Planet Earth is blue: Once you Find your Space, hold on to it!

This post has been a particularly long time coming, and has in fact been written many times already - in my mind, anyway... The image above is very fitting, as for me, blogging has always been about Finding my Space, (which is why I named my blogspot 'Virtual Art Space for Therapists: VAST). The photo is from a panel of graffitti I cycle past most Sundays, alongside the Brisbane river, which is an area of frantic building development at the moment. 

An anti-development statement

Whilst cycling on a Sunday morning, I often mentally compose blog posts, or at least brainstorm topics I want to blog about, as I pedal furiously over the Go-Between Bridge, up the steep (to me) hill into the City Botanic Gardens via QUT at Gardens Point, or along the Boardwalk at South Bank, by which time the excellent coffee from Brendan's on the (Goodwill) Bridge is kicking in.

Petunias - City Botanic Gardens

Before I go on, I have to ceremoniously observe that I have been blogging since January 2009! Although to be fair, I didn't really get going properly until late 2010/early 2011. Which makes it either 7 or 5 years ago, depending how you look at it: 180 posts and almost 20,000 'views' later....its something I have absolutely enjoyed and I wish could have kept up as regularly as the Sunday cycle...sadly the pressures of full time study and then full time work over the past 4 years have made that too difficult to maintain. 

Having my reflective space has been really helpful, however, and I think it has resulted in some big decisions and life-changing moments. Four years ago, I went back to university to study Social Work, so I could become a Mental Health Social Worker. And at the end of last year, I threw my eggs into one (ok maybe two) baskets, and resigned from my main, permanent job, which had been very stressful at times, and often frustrating. It was a tough decision, as it creates financial instability, and I had to leave some wonderful colleagues. But the stress involved was just not worth it. Instead I decided to just focus on private practice and art therapy education for now. And better self care. 

We lost this elderly canine family member, Jess, on Christmas Day, 2015. Earlier that day, we took her for a long walk on beautiful Peregian Beach. A happy memory from a very sad day. (I also recall that the last time we were at Peregian Beach for a holiday, our house was burgled. Next time I go there, I am going to be a bit nervous.) And going for walks are just not the same anymore.

 Creative supervision. 

This was the last time we (our peer supervision group) met in 2015, and my collage is about busyness, moving on, and the intimacy of the therapeutic space. The images are all sourced from frankie, which I subscribed to for a year or two, so I have a nice collection of back copies to use for collage (it took me a while to feel ok tearing them to bits, but now there is no looking back, literally). 

Lastly, a sock bat (unfinished). Its actually black in real life. 

So, more like a real bat.

Finally, I will briefly mention two books I've read in the last few weeks. (Its not all about sock creatures). The first is An astronaut's guide to life on earth by Chris Hadfield. Hadfield is the guy who sang a Space Oddity from the International Space Station. suddenly more poignant since the shocking (to the public, anyway) and sad recent death of creative genius David Bowie, a hero of my adolescence. Turns out Hadfield can write, too! Its about how he learned how to live on earth, based his experience as a fighter pilot and astronaut. With gratitude, mindfulness and humility, as it turns out. And being calm. 

In space you learn, through extensive hands on training, to be calm in any imaginable situation: calmness, and the capacity to problem solve, are essential for survival. You need to be constantly thinking 'what is the next thing that can kill me?' as Hadfield explains. And then fixing it. 

I am also enjoying Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, which is about creativity, and how to live a creative life. In this case, its also mainly about overcoming fear. Being creative is actually a lot less dangerous than space, thankfully. 

Seems like how to live is a common concern.

 Be calm, be humble, call your mum. 

More Graffitti, West End

more later.

Bluesfest, blogging and perspective taking: how it all helps

 

 Bluesfest acrobats

Seduced perhaps by the immediacy of Instagram, I have been finding it hard to get back to this blog - sort of a blog-lag? (My Instagram name is eclair57, if you want to  find me there...)

Other excuses could include: starting a new job recently, and having spent a bit more time out and about having fun...over two long weekends in a row...however, the real added value for me in being away, is being able to put things in perspective, and this is a really helpful skill, for those of us who tend to be anxious at times. Oliver Burkeman describes it well here. Giving new meaning to the devil is in the detail...

 Bluesfest good friday lantern parade 1

Very uncharacteristically, I went to Bluesfest at Byron Bay for the first time ever, having almost given up on live music about 20 years ago. Apart from Billy Bragg, of course. Why? Too loud, too annoying to stand up for long periods, too unsure what I really liked. I did start to challenge this negative perspective, by going to Woodford early this year, though. And, come to think of it, Reggae for Recovery three years ago, after the 2011 Brisbane floods.

Well, perhaps this new job can also assist me in my leisure pursuits: inspired by my new colleagues, I decided to plunge into Bluesfest on good friday. It happened to be the 25th anniversary, so the line-up was particularly impressive. S was also willing, which helped.

 Bluesfest good friday lantern parade 2

Hard (for me) to capture live music in images, especially on a smartphone, but it was really good fun, and we saw some great acts, including: India Arie, Aaron Neville and Dyson, Cloher and Stringer, three female singer songwriters from Melbourne. Not to mention Rockwiz (a live music t.v. quiz, for the non-Aussie readers), Boz Scaggs and Joss Stone. Phew. 

Then the following night, we saw KC and the Sunshine Band, a real blast from the seventies, at the Tivoli in Brisbane. Wow, that was also really fun. At 63, KC has some health issues, but he is still boogie-ing on down. (His best joke was that he was thinking of changing his name to KFC...oh dear!)

I just spent another long weekend away, this time at Springbrook National Park, in the Gold Cost Hinterland: a beautiful rainforest environment.  We walked and relaxed, and last night, we saw two planets, Saturn and Mars, and Alpha Centuri (nearest star) through the Springbrook Research Observatory telescope, before the clouds set in for the night. Now that's taking perspective!

Looking at very old trees can have the same effect.

  ancient Antarctic beeches at Springbrook National Park 'Best of all Lookouts'

As can this:

 

Perspective-taking: we can either focus on the detail...

 ...or the big picture

Blogging also helps a lot with perspective-taking, as do both art and mindfulness, as they all develop capacity to observe and reflect as well as react. 

Meanwhile I have been making something special for my old work colleagues: this is a sneak preview.

 tree of hearts detail

On the work front, I am slowly adjusting to my new environment. I have booked to go to the International Trauma Conference in Melbourne in August. Trauma, at least, is a given, and a source of continuity. How comforting!

more later.

getting over the hump, and getting warmer...

my impression of the rainbow serpent background for mural,

designed by Indigenous artist Gordon Hookey



Has an interesting night last night, at placement late, immediately following two intense days of Indigenous cultural competency training: we worked on mapping out the second mural at the placement site. In the dark, using an old school OHP (overhead projector), we projected the images made by each client, which were drawn onto transparencies, onto the wall, and  then traced them onto the corrugated iron fence with charcoal. With background of serpent and rainbow, as above, sort of. Eventually the whole perimeter fence will be included in the mural, with the rainbow serpent wrapped protectively around the whole centre. Exciting stuff! I am definitely not leaving the placement until this project is finished. 

Phew, having said that, I have only a few weeks left, and then I will be completely finished with the Masters of Social Work, hurrah! I have just over three weeks to go on placement, which seems incredible. I can't say it has been easy, but I am now feeling quite at home there, in some ways, and it will be sad to leave, despite the many challenges. And then, there are still the assignments...currently somewhat in avoidance mode...

After that, the future awaits, whatever that might look like...initially it will involve being back at my usual work, plus teaching (and with the end of the academic year approaching for my students as well, there will be marking, marking and more marking...) but also maybe seeking something different, workwise.

 

Despite my almost total neglect, this blog has now almost had 9000 hits, only 3 more to go at the time of writing, which is another milestone of sorts. I am so grateful to the people who visit here, and here is another way to say this...thanks so much for dropping by!

I have stayed off the topic of politics recently, as it is all just so depressing since the election of Tony Abbott.. However, I have to mention the fact that we now have conservative prime minister who does not believe in climate change. And will repeal the Carbon tax. And wants to 'stop the boats'. And. And..

words fail me, again.

more later