Reattachment

This time between Christmas and New Year is for me a time of contemplation. My clever husband likes to call it the perineum, a diamond shape in the nether regions of our bodies. A diamond in the rough then, a rare gem of time slowing down, usual routines have vanished and I can spend time recovering, ruminating, reminiscing, revolting, resolving and maybe reattaching.

I’m halfway through and swept away by THE ATTACHMENT by Alisa Piper and Tony Doherty. It’s a pen pal relationship that nurtures my flagging spirit. Filled with thoughts, kindness, consideration, empathy, etymology, and friendship. A treasure, a gem, perhaps a diamond, in all ways perfect for the perineum of 2018.

Happy 2019!

Resolved

At the start of 2016 I wrote down a few things to work towards

1. Continue to develop Mindsettle
2. Promote Nature Art Connect
3. Write regularly
4. Exhibit a series of art

So at the start of 2017 it's useful to look back, to see if I lived up to my own expectations.

Mindsettle - I spent the year talking to people in science, education and health, these conversations confirmed that the concept is valid. With generous help from Justin Brown a showreel was produced to encapsulate Mindsettle. With the showreel I was able to get a few schools to trial the idea with some of their more anxious students. The upside was they found that it worked to soothe anxiety and restore attention. The downside was that there are so many kids with individual management plans making the idea of incorporating anything more into the schedule of Special Education teachers nigh impossible. By year's enda specialist medical practice had agreed to trial Mindsettle, which means I need to produce two 20 minute films. This filmaking is slowly progressing and the more I do the easier it becomes.

Nature Art Connect - The most frustrating aspect of this lovely idea is how fabulous it could be with the right patronage. Twice in 2016 invitations were posted to social media and an email list without any interest. When Nature Art Connect was pitched to media representatives they could imagine the rich content and nourishment of the experience. This year I will invite friends and family to a Nature Art Connect event for our own enjoyment. I think the patronage could grow organically from there.

Writing - In the past few years I have become more public with my musings by posting blogs on a few websites. In 2016 on lisabehan.com I wrote 26 thoughts about thoughts. Encouraged by the likes of Steve Pressfield and Andrea Gallagher I am tentatively exposing my style to those in my world.

Exhibiting - My intention to hold a solo exhibit did not come to fruition. One of my ink paintings was exhibited in the Milburn Prize. I did do quite a bit of drawing in 2016, mostly inspired by patterns in nature and also from attending public lectures at the Queensland Brain Institute. On the flipside these do get exhibited on Instagram.  There is something really wonderful in seeing a body of work all up on a wall together, you get a sense of themes developing and ideas coalescing, but the effort required wasn't available in 2016. “Some things are up to us, and some things are not up to us.” — Epictetus, Stoic philosopher

In 2017 my work focus will be almost the same, though I have no plans to exhibit in the traditional way. I find the process of reviewing outcomes is useful for me to be clear about how I spend my time.

“Someone once told me the definition of hell; on your last day on earth, the person you could have become will meet the person you became.” — Anonymous