My body was wrapped tight in harnesses with long ropes attached. The vividly beautiful face of a Zambian man was inches from mine. That skin. Those teeth. He had hold of the ropes and told me to lean back. “Are you ready?”
Measuring Moments: The Antidote to Not-Enoughness
Do you ever wonder if you’ve changed much over the last 20 years? And by change I don’t mean more wrinkles. I mean wisdom, lessons learned, improvement - existential progress. How can you tell? How do you make a quantitative assessment of a qualitative phenomenon? This is how...
Close Encounters of the Human Kind
As I boarded and walked up the aisle, trying not to thump anyone in the head with my bag, I scanned the seat numbers until I found mine. There was a man sitting in the middle seat.
Somewhere Between Failed Bogan & Enlightened Yogi
Identity is a funny thing. We do things, say things, gather possessions, acquire skills, have opinions… So we can be somebody. Then, if we’re on ye olde spiritual journey, we set about trying to lose them, then pick up more in the process.
With Your Feet on the Air and Your Head on the Ground – Living a sustainable creative life
“With your feet in the air and your head on the ground,” is the opening line to Where Is My Mind by The Pixies; seminal alt-rock band from the late 80s early 90s. To me it’s the creative’s version of the saying: Head in the clouds, feet on the ground. And this is the ultimate in living a creative life.
What You Gonna Do With The Simmer?
A few mornings past I woke up feeling like I was still caught in that land that hovers between sleep and waking... But the dude behind me brought this important information to my immediate attention with a loud honk on his horn... Road rage, how do you react?
I Got Wise: Four Things I learned at 40
Well, it seems that just maybe I did do some growing up in the last year, because this birthday I chilled the F out, and noticed that I knew some stuff that I didn’t know last year. I’ll spare you a list of 40, but here’s four: 1. Stop being so fucking hard on yourself...
Australia Day or Invasion Day?
This Australia Day I won’t be sitting around an esky full of beer drinking myself stupid. I won’t fly an Aussie flag out my car window while blasting Triple J's Hottest 100. I won’t get a southern cross tattoo. I won’t paint my face blue, white and red. The words ‘oi, oi, oi’ will not pass my lips. But I will...
Notes on Resolutions, Growing Up & Fun
Is there really any profound difference between 11.59 on the 31st December and one past midnight on 1st January? Is there such a thing as time and space? And just because everyone's doing it, does that mean we all have to be lemmings? ...Notes on new year resolutions, growing up and fun. :)
What is this thing we call creativity; that angel of light and invisible demon that at times seduces but remains just outside our reach?
Falling Into Surrender
Falling into surrender can be the most bold and brave thing you’ll ever do.
The Butterfly Effect
This story was difficult. It came to me on the back of butterfly wings, through tears, like a jigsaw puzzle. A few pieces at a time. I didn't even realise it was a story until it began to assemble itself.
The Girl with the Flower Tattoo
It was 1983 and I was turning seven. For my birthday my parents gave me a little brown plastic Fisher-Price cassette player, and two two tapes – Elton John and Carly Simon. I didn’t really dig Carly but I played Elton over and over...
The Sweet Sentimentality of Scarification
You’re wondering how scars can be sweet and sentimental right? Well let me tell you a story…
The Story Continues...
Here is part II of The Most Wanted Child in the Wimmera...
The Most Wanted Child in the Wimmera
One warm November day in 1926 a baby girl was born. The doctor held her up high and declared with a broad smile, “This is the most wanted child in the Wimmera!”
Wisdom... It's Out There
These school holidays I found wisdom in four surprising locations, when I least expected it...
10 Clever Quotes for Chuckling
Here are some great little street smart quotes for those days when affirmations and inspirations just rub you the wrong way...
'Stuff' Editing - Are You Doing It?
Inspired by a TED Talk by Graham Hill titled 'Less Stuff, More Happiness', I got to thinking about all the 'stuff' in our lives... Both material and digital, and how happiness can be found in less...
Two Moons and Warm Tea
A sci-fi short story about travelling to another planet and a revealing conversation...