Simply Sunday

 My day began slowly... I woke with a pounding headache in the back of my head, so I just lazed in bed hoping it would just go away... my dear partner brought me breakfast in bed, including a magic pot of tea that always cheers me up no matter what.  And also our little dog, wrapped in a blanket was placed lovingly on my bed... because she's not really meant to beee on my bed ... but how can I resist those eyes?

Aura

Slowly does it... and a visit to the beach with my banana lounge to sit and listen to the waves and finish reading a wonderful book that is now overdue back to the library.

"Don't keep searching for the truth,

Just let go of your opinions"

Man: Doc, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken.

Psychologist: Well, why don't you turn him in?

Man: I would, but I need the eggs.

~ Woody Allen.

Elizabeth Lesser in "Broken Open - How difficult Times Can Help Us Grow" was referring to the point that we know or feel that something isn't quite right in our life but for some reason we hold on to the perceived reward, instead of letting it go and fully embracing the next chapter or learning that is meant to be for us. 

I wonder... Maybe we slow down our process but then that negates the fact that everything is perfect just as it is... and in perfect timing.  But... if i didn't read things like this in the first place I may not question the very thing I am shifting and moving away from...  

enjoying a simple Sunday?

mmm, maybe not simple enough, haha!!

love Denise xo

A little bit of Cypress Sun in my day

I was delighted to receive my little parcel in the mail today....


I have been looking over at http://cypresssunjewelry.com/ for months now...


ever since I saw some of Amy's beautiful work and got to know her a little via an online course we both took... 'Flying Lessons' with Kelly Rae Roberts .. 

my self gift... is a pair of Forest Green drop earrings... not very well shown here,

but I wanted to remember the delightful packaging and sentiment that came all the way from San Marcos today.

Thank you Amy

love Denise xo

ps. you'll love her blog... the photo's are delicious, and the temptation to spoil yourself with one of her gorgeous creations is very likely too.

http://cypresssunjewelry.com/blog/

http://cypresssunjewelry.com

Friday...changing things about

Sometimes I've heard it's better to 'leave well enough alone' ... well I didn't take that advice, and have gone ahead and changed my header today...here on the blog...


I wanted to make a distinction between the new blog I've made as part of my new website... it can be more about the artwork and things... but I wanted a place to just be quiet... or say whatevertheheck I like.


fragmented human being that I am... compartmentalising things sometimes helps... being someone who lives far too much in her head... over thinking ... is it any wonder I have 'header trouble' ... and being a perfectionist is annoys me greatly that the darn header is narrower than the body of this blog.


Yep... BIG deal ... it's not I know....I'm just blurting... because I've given myself permission to do that!


I used to move all the furniture around in my rental house years ago... to make it feel better... I wonder if it works for blogs too.


love Denise xo

Free Spirits re-visited...

I have begun a new blog over on my newly created website... but for those of you who prefer to be here... I'm repeating the post... and may do so for coming ones.. xo




Yesterday I made my first little video... I had a bunch of photo's from my second solo show back in 2008, that were waiting for me to get to them.  As I worked my way through it's creation I was moved by the smiles on the faces of my family and friends and visitors to the opening, it was an incredibly celebratory day for me, and the gallery in which my work is represented shines beautifully thoughout the pictures.  

Free Spirits Exhibition

On a more personal note... I felt like I was making a movie about someone else... someone I actually love and admire, but have not been so in tune with for the last 18 months or more, with the global financial crisis in late 2009 came a bit of a jolt and a personal artist/life crisis as well.  Various things have contributed to bouts of depression and the fact I had allowed myself to become anemic once again, have brought me to a big check point where I am taking a long hard look at my life and health and wanting very much to clear out the rubbish and embrace my true self once again... with renewed strength and clarity.  

I’m not quite there... I’m somewhat confused about my work... but more ok about that lately than I have been these last months... after all, beating up on myself for not doing enough, not being enough, and not having enough is really the most unhelpful I can be for any kind of progress to come out of that same scenario.

This little video actually made me feel genuinely happy, the music by Frou Frou is such a gorgeous accompaniment to the feeling I had for the artwork.  It is my pleasure to bring something joyful into the world.

Love Denise xo

.... no reading... listening...

can i just say... it's not working.... don't know if I can ever do such a thing...

but... I am much more aware of this need to read!

I am being selective, and I couldn't help it that my local library emailed me the very day after I began this 'challenge' to tell me my reservation of "This Is Not The Book You Think It Is" by Laura Munson was there waiting for me!

I read that book immediately, because I felt an instant connection to the writer and there is nothing like meeting a kindred spirit along the creative path, one with whom you feel connected simply by the sharing of your story... I am so grateful for people who share from their hearts... if you want to find out more ... visit Laura's website

I'm actually very busy creating a new website... from scratch.... I'm still not sure if I'm extremely clever or stupid to undertake such a task... but oh well.... I might also have to dive back into my Flying Lessons by Kelly Rae.... for some help on this.

bye for now fellow creative traveller,

love
Denise xo

Day 1 of 30 - without reading/listening to books or articles

I thought it might be interesting, to keep a little bit of a note about how this process goes for me.


I am a bit of a junkie when it comes to self help/psychology, uplifting, inspiring... kinds of books and podcasts... so much so that I think I may over do it... so on the weekend when I was having a day where my head felt it might explode with the sheer volume of thoughts running amock in my head... my partner challenged me to go without reading and listening to 'my stuff' for a month!  I was slightly resistant... well a lot resistant at first, but knowing how I had avoided the week of 'reading deprivation' in the Artist Way course I am taking myself through (a bit slowly I might add) I thought there really might be something in this... for me, that I am missing by not doing it.


So... apart from keeping up with email, and a little bit of facebook * but not reading the long articles on there... I have been only listening to music today...


it felt strangely 'peaceful' in my head... I pondered... perhaps that is because every wonderful speaker I listen to... although I am inspired by what they are saying/teaching, I am constantly checking and judging whether I measure up!  Underlying all this is the constant question am I good enough?


So.... that's only day 1 mind you...... many days to go yet... and I even started a little painting... 


bye for now,
love Denise

Friday... hi..

Hi there creative souls and friends,


Well... I listened in live to SARK's call today... and I am consistently amazed by her.  For example, when she speaks about inner critics... she suggests using creative and fun ways of working with them... or 'without them' actually... like... she sent a bunch of her inner critics to Japan because there is a lot of work to do there... and just before her call today... some were popping up to say things that were not all that helpful.. like... will she be good enough for such a large call ... etc... and so she sent those ones... "down to the back overgrown garden, there is plenty of work for them to do there, and they're still down there" she said with a giggle..... i LOVE that!!!  


She's the funnest most colourful bodaciously creative inspiring soul I know of!!


I've jokingly thought of putting 'SARK' as my *religion... on facebook... because whenever I read her books or listen to her speak her words inspire me, make me feel loved, accepted and ok....just as I am... and quite frankly my experience of regular religion never did that!


*i changed it haha!

I spent a little bit of time with my chicken 'Lucy' today... she's looking very old and has gone all quiet and maybe has a little cough... I'm wondering if she might cross over to chicken heaven quite soon... so I took some photo's of her...being a Sussex, she is one of the most pretty breeds of chickens I've seen.  Not however a very good layer... so we may not buy any more like her.  I have featured her in several of my paintings, because her little black lacey collar is just special.... and I love her.

She's got her little eyes closed...

she looked like she was meditating.

"Setting off for a picnic" (c) Denise Daffara

Goodnight lovelies


love
Denise xo


I am extremely happy to be an affiliate of SARK... and she has a new session of Dream Boogie starting soon if you are interested ... www.planetsark.com  I did Dream Boogie last year and LOVED it very much!!  Especially wonderful if you are a bit lonely and in need of some colour filled inspiration and a new wonderful group of creative friends, which you'll meet online, from all over the world.  - i blogged about Dream Boogie in a previous blog. x


note.... Tuesday 19 April 2011


My lovely Lucy Lou died last night, I found her this morning


... and then the most bazaar thing happened a couple of hours later... our little dog Aura who occasionally visits the chooks; whimpered at the screen door and when I opened it... she went straight outside across the wet deck and lawn to the chook pen...(she absolutely hates getting her feet wet so I was quite puzzled) ... I took some photo's.

Who knows.... curious animal behaviour...

xo