Swansea Open Exhibition

I submitted my two Brexit photos for Swansea's Open Exhibition recently. Unusually, they required printed and framed art, ready to hang on the wall, rather than a digital entry. This actually fitted in quite well for me. For although I was in…
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Staying Grounded

The practice of living mindfully is obviously challenging when life is difficult. During these phases when life is not as we would like it be, we can become overwhelmed and imagine that life will always be this way. We may not be able to see…

What contributes to your well-being?

As you know I have just started thinking about my next photo book: Photography for Well-Being. I have some ideas for its structure, format and purpose, and I also have created the outlines of 20+ photography activities designed to enhance your…
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Birthday Gratefulness

I have a practice that has lapsed during the hospital days. Every night I share 5 things I am grateful for with my sister, Kim in Canada. I haven't done this regularly over the last 3 weeks, but starting here I am beginning all my supportive…
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Long stay hospital reflections

After landing in 'God's own country' (thanks for the line Si), reacquainting myself with fine wine and food, reconnecting and sleeping for 10 hours, I feel that this is the day to reflect back upon what a long, challenging hospital stay is like.…

The first day of the rest of my life

I am ready. The new chapter starts here. Release from 18 days in hospital with a reconstructed throat. I am ready. For life. For new adventures. And there sure is gonna be a lot of all that. First though, departure. Final meds given out,…
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Tales from a hospital bed 13

The training wheels are off. An almost completely normal nights sleep, only a dressing change over my neck hole required at 4.40am. Otherwise a full night's sleep. What a novelty. In fact when I was woken up for my breakfast order I thought…
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Tales from a hospital bed 12

The Probation Edition. When I awoke this morning at 6 I just laid there for a while coming to. After a while I noticed a warm glow coming from beneath the blind. I slid out of bed, raised the blind and revealed the day. It felt like a positive…
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Tales from a hospital bed 10

Morning all. Last day of being a patient patient before the second stage tomorrow. Meanwhile, some better sleep last night, although the bar has been set pretty low recently. I feel more balanced today, keen for the next stage to come and go…

Tales from a hospital bed 4

There has been much occurring in my hospital bed. And even though it has involved drugs, vomiting, and shooting it has been a little less edgy than Trainspotting. A couple of days ago I was attached to the feed line and still had two canulas…
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Impending Change

I have throat reconstruction surgery planned for November. I have recently had the date officially confirmed and have begun to consider how this major change sits in my life path. My current feeling is that I am at the edge of a significant…
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Understanding how mindful photography can help

Over the last few years I have slowly come to the realisation that it is life that is the practice. Every aspect, every element, every event, every difficulty provides opportunity to be with how it is and respond skillfully. That is for me,…
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Mindfulness and Creativity

“Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” Dorothy Parker You are creative. It is in your DNA. It is in your soul. Every day you create. You may have a bright idea. You may invent a witty one liner. You may put together a fabulous…
Develop mindful attitudes thru photography

Develop mindful attitudes through photography

Mindful Attitudes were detailed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in his book Full Catastrophe Living 1991, which was developed from his stress reduction program- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Seven attitudes were initially explained, and then…

New eBook coming

I have been writing a book on Mindful Photography for 5 years. I have had a version of it for that long and it has been through many, many edits. Finally, this month the first one of two (yes two!) eBooks will be published. Why has it taken…
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Developing a Project #WAIN

Over the last two years I have been working freelance and my working world has become entirely a project driven world. Creative learning projects with the Arts Council Wales, Mindful Photography Courses with the Brain Injury Service and my…

Surfing not falling

Just got back from a hairy trip to Swansea West Pier. Taylor wanted to go look to see if it was surfable, so threw on some clothes and headed down. I persuaded Tay to bring all of his gear, rather than check it out and come back. It was…

Community Exhibition

This week I went with Zoe and Emma from the Brain Injury Service, Morriston Hospital to meet Dan at the newly developing Elysium Gallery, Swansea. Dan and Jonathan have this fantastic idea to include a 'Community Gallery' within their new art…

Five Tips to cope with your Busy-ness

Were all busy, all of the time. That's modern life for you. Work, fun, kids, family, friends, things going wrong.....the list rumbles on. How do you cope when it all gets even busier? When your busy life becomes overwhelming busy-ness? Over…
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Where’s the Brexit?

I have just submitted this photo for the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. The theme this year is our contemporary world and what can be more contemporary than the Brexit chaos we find ourselves in? Though what things will be like come the…
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Foundation Skills Course – Week 8 Letting the photo come to you

The final week of our Foundations Skills in Mindful Photography Course finally arrived. This week we recapped on all we had covered: What Mindfulness is; What Mindful Photography is, Clear Seeing, The Four Stage Seeing Practice, Compositional…