Reflections on loss
loss, grief and renewal
Fresh Thought
Fresh Thought First artwork created November 2019, acrylic on canvas. Finding a discarded canvas in my daughter's bedroom. Erasing the pencil marks. Excited to pick up a paint brush and create an artwork. A birthday gift for someone I love. Living on the estuary, the...
Boggarts (and other difficult people)
The Boggart appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, one of the series of books about the boy wizard Harry Potter by J K Rowling. In these books, a Bogart is a shape shifting spirit that will appear disguised as your worst fear. Often hidden, it will burst...
When I find myself in times of trouble
When I find myself in times of trouble...... When troubles seem to be on our back, it can lead to frantic activity or paralysis or yo-yo-ing between the two. The state of the world in particular is a place where it looks like we can be flung about on a roller coaster...
The Tapestry of Life
I was thrilled to be asked to create words to go with this beautiful footage and music produced by Julian Freeman. Find out more about Julian at http://starsofwellbeing.com/
Bored, Judgemental and Lonely went for a walk…..
Once upon a time, Bored, Judgemental and Lonely went for a walk. The sky was blue, the birds were singing and everywhere the summer creatures were enjoying the fruits of the season, but Bored Judgemental and Lonely saw none of it.
Poem: Hovering
HOVERING ~ remain poised uncertainly in one place or between two states ~ Hovering Shimmering Dipping Rising Darting Circling Parting Falling Embracing Awakening Stumbling Rising Over and Over again © Juliet Fay 2018...
Lessons from watching wildlife programmes
A recent event for World Mental health Day turned out to be heart warming, fun, uplifting and hopeful with phrases such as 'spiritual awakening', 'recovery from within' and 'looking towards what's right' uttered from the podium. During the event I was struck by...
How enjoying rather than judging transforms experience
Driving recently to catch a flight, I got caught in congestion following an accident on a motorway (freeway). In a hire car, driving on the right side of the road (we drive on the left in the UK), my heart sank. As we got closer to the city, there were multiple on and...
How leaning into what is, can bring unexpected bounty
My internet connection went down two days before I went away. I vaguely hoped it would sort itself out if I just turned it on and off (my first resort with all electrical appliance misbehaviour). No luck. Somewhat reluctantly I called the provider the afternoon before...
Poem: spiral
It is the way of things To start at the beginning And return home Again and again. Journeying through Spirals of unknowing. Bumping up against Lost parts of our experience Like amputated limbs, Ghostly presences, felt In the body system Unable to depart *** At times...
18 lessons from past creations
Six months ago, I published a prose piece, Leave Go on this blog (read the original at the end of this post). It marked a change of tone in my article writing, leaning more towards the poetic in style. Risky? Maybe. Yet the feedback suggested it touched...
Life’s Art
Fancy a life-long, all inclusive cruise?
Photo by Multa Media on Unsplash Before I left for a trip across the pond to the US, memories of my grandfather surfaced. He dreamt of a cruise across the Atlantic on an ocean liner but my Grandmother’s sickness on her one, and only, sea crossing (to Norway), put paid...
“All boats rise with the tide”
On the estuary where I live a rusty old fishing boat sits on the sand. I don't know when it last went out to sea and yet at the rise of the tide this boat comes to life for a few hours, bobbing on the water. When I see that boat, I often think of a moment I felt great...
Loving what is ….
LOVING WHAT IS..... To fall deeply and hopelessly in love with what is; Is to sigh and leave go all the what IFs, To-do lists, regrets, hopes and dreams, Tightly packed in our little knapsacks. And to bask instead in the early morning Sunlight filtering through...
What’s left behind?
I’d heard there was a lost settlement round the headland, a couple of miles south of the coastal village where I live. Nearby stands a now, rather isolated, Norman church commanding a magnificent view of the estuary. Curious, I ventured past the World War II look out,...
Taking a closer look at the ordinary
Winter walks reveal all kinds of delights in the absence of the lush summer foliage. Like lichen and dormant seed heads. These seasonal ornaments invite us to remember the sweetness of life right here, right now. In our quest for peace or deeper understanding we can...
What stories are blocking your view?
I went to look at contemporary art in a gallery recently. It wasn't what I'd planned. I was heading to look at a collection from the nineteenth century but at the last minute found myself outside a modern art gallery and so, on a whim, I changed my plan and headed in...
Why our cognitive function is a brilliant tool (when used appropriately)
As tools to communicate, social media platforms are fantastically efficient: fast, (mostly) free and easy to access and they provide a whole world of connections, information and inspiration. However when we begin to mis-use our social media feeds: say constantly...