Festive times

Christmas didn't really arrive for me this year, it all seemed a bit of dream to be honest - somewhat hazy and unreal, and over already. So moving on this is probably my favourite time of the year to look back and reflect. Last night I spent 7 hours on the phone to another photographer, a travel chap, and at 1am we were reading each other extracts of our own poetry and scribblings. Anyways I came across something I'd written when still living in Scotland, and it has inspired me once again so in the festive spirit I hope to share that with you.

All the very best for 2009! Hugs and smooches x

Magic is alive and well ...

Magic exists. Somehow. It's a subtle appreciation of life, a love of life and the acknowledgement that there is much more to life than meets the eye. When magic is happening you will know it, it discreetly warms your heart. Magic was present last week when I met Daniel, a couchsurfer and ex-soldier, from Tel Aviv for lunch and a great conversation. He posed the question of how do you react to beauty? Well, I try to photograph it fairly often. But on a deeper level, do you hold onto it, try to change it, try adapt it to suit yourself, try own it, attach yourself to it, enjoy it, remember it or just appreciate it and then let it pass you by? It's an indepth question. Which has to be answered with other questions. What is beauty, or moreso - what's beautiful to you? When does beauty start and where does it stop? And then how do we communicate that to someone else? There is always going to be that empty space between us and that's what makes life a uniquely individual experience. That empty space is dangerous as ideas can easily be misunderstood and misconstrued.

Heritage, to me, is the flavour of my thoughts this week. There is no way you can choose it but it's a precious and beautiful gift that is so often taken for granted and rarely appreciated. Not heritage as in buildings etc, well that too, but more so the geographical and genetic heritage you have gained. The little things from your upbringing that influence decisions that you make in your life. You are what you are and there are unconscious habits that just can't be changed, they are passed down from the forefathers of your country and family, it's deep ingrained knowledge.

So back to magic. Tom Robbins says that "Magic can not be described. One can create it but not discuss it. It's much too gossamer for that. Neither can it be defined. Using words to describe magic is like using a screwdriver to slice roast beef." Daniel thinks that if we could actually communicate these emotions to others we would not have art. And thank God for art! It's a beautiful world.