If I told you, you wouldn't believe me

So, I go to the mobile phone shop because my mobile is on the blink. The very friendly Assistant smiles, takes me to the seated area and says (as he has no doubt been trained to do) 'So, what have you been up to today?'

I am silent for a bit ... shall I tell him? 

'If I told you, you would n't believe me.' I reply.

'Try me,' he says.

'Well, I have been barefoot in the woods doing a promotional shoot for my new online business, wearing a pair of adult sized, feathered angel wings,' says I.

And from the look on his face, I don't think they covered my reply on his training course.

Random Gifts of Kindness for World Sounding Healing Day

It was World Sound Healing Day last week on the 14th February. I had so many offers to come and play my sound healing instruments with others but it felt really important to be with my loved ones to celebrate in our own small & special way.

Me, Maisy & Jeff went to listen to the sea. I figured Sound Healing is a 2 way process. It's not just about us giving positive vibes to the earth, it's about listening to earth giving positive vibes to us. Reciprocity is key, give and receive.

As we stood on the beach together wrapped up, I almost wept. The sea sang so beautifully that eventually I was compelled to chant with her. To stand bare foot on her sand and let her lap her icy fingers around my toes, was immense joy.

Off course Maisy was oblivious to such majesty because there were seagulls that needed chasing and water pools to splash about in and most importantly, holes to dig.

And Jeff was happy too, saying in true Valentine style that if I am happy, so is he, which is quite remarkable given that we are divorced.

It was such a heart warming experience that I decided it would be rather lovely to share it with whomsoever would like to share it.

I chose 12 shells from the beach, took them home, washed them, wrapped them in blue tissue paper, and then offered my facebook friends a Sound Healing Day Shell. 

It was truly beautiful wrapping them up and sending them off to everyone. It made my heart absolutely swell. 

Since, I have been thinking alot about random acts of loving kindness .. Actually, I wrote a song about it just today.

All or Nothing

Well, in true me fashion, I am doing that all or nothing thing. I've always been the same. If I am passionate about something, I'm on fire! I don't eat or sleep or think about anything other than that thing ... and right now that thing is ... a total immersion in the creative digital world. 

Actually, total immersion is not quite true because I still find time to got to the beach and the woods and the ashram ... and to meditate ... Oh yes and to do my other contracts ... but the rest of the time, I am pushing myself beyond what I thought myself capable, & I love that! I love the surprise I get when I learn things beyond me ... even now at 51 years of age, I am shocked to find that I am in fact, not the flibberty gibbet that Miss Brown convinced me I was, all those years ago. Bless her, she did like to tell us Gals what for. I wonder what she would make of it all.

I remember going to see her when I was about 14 and asking please could we do typing like other schools. 'If you wanted to type,' she snorted,' you should have gone to the comprehensive.' 

How funny. We all need these skills now but Miss Brown had science & maths in her eyes for us gals and nothing else counted, except perhaps hockey, which was my saving grace, being one of the only gals brave enough to put on the goal keeper protector shields and come out baring teeth, but that's another story for another time.

So, here I am spending 12 maybe 14 hours at a time transfixed and transported to another dimension, a digital dimension. And it has made me realise that there is quite literally a Universe of opportunity out there that could be reached whilst still wearing my pyjamas & cuddling up to Maisybobs (woof).

So, I have set about creating a new potential online business for myself. I am so excited about it I can barely breathe. It brings together everything that I am but running a business online is such a steep learning curve. 

I think what has given me this enormous lift is securing the Digital Creative Developer Contract for the Storytelling & Health International Conference, creating a website resource for new storytellers in well being.

I thought I knew a lot about social media but since starting the contract a month ago I would say my digital knowledge base is at least twice what it was. And off course, these skills are wonderful to then apply to my own creativity. So, not only do I get to do what I love doing, learning experimenting and creating digital loveliness, I also get to push my own creative digital boundaries for my own work. Seriously, my brain feels like it's wired.

One final thought ... 'Being' the Arts in the way that I am, is truly wonderful. Sorry to say Miss Brown, it gives me more joy than any amount of Science & Maths ever could have.

Gosh! It's February Already!

Well, where on earth did January go? Kicking off 2017 with a NEW CONTRACT for the  Storytelling & Health International Conference as the Creative Digital Developer  kindly funded by The Arts Council of Wales. 

I have also been busy EDITING A NEW BOOK FOR ARTS IN HEALTH as my Poet in Residence at Renal Dialysis came to an end this month, so I have been working on the Anthology due for publishing in March, as well as a report for Nursing Journals 

VOICES OF THE VALLEY PROJECT

Throughout January I have been busy in Rhondda Cynon Taff working as a Resident Digital Storyteller & Guest Songwriter with the Voices of the Valley Project touring 8 Primary Schools, training children to interview older members of their community, led by my dear friend Patricia Price, Head teacher at Penpych Primary.

INNOVATION DAYS 

IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

In addition, I was invited to join the whole of Penpych School for their LOVE IS ... Innovation Days, commissioned to write a whole school song about core values. I workshop'd with 180 children to collate their words and ideas for the song which I then recorded so that the children can learn it for their transition concert! 

YOUNG PROMOTERS

I have secured a new contract for Young Promoters re-visiting Fenton Primary School which will be lovely because I have worked with the Head Matthew Harries for some years and it is always a pleasure. Again, kindly funded by The Arts Council of Wales via the Night Out Scheme.

SOUND MEMORIES

I continue my work for Sound Memories maintaining the Digital Radio & have been in meetings on a re-design of our Award Winning Postcards from Louie, a wonderful dementia friendly book and CD created by myself in collaboration with Louise Davies.

MY OWN WORK

For some time, I have been on a deep journey of creativity and self exploration. I am finally coming to a cohesive understanding of my current work ... I have given myself a whole week dedicated just to my own work in February and in April to start formulating tangible outcomes. 2017 is for sure a time for me to step into my power as multi genre artist in my own right and get my own work out there for the world, as well as supporting others.

In between all this, I spend as much time as I can in my woods, chanting ancient Chakra cleansing Sanskrit mantra, as well as my newly written English mantra & sacred songs. I find the Earth most welcoming of such loving vibrations; likely the best listener too. 

So now I understand where January went ... 

What an incredible planet we are.