Staying out of my comfort zone

My six words for Six Word Saturday this week are 

Staying out of my comfort zone

Something I seem to be doing quite a lot of the time. Which, in general, is a good thing. Every so often though I seem to stay out for a bit too long and things get a little messy. One difficulty is that often I don't know how long is too long until it's too late. It happened earlier this week when, after a poetry reading on Sunday, I was feeling rather dreadful on Monday. 

In the past I would likely have given myself a hard time and had thoughts that I had done the wrong thing. I would have believed that I shouldn't have attempted things beyond my abilities.  Now though (at least most of the time) I can acknowledge the difficult feelings whilst knowing they will pass and recognise that stepping out of my comfort zone is not a bad thing. Stepping out of the comfort zone generally increases the comfort zone so there is more space to retreat to when necessary. As it was for me on Monday. 

After a short rest in the comfort zone I was ready again for new challenges. I find that it's important not to spend too much time in the comfort zone either or it begins to shrink. 

Despite its rocky beginnings this week was a good one for me. One thing I enjoyed was our first session of linocut printing and have begun to practise some cutting. 

It's going to take a while to get used to the tools and how they cut... I'm beginning to think about what I would like to print and really glad to be exploring the processes with such a wonderful group of women! 

Shadow Shot Sunday - October 19th, 2014

Shadowy branches for Shadow Shot Sunday today. 

To see other people's shadow shots go here. 

In parallel

I haven't posted any poems on here for a while. Inspiration for the following poem came from a park just around the corner from where I now live. 

In parallel 

A home for a time on each 
three streets 
ramble along inside me 
six, twenty and now 
parallel lines 
never to meet 

The six year old 
watching a kite fly
whilst shadowed by a cat 
at twenty playing soccer 
with a little brother 
and now passing through 
to meet a teenage daughter 

I meld myself 
in the middle 
of three parallel streets 
the once-green grass 
now a carpet of hearts 
and a leafless tree 
with forked branches 
reaches upwards 

In this park I am the page 

Today 
everything is different 
and nothing has changed 

            -----

The tree in the poem is no longer there at all apart from a stump. 

Here is a photo of it as it was when I wrote the poem. The only photos I have of it were taken using Hipstamatic. 

The beauty in being a beginner...

My six words for Six Word Saturday - 

The beauty in being a beginner

I was out in the backyard earlier this week and noticed rather a lot of noise coming from above me. I went inside and got my camera, trying out a lens I don't normally use which allowed me to get some closer shots. Although I've had the camera for quite a while I haven't used it very much. I have been trying out some of the different settings and feeling very aware of being  a beginner. That can be quite frustrating. I know with time and practice, if I am dedicated enough, I will be able to take much better photos. Being a beginner can also be quite rewarding and enjoyable. Often results come quickly and learning is fast in beginning stages. I'm quite happy with my initial attempts at photographing these birds. 

I didn't know what type of bird these were. Bird identification - another skill where I am a beginner. These days Google is a great help for beginners and I found quickly found out they are Red Wattlebirds (Anthochaera carunculata). Taking these photos got me thinking more about being a beginner. 

I enjoy beginnings. I moved house quite a lot as a child and really enjoyed the explorations of new environments that were to become familiar ones. A few years ago I did my first public poetry reading. I remember how nervous I was but also how rewarding it was to do. I am more comfortable with reading my poetry now and it is not such a big deal. I do miss a little that feeling after the first few times I read but I don't miss the severe anxiety beforehand. 

This week has been a busy one with many beginnings. It's the beginning of a new school term here after two weeks holidays so we've been returning to routines. My oldest daughter has begun a new job and it's been exciting listening to her stories. There's such a lot to learn with a new job. I'm involved with a couple of community groups in their beginning stages and both are rather exciting. This week one of the groups is starting some linocut printing. It's been fun shopping for supplies and I'm looking forward to getting started. It won't be a completely new thing but it has been decades since I've done any linocut printing! 

There's a lot to value in beginnings...

Shadow Shot Sunday - October 12th, 2014

Cute little shadows today for Shadow Shot Sunday. These ones remind me of a little bird.  I didn't notice the spider webs until I was looking at the photos on the computer. The camera certainly sees what is there.

To see other people's shadow shots go here. 

Paying close attention - a good thing!

I'm back for another Six Word Saturday. Three weeks in a row! It's good to remember what a fun thing it is to do. I enjoy contemplating what my post will be about. Today I really wasn't sure until I sat down to begin and had a look through my camera roll from this past week. I've been enjoying getting to know my camera a little which I've owned for a long time but not used very much. I'm certainly now inspired to learn more. 

My six words for today are 

Paying close attention - a good thing!

I found a couple of photos which made me remember the enjoyment and engagement of really noticing something and then attempting to get a satisfying photograph of it. There was the spider web I noticed while washing the dishes which I decided to try and photograph. I'm not telling whether I finished the dishes first or abandoned them to take the photograph!

Another photo I found was of some sand that I noticed whilst walking along the beach. I enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the shoreline stopping every few metres to wave to my daughter and her friend who were swimming along parallel. On part of my walk I was fascinated by some sand which had formed squishy bubbles - fun to pop with toes. It was like bubble-wrap sand! 

Another way I've been enjoying paying close attention is with the writing of small stones over at my other blog www.pausingforsmallstones.blogspot.com. These are small pieces of writing to describe a fully engaged moment. 

Whether capturing with image or word I really enjoy the process.  Wherever you are there's always something to notice. It's hard to be worrying about other things when you're really engaged. And of course sometimes its good to pay close attention and just enjoy the moment without photographing it or writing it down. 

Seagulls on a windy day

Brianna and I just went down to the beach for a little while. I was hoping to take some photographs of the sunset but it wasn't that spectacular tonight so I turned my attention to some seagulls instead. 

Four in a row

Windblown

Just before take off

Flying

On a frothy beach

Congregation

and one of the sunset (plus a few seagulls)

An enjoyable visit to the beach and experimentation with my camera...

Shadow Shot Sunday - October 5th, 2014

A variety of shadows today for Shadow Shot Sunday. 

Last night I was kind of watching television and noticed some great shadows cast from some "Where the Wild Things Are" figures that I have on top of a bookshelf. 

This morning I took some photographs along with discovering rather a lot of dust. 

After a quick dust and a bit of a change around I took a few more photos. Here's a couple that turned out best. 

I then ventured outside. All of my shots for Shadow Shot Sunday are taken in and around my house and yard. 

Here are some leafy shadows on leaves. 

What is leaf and what is shadow? 

and some shadows on a fallen palm frond. 

To see other people's shadow shots go here. 

Sound advice from my younger self

Sound advice from my younger self

A bit of a retro post today for Six Word Saturday. Recently I was scrolling back through some old posts and enjoying doing so very much. I've had a rather long break from the blog and it's good to be back. Reading one of the posts that I found it felt like I was talking to myself now from my self of a few years ago. What I wrote is still so relevant today! I often think about things that I would like to tell my younger self and I find writing letters to my younger self a very useful thing to do. It was nice to receive some sage words from my younger self. 

Here is a copy of the words from the post, originally written December 11th, 2010 - 

-----

Set goals........and always remember to carry loads of courage and kindness. I am feeling pretty proud of myself. I did go along to the poetry group today and I did read my two poems as planned. Well done to me!

I have been thinking about how I have been able to be successful recently at things that I wasn't able to do in the past. I spent a lot of time in the past setting goals - meeting some and not others. What was missing I think was kindness towards myself. I was very hard on myself when I failed to meet one of my own goals. A lot of my goals I set were around talking and I failed to meet many of them. I wanted to talk in groups but just couldn't seem to do it. I was always very disappointed with myself but this didn't seem to help in any way. It was only when I started offering kindness to myself that things slowly started to shift.

Knowing that I will be kind to myself regardless of whether I meet my goals has actually resulted in me successfully meeting more goals.

So...I am glad that I managed to do what I wanted to today but I like to think I would now be offering kindness to myself if it had not worked out so well. There will always be more opportunities to meet goals with the help of courage and kindness.

-----

Here's to continuing on with loads of courage and kindness!

Shadow Shot Sunday - September 28th, 2014

Earlier today the prospect of getting a shadow shot seemed dismal. A short while later the sun has come out and I am spoilt for choice! 

These shadows appear often near my back door with the sunlight peeking through leaves. With a little wind they shimmer gently, beauty impossible to capture in a photograph. 

I finally mowed the lawn last weekend. It's fun to go searching for things not normally noticed like the shadows from these blades of grass. 

Some bold shadows from a marshmallow weed falling over. 

And some gentler ones on the wooden fence. 

To see other people's shadow shots go here.