World Views

we were driving in the car towards a round-a-bout when Rhody Nash (5) says:

the world is like a round-a-bout

photograph by Candice Herne 2009

Freedom

'give them feathers, to build their own wings'
                                                                                                           Candice Herne

Big Questions from Little People

My son Rhody and I were walking when he said, Mummy do you tell wishes? What do you mean, I said. Tell people wishes, he said. Oh, I said. I thought about this for a little while. Then I said, Yes then  you may get what you wish for. Later that evening, after dinner, I said, what do you wish for Rhody? He said, for Santa to bring me all the presents.I laughed inside, glad he is still only 5.

Tonight before bed, Rhody and I were snuggling and he said, "you know Mummy, the caravan is like a pouch. My heart sang! We are currently camping in the Flinders Ranges and their are alot of Kangaroos and their Joey's (baby Kangaroos, who live in their Mother's Pouch) free ranging around the camping area.

Mothers Day

mother is a verb

Candice Herne

Mothers Day

behind every great woman

is another great woman

Candice Herne

I met a man

I met a man today in Salamanca Square. I didn't catch his name. I nice man, a funny man, a quirky man with a warm smile. A man with an honest laugh and sensitive eyes. A man who made cushions from ancient Japanese hand dyed fabric in his Japanese studio. A man, an artist.

We chatted this man and I. What was I doing, where did I live (I live in Queensland). The man talked fondly of his friends in Queensland and his old school days at Art College . 'One of my friends wives when pregnant, had cravings for Stingray flaps.' -Stingray is a huge ocean creature.I can't remember how we got onto this topic, however I just remember being instantly inspired and transported. A flame ignited and the fizz bombs started fizzing. It made me step outside my own culture, thought and being. I love these moments in life when people share fond memories of time. A joyous part of their personal history.

I enjoyed our conversation so much that I just had to cut and paste this experience from my brain, before I lost it.

We chatted about the stock market as this is how we are financing our trip around Australia. (My husband Rod trades Australian Stocks.) Buy up everything China wants he says, 'China should just buy Western Australia.' We bothed laughed. I did an artwork about that very idea a few years ago I said. He asked me for my full name. I have a web site you can see it I said.'Jeez! if only it was updated I thought. Better get cracking on that one.

I thanked him for his inspiring and great conversation. I'm glad I met this man. I like this man. I wish I new his name.

Sterotypes and how they influence society.

what does a mother with 3 children look like?

quote by Shannon Connaty 2009

Spirituality may lead to Sustainability

I found this interesting video on Ted Blog - Charter of Compassion. Indigenous Australian Ray Minniecon talks about his ideas on compassion. I was was interested in the word he used Dadirri
and did a little research.
After reading the essay on Dadirri I can understand better the way they make their artworks. As I also like to repeat a pattern which sends me to a deep contemplative place. The idea of pattern making runs deep through out my genes with both my Mother and Nanna sitting quietly with the knitting needles or the crotchet hook making repetitive patterns.

The one thing I really would like to do while I am on my travels around Australia is do some workshops with indigenous artists.

What's the worst thing about your day?

Last night during Rhody's bedtime routine of book and snuggles, I asked him, 'what was the best part of his day?'.

He said, 'being with you and Daddy'.

He asked me what was mine and I said,' flying the kite on the beach'.

Their was silence and snuggles for a little while.................. and then Rhody asked, 'what was the worst thing about your day'?

I thought about it for awhile and said, 'hmmmm I don't know'. I asked him back, 'what was yours'? he said , 'hmmm I don't know'. He then asked me again, 'what was the worst thing about your day'? 'I had a great day', I said.

'The worst thing about my day was not swimming at the beach, it was too cold', Rhody said.

I found this little conversation very interesting and a wonderful insight into how my little man's brain thinks. It also occured to me, how we create meanings for words by our experiences and feelings.

The perfect cup of tea

Tea maker: Excuse Me Sir's. 'Would you like a cup of tea?'

Sir's: Yes please

Tea maker: Well check it on here (a folder, paper and pen)

Sir's working away on computer
5 or so minutes pass..........................................

Tea maker: Your tea is ready Sir's, please check here, (tick the last tea entry), I boiled the kettle, and even used a tea cloth to move it.

Sir's: conscious now and alerted by the thought of boiling kettle and 4 year old moving it, but did not show any sign of panic. Does it have milk?

Tea Maker: yes, come and get it

Sir's: ecstatic at the thought, and her heart is overflowing with joy and wonder for the tea maker, Could this be real?

Sir's: walks to the kitchen and sees a coffee cup sitting relaxed, and muddy with a dainty string flopping down the side, what a wonderful taste.

What a Crock!

No Housewife superstar lives here.

Candice Herne

This is in response to Sunday nights episode of 60 minutes. What a load of blah blah blah! I could have written a whole essay about all the contradictions and romance. Give me a housekeeper, cook, oh and throw in a masseuse. Now that's romance.

Not Crazy - Understanding Creative People

I am asking myself the question:

Am I crazy, or is that just crazy talk?

Candice Herne

The 10 Dimensions of Creative Complexity
Please click on highlighted title for the full story

1. Creative individuals have great physical energy, but they become extremely quiet when they are at rest. This restful period can lead others to think that they are not feeling well or that they are unhappy, when the truth is they are fine.

2. Creative folks tend to be both highly intelligent and naive at the same time.

3. Creative people are disciplined and playful simultaneously. In some creative people, this can mean that they are responsible and irresponsible at the same time as well.

4. Creative minds move between a spectrum of fantasy and imagination and a firm grounding in reality. They understand the present and need to keep in touch with the past.

5. Creative individuals seem to be both introverted and extroverted, expressing both traits at once. An image to explain this might be that they are shy showoffs, if you can picture that.

6. Creative people are sincerely humble and extremely proud in a childlike way. It requires ego to have a risky, fresh idea. It takes self-doubt to hammer it out to a workable form.

7. Creative folks don’t feel as tied to gender roles. They feel distinctly individual. They don’t feel the barriers of authority or the rules of what they are “supposed to do.”

8. Creative individuals are thought to be rebellious. Yet, in order to be creative one has to understand and have internalized the traditional culture. Therefore creativity comes from deep roots in tradition. Creative people are traditional and cutting edge.

9. Creative people are deeply passionate about their work, yet can be extremely detached and objective when discussing it.

10. Creative people are highly open and sensitive, which exposes them to pain and suffering, but also allows them to feel higher values of joy and happiness.

Organising

I stayed with my Aunty and Uncle last week while visiting Perth.
My Aunty Margaret came out with this little gem. Perfect I thought for all the OC (Obssesive Compulive) Organisers. I admit, yes I am one. Of course, I used to be a event coordinator.

Let me organise your day, so I can organise mine

Margaret Bush

Toilet Talk

Families seem to create their own dictionary. A secret language that connects the whole family. One of the words I fondly remember growing up was the word "gooby" pronounced goure -bee meaning an absolutely daggy, outrageous, and cheap solution. eg: superglueing a tooth back into your mouth, I won't name names but Mum was chief gooby. This is were I get it from.

As I have my own family now, we have started to create our own dictionary. We have updated one of the old favourites "Poo in Peace" to "Pip". Anyone with children will understand. Us parents don't ask for much. Maybe I could start a magazine called PiP, with complimentary scented satchets. I can hear my husband, not another bloody project. ha!

Women's Work

Women's work alway's gets done.

Candice Herne

Scaredy Cat

I'm not afraid of dieing, I'm afraid of living

Candice Herne

Knowing

My sister in law came over tody, she came up with this one.

I know who I like, I like who I know

Katrina Dale

Wanting stops Being. Being stops wanting

I woke this morning. Lucky for me. This was my thought. I have spent most of my life wanting to be creative. Instead of being creative. I think its the wanting that stops me from being.

I also thought this works in reverse if I start being, I stop wanting. Which comes first the chicken or the egg. To be or to want. I think I'll go back to bed and wake up again.

Movement always pays

Mummy come over here and look at the map. I reluctantly slide over. Rhody turns on his globe of the world bedside lamp. He looks at me with such serious curiosity. Mummy where is Fairy Land?

Rhody 4

The More You Do

The More You Do, The More You Do
Candice Herne