I am a caring and creative womxn.
I’m not sure what is easy or difficult for womxn to be honest. Remembering to return to the present moment - to the point of balance and power? Everything has a plus and minus side so in the end it depends where the focus is leaning towards.
I maintain mental fitness or emotional health by exposing myself to the things that lift my soul. These include taking myself to a natural setting to wander, sometimes gather and to sit. The items I gather are generally leaves, seeds and flowers which I then arrange into a mandala of sorts. It is my way to lay problems on the ground, become present and be gifted with a new way of perceiving beauty and to show my gratitude to the land for hosting me.
If I am not able to get out to a parkland or beach setting, I fill my mind with podcasts and recordings of people who remind me of the many tips and tricks to silence and redirect the inner critic so I go easy on myself. I’m choosy about my media diet and sources of information.
Connecting with soul sisters brings me joy and vitality. As does sharing my nature art with others and creating together. Oh, and watching our pug Daisy run around and play with other puggies. Instant, effortless smiles.
Life is full of these little moments and memories and taking time to notice and celebrate them, reminds me that gratitude and appreciation really does bring an inner joy to my senses.
I’d say that nature nurtures her relationship with me rather than the other way around! I like to reset my mind and body by getting out into nature and sitting in quiet observation of her. I always greet her with a sing-song hello when I enter into her space and praise her many delights and gifts. She nurtures her relationship with me by gently nudging and guiding my wanders and soothing my frazzled parts.
I feel a sense of belonging and community with my fellow students on the Morning Altars Practitioner Training program - especially within our smaller niche group. Strangely, it has taken me many decades to find a group that have had similar life experiences to me (sadly traumatic) and who are able to deeply hold space and to listen with open hearts.
I also feel a sense of community in my local parklands when I share brief chats with other locals as they are going about their day.
I live and work on the Turrbal lands - north Brisbane, Australia. This location will always be home in my heart.
What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced?
Life has felt like a massive unsafe challenge from day one. This reality and society has felt so foreign and harsh to me that I thought I was in the wrong place and that I was broken and bad. All of the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and sexual abuse I have experienced has led me down a path of unpacking and removing the trauma stored within my body and in the memory field around my body.
In 2018 however, all that totally flipped on its head.
What matters most to you, either now or in the long term?
What matters most to me is that humans grow and strengthen their individual consciousness to be true co-creators of this reality and all things living within it. I’d like all the fear programming removed so that we may experience a harmonious relationship with ourselves, each other and our environment. Where else are we gonna live?
What’s the best piece of advice from a woman you have received?
“It’s through stories we connect,” Elizabeth Jeffs.
Liz was like a mentor to me in my late 20s and early 30s. She liked to share stories of her life and her projects and genuinely enjoyed people and life. The impact of this statement has always stuck with me how when there is true recognition of another as you listen to their story, they form a connection too. You then recognise how similar we all are as people. I think this advice has also helped me be more willing to speak up and share my story.
What ideas are you working on, or playing with, or just sitting with now?
I am reluctant to share my future dreams until they are close to completion. This is because I like to keep the idea alive and the energies close to me. It helps keep my motivation levels chugging along. I find that if I talk too much about my projects, the energies dissipate and get scattered away from me. And that means I need to take extra effort to bring them back in. So, nah, I’d rather keep it quiet and then share when it’s done.
Who is an influential woman in your life and why?
My Mum. She is everything.
When you’re down, how do you get back up?
Most times I don’t want to think or write or follow any other prescribed way to dive into and shake heavy feelings. I’d rather the shortcut to shift them quickly and easily without using my mind. Gratefully, I play my crystal bowls to achieve this. I find the sound vibrations are a gentle yet powerful way to retune my body and mind. I have no choice other than to become present and I naturally end up with deep and slowed breathing.
As an elder, how do you see your role in life; what responsibility do you feel?
The responsibility I feel as an elder is to be and to create a safe space. Once that is established, then honest, free, respectful interactions can flourish.
I see my role as one born out of a variety of experiences across timelines and decades. Even though I wasn’t around during the electricity boom, I lived through the beginning of the technological boom and have witnessed many changes in daily life.
I like that each generation has periods of time that are unique and pivotal to their lives. We are all living our own way and yet collectively, we are covering all bases as a whole.
CONNECTION
I met Kym McCabe last week, we sat together in Kalinga Park sharing stories as she created the mandala below. Her gentle presence was soothing, it was an honour to witness her open vulnerability and creative acumen. Kym's description of "connecting to soul sisters" reminded me of another beautiful soul I met last week. Auntie Evie is a Torres Strait Islander Elder who told me that in their culture they call other women sister or sissy as a mark of respect. I was heartened to hear her call goodbye sissy to me after our cuppa last week.
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