fourteen | practicing simplicity

Embrace creative progress, let go of perfectionism.

It's so hard for me to admit but it's been one of the most profound lessons I've learnt this year:  perfectionism may enhance my professional life but it most definitely hinders my everyday life. 

It's difficult to let go of idealist ways if they are ingrained in your very being. But I've come to realise that I no longer have a choice; I can either lower my standards or spend most days annoyed and disappointed at the state of my home, my lack of free time, my inability to create the scene that I envisage in my head. 

So I've done just that; I've stopped trying to get to the bottom of the washing pile, I've accepted that our walls need a paint but it's not going to get done any time soon, and I've realised that toys on the floor and books on the stairs is not mess, it's just evidence that children live here. 

My creative self? I can strive for perfectionism there and I do; with words and photos I seek to capture and document beauty (truth and beauty). I wholeheartedly believe that creativity is essential to a mother's sanity because creative projects have definite beginnings and endings. A finished project can't be undone; it's proof of time, energy and artistic expression. But creative endeavours are only realised by making them a priority and so I've begun to do just that. I'm also approaching blog reading with a little more clarity because I know that beside every beautifully designed room is a pile of stuff that sits just outside the frame (hint, hint). 

So: prioritise creativity -  it's good for you and your happiness. 

42/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Che: tantrum under the doona (on washing day). 

Poet: her hair is getting wilder and knottier - I have no idea what to do with it.

That number up there can only mean one thing - there's 10 weeks till the New Year. Only 10 more photos and you and I will both have a beautiful documentation of the year. I suppose the question is: are you planning on doing it again next year?

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A big welcome to the gorgeous Tallow, a "pillar of strength" for her parents / Milina's shots of the everyday are inspiring in their simplicity. See? - normality is beautiful / autumn, sunshine and giggly children - Kirsty's glorious days / oh! a portrait shadow / moody blues and greys and two sweet little ones. 

bali | street

I found Bali completely overwhelming for the first week of our trip. We walked the precarious footpaths of Ubud most days, stopping for fresh juice every now and then. In the past five years this once quiet town has attracted thousands of tourists; many with a mala around the neck and a yoga mat under the arm. It's the Byron Bay of Bali without the beach; rice paddies and jungle in lieu of gums and ocean. 

So what was so overwhelming? Well, it's easy to forget that Bali is rather third world. It is a land of contrast - you're in the luxury of a resort one minute and the next you're standing on a street with gaping holes in the footpath, burning rubbish beside you and motorbikes carrying a shop load of goods. It was this glorious contrast that I learnt to love; the energy of a busy town and the comfort of knowing the the quiet and the peace of the rice paddies was only minutes away. 

For that first week, as I attempted to settle into the pace, I used my camera to document the beauty, the busy and the spirit. Imagine all these scenes shrouded by the exhaust of a hundred scooters and the fine haze of incense. The soundtrack is a loud and passionate one; laughing, beeping, "Taxi?!" 

If I had of visited Bali for a week I wouldn't have returned. But a month? We're already planning another (longer!) trip. 

thirteen | practicing simplicity

paper-like marigolds; delightful decoration

Living a less-distracted life: when you live out of a suitcase for a month, without the distraction of work, homelife, school and to-dos, you soon realise that your simple life is actually quite complicated.

When all your belongings fit into one bag and you don't have anywhere to be but here, and now, you get to know yourself quite well. And sometimes, the things you discover aren't all that pleasant, especially when you realise that for the good part of a year you have been worrying, unnecessarily so. 

I definitely inherited the worrying gene but this year, as my workload has increased and our life has become busier, I have become rather anxious. It's easy to dismiss it when there's a good excuse at hand but when I was sitting in a villa on the edge of a ricefield, nowhere to be and nothing to do, I was all out of excuses. It was just me, my anxiety and the admission that it was something I needed to deal with. 

Whilst mulling over the causes and effects of everyday worrying I had the opportunity to observe life in a small village just south of Ubud. The locals live in simple stone compounds with the most basic of belongings. They work hard, but happily, and their days are punctuated by ritual and ceremony in keeping with their strong Hindu faith. They laugh and they smile and time is not something they adhere to. In Bali, there is no rush. Ever.

As I watched and contemplated I realised: Bali lacks convenience but life is rarely complicated. My life, at home, is all ease; I don't need to sweep dust out of my two-room dirt-floor home, I don't have to wash my clothes by hand and I don't need to carry buckets of cement on my head to feed my family. At home, everything is convenient yet the day-to-day is rarely simple. My diary is brimming, deadlines are the norm and I (along with so many others) am racing against the clock and the calendar.

               I am still moving to a Bali rhythm; slowly and with little urgency. The things that bothered me before I left don't seem that big or important anymore. Spending time away from home definitely offered me a good dose of perspective and I've returned with a new set of priorities. 

So: identify the complications in your life and ask yourself - are they necessary and are they worth the worry?

41/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Che: afternoon siesta with his beloved Dad

Poet: renaissance girl (in her printebebe smock that was an absolute godsend when the sun and mosquitoes were out).

After a month in Bali we are home...sweet home. We flew into Sydney early Friday morning and walked in the door just before lunch, blessed to have travelled safe and made lasting memories. I took, quite literally, thousands of photos and I look forward to scrolling through them all, gathering stories and sharing them with you. 

And by the way, I appreciate that you're still visiting me here, what with my relatively non-existent blogging form over the last while. Enjoy your Sunday (next week I'll be back to posting my favourite portraits) x

bali | wearing

For the past three-and-a-half weeks I have lived in the same five outfits - simple pieces with the right amount of just-pulled-from-the-suitcase crease. Light cotton has been a necessity; to keep me cool and to cover up in sacred places where modesty is appreciated. Lilya were kind enough to gift me a few pieces from their spring range and the kantor top (available in tangerine and white) has become my firm travel favourite. I wore it on the plane with comfy pants and a scarf, I've worn it tucked into high-waisted skirts, with shorts and over swimmers. 

Other essentials? My St Christopher's medal, the Patron Saint of Travel (my Nan placed this delicate gold chain around my neck when I left England for Australia when I was two), my beloved raffia hat, sunglasses (from a little market stand) and my vintage leather bag found at the op shop over 10 years ago; it carries passports, suncream, papaya ointment and my camera. 

40/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Che: waiting patiently for his favourite Bali drink - strawberry juice! 

Poet: she has taken full advantage of no carseats and prefers to travel with the window down, waving at kids on scooters. 

I have so many more photos to share from our travels and whilst I have had long stretches of free time I haven't wanted to be online. I knew before I left home that I needed a good break from the laptop; time away from blog world was a necessity. We return home in a week and I plan to ease slowly back into normality, imbuing home and life with a little (or a lot) of what we've learnt here.