Some days everything flows and other days I feel like there are invisible brick walls in my head. After innumerable false starts, I give up and go for a walk. What a relief to finally feel a sense of unimpeded movement. Whilst the walls of the studio felt like they were closing in on me, now I am outside with a wide horizon, distant hills and the sound of birds busy about their day; a grey heron stalks fish in the estuary, a kingfisher dives into the deep channel and emerges with his catch, a tui sings from the bottle brush tree.
After a brisk walk in the crisp air - feeling the welcome sunshine on my skin (because this is New Zealand and it's a chilly winter this year) and having my attention absorbed by the natural world around me - things inside are becoming unstuck. Characters deliver up lines of dialogue and a new and dynamic scene unfolds itself. On the picture book front I feel renewed energy and belief in my current page - so what if embroidery thread broccoli is taking days to do - it will be worth it. Taking a walk outside helps me to settle into my natural rhythms, it shakes out the grumps, gives me a wider perspective and so, feeling refreshed and at peace with myself, I am once more ready to do the work that calls me.
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