Category Archives: space

Five tips to celebrate the spaces in between

Posted on by
Reply

tower-bridgeI do hope you enjoyed your festive break and that the New Year is off to a great start for you already. Unusually, I had some time to myself in that space between Christmas and New Year, but being without the boys, I caught myself slipping into the pattern of filling the gaps and keeping busy. So, I reminded myself that it’s OK just to sit back and stare out of the window occasionally… in fact it is necessary. To enjoy doing nothing can be a real challenge, but it is a skill worth cultivating.

Taking time out for yourself is a vital part of conscious living.

It is back to the old routine for many of us today… back to the busy busy, the full diary, the many commitments and before too long, we’ll be several weeks in and wondering where the first month of the year went already.

STOP! It’s time to make space.

In reflecting on 2014, one of the things that came up for me was the importance of the spaces in between. I worked on many different projects in the year just gone, but allowing myself the luxury of afternoon naps when the boys were at school and a long and luxurious bath in the morning (yes, after the school run!!!) and, most importantly, doing so without feeling guilty, contributed to the feeling of space that was the key to my contentment last year.

Negative space is a key element of artistic composition.
It is the area of an image not occupied by shapes or forms.

I am someone who, in both art and life, has habitually filled all spaces. My home has, for many years, been what could only be described as cluttered and my art, in the past, has often covered every corner of the canvas or the paper. I am not someone who sits still easily. Yet, in 2014 something changed and I consciously embraced space in a way I had never done previously. I allowed myself the time to sit and read and just be and my biggest breakthroughs came in moments of quiet reflection that would previously have been filled with work or activity. Yes, it took some effort not to fill those spaces and instead appreciate them for what they are and how they benefit me.

You cannot serve from an empty vessel. Making time for myself and investing in support where I need it has a huge impact on the way I am able to care for those I love and who rely on me.

Enlisting the services of a decluttering professional helped me make an enormous breakthrough in my living space and something at home subtly shifted. The shift I noticed was that creating space calmed me considerably. I had not only physical space but mental space and a clarity that had been missing. Being at home took on a new meaning as I found myself being more comfortable in my environment and more connected with it than I had ever been. The restless desire to always be out and about or the need to be constantly tidying grew weaker as I found myself in a space with space. My little house felt bigger. 

I do not have big goals or any major plan for the coming year. From the spaces we allow, great things spring forth and opportunities are created. I have set intentions that will encourage my growth through simple, playful steps… I am taking action, reaching out and trusting in abundance. I am making space for things to evolve naturally.


Here are my tips for celebrating the spaces in between…

1. Examine your diary or calendar for the week ahead. Where are the natural spaces? Instead of filling them with extra chores, how can you use that time to nourish yourself or your creativity? What will feed your soul or make your heart sing? Mark that space in your calendar: Time for me. Use it as an appointment with your self and be sure you stick to it. If you think you need permission, here it is: It is OK to do something for yourself… you deserve it. Take your time and enjoy this. You will feel happier and those you love will benefit.

2. Practice the art of looking. You can do it any time, anywhere. The simple act of examining an object intently for just two minutes is a wonderful practice that can feel like meditation. Do it every day. It will also help your drawing.

3. Seek out places that have a feeling of open space. My favourite route home from the school run is not the quickest, but the one that takes me the back way, through the park and down the hill where big skies and wide space open up in front of me. I slow down and breathe deeply. It helps clear my mind and my lungs and sets me up for the day.

4. At home, look at where clutter congregates. Take time to clear one of those spaces and place a vase of flowers or a potted plant in that area. It may be your dining table. Doing so will not only make your home look brighter, but will discourage you from putting back more piles.

5. Make reflection a part of your process of creation. It can be easy to go all out when working on a project, get it done and go straight into another. After a period of intense creative activity, be sure to take a break, step back and make the space to evaluate what you have achieved and celebrate your successes.

Pushing the boat out beyond my comfort zone

Posted on by
2

Haslar MarinaJulia onboard

 

 

 

 

 

 


One week ago today, I took a leap into the great unknown on a salty adventure that took me way outside my comfort zone.

For a few years during my childhood, Dad had a little boat which was moored on a canal close to home on which we would occasionally explore the waterways of Warwickshire. I remember vividly the time I saw my first kingfisher, but I recall little else. In recent years, many holidays have been taken in a France, so a quick hop across the channel on a big ferry has been a regular occurrence, but I had never been sailing.

The previous week, my partner, a keen sailor in his younger years, had returned from five days in the Solent gaining his Competent Crew certificate, full of enthusiasm. Each evening he would call home, detailing the day and his delight was evident; infectious even. He suggested I give sailing a try and whilst I agreed in principle, I had not an inkling that a few days later, I myself would be stepping on board a yacht for the first time and going sailing. To cut a long story short, after a small amount of resistance on my part and some persuasion on his, he signed me up to head off to the Solent for a weekend on board a boat called Intuition and 48 hours of intensive learning. “Go,” he told me “get involved and don’t be afraid to make mistakes because that’s the best way to learn.”

I had no idea who the other people on board would be, what their level of competence was or how we would get on in a confined space. To be frank, I didn’t even know if I would make it thought the first night on board without being sick… but I did. All was well and I loved it!

The very gentle movements of the boat in the water at night were barely detectable and the sounds of the marina were soothing. I shared a cabin with a fellow artist, a mother to two boys like me and there was a lot of nervous giggling that first evening. Also on board were a father and son and our instructor Dave who had worked in the Navy and on submarines. I felt comfortable and confident under his instruction. The amount of information to take in was somewhat overwhelming. Words I had never heard before were taught to us and we learned to tie figure of eights, reef knots and bowlines. I have to admit that my heart gave a flutter as we first hoisted the mainsail. It looked so tall and I was struck by the power of the wind. The weather was kind to us and all apprehension and uncertainty melted away as we got stuck in with the hands-on learning. I was in my element… out under rolling clouds, off into open waters, enjoying the breeze.

One of the benefits of being signed up to this unexpected activity so soon was that there was little time for the anxieties to build up, but I truly had not a clue what to expect as I stood waiting at Hamble station for my lift.

My childhood and teenage years were not the most adventurous. I was never encouraged or inclined to take risks and my comfort zone was a safe and familiar place that I rarely left. I was taught always to have an eye out for the dangers or risks and though I have been a little more courageous in recent years, stepping onto a boat full of strangers with not a clue what I was doing really did feel quite brave. But it taught me something… as trying anything new does… that if you stretch outside your comfort zone, you eventually get comfortable in that new place and your world expands a little. Each time you push, your world grows more.

I felt a little tearful as we headed back to Hamble Marina on Sunday afternoon… two days at sea with strangers and all of the new knowledge I had acquired felt like such a massive achievement. I was proud of myself. On Monday morning, still swaying in my chair, I downloaded my pictures. The experiences have taken a little longer to download and it has taken me several days longer than I intended to write up this post, but I got there. These things can take a while to sink in.

The sense of space out in the middle of the water was incredible; the feeling of freedom with the wind in my hair was unbeatable; the feeling of control at the helm as the boat responded to the slightest movement of the tiller was empowering and I returned home a more confident woman.

Sometimes it is vital that we feel the fear and do it anyway; we need to step outside our comfort zones in order to grow.

I have just booked my next sailing adventure… in less than three weeks, I leave Southampton for five days! Obtaining my Competent Crew certificate is my mission this time.

I would love to know your experiences of pushing outside your comfort zone. When did you feel the fear and do it anyway and what were the results for you?

boatseau yeah!