Lighten up, loosen up and shake it out.

Ok so I know I’m still due for one last post about Vancouver Island but before I get to that I wanted to post this little bit for myself.

Dear you,
Stop taking things so seriously! You used to be so fun and crazy, dont lose that little spark of innocence and childlike wonder that you have kept for so long. It doesnt matter if you look silly. You ARE silly! Dont worry about people judging you. You can still have morals, manners and beliefs and act like a crazy fool sometimes. Thats what keeps you young. Never lose that. Always be true to you.
Regards,
your inner child.

far from perfect

Society has this deep desire for perfection. Or maybe it’s even becoming a requirement. It’s a sickness because no-one can live up to that. It’s such a shame that injecting poison into your face to deaden it and remove wrinkles is socially acceptable – and even encouraged. I could never do that to myself. I would never want anyone I know to do it to themselves. Nothing in life is perfect in every single way – but perfection to me comes with flaws. I think that ‘flaws’ are perfection, they are what makes us unique and interesting. I was taught that I am beautiful, I was brought up reading inspirational books of quotes and watching nature documentaries. I remember being in awe of my pop, he would take me and my brother down to the beach for a swim in summer and he was so at home in the water that I thought he was a dolphin. After the swim we would go back to grandmas house and meet mum with fish n chips for dinner. Those friday nights were the sweetest, and they will always remain close to my heart.

I have never been a follower. I wasnt popular at school, I was overweight and I got teased. I had no father at home to talk to, but my mother and grandparents were more than enough. I have always known how important they are in my life. When the other teenagers started smoking and drinking I resisted. I really had no desire to go there. I tried alcohol, I didnt like the taste. I didnt like the effect it had on people. My uncle was an alcoholic and so I saw how this drug can take a hold of your life. I didnt feel the need to do something I didnt want to just to fit in. And that has remained the same ever since. I have never been drunk and when I go out I avoid alcohol. I dont think it’s such a big deal. If my friends want to drink then I am ok with that, just as they should be ok with me not drinking. If they’re not then they arent really my friends. You should never feel pressured into doing anything you dont want to – by anyone!

We live in a world where the most important professions – such as teachers and nurses are some of the lowest paid and yet hockey stars and actors get paid far too much. It doesnt make much sense to me. Pay packets should relate to the jobs we do and how important they are in society. Surely teachers who are shaping our future generations of children and nurses who look after the sick should be up the top?!!

I have this innate need inside to change the world, it’s been hovering around there for a long time now. I dont know how I am going to do it – what form it will take or when it will happen – but it must. In some way, when the time is right, we must all do what we can to change the world for the better. We must eliminate greed, hatred, ignorance and injustice -education seems to be the answer. How does someone know what they are doing is wrong and how to change? Only by education. I was talking about this the other day with Ed about the drug addicts situation. Sure, we can make them sober and take the drugs away but unless they want to change and are educated about everything then it wont make a difference when they return to their normal lives. If the temptation is there then that’s often too much.

If you could see me now and read the words I’m writing I would want you to know that I am happy. I am happy because I have given myself permission to be happy. I am flawed, I am far from perfect but I like who I am. I’ve gone through a lot, I have changed a lot. But I can honestly say that I love myself and I am not ashamed to be alone. I am surrounding myself with people who I look up to, who encourage and motivate me. I no longer find myself drawn to negative people. I am learning.

What do you think? What are you learning?

Let the photos speak for themselves

Ok, after several posts about fashion which included several shots of me I can imagine my brother grimacing. Or he would grimace if he actually read my blog – which he wont because “I dont want to read your artsy fashion stuff and see 100 photos of you.” Hehehe. As far as I can tell his lovely new wife reads the blog and just passes on any interesting information. Dont worry, these are no photos of me in this post! Haha.

Anyway, my point was to clarify that I by no means regard myself as a model or a professional camera(wo)man. I love fashion – and art and I like finding ways of combining the two. I have a unique style and if that means people call me weird then I can deal with that. I dont dress the way I dress to get attention, infact if you get to know me you’ll find that in many ways I do as much as I can to avoid attention. There’s nothing wrong with being an individual. I was just brought up to believe that I am unique and worthy and that I should follow my own path in life. My mother is an incredible woman.

The reason that I started this blog (and continue to write in it) was to share my adventures with my friends (new and old) and family. It is my way of debriefing on what has been happening, and I imagine it’ll give me happy memories when the only travelling I’m doing is through these pages. It made me feel like you were all a part of this journey, and it helped to make me feel less alone. It still does!! I love the connections this blog has helped me make, and the inspiration I get from it. When you have a camera in your hand you tend to notice the way the light hits a tree and makes the colors blend, or how the grey sky reflects perfectly with the grey water. You open yourself up to a creative spark and if you’re lucky you can capture life’s wonderful moments.

We all come in different shapes and sizes, in different colors and with different hopes and dreams but we each have something special to give. We could learn a lot from each other!! I have noticed that recently there is a real lack of respect not only for our elders, but also for ourselves. It’s too early to tell if this is true in Canada too (or even worldwide) or if it’s just an Australian thing. I was taught manners, and I was raised with morals. I believe these two things are the cornerstones of respect. When I walk past people on the street I try to think of their stories, the places they have been and the people they have helped. Everyone has a story and everyone deserves to have their story heard. So when you’re outside try to smile at someone you dont know, give a little bit extra when you tip or just make sure to say thankyou to someone who helped you. Little acts of kindness are easy to do, but their ripples can be felt across the whole world. You never know when you can change someones life for the better.

Anyway, this post has gotten way longer than intended! haha. I was planning on just saying a sentence about my brother and then posting some photos without words. I guess that didnt happen. Here are some photos from the last few days (north van, van city and chinatown/gardens).

More on my flickr!

I checked out the Van Art Gallery – Leonardo Da Vinci ‘mechanics of man’ exhibition, which was incredible. Can you believe that 500 years after they were drawn no-one has been able to make a more detailed and correct sketch of the intricate workings of the muscles, tendons and bones. Incredible! The man was a genius.