Stories From Life – Page 8 – Communicating Creatively

Journal Lessons

25/03/202008/03/2020 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

It’s been well over 2 years since I started ‘formally’ journalling and it has been a thoroughly interesting journey.

I started off with a (writing) Poetry journal in the form of a Visual Arts ring-bound A5 book and an A5 Moleskine Watercolour journal then in my next journal, a Paper Mill A4 with Ivory sheets, I combined the two interests.

On the writing Poetry front, I noticed that my Lamy Safari Fountain Pen’s nib now writes a bit rough after using it on 110 gsm paper. I won’t make this mistake again.

The Paper Mill Journal seemed like a great option at the time as it would hold Watercolour but was smooth enough to write on with a Fountain Pen. The one thing that kept gnawing at me though was that the paper was too smooth for Watercolour.

I’ve also tried a Strathmore A5 190 gsm Watercolour Visual Journal which was ok though I think I prefer the Moleskine A5 200 gsm.

I now write my Poetry on normal paper that is contained within an A4 Journal that is approx. 3.0cm thick and it works rather well and have been utilising both the A5 and A4 Moleskine Watercolour Journals of late.

It would be so nice to find ‘a one Journal fits everything’ though so far I have not seen anything that will fit the bill, short of making my own Journal.

I’m sure that I will try a home-made one in time. I’ve seen examples where people have ripped out the pages of a book and repurposed the cover for their home-made journal. Being a book lover I would find this extremely hard to do so I would have to make the covers myself as well.

I have a few commitments that end on 30 June this year and plan to spend a little more time investigating in a home-made journal then, so till that time, I will keep experimenting.

Have you found a Journal that meets all your needs?

Written by David Johnson

March 2020

A Moment Of Reflection

30/12/201904/07/2021 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Books, Stories From Life

Today is the second-last day of 2019 here in Australia and in a moment of reflection, I scanned one of our bookshelves (looking for something else) and came across some old copies of National Geographic.

Over time I have picked up the occasional copy, particularly if it has content that I would be interested in reading. I also have a couple of copies of Australian Geographic somewhere.

In flipping though the pages, it started to make me think of the ‘Golden Era of the Magazine…’ quality photojournalism and social documentation that the magazines of the past had given us.

Magazines like ‘LIFE, ‘National Geographic and similar that many excellent photographers (one of my favourites, Margaret Bourke-White comes to mind) and journalists contributed to for many years.

Each of the magazines delved into various different subjects, offering an insight into a way of life, historical facts and/or offer a subjective opinion which would enlighten the reader.

Yes, I know that information like this is available on the Internet, however, there is something magical in picking up an old copy of the aforementioned magazines and flipping though the pages. I just don’t get the same experience browsing the Internet.

Picking up a copy of an old National Geographic is like stepping back into a moment in time, particularly if they are capturing life in a town or city for example.

One of the National Geographic magazines I have was dedicated to the Australian Bicentennial in 1988. 31 years on it is fascinating to look back on an event that I experienced and think about how far we have come as a Nation since.

It was like opening up a Time Capsule, seeing prominent faces of the time and looking back at the cultural experiences of the time.

I could look up about the Bicentennial, Benjamin Franklin etc online and find multitudes of information but right now, I’m just enjoying stepping back in time, flipping through the pages of an old (quality) magazine and enjoying a rather nice cup of Tea.

Written by David Johnson
30 December 2019

Book Treasure

22/12/201904/07/2021 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Books, Stories From Life

In my last article, I spoke about our trip to Berrima every year. Within that trip is a visit to Berkelouw’s Book Barn which is situated just North of the Village, Berrima.

On a November weekend, 25 years in a row we have visited the bookshop. As mentioned previously, it used to contain approx. 300,000 books, though these days it only holds approx. 200,000 due to the owner diversifying to keep the business afloat.

It has a Wedding Reception, a Wine-Tasting facility and a Coffee Shop/Restaurant within it’s grounds plus a small Colonial Cottage which is used as a Guest House. All-in-all a nice retreat.

Each time we go there, we set ourselves a budget so that we don’t ‘go overboard.’ Seeing how both my Wife, Susan an I are both ‘Book-Fiends’ this is a great idea.

They have books ranging from a few dollars to in the ’000’s, thus it caters for all tastes in price and indeed, subject matter.

For many years the Photography section would be my first point of call, followed by the Art section then, Poetry, Sci-Fi, Garden and Self-Development and Poetry.

For the past few years I have been hitting the Art section first, then Poetry and I will have a quick skim of Photography followed by other sections.

We generally spend 1 1/2 – 2 hours there and sometimes it takes a half or all of that before I find books I want to buy.

This visit saw me purchase three books:

Matthew Arnold: A Selection Of His Finest Poems
The Making Of A Poem: A Norton Anthology Of Poetic Forms
How To Read A Poem and Fall In Love With Poetry: Edward Hirsch

I found all of them in the space of 20 minutes when I arrived at the Poetry section. All three books I love though I think the ‘How To Read A Poem’ book is my early favourite and possible one of the best book purchases I have ever made!

It looks such a beautiful read. I look forward to savouring it over time.

Three more books to add to the “Book Treasure” I have discovered at Berkelouw’s Book Barn, Berrima.

If you are in the area, why not pay them a visit or visit them online. You just might discover some “Book Treasure” of your own.
Great hunting!

Written By David Johnson

22 December 2019

http://berkelouw.com.au/

25th Anniversary!

08/12/201907/12/2019 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

Last month, it marked 25 years since Susan and I went out to dinner for the first time. Every year since, we’ve celebrated the occasion by spending either the weekend or the day on or close to the day in November. We’ve been married now for over 22 years.

We normally celebrate it in Berrima, NSW as it was in Berrima that Susan finally said yes to going out with me (after saying no, 5 times). What changed, you might ask? There’s a little more to it but that’s a story for another day.

Berrima, as ‘Aussie Towns’ states is ‘a historic village driven by tourism and handicrafts surrounded by farming and grazing, coal mining and cement manufacture.’

We always have a meal or two down there and although the order of things has changed over the years, there are shops/places within the town that we always visit and others that ‘come and go.’

One such place we used to love was ’Sprinkles’, a Christmas shop with all manner of decorations for sale including those charming musical and voice or movement-activated decorations. It was such a treat and we used to by a special decoration there each year. Sadly, the owner retired a couple of years ago and closed it down.

Another special place is Berkeleouw’s Book Barn which used to have 300,000 second-hand books. It now only holds 200,000 as the owners diversified (to stay afloat). It now has a Wedding Reception Centre, a Wine-Tasting facility and a coffee alcove and a restaurant where the eating space can be enlarged as some of the sturdy bookshelves are on wheels, thus can be wheeled towards the other bookshelves that line the walls to create more room for tables.

As a bookshop it has a different charm now to what it used to have. Not better, just different and we still enjoy ‘unearthing book treasure there!’ It’s great that they also retained the grand, old fireplace which is surely needed in the colder months in the Southern Highlands.

There are many other shops, including ‘Mrs Old Bucks Pantry’, ’Six Impossible Things’,’The Bay Tree Gallery’ (that has a wide variety of Artistic endeavours on display/sale’, ’Sticky Beaks Vintage Emporium’ (which is like 10 shops in one), ’The Little Hand-Stirred Jam Shop’, ‘The Brown Shutter’ but to name a few.

As you can see, we love our trips to Berrima. It’s a special time for us and our visits there have added so many more special memories along the way.

Written by David Johnson

December 2019

http://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/berrima-nsw

Millthorpe – A Picturesque and Historical Village

01/12/2019 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

As the ‘Aussie Towns’ weblink* says, “Millthorpe is a picturesque and historic village set amidst gently rolling hills.”

What has drawn us to visit this lovely little Village over that number of years is a connection that started back when my wife, Susan met Diane and David at school back in the 1970’s and they remain close friends to this day. Diane and David have 6 boys, 3 of which are still at home.

Over the years we have been up there many times, though usually it was for Christenings, a Wedding and Family functions of different sorts or just visiting.

In that entire time, I had never really spent much time in the centre of the Village so went we went up earlier last month, I seized my chance, both on an observation, photographic and sketching level.

I had a lovely time wandering the streets, visiting a community gallery, a gallery/guest house, RoseBank, in an old Bank building as you might have guessed and a private gallery with innumerable types of Art in it.

With my DSLR camera I photographed the quiet country streets, one which had a beautiful arrangement of Flora on the Nature-strip and the Heritage-listed buildings. I sketched a couple of the churches and took many reference photos with my phone.

After so many years, it was so good just to wander around the Village.

If you are looking for a quiet, out-of-the-way stay and a base to explore this region, then pop in and have a look at the sleepy Village of Millthorpe. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Written by David Johnson

1 December 2019

*https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/millthorpe-nsw

Backroad Nation

14/09/201914/09/2019 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

Last night, my wife Susan and I went to see Lee Kernaghan on his ‘Backroad Nation’ Tour backed by The Wolfe Brothers at the Evan Theatre, Penrith Panthers Club approx. 60km away in Western Sydney, Australia.

Lee Kernaghan OAM* has been one of the shining lights of Australian Country Music for the past 27 years and we’ve been fans for nearly that long, though this is the first time that we have ever seen him in concert. We always seem to have had something clashing on the dates when he was playing near Sydney prior to this.

Lee Kernaghan OAM is an Australian Country Music singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was the 2008 Australian of the Year, in recognition for his support of rural and regional Australia. He has numerous awards including 37 ‘Golden Guitars’ at the world famous Australian Tamworth Country Music Awards, an event where accomodation is booked out years in advance.

He was being backed by long-term friends, The Wolfe Brothers who hail from Tasmania, Australia and have been producing albums in their own right since 2012. In 2019, they won 4 ‘Golden Guitar’ awards including, including the coveted Album Of The Year honour with their critically-acclaimed fourth album, Country Heart.

Also accompanying the band were, Christie Lamb, Country Female Artist of the Year in 2018, who was in turn accompanied by Jonathon English (who is the son of the late, legendary Jon English, a star of stage, screen and music in Australia).

The atmosphere was intimate (the theatre holds only 900 people), electric and a celebration of not only Australian Country Music but as Lee says, “It’s about feeling that good vibration when you get off the beaten track and the country wraps itself around you.”

The concert and the performances within met and exceeded the expectations I had for it.

There were the poignant moments of ’The Spirit of the ANZACS’ when Lee asked us all to stand during the song to pay tribute to Service Men and Women past and present; the tribute to Slim Dusty**, Australia’s King of Country Music, ‘Flying With The King’ to the rollicking moments when songs that celebrated iconic Country Australia with songs such as ‘Backroad Nation’, ‘ Beautiful Noise’, ‘She’s My Ute’***, ‘Waitin’ On A Mate’ and ‘Let There Be Cowgirls’ and ‘The Outback Club.’

Also of note was a brilliant version of ‘Great Balls Of Fire’, one of the songs, Lee remarked that he played early on in his career when he didn’t have enough of his own songs to get through a set.

Am looking forward to picking up some of The Wolfe Brothers albums as I really love their sound. Am also keen to explore more Jonathon English’s music. I am a huge fan of his Father’s music and it was plain for all to see and hear that his son has all the makings of being a star in his own right.

We are certainly looking forward to the next time we can see Lee Kernaghan in concert!

Written by David Johnson

14 September 2019

Footnotes:

* OAM – Order of Australia Merit

** Slim Dusty – Australian cultural icon with a career spanning 70 years

*** Ute – Short for Utility. A term used in Australia to describe vehicles with a tray behind the passenger compartment

Everyone’s A Critic

14/09/201908/09/2019 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Painting, Stories From Life

Over the past few weeks I’ve discovered an ABC TV programme called ‘Everyone’s A Critic.’

The programme states that “each week a cross-section of Australians become Art critics as they discuss some of the most renowned art works in the country.”

Some of the critics are avid gallery visitors, whilst others are going into a gallery for the first time…

So far, I have watch four of the episodes and it is thoroughly fascinating to watch.

I’m sure that we are all aware that all of us have:

different points of view
grown up in different environments
have been subjected to different influences
Have different belief systems

A single piece of art can effect different people in dramatically different ways and often we judge the image and the artist based on what is there in front of us. How often do we see what we think the image is about, only to find that what the artwork is about (in the artist’s mind) is completely different.

One such image is “The Cripples” Arthur Boyd -1943. Pictured here, most who saw it were aghast that it was an image depicting those with disabilities in an unflattering way.

It wasn’t until they heard the Artist’s backstory and the Artist Statement regarding the painting that they could begin to appreciate and understand why it was painted and what the painting was about. It was influenced by World War II and the fact that they kept sending previously injured soldiers back to fight again.

When I go to a Gallery I will look at the image first and see how it effects me then I will read the Artist’s Statement.

How about you? Do you read the Artist Statement first then look at the Art?

Written by David Johnson

September 2019

Creating New Habits, Not Resolutions – Part 2

11/09/201911/09/2019 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

Back in January this year, I published a post on this blog titled, ‘Creating New Habits, Not Resolutions.’

I related how that there were certain positive changes that I wanted to implement in my life. I set up a spreadsheet, listed the new habits and proceeded to (over time) introduce new habits one-by-one, so as not to overload myself. Each day, I checked the ones off I had done.

It seemed like a great idea at the time, however, as life does (when you set goals) all sorts of challenges came up, notwithstanding the biggest which was family related involved the health of my wife’s parents (which is ongoing).

By the time all 11 new habits were in play, I only managed to achieve all of them done, 5 times i.e. there were 5 days when all 11 habits were checked off. The rest of the time some were and some weren’t…

Some of the new habits were, meditation, walking, exercising, watercolour sketching…

By the time June 2019 arrived I began to realise that it just wasn’t working. One of the problems was that I seemed to be ‘just checking them off to say that they were done…’ and it became a chore rather than the seamless inclusion in my life that I was expecting.

Watercolour sketching was the only habit that I checked off every day. As of yesterday, I have completed a Watercolour Sketch 228 days in a row.

Observations from this exercise are:

I was putting too much pressure on myself
Watercolour sketching is now my meditation
I’m now aiming (one at a time) to add 3 new habits into my life
I believe there is enough pressure in life without us putting more upon ourselves.

We are a week into Spring in Sydney, Australia. It is starting to warm up a little so I think regular walking will be the next habit I introduce.

Keep smiling!

Written by David Johnson

11 September 2019

Journals, Journals, Journals

10/02/201904/07/2021 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Books, Stories From Life

The thought for this article came from a Creative Workshop that I missed attending yesterday, which was being held by the Wollondilly Arts Group Inc, of which I am a member. I was unable to attend due to a family commitment.

The Creative Workshops always have a theme and apart from the main theme, this time members were asked to bring in the various types of Journals that they had used.

I am at a kind of a crossroads in Journal-use. I started off with a sketchbook for drawing, then I started to write poetry, then became interested in painting so I had different books for different mediums. A couple of years back, I decided to have it all contained in one, purchased, Ivory coloured-page A4 Journal.

I must say that I have been very happy using the ‘one-journal-contains-all’ for quite a while now.

With my increased interested in Watercolour/Pen & Wash, on 26 January this year, I decided to embark on a Watercolour Sketch a Day project and have been using an A5 Watercolour sketchbook and thus have partially moved away from the A4 Journal as far as Watercolour goes. I still do the odd, small Watercolour sketch in it and have been mulling over what to do?

It would have been very interesting yesterday to see what other people were doing with regards to Journal usage.

Something else I have been thinking about over time is to create my own Journal with various types of pages for various mediums.

I would be interested in anyone’s thoughts on types of Journals and how they use them, please?

Written by David Johnson

10 February 2019

A Sound So Pure…

20/01/2019 by communicatingcreatively, posted in Stories From Life

The power of Wind Chimes can be amazing.

I’m not sure if they have the same effect on you as they do me, but almost every time I hear them, one of two things happen:

They remind me of something beautiful that happened previously in my life and my mind is cast back to that time and I remember the experience with fondness.

My imagination starts to wander and my mind thinks of beautiful experiences to come.

There is also something inherently pure about their sound, too. It’s like an ‘original score’ that perhaps can never be repeated given that the wind blows in different strengths at different times from different directions.

I’ve also found them to be a great ‘mood lifter’ as well and why wouldn’t they be given the effect they have on me.

We were given a wind chime for Christmas (pictured below). I can hear it now. Such a beautiful sound.

How do they make you feel?

Written by David Johnson

20 January 2019

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