“Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it. Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing, where something might be planted, a seed, possibly, from the Absolute.” ~ Rumi

Have you ever felt like that??

I came across this quote this morning and I felt reassured. I’m in a space of … hmmm perhaps ‘blankness’ … emptiness… not a sad or depressed emptiness…. just feeling like I’m a lolly jar which has just been emptied – ready to be filled with fresh new ones…. or like “a piece of paper with nothing yet on it..(Rumi)”.. ready for new words; new markings; new ideas… ready to be filled with freshness.

Last year was huge – some of which included; my close friends leaving Australia….a trip to the east coast of US (which I managed on my own!), to share visions, professional development and friendship with some amazing photographers led by John Paul Caponigro…. A fantastic journey with Max to Karijini for a fabulous workshop led by Christian Fletcher, Tony Hewitt and Peter Eastway…. Had surgery on my lip….  Swam with, and photographed the whales in Tonga, led by Darren Jew….Re-commenced my Bodywork and Healing practice (which I closed at Christmas)…. Faced losing Max whilst frantically driving him New Years Eve to the hospital when he was having trouble breathing…(he has since recovered 🙂 ) … Supporting Max  and James to prepare for their journey through South America in Penny our 1923 Vauxhall Penny in South America  and now… now I’m quietly sitting healing the back of my patellas which I damaged when my femurs smashed up under them when I fell whilst squatting doing a floor massage the week before Christmas.

I knew I had damaged my knees during a bodywork session the week before Christmas… but just pressed on. Foolish. I got ‘through’ Christmas.. and whilst Max was in hospital I handed my knees over to the Doctor and Physio and a later MRI and a with miracle cancellation appointment enabling me to see a top Ortho a few weeks later, revealed the exercises which I had been so diligently “could not have been causing more harm”. So ..leg brace for a few weeks and suggested 3 – 12 months recovery. Bummer…. but hey…. this is LIFE!! .. (and a result of all my own choices! – even if it was an accident that my foot was caught on the mat.)

So… no stairs.. no driving… no outdoor adventures or photo expeditions…. no Zumba. No running 🙁 🙁 🙁  I’m finding that the most difficult… and being told I may not be able to run again is something I just refuse to accept. So I’m just shufflin’.  NO PITY please.. I’m good. 🙂 Thank goodness for online Woolies delivery!!! LOL

.. and feeling like a blank piece of paper. Feeling like “a spot of ground where nothing is growing, where something might be planted, a seed, possibly, from the Absolute. (Rumi)” Feeling like a jelly bean jar which has been washed and cleaned.

I’ve cleaned my studio and it is fresh. I’m just cleaning all my works for my exhibition in Melbourne at Red Gallery opening on April 10th. 🙂 . …. Being in my studio feels like I’ve started to have just a couple of fresh new jelly beans dropped in. I feel like a seed has been planted.

Have you ever felt like this?… in a space where things are coming a circle of completion and you are on the cusp of a fresh new way of Being?? I know that this is an important time for me… not just personally but professionally. I sense it is time for me to perhaps revisit images locked away in harddrives… perhaps I can read artist books… perhaps I can learn about other photographic artists. Perhaps I can become aware of any glint of direction for a new and fresh exploration of myself through a body of work.

Perhaps I am that blank piece of paper on which new and fresh ideas to be written then read…..new words shared….. fresh ideas drawn… sketched… painted…. coloured…..and maybe that piece of paper could also even be folded and shaped….

ahhhhh….. thank you Rumi… …  “a piece of paper with nothing on it….. ”