to write or not to write....

this is the question.

I attended a writing class tonight with the English in Toulouse group.

It is a wonderful little font of information and connection if you find your self in Toulouse for a bit.

Narelle is a warm gentle soul, inviting and helpful, who orchestrates the gatherings.

If you want to practice speaking English or want to connect with other English speaking people, there are opportunities weekly on Tuesday afternoon and Friday evening. How great is that.

Back to the writing group. 

Six came together, and with a couple of different exercises,
we were writing and sharing our stories.
Such an interesting mix of women, perspectives and imagination.

"Write drunk, edit sober..." Ernest Hemingway

We ordered drinks and discussed the benefit of drinking for budding writers.
I sat next to Ann. She writes a blog about her adventures in Toulouse.
She wrote the funniest blog post about kissing in the workplace which was just what my French husband was experiencing in the first few weeks here.
It was a timely & insightful read.

For me attending tonight was bigger than just going to a writing class.

It was about being brave and having the confidence to go to a place i had not been before,  meet with people i don't know and do an activity that exposes some creative vulnerabilities.

Oprah Winfrey quote by Marloes de Vries

I am not a writer. 

I keep a blog. 

But it is mainly for me and my 3friends who read it 

and now my extended family who are interested in this big adventure.

We were given a selection of maybe 10words and i tried to put them all in the story.
This is what i wrote in 10mins:

The cactus pie was a favourite of her grandmothers. The recipe included chilli, enough to warm your cheeks but not blow your socks off.

Her grandfather always added extra chilli. They lived in a canyon where it never snowed. Now that she was grown with a family of her own she lived in snow three quarters of the year. The trampoline was only used in the summer. She made cactus pie all year long.  In winter it was filled with zucchini and in summer they drank beer with it. 

Her grandparents were gone, but she sent cards to her mother with the children playing in the snow. They never tired of the cold. She felt it bitterly, as she was not from here. With the cat on the windowsill, she drank her tea and watched the children play. She decided ”I will make cactus pie tonight.”  Her husband walks in the door with a bucket of fresh fish. Maybe fish pie instead. 

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Stepping out of my comfort zone is the whole purpose of this trip.

Stretch, grow, explore, play, find freedom in time and space 

and overcome ordinary challenges that at home would be simple.

When we take risks (even relatively safe ones) we open up to exciting possibilities.

Tonight was a wonderful chance for me to meet some lovely women, 

chat about some interesting things and challenge my creative muscles.

I have missed the connection to women, my matriarchy of a family and great friends. 

Through English In Toulouse i have made a new friend.

This friendship has been a surprising gift.

We have been together only a handful of times and yet it is like we have known each other a lot longer.

Ever had that?

A kindred like in Anne of Green Gables. 

Ann Shirley and Diana Barry who just enjoy each others company. 

Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. 

It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

sparkle when you meet a kindred

& twirl into your own writing group

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Feeling Brave….

Its school holidays and we went off to see the latest kid flix. 

Lucky i love 'em, cause they are the main kinds of movies i get to see these days. 

This one is wonderful. Mystical, fierce and heart-centered. The best kind. 

Last movie i loved like this was Tangled and you can see what i thought of that here.

The highlight for me was the Pixar short movie "La Luna" before the feature began.

 Simply took my breath away. Who thinks of this stuff? Such gentle imagination.

These films are for boys and girls alike. For us Mums we get to escape and open our  childlike-wonder, suspend our disbelief. And for a while in a dark theatre with our children beside us we too are riding horses, following sprites and imagining it is all possible. I love it. 

N.B.There are some big bear growls, so little ones might like to wait for the DVD. 

I have not been in this blog space for a while. 

I am in my life, fully, messily, hopefully and consciously. 

I am practicing my painting, being tender-hearted and being a student. 

I miss the wonderful stories, connections and inspiration but am glad for some distance. 

I will check on you from time to time, so keep well, be brave and practice tenderness.

 my latest Princesses

 work in progress 

Being brave is something that takes lots of practice. Like anything we get better at it with practice.

 It takes courage to be brave everyday in little ways. 

Trust, faith and openness need perseverence. 

Vulnerability, curiosity and playfulness require a gentle braveness.

 Little steps each day. 

Be brave and feel amazing.

Change Your Fate….

Sparkle & Twirl

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The Ladies have it......

I am finding myself getting braver with my art. sharing with strangers. but here's my next thing. i am drawing and painting some new ladies. it comes from doing a brief life drawing class, being inspired by other artists who have ladies of their own in their paintings. the difficulty i have is in capturing faces. my ladies are whispering to me they want to get out, be in the world, on canvas, in watercolour, acrylic (they really don't mind). so to combat my struggles my ladies have no faces, not in a creepy way, but just from the back. could this be it? could it be that simple? is that enough? i can't get past the fact that i love the face. it tells its own story.
these artists are some of my favourites, check them out :
kelly rae,
katherine quinn,
denise daffara,
michelle from pipi lala
these artists have their own styles and truth. i wonder how long it takes for the whispers to become clear pictures in your heart and then onto the page?
in the waiting for the answer, i will keep experimenting and communicating with the whispers from the ladies within. please know i do not have any mental condition that you need to know about(hee hee hee)

dance freely little ladies from where ever you venture from deep within......
i look forward to meeting you and one day seeing your lovely faces.....
being an artist is a bit like becoming a mother. new insight, there. iv'e done that before, so maybe if i apply some nurturing, preparation and love i will birth wonderful new creations.....
will keep you posted...
sparkle & twirl all
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so much....

today i received so much. i'm lying awake, waiting for sleep. am excited, so sleep is not coming. the reason for my excitement, the first night in ages i'm reflecting on my day, and instead of spiraling toward the negatives, the disappointments, the hurts, resentments, i find myself bubbling over with joy. i am feeling the blessings of my life. my heart is full. all because i picked the right word. by choosing "receive" i am focusing on what is exchanged, received, given, there. this word re frames my thinking. for a long while now i have viewed my life from a different perspective. my focus has been on the lacking, loss, absences, frustrations and limitations. all that has not gone but i am choosing to look at the receiving end of the line. and it is fun. i'll show you.

my daughter showed me what courage looked like today. she had her 4yr old immunisations. one in each arm simultaneously. poor little poppet. she was so brave. she told me as we walked into the doctors "i feel scared about the injection, i don't want it." her helpful, reassuring big brother had just told her all bout what was about to happen in the car on the way over, in more detail than i wanted to divulge. he told her he would hold her hand if she liked. she said she would like that. and with a lollipop in hand we went in. she didn't cry. she seemed quiet proud of her self. but i told her it was ok to cry if she wanted to. she declined and finished the lollipop. she felt the pain in her arms over the day, cried a bit, but was proud of her new found bravery. "i was very brave today, wasn't i?" YES, you were my sweet girl....

my son was proud of his achievement today and was thrilled that i recognised it too. a trip to the library is a big fave for our family, we bring home a bag heaving with books. the kids love to look at the cache once home. my son is reading a new series he loves and today he read a whole novel in a day. amazing.

i really noticed my children today, their milestones and conquests. they received my praise, which meant so much to them. they gave me so much more.

i also received a lovely night out with a friend. we went to the movies and saw "up in the air". loved it. loved the music. had a great time. gratitude to my husband for enabling me to go. he is lovely and george clooney cute too. am so blessed for all that i received today.

sparkle & twirl

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