“Here is our long-forgotten family home.
And, having heard now and then the voice of ancestors calling,
Like a grey little forest bird, from far-away centuries,
I fly to you,…”

…It’s late, I’ve just finished some last minute work and I’m off to Poland on a “roots trip” with (almost) ALL my family very early tomorrow (actually today) [...]

I am fortunate to be ‘home-full’ - I have many homes around the world I am welcome. And I have lived in quite a few places…
As such concepts of ‘home’ are sometimes a bit abstract for me…Home can be where I am, where my family and friends are, where someone or something I love is. [...]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Image: Perseverance (c) Harry Araten 
Backstory / Story with image 
Please note: not all this backstory relates to image/notion above - you may prefer to scroll down to ‘related stories‘ section… 
 ***
"When is the best time to plant a tree?
20 years ago…
When is the best time to plant one?
Now…"
Or if you prefer, [...]

In conversation with Chaim yesterday he mentioned, almost in passing, letting go to "life’s intricate dance".
I’ve been thinking about his words - and thought you might also like to.
As I sit and write I also recall a line from Dr. Seuss’s Oh The Places You’ll Go "I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely [...]

I am storycollecting. I am thinking of past. I am thinking of roots.
I am thinking of Home. And what it means.
I am painting with words. Words and stories.

 (And I found myself thinking ‘Brett Whiteley’ - image Blossom Tree (c) Brett Whiteley (source))

Maxim of the ever-wonderful Danish mathematician and poet, the late Piet Hein - author of some of my favourite poems, Grooks. (Gruks).
See below for my two favourites - The Road to Wisdom and T.T.T. - though there are many more I enjoy!
Read some more here. And here. And a bit more about him [...]

"The world of two. Now one" - Natalie Shell
More in storyworld - above is my first play with nanotales - 6 line stories and so forth. Certainly it isn’t Hemingway’s:
"Baby Shoes. For Sale. Never Worn" 
 But it is fun to practice and I thought it was a good entry into this article on Nanotales in The [...]

"Human bodies are words, myriads of words…" — Walt Whitman, A Song of The Rolling Earth, Leaves of Grass Book XVI
"I believe humans are made of stories, DNA is story, we carry our ancestors stories inside us, to which we add our own…" — Me
Have you ever read a line in a book or poem and only knowing the author, and [...]

Once upon a time, when I lived in Australia, I began to write some children’s books - for ages 5-8….and those who read with them. The first that came out (a good 3years ago) was "A Message To Send"*
You can keep reading on for more about the story, and the backstory 
OR if you simply can’t wait, you [...]

Nothing new - again. This post is about reminding myself/us what we, and the ancient humans, already knew/know - visuals are KEY!

I have been musing on using visuals to explain my work - hand drawn, digital, photos, comic…whatever. In part because visuals tell stories that skip to our right brain - safely sidestepping away from the [...]