My life has never followed a clear trajectory. Historically, it is propelled by my compulsions, the latest of which took me to the ocean. What new adventures will 2016 bring? I am so stoked, and may art and love remain the constant lightness in my heart.
Happy New Year, let’s seek inspiration, laughter and happiness always, so we can experience all the beauty of this wonderful thing called life.
I am the biggest mess when it comes to being away from my family. At the risk of sounding maudlin, I never imagined that homesickness would be part of building an exciting and luminous life in Bali ; I miss my family and Silas and my room and I feel it achingly every minute. It makes me anxious to not be spending more time with these people I must hold close, and I wonder constantly if they are indulging themselves with pleasure as I am. My family is the light of my life. I am acutely aware that this privilege to choose my life’s path is founded upon the last generation’s toil.
The onus is on me to build Berawa Art House well, to prove that we can have the best of all worlds. I believe, because the universe is ours to mould, that all my dreams will collide ; there is nothing to forsake. At the end of the day I have two precious homes and a big, beautiful family with love that transcends any geography.
We bought a loft for an absolutely smashing new project which will channel the best of our respective passions, talents and professional expertise. Berawa Art House(BAH!) is an art studio offering workshops for children and adults. Located in Canggu, Bali, we are uniquely inspired by nature, meditation and the infinite ocean. The summer loft lies along the beach road and is nestled in a cluster of hip cafés and indie boutiques (also the occasional rice field). The light is a gorgeous mirage and the potential energy – shimmering and remarkable.
We have been so spoilt by the plug-and-play culture of the first world. This room is a diamond in the rough, four lovely walls and little else. We have tried all week to learn about electricians, lighting, air-conditioning; the lack of a en-suite is a blessing in disguise (no plumbing to sort out!) I am looking forward to the time when all I have to mull over is filling the space with green plants and paintings. I have been poring over all manner of succulent gardens, refurbished wooden tables, steam punk lamps, Moroccan rugs, hipster murals, bar fridges, do-it-yourself shelving, just to name a few.
I am so excited. Wouldn’t you be?
It’s been a fortnight. M spent the first week entertaining his friends from KL (we made a glorious day trip to dreamland), and we spent the second navigating the labyrinths of starting a business in +62. The bureaucracy does not make sense, work culture is fleeting and fluid/does not exist, and we ride for hours to accomplish the most minute tasks. Everyday I balance the anxiety of moving too slowly with the imprudence of spending too quickly, eclipsed by the guilt of wanting to be in the ocean every sunset. Yesterday, we bought a loft and I remember with gratitude that I am constantly embraced by the sweetness, the aggressive ripeness of summer.
1.
God wanted to use the dry brush tonight.
2.
M pulls me, lazy and protesting, out of the room and onto the balcony. it is chilly and quiet in the Canggu night.
listen.
there is a faraway roaring in the air, like thunder but not quite, filling the black dome of stars around our village.
it is the sound of the ocean.
the sound of the ocean washed over my heart.
3.
i am creating another life. mysterious, spartan, but above all, new and better.