going North - again

tropical flower, Cairns

I am off to Townsville in north Queensland today, for a couple of days. I am facilitating a training workshop for artists, who will be delivering art workshops for people living with a mental illness. 

This photo was taken in Cairns Botanic Gardens last year, when I had a similar gig. 

I enjoy working with remote teams, they are usually very grateful for any input! I found out today I hadn't booked my accommodation, despite having a distinct memory of doing so. I am staying at the Sugar Shaker (Holiday Inn), which has a roof top pool!

This time I am travelling without my laptop, as I have a 10kg baggage restriction, and its hard to have faith in a USB the size of a thumbnail (literally, this time) - but its all backed up onto another one as well. I will have to get used to living without the laptop; it needs to be sent away for repairs as its still under warranty - only works when plugged to power socket. This is not good timing, as I am about to start my Social Work Masters at QUT (uni) in 2 weeks, and most of the content is online...

Fixing things has been a theme this year so far (isn't it always?). First my camera, then my sewing machine. Our gate is also falling apart, and we need some major repair work done on our front stairs - the joys of living in a Queenslander! I used to put up with things only sort of working, but no more! 

Cairns Botanic Gardens

colour chart, porters paint

I have always loved colour charts! Full of possibilities...I guess its like opening a new box of paints. A woman who attended a workshop I ran called 'Giving yourself permission to paint' once said, her ambition was to get her paint box dirty!

Congratulations are due to two other bloggers this week. 

Firstly to my friend Amanda, who writes Sharing Studio Secrets, and has just posted her 300th post, after 6 years of blogging, mainly about her art practice. 

And secondly to climate scientist (and my sister) Tamsin, who has just launched her new blog very cleverly titled All Models are Wrong (but some are useful), on the completely different topic of climate change modelling. Tamsin has been inundated with responses, including some who objected to the title of her blog.

Putting yourself out there is brave, whatever your topic. I am proud of both of you, and of anyone else who aspires to more than liking something on Facebook!

I may be more erratic for a while, due to laptop issues and studying. But I'll be back.

more later.