Christmas Spirit

It started slowly.  Well, in fact it felt as if there was no Christmas Mojo at all.  I realised I was at a point where my childhood Christmas had gone, and I wasn't able to recreate it.  Bit of what I consider absolutely necessary for a "good Christmas" were missing.  Its not the same now.  And I need to reconfigure what it means, and, how to create it from here on in.

I'd have thought that having a 7 year old in the house, that it would be a done deal that Christmas was exciting.  Truth is, that my husband is the most excited about Christmas.  My son seems weirdly ambivalent.  I think its in some form of contrariness set against his dad's over enthusiasm.   But the other day when the suggestion of getting a tree was met with a decidedly unenthusiastic sigh, "do we have to? I don't want one...." that I felt my own spirits droop somewhat. 

WHat is going on?  I did a whole art journaling session on this Christmas thing.  And I know its something I need to create.  What IS Christmas? What does it mean? How do we express it in our family, now.  And how do I express it? Given the uphill struggle ness I feel I am meeting. 

I know the Christmas spirit is about generosity.  Of feasting and warmth and good cheer.  And I have to make this happen.  Or find it.

So in the end, we didn't go and buy a tree.  We got "Shabby Davy Dexter" in from the garden.  Shabby is a pot grown tree we got the year before last.  We got a pot grown tree so that we could pop it out in the garden and bring it in the following year.  When we bought it, it was already a bit on the Shabby side.  Yup, we name our trees... We have had a few, and mostly we used to plant them in my parents garden.  WE have had, Susan, Kris Kringle, I think there was a Nigel.... I know.  Its an odd thing.  I blame my husband.  I'd have bought a normal tree and it would have been composted, but Hub felt that it was wrong to chop down trees.....

Anyway, I am totally digressing.  Shabby Davy Dexter was put in the garden but to all extents and purposes he seemed to have died.  And then suddenly he sprang back to life.  Green shoots grew forth from the brown twiggy tree.  Needless to say he looks even more mishapen and shabby than he did when we bought him.  He is very lopsided and there is a lot of brown stick to him. 

But we brought him in and gave him the tinsel and light treatment.  And just like dead Shabby, with this, my Christmas has begun to grow green shoots. 

I am working on the list of things that  - to me - make for "Christmas"  And my mojo is building.   my list, as well as generosity of spirit, warmth, and decorations..... includes; drinking with friends, pantomines and home made Christmas cards . Twinkling lights, home made mince pies, decking the halls with holly and ivy, mulled wine, feasting and  - probably more drinking with friends, family and more good cheer.... hurrah. 

Silo

I moved Likemind to Silo this month.  I LOVE the Marwood but I felt it was time for a change, a refresh and a reboot.  So this month I was persuaded to go and try out Silo.  Its a concept sort of place.  More than just a cafe restaurant.  It began as a pop up thing in Melbourne.  When Chef Doug met an artist and they began discussing.  And joined up to create a zero waste pop up restaurant.  They were utterly committed to their idea.  When, for example they discovered that flour in Australia is only delivered in sacks that are lined with plastic, they decided instead to buy wheat and mill it themselves.  They built a mill (out of waste stuff I presume) and ground their own flour.  Discovering, in that process that they could taste the flavour of the wheat.... And so began a whole Odessey of discovery of what Doug the chef describes as preindustrial food.  Actually of course its post industrial.  But its like going back to the more raw, original source material and finding out what was there before they took all the flavours out by over processing.

There is a brewery down stairs, they grow their own mushrooms.  They have plates made out of old plastic bags.  Furniture out of waste buidling materials.  Its all utterly Zero Waste.  And so committed to concept that its like an Art Project as much as anything else.  It could be pretentious, but its just not.  Its like a live experiment.  To see how creatively they can overcome the self imposed limitations.

As they say,"waste just shows a lack of imagination".

I ate some porridge.  It was delicious.  I am looking forward to trying some of the full on dinner menus they have going on.  Its not pricey (compared to other North Laine eateries) and I really liked the big warehouse like setting.  Its spacious, dedicated and I like their style.

I ate the porridge... it was amazing.  I am looking forward to trying the rest of the menu..... lunch beckons...

Cutting out the Clutter.

I have been simplifying.  Its been a slightly odd few weeks and I have found myself dissatisfied more often than not.  I found that life was wanting me to draw in, not moving outwards but inwards.  And this underlying frustration acts as some kind of spur.  Its like I draw in to bloom out again. At some point.

But some key things have happened.

Firstly I had a deep realisation about facebook.  It is really useful and enjoyable for some things.  But for others it really isn't.  And for the first time in, well, possibly, ever.  I have wanted to avoid it.  Really properly wanted to get away from it.

Its like it started to become the go to method for everything.  But it wasn't working as it should, there was something about it that felt really wrong.  I was chatting to a friend who has just written a book called Digital Inferno about how there is something ephemeral about facebook which makes it not a good place to make arrangements.  As in, I organise the Brighton Likemind meet up.  There are 700 members of the group on facebook.  Every month about 15-20 people say that they are coming on facebook, and a further 15 or so say maybe.  But its been between 3-6 people who actually show up.

Paul was explaining that there is a sort of distance with facebook or perhaps any social media.  And when people say that they are coming (click 'going' or 'maybe') they are just indicating what they are thinking at the time.  Rather than feeling anything resembling the kind of commitment you feel when you say you will attend something in person. I know I do it all the time.  Its just a weird public and not real place.  I mean we know that, of course.  But for this group its just not working.

On the other hand, for the Hanover Baby & Kids Stuff Sales its bloody marvellous.  Also I am part of a couple of really excellent discussion groups that have been super supportive and helpful for me.  1 of these is a secret group, and the other two are private groups.  And these work really well too.

I actually came offline entirely on Friday.  I feel that my online presence will become much more selective.  And that feels good.

IN fact, I think I will be getting much more selective in my entire life.  I have read two wonderful books in the last week (being offline and wanting to stay home and not talk to anyone has aided that!)  One is called Essentialism and is about Less But Better.  Which is utterly perfect as my new words to live by slogan.  And also a slightly insane book by a Japanese tidying consultant which is called THe Life Changing Magic of Tidying.  Seriously. (it so makes my husband laugh)
 Again it is about getting rid of anything unessential.

And so begins the pruning.  I am having a massive clear out.  I do have a tendency to clutter, and to proliferate.  War on Stuff is like a continual practice in my life.  Its my yoga, its my job, its a mission for me.  But I am practicing and I am getting better at it.

I am stopping teaching yoga (my own classes - I will do cover classes only).  And that feels like the right decision.   I am thinking I will do the same with the art classes as they stand as well.  Or stop doing them so often.  I have more Get Stuff Done work coming up, which I enjoy and which brings me income.  And I have Startism.  Which is like the Wild Art Journaling but bigger and better. 

The rest of my energies at present will be about clearing out the non essential from my life.  House clutter clearing,  life clutter clearing.  And I have employed a coach.  I guess that too will be about getting down to the nub of what it is I am doing and why and getting really clear on my path.  Oh its all about the CLARITY, baby.  Bye Bye Clutter.  I am on a mission. 

Starting Startism

Am very excited to announce, the very  start of Startism. 

Its an idea that Lisa Wright and I have been brewing.  Its about bringing Art to Life.  Oh yes. 

Here is the very beginning of it. 

http://startismbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/when-i-was-kid.html

This tiny start is our book club  - and online space -  to share our creative play.  There will most definitely be more.

But check it out.  Join us.

We will be Creating wild and wonderfulness

xx 

I want

I want to write a posts entitled:

My First Solo Exhibtion
How I took Art  to Work  
my trip to Burning Man
I love my new kitchen
How we rent out our house during the holidays


Ok that's enough for now.

Inspired by a blog post title.  My first Solo exhibition by Makiko Hastings

We need to find the right Questions

Computers are useless.  They can only give us ANSWERS. (Picasso said this, Apparently...)

We need to find the right QUESTIONS. 

Jordan Phoenix

I have a new idea for my umbrella business.  Or, my work.  in the world.  I love the name.  Of course its taken.  But I don't know if that actually matters.  Everything is claimed already and there is nothing new.

But I have discovered (by googling it)  the work of Jordan Phoenix.  I am reading his articles now.  So far (and 2 articles in) I am really, really inspired.

Here is a quote I want pasted on my brain.  Its already kind of how I try to live (and what I am looking for in life) but its written so well.  And we always need to reminded in beautiful ways.

A person who genuinely wants to see you grow and be happy - who is fiercely loyal, speaks the truth and stands by their word - is one of the rarest, most valuable things you can find on earth. The only way to find and connect with these types of people is to become one. It’s one of the greatest things we can experience in our time here.