportunity where going to meet.”

With a background in music and ballet from the age of 5 her desire to tell the truth of every story has fuelled her passion in the arts. Danielle learned, “Sometimes the heart is a beautifully messy and awkward place … finding that delicate balance between sharing yourself and creating something new is a real honour.”

In addition to her love of the arts she completed a Bachelor of Business at Edith Cowan University in 2004. At the same time, she professionally embraced her natural ease in front of the camera by working with Riverview Community News as a lead presenter and her guest role on channel 9’s Getaway.

Danielle pursued her training at the Perth Actors Collective before moving to Sydney where she continued study at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art). She commented on her journey, “I love that I get to play an emotionally disturbed housewife one day and a perky cheer leader the next. Not knowing what’s around the corner is exhilarating because I never really can tell what is going to happen.” Realising the potential of international networking, Danielle embraced the opportunity to hone her skills at the New York Film Academy with the one-year acting conservatory in The Big Apple.

Danielle has found herself navigating the acting world with corporate sensibilities as much as a creative fervour. She referred to the importance of understanding the industry, “The blend of my business and creative experiences has supported me in a way I would have never expected, one would have never matured without the other”.

The excellence of her work has flowed onto the stage. My Perfect Life, starring Danielle as Carolee, advanced into the final top eight at the Long Island City One Act Play festival in April. Most recently, she performed in the production Satire Off-Broadway at The Producers Club in Times Square this month.

Currently based in New York City, Danielle has just been cast in the feature film, Silene, directed by John Desiderio, which will tell the story of a woman who is working through the loss of her unborn child. The multifaceted drama is set in Queens just outside the bustling city of Manhattan. Desiderio who handpicked the cast commented saying, “Danielle is an enormously talented actress who was my first choice for this character.”

No doubt Danielle will continue to find favour in the American Film and TV industry. You’ll want to remember the name, she’s one to watch.

www.daniellebrewer.com

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#napkinseries

imageI was flying solo a couple of weeks ago to Sydney and I dug out a journal that I always used to write with, every time I flew.

It was a ritual.

I was on an aeroplane so often by myself that it became my high altitude muse.

As I leafed through these seasonal writings, it made me smile how many themes rolled from one year to another, but also how many themes fitted the exact season I was in.

I waited for my small, overcooked meal to come down the aisle and I lifted the journal to replace my tray and out tumbled some napkin drawings that made me smile.

image

Each beginning of the year as I travelled, I wrote on a single napkin, the one word I was to focus on in that year and brainstormed its output.

It was simple but it was revolutionary.

napkin series

This act distilled what I wanted to focus on in a creative way.

I have started a little napkin series and am encouraging you to do the same.

1) Find a cafe, restaurant, secret cubby house or a moment.

2) Find a nakin.

3) Find a sharpie.

4) Write one word that is necessary to focus on for this season.

5) Idea storm it.

6) hashtag #napkinseries for accountability.

A simple thought but profound one, if we actually do something with it.

Till we meet again.

Mumma V.