January in review 2024
Happy New Year, friends!
I have always loved the start of the new year. In Australia it’s Summer time. Things feel festive it’s warm, everyone is a light and alive.
Finally you have some space for reflection. A chance to wipe the slate clean and to start over, with fresh eyes and a new found energy.
So much happened last year that I’m just catching my breath. The biggest change was that in March 2023 we moved to the country, a dream we had been hatching for years. The stars aligned and we found a beautiful property in Mount Franklin, not far from Daylesford, Victoria.
This year I’ve decided to document and share an excerpt from my journal each month that will live on my website: I aim to cover what I’m working on, my struggles, my insights and all my favourite resources - podcasts, books & meditations. So let’s begin …
January 2024
Season: Summer.
The days are long. The sun doesn’t set until close to 9 pm, gifting us ample time for work and play. The flowers continue to blossom and the garden beds are full of colour and activity. The bee’s are busy and I’ve noticed the New Holland Honey Eaters have taken a particular liking to the Yellow Hot Pokers. The vegetable garden is alive and full of bounty. Carrots, cucumbers, zucchinis, broad beans, beetroot, radishes, lettuce, rocket and spinach are all on offer. This is the month is when you must cover your fruit trees with netting. The cockatoos are out and about scouting their next heist as are the Rosella’s and lorikeets (they adored our apricots as did we, luckily there was more than enough to share around.) This month we experimented making jams and relishes. Next on the list is pickling. The Summer light is magical. On our morning walks the sun hits the gum trees casting exquisite shadows across the path. We get to enjoy two landscapes one in shadow form, the other in the fields and farmlands we pass by. In the evenings when the sun begins to set the light plays and dances across the surface of our dam, the reflections of the trees in the water and the golden specks of light takes my breath away.
My work:
Painting has definitely been the most challenging medium I’ve committed to. It requires patience, and complete trust in the process. I am frequently meeting resistance. Some days I’m on a high, others I am full of doubt. But I carry on and show up each day which is most important. I remind myself to play, experiment, and allow the painting to lead and show the way. I notice my stiffness when I’m too much in my head. Can I be brave and do the complete opposite of what I imagine is right? That’s my aim.
The things I’d like to work on next month:
Plein Air painting
Works on paper
Learn to make my own gesso boards
Shared resources:
Top 3 Podcast episodes:
Sounds True - Jacqueline Suskin: Being an Artist for the Earth.
A beautiful podcast discussing Jacqueline Suskin’s latest book, ‘A Year In Practice: Seasonal Rituals and Prompts to Awaken Cycles of Creative Expression.” Using the seasons to inform your art practice. Finding this podcast felt serendipitous and relevant. Since moving to the country I have become very aware of the changing seasons and was interested to find out more how I can marry the seasons to my artistic practice. I downloaded her book on audible and will listen to it season by season.
Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin - Steven Pressfield
Two of my creative role models (expanders) in conversation on living a life committed to your creative practice - so good.
Hidden Brain - You 2.0: Make the Good Times Last
A conversation with psychologist Fred Bryant about the science of savouring simple joys, how we can learn to notice and appreciate the simple beautiful moments in our lives.
Top 3 Books/Audible:
‘Australian Abstract’ by Amber Creswell Bell (art book)
‘The Listening Path: The Creative Art of Attention.’ - Julia Cameron (for the prompts only)
‘The Creative Act: A Way of Being.’ - Rick Rubin ( a must buy for any creative, you’ll refer to it again and again)
Top 3 Insight Timer App Meditations/Courses
7 day course - Supercharge Your Creativity - Darius Bashar
Heart Opening Meditation - Dina Ghandour
Yoga Nidra for Inner Connection - Zoe Kanat
Top 3 Substack
The Isolation Journals - Sulieka Jaouad
Letters From Love with Elizabeth Gilbert
Things That Don’t Suck - Andrea Gibson
