Traveling heart...

I say I'll post regularly, and then I don't, what's with that? It's frustrating me that I haven't been able to find my rhythm here still. I feel it has a lot to do with Instagram - for those who used to enjoy reading my regular posts here in my journal, I still do post regularly, mostly everyday, but on Instagram instead. So as much as I'd love you to join me over there I also understand there are those of you who are not on Instagram and don't want to be. So I'm going to start to repost significant insta posts directly on to this page, my Everyday Alchemy journal, in between my longer journal posts here. By 'significant' I mean an image with a story, with a deeper meaning that provokes discussion and thought. Because this is still my favourite form of online communication, and I've been denying myself the pleasure of sitting and writing to you here, as I would write a letter, and I think it would help to keep the flow of the space if I gently weave the two spaces together.

...this is where French Boy was born and grew up! So incredibly charming. 

Amsterdam still holds my heart.

So in big news, I wanted to let you know that we just got back from three weeks in one of the best kept secret regions of France where French Boy grew up, as well as spending some time in Paris and our old home town Amsterdam. Its not really big news, it's huge. On so many levels. This was our first trip back to Europe since Romain and I moved to Sydney five years ago. During the entire length of that five years, Romain became an Australian citizen, we became parents, and I nursed my Mum to her final hours of life. Simply put, we have grown significantly since we last saw everyone back in France and Holland. I wondered how they would see us now, and how we would feel being there. And we are three now, so how would they react to our child, our heart, which runs wild and free? 

...our girl, growing up before our eyes.

It was an incredible adventure, and one I am so eager to share with you. I learnt so much about new places that sparked hundreds of ideas, and I learnt about myself, about us as a family, and our future. So I'm going to write a series of posts with many photographs from our travels, and divulge as much as I can - from both the outer and inner journeying, I hope you'll enjoy them. 

xx

PS if you have any questions along the way, anything that you'd like to know about the trip or traveling as a family, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask in a comment and I'll reply! 

workshop news: the alchemy of assemblage...

I'm thrilled to make official here the announcement of my first workshop for the season: The Alchemy of Assemblage, to be held at the incredible Elements I Love rambling warehouse in Sydney, just a stones throw from where I live. Owner Brooke and I have been planning this for months and it's wonderful to see it come together. In a flooded market of workshops, I wanted to create and offer something really special and unique, that incorporates many elements that you can take with you to use in your everyday creativity. More than an event, I aim to propel you forward in your creative life, in one of the most beautiful settings in the city. Every time I walk into Elements I Love I am transported to Europe to a gorgeous antique boutique, a place I want to linger for hours. Brooke and her husband Tim have created such a special place over the past 10 years, it's an honour to be invited to host a creative workshop here..

...behind a series of linen curtains and closed doors lies the restoration workspace, the alchemist's lair. 

The idea of the workshop came from thinking about the art of layering and collage. In my travel memoir My Heart Wanders, I designed each double page spread to be a work of art in itself so that you can not only read the book from cover to cover but flip it open anytime to be transported to that moment through a rich layering of visuals and words. For this workshop, we will be exploring the technique of assemblage by creating a collage on wood - while enjoying champagne and nibbles, you’ll acquire the knowledge to create your own piece of personal art using a collection of elements you love.  It will be like bringing to life a page from My Heart Wanders but from your very own experiences and elements...

Through the process of creating your own assemblage board, I'll guide you on how to recognise and follow your intuition, allowing your creative spirit to flow freely - a technique you’ll be able to practice and strengthen over time. I'll be talking about creative flow, and how to manage and move through self-doubt in your style and art, the "I'm not good enough" self talk that so many of us have. 

Using your own small found objects as well as a selection of collected materials, I'm looking forward to helping you to discover how to approach a creative project by guiding you through making your own beautiful and evocative collage. To accompany the items you bring with you (think: old postcard, photograph, ticket stubs, buttons, wrapping, fabric - anything that evokes a particular moment for you: a place or loved one) there’ll be a selection of materials that I'll be sharing with you to add to your board including cloth, paper, tacks, string, feathers, shells, and ink: all collected over time and amongst my own personal stash. Along with learning how to finish your board professionally with sanding and beeswax with expert help from the team at Elements I Love , you’ll gain the necessary know-how to make more assemblages at home to adorn walls or give as gifts.

There is only one workshop date available for this (Saturday, August 27, 2016)  and limited numbers so that I can make the time to personally chat with everyone during the workshop, so please don't hesitate to book before the word spreads over the coming week.  For more details about the workshop, please click here. 

I hope to see you there!

With Love, Pia 

PS Completely off topic but... I'm addicted to Outlander. I just had to tell you. I can barely think of anything else at the moment.  I only just discovered it the other day and am still in season 1 so don't tell me a thing if you're already ahead and if you're not, I cannot recommend it enough - it's the perfect story to escape into this winter season. Yes, I'm planning to immerse myself even further by reading the books. X

finding my rhythm...

Step by step, I'm finding my rhythm again. And oh, it feels good. So good. Making space everyday for my creative being, sharing my work, my learnings... it's like diving under the sea again, feeling the cool water caress my skin, knowing it, allowing myself to be a part of the magic of it again. I've been dipping my toe in for the past few years, never quite taking the plunge, feeling instinctively it wasn't the time, but impatient all the while. Wondering when will it ever be, is it lost to me? But no, the collective creative energy is here, right here. Can you feel it? Is it sending tiny tingles through your body? Little signals that your heart is open. And I'm in it now, immersed and free, enjoying exploring it with renewed, wide eyes. And I'm not alone. I see others express it with their hands, or hear it through the power of their beautiful clear voices. Fellow creative spirit across the seas Amy T Won has captured this feeling so beautifully in her latest works featuring whales...

"Dreaming of riding a whale into the abyss of my unknown" Amy T Won

I've never met Amy, but was introduced to her and her work a couple of years ago, and she is one of the creative souls I feel connected to somehow, some way, seeing parallels in our journeying - what I feel she seems to magically capture in her work, and what I express resonates with her. This, I love. 

"Because I love how otherworldly the narwhal is to the rest of us who don't live near them." Amy T Won

Getting back into the flow for me has been about doing small, gentle moves. I'm not going to do everything at once. I'm not going to be following a marketing power plan, I'm trusting in my abilities and allowing my instinct to take the lead. I am not getting hooked by the collective 'doing' energy. It's there, I see it, but there is no space for it in me now. 

"The ocean flood gates have opened and a watery world is rushing through." Amy T Won

I've begun my creative consultations for the season. It's been wonderful to hear from some of you about what amazing creative projects you're working on and learn how I can help and support you through your journey. 

I've just listed my workshop for next season which I'll post more about in coming days, there are limited numbers though so if you're keen then I advise to book asap before it's officially announced at the end of this week. 

And on Instagram I'm just started a series of posts to showcase the feeds of creative people that I'm currently drawn to - beams of light, I like to call them. Amy is the first in this series, and I look forward to sharing more of what and who is lighting me up these days. 

xx

What is Everyday Alchemy?

——-Are you looking for The Everyday Alchemists?

read on or start here. ——-

It's been a week or so since my new website went live and it's been wonderful to receive daily feedback and appreciation, thank you! For those who have had a chance to wander and leaf through the pages, you may have noticed I've changed the name of my journal. It used to be called 'enhance the everyday'. But a few years ago as I began journeying deeper, I realised this concept wasn't resonating with me so much anymore. I realised my interest was no longer so much on the beauty but on the making. And that's when the term Everyday Alchemy came to mind. So what is it? This is the description I came up with...

Everyday Alchemy is the process of transforming an everyday object, story or experience into something extraordinary with seemingly little effort, as if magically. 

I feel like this aptly describes the 'making' component of living as a creative being. Because for me it's not just about the end result, it's not about the beauty or the 'happy', it's about the alchemy. And that's what I've always been most interested in. Not only do I love making but I love learning about how things are made, connecting with other creative beings, talking about our creative processes, and sharing the processes with others. 

I'm excited to finally share this new phase of my creative journey with you. It's something I've been working on quietly for a few years and it's a beautiful feeling to be able to open up and let it evolve and grow into the world. There are a number of everyday alchemy projects in the works, including a highly-illustrated hard cover book. While I work on that rather large project I'll be creating and sharing little ebooks and seasonal guides, and sharing ideas and fellow everyday alchemists here in my journal. My first ebook in the 'little everyday alchemists' series is called Jewel of the Sea and is out now... 

Jewel Of The Sea is a simple & beautiful story about a mother and her child playing by the seaside.  It was inspired by one of my recent trips with Laly to one of our favourite beaches. These little everyday alchemist ebooks are created for readers of all ages. They are designed to encourage the exploration of living life guided by intuition. I'm looking forward to sharing more about the creation of the book and series in my next post. Have a lovely weekend! xx

PS for those who have been asking me to make an album of my piano compositions, I finally did it! It's here for your listening pleasure. There are a few more piano pieces that have been added to the playlist which I'll reveal more about in coming weeks. 

——- learn more here. ——-