I have a voice

I can see why it's had such an impact. The film, 'The King's Speech' shows Bertie's struggle to overcome his stammer and inner conflicts to take the role of King of England. Lionel, his speech therapist helps him, not just to give speeches without being hampered by his stammer, but to feel that he has a right to speak.

'The King's Speech' reinforces that we all have a voice. As Lionel says to Bertie, we all 'have a right to be bloody well heard'. For those who have struggled to stand in their true power, to take the life that they want to lead, this film is not a gentle reminder, but rather, a grand push.

Bertie struggles to stand in the role of King which he feels so unworthy and unprepared for. We may not have an upcoming coronation to feel nervous about, but plenty of moments in life can feel as momentous and overwhelming, taking the courage to speak from us.

Speak your truth, because if you don't use your voice in the way you're meant to, your words will spill out regardless. Perhaps not in the way you planned. The words you've squashed down with your doubt and worry will instead drop from your mouth and fall to the ground with a thud in places where they are not intended - at work, or at pilates, or at your child's playgroup. Unspoken words will fill you and fill you up until you are so filled with chatter that you can't even think straight.

Be brave enough to risk rejection, embarrassment and defeat. Not everyone will like what you have to say, but it is your truth, your words and you have a right to be heard. Speak now.

New prints in shop

Reality and imagination sit side by side. Everywhere I look I see castles in the clouds, storms in tea cups, mountains made of piles of dirt and forests growing in little boats.

(This image is inspired by the 2006 movie 'The Science of Sleep' written and directed by Michel Gondry.)

There are now four new limited edition prints in my Etsy shop. Feel free to take a peek!

Tiny little apples

It rained all day today. It's cold. It's miserable and so, I am thinking of things that warm my heart. Like tiny little apples. Small enough to fit two in your hand. Crunchy and sweet to eat whilst sitting near a crackling fire. A quiet moment of cozy comfort.

This image with my hands in front of the fire reminds me of a scene from The Mirror by Andrei Tarkovsky. The image of a girl warming her hands by the fire has echoed in my thoughts from time to time ever since I saw the film years ago. To me, it looked like her hands were on fire, even though they clearly weren't. A strange and intimately domestic moment captured in film to give it weight.

The Mirror is such a powerful, poetic and weighty film with such a dreamlike quality that watching it feels like you enter someone else's inner reality. Thoughts, memories, reflections and poignant moments pass by on the screen and if you don't look for narrative, if you don't question it, you are carried along by the film's rhythm. It is a film that has the most effective use of silence, spread out over long sequences that I have ever seen.

As I think of The Mirror, I feel a bit warmer. My heart and belly are full and I'm not minding the rain so much now, sitting by the fire with my tiny little apples.

Create or die

I’ve seen it before. I mean, it did come out in 2007, but I have to express my love for the movie Eagle vs Shark. Directed by Taika Waititi and starring Jermaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords fame) and Loren Horsley, Eagle vs Shark captures something about relationships that we stop noticing as we become adults. I’m talking about when there was plenty of time to just hang out with each other, when we accepted idiosyncrasies readily and when we were unafraid to express our likes, dislikes and needs in plain and simple words.

Do you remember being a kid and having a friend come over for a visit? Do you remember showing off your prized possessions as a way of sharing yourself, proudly describing the origins, meaning or purpose of treasured objects? Well, when Jarrod shows Lily his unusual handmade candles and states, ‘I guess I’ve gotta keep creating or I’ll just die’, Lily is genuinely impressed. And so am I. You said it, Jarrod. You said it.