I have become the plant lady!!! Loving my garden and every school holidays it's a pleasure to do a big repotting day and get more plants. I'm getting more ambitious each time and am now attempting to grow flowers from seedlings in my little colourful hanging pots and have bought herbs and am starting a herb garden. Need to take control of my health and want to use more fresh ingredients in cooking. Also have a couple of tomato plants and might begin veggies at some point. 

When it comes to my plants, I have no design or forethought. I just buy what plants I like, and pots I like, and then see what works and what doesn't. Also am loving getting garden ornaments and dotting them around my garden. 

This is my view every morning from my kitchen table into my courtyard and it makes me, so, so happy.

#garden #gardendesign #gardenlove #gardeninspiration #gardening

​Summer vibes. Have my sun lounge out and doing some reading in my beautiful courtyard. Need to get through my twentieth book before the end of the year to meet my goal. I can do it!

Today was officially the last day of the teaching year. We had a lovely end of year celebration with two teachers I have the deepest admiration and respect for giving their farewells as they retire after four decades in the profession. Thank you Mark and Andrew for being such inspirations and all around great people.

Listening to their speeches I realised that in everything we do there is a life battery. So our lives are running to a battery life we don't know about, as are other aspects of our life.

For both these teachers the battery life of being a teacher naturally reached their conclusion and they were able to retire. It made me appreciate even more the dedication and care of what we do, and that it will naturally reach its conclusion at some point.

I've just finished my 11th year and my passion is still burning, the flame has flickered and been re-lit quite a few times, and I hope I still have more time to give. Right now, I am reaching the end of a very hard year and needing a much needed break and re-charge period. Have had some challenging teacher moments, and some personally challenging moments as perimenopause wreaks havoc with my physical and mental wellbeing.

Good luck to all the teachers out there who are either beginning their breaks or already on them. Have a good rest, and see you in the trenches next year. And most of all, thanks for your service!!!!

Had the honour of being a judge for the 2024 Insight Creative Writing Publishing Competition for the year 8 category. It was such a beautifully organised event and such a great ceremony celebrating the teenage writers and giving them the opportunity to shine.

One of the most important milestones in my teenage life, and in my development as a writer, was winning a local newspaper writing competition. This opportunity bolstered my dream and was a stepping stone to becoming a professional writer.
 
I want to commend Insight for creating this opportunity for other budding writers and I especially want to commend the young people who applied themselves in writing, revising, editing, and submitting their stories.
 
Reading the final entries was a sheer pleasure and I was awed by the talent and professionalism of these entries.
 
I would now like to announce the year 8 finalists and winner for the Insight Creative Writing competition.

Here is the announcement of the winners.

And here is my judging report.

Playing Bubble Soccer by Maeve Ephraim-Taylor
A sweet story about a friendship between a girl and her dog, highlighting the joy of play.
"Your story captures the innocence and joy of companionship so beautifully. It’s a heartwarming reminder of the simple pleasures in life—wonderful work!"

Camellia by Isabella Wai Yi Luong
A beautifully written story with lush, descriptive language about a mirage or a dream. Two girls, one mirror, truth or fallacy.
"This story demonstrates a sophisticated use of imagery and symbolism, leaving the reader pondering its deeper meaning. Well done on crafting such an evocative and thought-provoking narrative!"

Haven to the Abyss by Marley Atkinson
An eloquent dystopian story highlighting the themes of sustainability and climate change, and humanity’s environmental impact.
"This story is not only well-written but also timely and relevant. It reflects a strong awareness of global issues, showcasing your ability to use fiction to address important themes."

The asteroid that never hit the Earth by Sean Jun Xiang Huang
A clever dystopian story in which a beleaguered scientist dedicates his life to saving humanity that is well plotted with a killer twist.
"Your ability to weave suspense into a gripping dystopian narrative is remarkable. The plot twist was a fantastic surprise—keep up the creativity and storytelling skills!"

The Inevitable pounce by Freya Cobb
Heartfelt story contrasting the battle of cancer to the fox hunting a rabbit, that beautifully captures coming of age and loss of innocence.
"Your metaphorical storytelling and ability to draw emotional parallels are outstanding. This is a deeply moving piece that shows great maturity and sensitivity as a writer."

It was such a great event being on a panel Write, publish and realise your creative vision! at Sunshine Library with Lucy Lucy Appadoo and Michael J. Prewer. All three of us had a unique way of finding our publishing journey and it was such a rich discussion.

Lucy is an independent author who has published 20 books in 10 years and has found her voice and creative vision through sheer determination, practice and perseverance. She's an inspiration in how she dedicates herself to her author business working four days a week in her day job to achieve such an impressive output.

Michael had his debut novel R.E.Generation by Midnight Sun which is a dystopian novel about a future regeneration of the planet after over-exploitation of resources. He used his biology background and knowledge to recreate the world of his novel and it was so fascinating to hear his dream journey and the inspiration of themes of climate change. He hand wrote the novel over a year and then kept revising until he was done, submitted and scored a publisher.

I talked about my journey as a traditionally published author with the dream run of a getting shortlisted for an unpublished manuscript, getting my dream agent, getting two offers for my novel, winning a literary prize after publication, getting a largish grant for the sequel, and then the fuckery that ensued afterwards. And how I'm re-branding myself as a small press and re-publishing as my rights revert back to me, and now writing new books that I control the intellectual property for.

These opportunities mean so much to authors because it gives us a much needed opportunity to share our hard-won wisdom with emerging writers, network and come out of our cave and appreciate this wonderful journey we're on.

Thank you to Scott at Brimbank City Council and the Sunshine Library for making this possible.

Please support my friend Demet Divaroren and her soon to be published Blood Moon Bride by adding it to your Goodreads want to read list. These early shows of support help with the launch. This book is going to be an amazing read. Think The Handmaid's tale and Hunger Games, except with magic.

'A richly realised and provocative fantasy, Blood Moon Bride shows that even in the midst of great hardship, magic can find a way.'
C.S. Pacat, New York Times Bestselling author of DARK RISE

I never understood the whole thing about getting a residency or a studio. i thought people were just being pretentious prats and name dropping. I obviously knew that these things led to greater exposure and the opportunity to network, but as a writer I could complete my novel anymore.

That all changed when I got my first Artist in Residence at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre within the Brimbank Council. For the first time in my life I had what Virginia Woolf had exhorted in her essay A Room of One's own. I had a dedicated space where I could go and just be a writer.

For four days a week I was a teacher, and then on my day off, I drove down to the Hunt Club, entered my beautiful studio, and just had the freedom and space to create. But it was more than that. It was an opportunity to be involved in a community with other artists who were also dedicating their lives and passion to the craft.

I met:
@kaspersart who is an inspirational and talented mural artist who has been practicing for 15 years and one of the few people who is a full time working artist. Bravo!!!!
@elzettebest a dedicated visual artists who is a mama bear of two youngins and who finds her studio a safe haven to create
@artfulwarriorr who is an art therapist and such a beautiful and gentle soul who exudes kindness

I got to have lunches with the amazing staff Annaliza who is such a beaming light of energy, @emz_scott who is beautiful inside and out and @nate_rae_ a fellow SASC alum and talented actor who you'll be seeing more of in the future.

Together we talked, we shared, we inspired, we connected, and it was the most amazing experience of my life to have this group of people that I would see and talk to on a regular basis.

Going to the studio was the highlight of my week. We had a big social night with Korean BBQ and dancing as our last hurrah as soon we are going in different directions and paths. But I will always remember these two years as a creative highlight and continue to connect with this amazing buch. Thank you all for being my Hunt Club Crew.