SMALL STONES: MINDFUL WRITING DAY

This is my small contribution for Mindful Writing:small stones

"The sun is setting down
With it my thoughts
Of what it could have been
and what it will be"


for more information check out the site:
http://www.writingourwayhome.com/mindful-writing-day-2013/

Words for Wellbeing....AMAZING

Great session... AMAZING session... Funny how the conversation end up navigating to my exercises... Was like talking about that comes the next exercise... It was brilliant. A big thank you to all the participants.

TOMORROW WITH CREATIVE WELLBEING

Tomorrow I'll be facilitating "Words for Wellbeing" at the Old Fire Station from 10 to 12pm.
Come and have some serious fun writing.

REWRITTEN TEXT: THE TURTLE, THE MUSHROOM AND THE EGG

The turtle, the mushroom and the egg

There was this wee turtle that lived in the deep blue sea, 500 miles away from where he was born. He had a weird desire. To eat a mushroom but not just any mushroom, a special one that only grows once a year in the far end of the world. Everyone laughed at this poor turtle. The only thing to be punished for was this desire and the dream of getting it. Sad and annoyed he swam away from the other turtles. “How cruel they are!!” Lost in his own thoughts, drifting more than swimming, he found himself next to an old wreck... 

“Massive ship, it must have been fantastic in his days of sailing” the turtle thought and overwhelmed by his own curiosity he swam inside. It was so dark and after blinking a few times, his eyes got use to it and he started to recognize the silhouettes of little fishes, little by little he saw the algae growing from the ceiling, walls, floor, animals like prawns and snails crawling everywhere. Inside this wreck felt like there was more life than in the ocean out there. There was so many rooms at his disposal for him to visit, every one of them filled with extraordinaire beings and weird human objects. Distracted with this little adventure of his he come across this strange room, it was packed till the ceiling with lots of contraptions. He was fascinated... so many different things that he couldn´t even name it. Tubes here and there with water bubbling up and down. Watching through a glass he realized there was this old creature working on something in front of him, so concentrated this creature was that when the turtle got close the creature got spooked.

“Good Gracious what were you doing sneaking behind me like that? Spyyying on me?” said the old creature really upset.

 “No, no... I’m sorry. I felt drawn to this place and was exploring it when I found myself in your wonderful room. I’m very sorry if I disturbed you...” He turned his shell and was ready to go out when suddenly the creature said with a deep naughty voice: “I know what you are looking for”.

If there was a startled look in a turtle’s face this would be the biggest one ever “What do you mean....” trembling his voice “What am I looking for?”

 “You know it. Why play games with words? You want the Mushroom”. Moving around, still busy in what he was doing before “The Golden Mushroom... the Eldorado of the Mushrooms...Oh boy... You have it cut it for you don’t you? Couldn’t wish for anything simpler.. Could you?” Without giving a chance to the turtle to explain himself, the creature continues “Oh yes, I was a little octopus when the last turtle went on an adventure to seek this mushroom. Never heard of him again. My great-great grandfather knew where to look for... Oh yes he did” Laughing to himself... the turtle was listening carefully to every word that he said. “Here they are”... Looking at a big pile of papers. He started to go through them. Papers swimming, hovering everywhere. What a sight... papers with the human writing, doesn’t make sense to anyone of us, papers with maps and others with drawings of strange objects, stranger creatures of the deepest sea levels. “Hey... here it is... My fine young turtle prepare yourself for an obscure secret that only me, my great-great grandfather and the old turtle knew... the map for the far end of the world.

Poor turtle, his heart was beating so fast, that he thought it would come out of his shell. “Easy little heart, calm yourself down .. this is just the beginning of a wonderful journey” he said to himself. The old creature spread the map over a table, that minutes ago was full of stuff. “Must be handy to have all those tentacles”, thought the turtle. The creature then picked some snails that where walking around on a wall next to the table and attached them to the ends of the map. The turtle closed his eyes in anticipation and when he open them....”wow”. The light shinning on the map was beyond this world... Mesmerized as if looking at an old pirate trunk full of gold... His eyes run across it following every line... so many lines they were...

“Before I reveal the way, I have to ask you, Are you ready??!! If there’s any doubt in your soul you’ll not succeed” said the old creature.

“Am sure. This is what I want for so many years... Every time I close my eyes, in my sleep, it’s always there and it’s taking control of my life” said the turtle before filling his chest with hair, tall and confident, assuming a position of bravery. A silver light passed quickly on a window. Both of them startled.

 “What was that?” Asked the turtle trying to maintain his confident pose.

 “That my young turtle is the first of many dangerous you’ll have to face and survive!!!” The old creature turn around with a sad trembling voice “I wish I was young like you to embark on such a journey. You have no idea how I envy you right now”. He sat down in his chair going back to his project. The turtle was also sad for this old creature but taking a look at this room he thought that this old octopus must have had a wonderful life full of adventures.

“Farewell young turtle, I wish you success and that you get everything that you desire from this adventure”.

With a smile the turtle the turtle answered “Thank you for everything. I’ll be back to tell every single detail of my journey!”

“Tentacles crossed that you do”. If only octopus could cry. “Go through the second room at your right there’s a corridor that leads you to the end of the boat. In there, there’s a hole, big enough for you to pass through it. You’ll be safe from that shark. Old as me...he is. Still waiting to catch me.”

The turtle with his heart full of hope and determination, turn around and started to swim, going throw the second room...

rewritten text, let me know what you guys think about it. Do you like it. Would it be a story that you would read to your kids or grandkids. Illustrations will be posted eventually 

WRITING BLOG

    Created a new blog for my writing:

    //nairmorna.wordpress.com

 

"WORDS FOR WELLBEING" CREATIVE WELLBEING

Carol today brought some wooden objects for us in "Words for Wellbeing" So i choose three of them a turtle, a mushroom and an egg... I created this short story that i hope you guys enjoy it 

The turtle, the mushroom and the egg

There was this wee turtle in the deep, deep sea. Who had a weird desire... to eat a mushroom but not any mushroom. A special one, brown reddish, that only grows once a year in a far away land. Everyone laugh at this poor poor turtle. The only thing to be punished for, was these desire. Swimming sad and annoyed, he went drifting away from the other turtles. “How cruel they were. How blind and ignorant...” Lost in his own thoughts he came to be next to an old wreck... 
Overwhelmed by his own curiosity he swam inside. Dark at first, his eyes got used to it. After blinking a few times he started to see little fishes, algae growing everywhere, little animals crowling everywhere. Inside these wreck there was more life than out there. He passed from room to room until he arrived in this strange rooms. Gather around lots of contraptions. He was fascinated. So many different things that he couldn´t even name it. Tubes here and there with water bubbling up and down. Watching through a glass he saw this old creature working on something, so concentrated and when he got close the creature got spooked “Good Gracious what were you doing there? Spyyyying on me?”. “No, no... I’m sorry. I was drawn to this place and was exploring the wreck when i found myself in this room. I’m sorry if i disturbe you...” He turned huis hell and was ready to go out when suddenly the creature said with a deep naughty voice: “I know what you are looking for”
If there was a startled look in a turtle’s face this would be the biggest one ever “What do you mean....” trumbling his voice “What am I looking for?” “You know it why play word games with me? You want the Mushroom”. Moving around, still busy in what he was doing before “The Golden Mushroom... the Eldorado of the Mushrooms...Oh boy... You have it cut it for you don’t you?? Couldn’t wish for anything else simpler.. Could you? No wonder everyone doesn’t understand you right?” Without having a chance to explain himself the creature continues “Oh yes, I was a little octopus when the last turtle went on a adventurous to seek this mushroom. Never heard of him again. My great-great granfather knew where to look for it... Oh yes he did” Laughing, more talking to himself... the turtle was listening carefully to every word that he said. “Here they are”... looking to a big pile of papers., he started to go through them, papers swimming, hovering everywhere. What a show... papers with what the humans call writing, doesnt make sense to anyone of us, other papers with maps and other with drawings of strange objects, extraordinaire creatures of the deepest sea levels. “Hey... here it is... my fine young turtle prepare yourself for a obscure secret that only me, my great-great grandfather and the old turtle knew... the map for the far away land.
Poor turtle, his heat was beating so fast... that he though it would come out of his shell “Easy little heart, calm yourself down .. this is just the beginning of a wonderful journey” he said to himself. The old creature spread the map over a table, that minutes ago was full of stuff, must be good to have all those tentacles. He then picked some snails that where walking around the wall and he attached them to the ends of the map. The turtle closed his eyes in antecipation and when he open them.... the light shading on that map was beyond this world... Mesmorized like looking to an old pirate trunk full of gold...His eyes run across it following every line... so many lines...

to be continued...sequel

WORDS FOR WELLBEING LAST 26TH SEPTEMBER

First let me start by apologising for the delay of the next posts this one include also. I was ... well still am, sick with flu and this annoying dry cough.

                On the 26th September I had the great opportunity of leading the Words for Wellbeing group and I felt honoured by doing so.

                With no further delay the exercise that i choose was freewriting based on 5 words Mountain, Cave, River, Rock and Snow.

                “I see this massive dark blue, tall mountain reaching out with it’s point nearly bursting the sku. I set my mind on it “I will climb it”. ”Foolish girl” I think to myself “90kg, 36 years old...how are you going to drag yourself up there?! It’s impossible”

                Half way there I found a cave... dark and humid. I’m thinking “Don’t go in there” But my curiosity took the best of my claustrophobia. And I followed this weird noise that i was hearing, the walls are wet and I barely see anything with this light above my head... and the moment I’m thinking this...the lights went off... It took me a while for my eyes to adapt. I started to see these glowing things, creatures bluish in colour on the walls, ceiling and floor and I...was mesmerized.

                It started to become more clear there was this opening on the end of the cave. I reached it and to my surprise there was a river. Such strong current I will never pass to the other side.

                I see a rock a bit further down and if I jump it I can make it to the other side... “Well you conquered claustrophobia now it’s time to conquer the height fear... leap of faith here I go...”

                What a jump I couldn’t believe it... I did it... I give myself a moment to breathe and hold it together and started to walk. I enter another cave just like the other, had the same bluish creatures walking around everywhere, but this cave wasn’t as big as the other one and it opened it up to an open space with a purple snow.

Hope you guys like it :D

WORDS FOR WELLBEING

Thursday at the Entreprise Centre from 10am till 12pm... Be there. You'll have a surprise :)

WORDS FOR WELLBEING

And here we are again with the fantastic Carol Ross and the amazing healing “Words for Wellbeing”

The two exercises that i choose are connected: First exercise we had to write about your favorite way to travel and the second to write about a person/character that we find in that voyage. So.. here we go :D

My favorite way to travel is through books. Specially Christian Jacq’s books. They take me to an era that I cannot visit and its close to my heart: Ancient Egypt. Although written in fiction, he is an egiptologyst so I feel confortable in his words knowing that historical facts will be correct. I travel to Ancient Egypt, where i’m every character, poor or rich, male or female, adult or child, experience everything that the character does. I cry or laugh with them, feel the sun touching my skin like they do, feel their loves and their losts. I can even smell the banquets or the sweat and blood on the battle fields and I finishe every book with a sense of accomplishment.

Travelling on my own through the desert, is hard enough. My camel is my only companion. To him i tell all my problems, all my desires. He answer me like an old grumpy old man. To him I sing when the sky is all black glittering with the stars. He provides me warmth, comfort in the cold nights of the desert.

What wonders have this creature seen? What countries had it crossed? The nomad that sold him  told me he was  a special one...what did he mean by it???!!!!

                Crossing the big desert... another day, the sun is rising, camp is lifted...here we go

WORDS FOR WELLBEING... last session

Well, my peeps you  need to wait a little bit longer for my texts of the last session of "Words for Wellbeing" still need to do some unpacking in the new house and I don't know were I put the notebook.... Not happy with this :(

WORDS FOR WELLBEING

          Last Thursday I had “Words for Wellbeing” and like always, I choose one exercise of the bunch that was my favourite. This exercise was to write a story about a gender, for example a place of great mystery or decay.

So I choose to write about My great-grandfather (the father of my grandmother from my mother’s side).

My great-grandfather’s house was always a place of great mystery, of secrecy, of quiet and harmony, of imprisonment, great magic and unknown power and loneliness. He died when I was 12 years old and he was on he’s 70s and I remember at least five occasions that I passed the day in his house. Probably the time he was in the hospital, he had stomach cancer and died from it.

The house was huge for me only one floor nothing above...just an attic. It had added rooms to match the needs of the time like all the old houses in my island. They all started with two rooms, a kitchen and an outside toilet, not a proper toilet like the modern ones more like the Edwardian times, and when the family grew, more rooms were added matching the family needs.

So this big house of my great grandfather was in a huge land... not huge for a rich person but huge for the common ones. Three times bigger than the house. There was a vegetable garden, grape vines, banana trees and many other fruit trees,  on the right side he had a place to make wine in front of it he had a wall with seats in the wall where the grape leaves covered and offer the seater cold shade while they were enchanted with the beautiful view of the city and the sea, that vast blue sea. In the house there was a special room where old things were kept. The food cages that I thought it was for birds, my great-grandmother’s long chair made from cane. That I manage to keep although it was crumble down to pieces. My treasure room... I was forbidden to walking in... the floor was old and I could fall down in a hole.

I like old houses and it’s the only place when I’m really nosy... it’s an archaeological site... full of great wonders, old relics... You never know what you can find.

WORDS FOR WELLBEING

Last Thursday “Words for Wellbeing” we had lots of exercise to entertain ourselves. I choose this one. We had to choose one scarf from 6 of them and make a story out of it, true or not. I was attracted with this beautiful brownish scarf with patterns and blue flowers.

It’s 40º degrees in the shade. I’m out of breath. Who had the idea of travelling to Egypt in the middle of the Summer. Of course me. ...I still couldn’t believe that I won that trip. One day I was bored, my son was at school, my husband with his mate, my girl friends all busy, my paintings done so I decided to watch some TV. Turn on the tv and this stupid commercial/contest was up and something made me call them. Felling stupid after grab myself a glass of white wine and decided to listen to music instead and relaxed. Days passed and that event had gone away from my mind. One day arriving from picking up my son up, I received a phone call saying that I won a trip to Egypt with everything pay for. Just for one person. I was disappointed and surprised at the same time. I won?????? Really…I not used to winning anything in my life. I work hard to get what I want…one person only, that’s impossible, what about my husband and my son. Hurrying with this thoughts didn’t realize my husband arrived and was looking at me wondering what was going on. I explained. He said to go that I would be mad if I didn’t. I answered him that I would think about. The next day I had this box waiting downstairs. “Happy Birthday” said on the envelope and inside a note saying this was for your birthday but now you will need it for our trip. I open this box confused, trying to imagine what it was. To my surprise….the gorgeous brownish scarf with blue flowers that I had mentioned to my son that I would love to have it after we saw it on a charity shop. Tears came rolling down my face.

It’s all fiction. Never been to Egypt. Never won anything in my life...

"WORDS FOR WELLBEING"

Yesterday was another “Words for Wellbeing” at YMCA Carlisle. We had several exercises and I choose this one                as the best example. We had to choose from several different names and pick one and create a character with that name. Here’s my story:

My name is Igor Kasparov and I’m a father, a grandfather, a husband and a very curious man. I’m 70 years old and I feel I’m getting younger ever day unlike my friends. I remember the first time I crossed the sea, I was only 7 years old. And it became my passion. I was determined to be a sailor man. And so I did. My parents were very upset to see me go, they were very poor and need my help with their land, they lived of it you see. But the desire of sea was burning in my veins. So I left with the promise I would send them money. The sea was magnificent, the adventures that I lived mainly because of my stupidity of being too young and too curious. Visit different lands, got into contact with different people around the world. Seeing many different and marvellous animals. Made good friends. Some of them accepted me as one of their own, as their son. Some of them wanted me to marry their daughters and one day I did. She was the most beautiful woman I ever seen. Indian by blood, long black hair, mild brown skin. She was wearing this turquoise sari. But the most extraordinary thing was her striking green eyes. What a magnificent creature.

We got married and I settled in her fishing village. Where I helped the community with the provision of food and I had a little boat. Along the years, my favourite time  was when I was in that boat near the coast and I could see my beautiful wife playing with our kids in the warm of the beach sands.

Do bear in mind that this texts are done in 5 or 10 minutes :P

"WORDS FOR WELLBEING" PART 2

Second exercise was to continue a text – Guided visualization. So you won a holiday in a beautiful house in a perfect location and the owner left you a notebook so you can use it as a journal and start to write every day what happens at your holiday.

“I think I have to start this writing saying how surprise I am with this gift. What a weird and uncommon present. A notebook for me to write a journal!!!

Well, having that said, this is a beautiful house. When I google for houses with lakes to rent for a small holiday I was enchanted with this one. That photo with the rays of sun touching the roof, butterflies everywhere, the forest surrounding it so green, full of life and that lake also touched by those rays of sun, glittering, so peaceful. I was hooked. Didn’t want to choose any other and had my decision made. There was a part of me that thought I was being tricked that that photo was not real, it was Photoshop...

To my big surprise when I arrived here, the all region seems to vibrate with life. I was brought by an old wood wagon with a horse, like you said you would arrange it and the man give me this massive old key that made me giggle and thinking how would I walk around with that key on my jeans. After we said our Farewells I stayed still watching him going away. A small breeze lifted and brought this wonderful smell of flowers and when it touched my skin it was warm. So I decided it was time to pick up my luggage and start walking to the house. Had to walk for a while but it was all worth it, the birds sang all the way there, they were so many, brown, red chests and many others. Beautiful songs.”

   
To be continued

"WORDS FOR WELLBEING" PART 1

“Words for Wellbeing” how I miss it last week.

                Yesterday we did three exercises and had a new “mindful writer” on the group.

                I have chosen two.

                This one is about a pair of dark green gloves and I had to made-up a character for that pair of gloves. And this is what came out of it:

               

“It’s my first trip to Paris, I’m really excited for the first time on my life. What a privilege I was given... to study with the best contemporaneous masters of figurative painting. Including a special visit that no one is aloud too, the Louvre vaults, where they keep the some masterpieces hidden from the common eyes.

This morning I was ensure about what to wear. It sounds ridiculous I know. But I was so nervous that it all became complicated like dressing myself. So I choose to put my lucky, lucky gloves, the ones that I was wearing when as soon as I arrived home I received the phone call. So with them on, everything else seemed to fit naturally.

This gloves seen a lot, grieve, happy times. They were passed to me by my grandmother. It feels that they’re magical, as a magic wand. They make everything better.

So here I go with my magical green gloves walking around Montmartre, visiting the old art market, where the colours dance and sing to our souls. Where the smells of oils invades our imagination. Where the souls of the old painters haunt, trap in their love for art.”

MINDFULL WRITING EXERCISE

   Yesterday exercise of Mindfull Writing.

ALWAYS TRUE TO THEMSELVES

Women...Paradoxes... Worlds apart from the other half of the same specie

So frail at moments and yet so strong in others

Following their hearts, their intuition and their common sense

Always true to themselves

Their troubled souls is what makes them specials

Their concern for anything and all things

Their interest aroused by a little detail, an interesting word

Out of place...spikes their curiosity

Always seeking for companionship,

For belonging, for good times and for fun times

Always ready to be swept from their feet

All they want is to feel special, to feel like they matter

Braves one who in the past died for love, for honour,

For believing in something true to their heart, true to their nature

They talk too much but if you stop criticizing them and just listen

Carefully you will understand then that they ask for so little

So caring, loving, protective, confident, sensitive,

Givers of life itself they are...

I share all of these with my sisters and much more

Always true to themselves...

WHAT WRITING MEANS TO ME

              If only you would have a go at Writing. Writing just for fun, for yourself, for your friends. Writing just for the pleasure of writing. Five minutes a day would be enough.

                “What would I gain from it?” you may ask. Everything, I tell you, anything, the possible, the impossible, the universe, the earth, the hearts and souls. Exaggerating… Not a bit.

                You will also gain freedom, freedom of thinking, speaking, feeling…

                Imagine all the possibilities, desires, wishes, fears, conquers.. all made possible, true with this magical wand of your choice (pen or pencil) written in the black lines of a white paper.

                Writing did all of this and much more, it freed my brain. And let me say that after all my life having it always occupied with thoughts and hurries. This is the first, although still feel uncoordinated, that I have myself for me. It feels like a new begin, full of possibilities. I was stuck..now I’m free… I’m learning how to “walk” like the first time.

                All of this would not be possible without Carol Ross.

                Thank you so much for giving me this amazing new universe.

"WORDS FOR WELLBEING" PART 4

                Last exercise we did was another poem but this time we used a kind of “structure” and for the rest of the poem we had to construct it or rearrange it from the same words of this “structure” and not aloud to write new words.

The structure:       I am...

                                I am…

                                I am…

                                I am very fond of…

                                I am very fond of…

                So I re-wrote a bit at home. Although better than before, it’s still shit. But I still decide to post it :P We learn from our own mistakes but special from others too…

                I am an artist

                I am a mother

                I am a fighter

                I am very fond of purple

                I am very fond of good music

                A purple artist I am

                A purple mother I am

                A purple fighter I am

                Very fond of good I am

Very fond of music I am

A good artist am I

A fighter mother am I

I am very fond of music

I am very fond of purple

Am I a purple music?

Am I a mother?

Am I very fond of good fighter?

Am I very fond of an artist?

The end.

Hope you guys like it.

If only you could feel what I feel when I’m writing now. It’s a blessing.

"WORDS FOR WELLBEING" PART 3

Next exercise us three, Carol, Gill and I wrote phrases that started with Life is… and then we assembled them into this poem.

                Life is an amazing gift to curious souls

                                Full of Joy and Happiness

                                About experience, bad or god, that builds your personality

                Life is what you make it

                                A chance to do right all the wrongs of our past life

                                To short to hold grudges

                Life is not what I expected

                                Surprise in every corner, in every decision

                Life is unpredictable

                                Runs so fast

                                A winding path

                                Very dependent on geography

                Life is this present Moment

                                To be taken one small step at a time

                                For living in the Future not the past

                Life is like a coconut, hard on the outside , soft in the inside

"WORDS FOR WELLBEING" PART 2

                Time for another exercise. An imaginary talk with someone that you can’t talk to anymore, being far away, dead or etc…

                On the 1^st of May coincidence enough I had a talk with all my photos of different ages (I’m a freak, get over it). So I kinda re-wrote this conversation

Me: I’m sorry.

Little Me: For what?

Me: For all the dreams and desires that you had and I didn’t follow.

Little Me: That’s alright, there’s still time. You’re not dead yet, you know???!!!

Me: I failed you.

Little Me: You did what you had to do.

Me: If only I was strong.

Little Me: You are stronger than you think.

Me: I let you down.

Little Me: You still haven’t. Clean up your tears. Chin up. Be proud of who you are. It’s all alright.

                Yes, I was literally in tears.

"self portrait" work in progress