Tell us about...Creativity

I've written about why I write before and what it does for me, so I'll try not to repeat myself. 

Short version - I blog to get my thoughts in order, to stop thinking about things (once written and discussed, it's set free) and to do something with the photos I take on my walks around town. As Virginia Woolf once said "Creative power at once brings the whole universe to order".  Back in 2015 I discussed why I blogged, and little has changed. It's like therapy, but free.

I used to write a lot of stories. I entered competitions regularly, I sent them to be published and I hosted First of the Month Fiction. Then lockdown happened and my creative zeal dried up. I've tried to write a few stories since then but they've been rather unsatisfactory. I've no idea how to get my groove back. Though as Jack London wisely said "You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club" so I know I need to push myself. Sign up to something to make myself start again. 

In the Torschlusspanik list of activities I've tried my hand at glass blowing, drawing, painting and pottery. But none are really for me.

I do like to give the creative things a go, though my busy brain finds it goes too slow usually (a fancy way of saying I lack patience). I also have some motor issues, and lack dexterity, so I have no expectation of being good at it. I see it as an exercise in doing rather than making something to keep.

However, I love to throw myself into other people's creativity - theatre, dancing, music and singing. All something I do regularly and it feeds my soul as I wrote in this post.

I saw a meme that said "When the world is too scary, too loud too much: Stop consuming and start creating"

I think that's what is so refreshing for me, when I write or go out and experience something in the arts. I get lost in it. I shut out the outside noise and turn inwards and for someone how is always distracted by the next shiny (or terrible) thing, it's soothing to have 'quiet' and control.

 “The precise role of the artist, then, is to illuminate that darkness, blaze roads through that vast forest, so that we will not, in all our doing, lose sight of its purpose, which is, after all, to make the world a more human dwelling place.” ―James Baldwin

How early is too early?

This was in our street on the 1st of November!

I feel in Australia you should wait until at the very least the day after Melbourne Cup. Even if you don't celebrate the Cup. It just seems too early! 

Personally I wait until December, and usually the Sunday before Christmas.

What say you?

#Allseasons linky runs  from Thursday to Wednesday each week. 

Link one post that shows something seasonal. Traditional weather wise, a seasonal nature marker or a seasonal celebration or event.  Please link relevant posts only.

Make sure you link back to this  #AllSeasons post. 

Please comment on the post before yours and the host. Don't dump and run.

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Poetry

When I was a teen, I saw a Katherine Hepburn movie, don't ask me which, that had the line 'The was a boy in China who drowned while trying to kiss the moon in a puddle. He was drunk, but he still made beautiful poetry'. It really stuck with me for some reason and I think of it often when there are flashes of beauty reflected in puddles. 

Not when I'm drunk. 

Apparently it's based on the Chinese poet Li Bai.

Which is strangely poetic.

Linking with #TalkaboutItTuesday #MuralMondays #AwwMondays because seeing the big heart on the fence did make me go Aww!

Pumpkin madness

 I had thought the kiddo was maybe too old to want to bother carving a pumpkin but on the 30th she reminded me to get one...I had to race from Supermarket to Supermarket to find one - and Facebook reminded me this was not the first time I had to do a call out the day before as to where to buy one.

For those of you OS, Australia is too hot to do them early, so you really only get at best, 3 days before thy turn into a mess of mould or rot.

And they stink.

While the youngest was off to a party, I was glad she still wanted to do this childhood tradition....with the fast approaching adulthood, I'm holding tight to our almost lost traditions.

Linking with #WWOT #WordlessWednesday #HappyTuesday

Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween everyone!

And to those that don't celebrate, look how haunted these pictures turned out with some B&W and shadows....

“Pulvis et umbra sumus. (We are but dust and shadow.)” Horace

Linking with #WeekendinB&W 

#Allseasons linky runs  from Thursday to Wednesday each week. 

Link one post that shows something seasonal. Traditional weather wise, a seasonal nature marker or a seasonal celebration or event.  Please link relevant posts only.

Make sure you link back to this  #AllSeasons post. 

Please comment on the post before yours and the host. Don't dump and run.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Little Loves - October

 

What a great month I had! Quite unexpectedly to be honest.

READ I am currently reading the The Friday Afternoon Club. I will do a whole post on this once I've finished but I'm really enjoying it. Griffen Dunne has an openness and honesty in his narrative that makes it so much more than name dropping stories. There are a few very arresting moments, and I am prepared for what is to come, having adored his father's work and read all Dominick Dunne's books, starting as a teen when I worked in a bookshop and stumbled across The Two Mrs Grenvilles. I went to his author talk, purely out of nostalgia for his father, but I can see he is a very talented writer in his own right.

WATCHED Been to a few plays and comedians this month, plus a number of author talks. Saw Jacob Banks and the amazing Gregory Porter.

At the movies, One Battle after another and the Springsteen movie today. It feels like it's been a quiet month, but not really. Just the lull before the (Sand)storm...bahahaha. If you don't have an earworm now you won't get that joke....

HEARD Bunt. A lot of Bunt. I saw him last year at Field Day and my Spotify is teasing me that he is coming back as I just keep getting song after song by him in my Daily Drive. So I'm hoping Spotify knows something I don't as I'm dead keen to see him again! Good vibes!

Also I like these covers - the Ska version of the Frank Turner song and the Frank Turner version of the Grace Petrie song.

But I do like her original better. Of course. (Aussies, she'll be here for the National Folk Festival in April. Hopefully with side gigs as I'll be at Bluesfest....though husband is aware I have to travel if I miss her...ha!)

WORE  My Luigi bag has been getting a workout. It makes me so happy, especially when the fans ask me if it's from Mario, as they a perplexed by someone my age using it as a serious handbag (they should see me with my Moomin or Hello Kitty bag!)

I got these weird things for my sore toe after big walks or big nights dancing. It does help ease the pain. Cheap and off ebay or amazon or something. Worth a shot.

AND LASTLY My top 3? Too hard to narrow down. Got a family get together for a birthday before the month is out, so even though that's yet to happen, I'll put it down as number 1. Ditto Halloween, just the decorations and the bubbly kids coming to the door sooooo sensational dinner at Mister Grotto with friends - it was AMAZING food! The flavours so interesting. I'm not even a big fish eater and I ate it all! Brilliant restaurant. If you are in Sydney, def go! It is only fish and seafood though, no other options.

Also made it to the last Bake Sale of the year! Winning!

Linking with #LittleLoves #TalkaboutitTuesday #MondayMusicMovesMe #WBOYC #TrafficJamReboot #HappyTuesday #TuesdayTwirl for the handbag

Share Four Somethings - October

 

Where did this month go? I couldn't believe it was time to do this again when I saw someone else's post in a link up.

And yet here we are. As the song says 'The years start coming and they don't stop coming'. That wheel spins faster and faster.

Something I loved It's been a great month - fun meals out with friends - Grandfather was sensational, though I was a little melancholic (just a touch of nostalgia) as the last time I sat in that space was the closing service of Long Chim. However, great replacement. The food is 5 star. So flavoursome and delicious.

The new seasons of Diplomat and Slow Horses are making our nights at home fabulous too! 

I had low expectations of Sonny Fodera but I really got wrapped up in the high of the music and movement. So good for the soul!

Pub Choir is always uplifting and the song was more fun that I thought it would be. Just what we needed in these globally chaotic times. (Note I've linked a clip from the night before that's been put on the net. Will embed the official video once it comes out).

Something I learned We have a faux moon for a bit - an asteroid is circling in our orbit along with moon. It will move off in about 2083. So we have '2 moons' for awhile. A quasi moon as it's known.

Vegetarians skip this. Australia is the largest goat meat exporter, selling more than $350 million worth of product each year BUT we are one of the smallest producers of the meat as well. This is because Australians are least likely in the world to eat goat. We produce 44% of the world's global  goat meat exports. As an aside, pork is the globally most consumed meat (36%) which is interesting when you think of all the religions not allowed to eat it. So all this shows that while I'm a fan of statistics, the full story is in the details. You need the whole picture to get a proper understanding of the facts. And yes, I am talking about Immigration and LBGT issues (don't be tricked when hatefully people throw out random numbers as 'facts').

Something that went well I took my friends from the UK out on the most marvellous daytrip. We explored Sydney harbour and it really put on the most magnificent show! Full details in this post. It's really lovely to feel that pride in your home town and to be as enchanted as the visitors seeing it for the first time. I never cease to marvel at the beauty of parts of this city. It is glorious to have bushland, ocean and big city lights all in the same place!

Quick reminder for locals, the whales will be almost gone for the year so this is your last chance to catch the tail end of the migration for another year. Don't miss them!

Something I let go of  Every month I struggle to think of something for this section. I don't know if I hang on to too much or I let go of stuff without noticing. I suspect the former. So I guess I need to work on that. This morning, I had a sleep in. I decided I was rundown and as my friend was away, I let go of my Sunday walk. I ended up only getting an extra 15 minutes before I naturally woke up, but it still felt good. I will do some exercise later in the day for a change.

And so it goes.

Linking with #TheRandom  #Skywatch #Galleriahimmelsblick #ShareFourSomethings #SundayBest

 #Wwwhimsy