Words of Wisdom

When I began writing what would eventually become Wise at any Age I had no idea what would become of the words I was putting down. At the time it was more about recording my experience, the things I'd learned and where I could see I still had so far to go.

As it began to take shape I realised that what I wanted to write wasn't the specifics of the experience I'd had nor the catalyst that set me in the particular direction my life was going at the time - it was about the value I'd discovered in embracing the experiences we have and learning from them, rather than labelling them 'good' or 'bad' and clinging to the one whilst thrusting away or trying to avoid the other.

In the 'Thank You' bit of the book I acknowledge quite a few people by name but also mention the various other teachers of my life - the troublemakers and those I've never met but who's words of wisdom have spoken to me significantly and helped me or made me think and ask more questions. Pema Chodron continues to be one of the most significantly influential people in my life and now, after travelling to the Omega Centre in Rhinebeck, NY, she is someone I have not only met but been able to ask a direct question.

The experience, though shared with several hundred people in the room and tuned in via an Interweb link, was extremely intimate and not one I will be writing about here. But the catalyst of that seems to have provided me with yet another new and interesting direction.

One of the biggest things that has come from the experience is a renewed sense of creativity. I've been keeping busy with freelance projects - all things I enjoy immensely - as well as my new position as a Brand Development Manager, which leaves me financial secure and able to focus on more than just ensuring I have enough income to make ends meet.

I'm not entirely clear on the shape this creative flow will take but I'm going to review my big old binder of Everything I Ever Want to Accomplish in my Life and focus on the many ideas and notes I've jotted down for art projects. It has been a very long time since I've done a personal project just for the sake of it. Writing, illustrating and laying out Wise at any Age was the last and since its publication in the summer I've had to focus exclusively on getting my new career as designer to a place where it could support me financially.

This task now done and with the end of the year fast approaching I'm definitely in a place of embracing the general groundlessness of life and open to what I will work on next. I feel a renewed sense of interest in studying Buddhism, much as I felt when I first discovered that I was inherently Buddhist. All of this combined is filling my head with ideas for sculpture, painting, animation and writing.

Time to start taking notes.... or maybe it's just time to open up my art drawer and muck about, letting the results unfold as they may. 

New York - in Words

One day of walking,

all the way up from 28th and 8th.

Saw the Empire State, the New York Library,

the ice rink at the Rockefeller.

Top of the Rock and the sky was incredible.

Central Park laid out like a green runner in the middle of Art Deco buildings.

Louder and wider but so much like London.

All the different accents passing you on the street.

Saw Winnie-the-Pooh (And Tigger too!),

Broadway, Times Square, Madison Square Gardens and the Post Office.

Took a taxi to a restaurant recommended by Ruth Reichl,

former New York Times food critic,

and was not disappointed.

All on day one and my legs were knackered, my feet worn out.

But that didn't stop us from crossing Brooklyn Bridge the next day.

Started in Wall Street of course,

after taking the Subway.

Saw a giant bull and gave him a hug.

(I'm a Taurus, you know.)

Went to a food co-op and took it all in,

an example of how not everything American

is deep fried and covered in batter, dipped in ketchup and sweetened with corn syrup. 

Saw a play on Broadway 

where the programmes are free. 

And then we move on to 

my last day in the city, 

onto day three. 

A tour of the harbour under a perfectly amazing blue sky. 

Glinting off of glass buildings and lighting up

a green lady with her arm stretched high. 

Counted all the Starbucks and figured out the Subway,

(kept calling it the Underground even though they're 

not even close to being the same)

and made back to the cozy flat where we were staying. 

Went out on the town after dark, 

to the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. 

Went there to start because that was the beginning

of so very much. 

The birthplace of Pride when being gay was criminal,

and it wasn't a celebration but a riot when it all kicked off in '69. 

From there to a Drag show New York style. 

Profane as anything, definitely crossing a line. 

But we were up for it of course, because this was New York, baby! 

Three days to explore (just a little more than Tokyo) and now I can add it to my list. 

Sydney, London, Paris, Tokyo and New York. 

Totally different but so much the same - 

full of people and cars and sort of always awake.

And on the very last night of the very last day:
we danced in Madison Square Gardens and down the street. 

New York - In Pictures

Concrete Jungle...

The original Winnie-the-Pooh characters

P. L. Travers' umbrella (Author of Mary Poppins)

Top of the Rock - Central Park and Upper Manhattan

Untitled street sculpture

The Wall Street Bull

The Brooklyn Bridge

Needs no introduction

Slightly altered skyline. 

Classically New York