Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Novel Challenge

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Remember the MS-Read-a-Thon? I loved taking part when I was a kid. I’d call my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and occasionally family friends to ask for donations to my reading. So when Ange from LiteraryMinded asked me to be part of Team LiteraryMinded for the adult equivalent, The Novel Challenge, I was pretty excited! I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, so I’m hoping this challenge will help me get back into reading some novels.

You can track my progress at my profile page, where you can also make a donation to this very worthy cause. Multiple Sclerosis affects an estimated 18,000 Australians and over two million people worldwide. As its cause remains unknown, there’s no known cure. No donation is too small, and I’d be incredibly grateful for any support you can offer.

Music

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This song is my current obsession. It somehow manages to make me sad at the same time as making me smile. I wish I could play it on piano (I used to play well, back in the day, but not so much now).

Amelie is one of my favourite films, but, until recently, I’d not thought much about the music. I’m not sure how, but at some point I kind of lost my connection to music. It seems to have come back (thankfully), and I’m reminded of another film soundtrack that I loved just as much as the film itself: the soundtrack to Pan’s Labyrinth.

I think the music I’m listening to probably changes how I write — and, in fact, I used to put particular albums on when I was trying to write an atmosphere into whatever it was I was working on. Clearly this needs further exploration…

Anticipation

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This week, I’ve spent most of my days sitting in various libraries and cafes at ANU (Australian National University) in Canberra, writing madly, pretending I’m a student there. I haven’t managed to finish the essay I’m working on, but I’ve got a writer’s first draft (that is, not something I’d be comfortable having someone else read, but something that forms some kind of whole, and that I can continue to work on). This afternoon I lounged on the couch in my parents’ back room, reading one of the many books I’m trying to absorb as part of my research for this essay, and for the bigger project I’ve tentatively started work on.

I had a few moments today where I really felt excited about what I was doing. I could almost feel the cogs in my brain turning, working things out, and I thought, ‘This is why I do this.’

I need moments like this more often.

A little sojourn…

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I’m in Canberra this week, visiting my family and trying to come back down to earth now that I’m officially qualified as a yoga teacher. Just as I thought they might, it seems like things are going to fall into place quite nicely… but more on that next week (hopefully).

For now, let me show you why I love Canberra so much at this time of year. I’m a fan of the cold — I love rugging up in a coat, scarf and gloves — and in Canberra you definitely need to do that at this time of year! And the autumn colours are gorgeous. The city is equally lovely in Spring. Canberra is definitely at its best at the change of season.

Off with the (yoga) fairies

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So here’s the deal: I’m pretty immersed in the world that is yoga philosophy at the moment. It’s absolutely fascinating, if only because many of the teachings show that humans have been asking the same questions about the origin and meaning of existence forever. And they come up with fairly similar answers…

But my point is, I’m sorry, because it means I’ve neglected this space (not to mention a number of other projects). The training is coming to an end soon though, and I’m hoping this means I’ll get at least some of my brain back to talk and think about writing (amazingly, I’ve managed to get words onto paper, even if I haven’t been happy with them). I’m not sure where I’ll end up, physically or mentally, at the end of it all, once I’ve worked out how to integrate what I’m learning into my life. I may stay in Sydney, I may move back to Melbourne, I may go off travelling. For now though, I’m happy not knowing where I’m going. Which is a BIG change for me.

That said, I do have some plans forming. My big idea is one of them, I have another project on the go that I’m really excited about and will write more about here when I can, and I’ve got a few more hanging about in the wings.

In the meantime, my curiosity has finally got the better of me, and I’ve downloaded the Hipstamstic App for my phone. These are some shots I took in Newcastle while I was up there at the beginning of the week. Cool, huh?

A Kick in the Pants

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I feel like I need one, where my writing’s concerned. I mean, to be fair, I am involved in an incredibly intense yoga teacher training programme, which is gobbling up most of my brain space and generally proving to be wonderful. But still. I miss writing.

The programme for the Sydney Writers’ Festival came out over the weekend (and will be available in print in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday 17 April). I’m planning on going along, even if it’s only to the free events. And I’m really hoping that it will give me that little bit of a kick to get me writing properly again.

Fingers crossed eh?

Easter

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Would you believe I forgot to take anything to write on while I was away? I hate packing and always leave it to the last minute, which nearly always ends in me forgetting something I really ought to have brought. At least I remembered underwear, I suppose.

And, continuing with the positive thinking, at least the little break from writing has me pretty keen to crack the lid off a pen when I get home. I’ve even found the motivation to bring out an old story again…

Happy Easter, whatever you’re doing (hopefully eating lots of chocolate).

Time management and creativity

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I’m a bit all over the place at the moment. My brain has to spend time in so many different spaces; it’s starting to feel as though I can’t give any of them enough attention.

I missed the Monday Project deadline this month; I’ve not yet started studying for a Sanskrit test I have at yoga school next week; I’ve got four books on the go, a couple for an essay I’m working on, the third for yoga study, the other for pleasure, and they’re all just inching forward; I’m writing like mad most days, but I don’t feel like I’m getting anywhere with it; I’m doing a yoga asana practice most days, but not quite making it to a class.

What I don’t understand is how, if I’m only working an odd day here and there at my old job, I’ve managed to get to the point where I feel so overworked. Actually, I lie, I know exactly how: I push myself to fit more and more in and don’t give myself enough of a break (or one at all). But I don’t understand why I don’t learn!

My guess is that it’s just a matter of time. I’ll work it out at some point, hopefully. I’m bad at being patient, worse at being patient with myself. Sigh.

Meanwhile, I’m off to the Blue Mountains for a couple of nights this weekend, to hang out with my family and some friends, eating food and (probably) drinking wine. And relaxing.

Hope you have a lovely weekend, whatever you’re doing.

Ooops…

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I didn’t mean to go silent. I guess it’s just that for someone who’s only sporadically employed, I’m really very busy.

I’ve been quiet here because I’ve started my yoga teacher training, and it’s forced so much introspection that I’m not quite sure I’ll come out the other end of it with my head intact. I won’t say much about it now, mainly because I don’t think I’ll do the teachings much justice at the moment. But I will say that the philosophy behind yoga practice has moved me slightly — that is, I feel like I’m looking at the world from a standing point a few metres to the right of where I was before.

The other reason, though, that I haven’t been here much is more writerly. I’ve been writing and writing and writing. I’m still working on the food writing that had me posting up recipes and pictures of what I was cooking a month or so ago, so I thought I’d give you another food picture. I went grocery shopping today, and here’s what I’m going to eat for the rest of this week (with the addition of some staples like pasta). Yum!

Other than that essay (well, it’s quickly turning into multiple essays), I’ve got a few other writing-related projects on the go at the moment. It’s really very exciting to have the time to give to these things I love doing. I’m very poor, but I don’t mind in the slightest!

Hopefully more on some of the other projects sometime soon; and maybe one day something about what I’m learning at yoga teacher training. But for now, I’m off to make some more bread.

PS. This month’s Monday Project is due in a week — if you’re playing along, send your response through to Kate and I sometime before Monday 29 March is over.