BOOM!

Today felt like a melting pot. Around me via walking around, interactions online and face to face, hearing voices on the phone, the emotions: pain, anxiety, laughter and mirth,  I felt the contrast of tears and carnival atmospheres of groups as the sun beat down in London town, of struggling, laughter and suffering, boundaries broken as parents continue to work out the way they will deal with their schedules, oblivion, joy. There are people who are unaffected by the news today and within the world today, content with indifference and the bliss of extra downtime, while some whose desires to learn have been ignited, others afflicted by pain first-hand and others who have never been more successful, it all feels so Ecclesiastes. The summer brings heat. It tends to bring anger to the surface, it heats up the bubbling feelings of frustration, as well as suppressed and repressed pain like a hot pepper soup, where that wrong way down that bite can cause a violent splutteri...

I've been creating 'stuff' all my life. Some of it has been good, OK and awful: portraits, fashion designs, lettering, poetry, songwriting and essays, probably more I can't remember. I now see that the habit of creating throughout my life is what has helped me stay creative. Like consistent exercising you eventually see the muscles emerge. As I write that down it sounds absurdly obvious. But honestly that attitude will see you through. Am I a successful artist? I honestly don't think it's about that, I think it's about if you create art, you are an artist. I wish I'd kept all my work somewhere safe. I'm sure I could have used them to help me create something new and document my level of progress. Alas I didn't, but I will try to from now on because it will help to show your evolution. It can't help but do that. So this post is about asking you to keep on going. You might feel crap about your work, but show up, let it emerge and lea...

2020 has been a strange, strange year so far for people, talking particularly to people in the UK. The UK leaving the EU, storms, floods, coronavirus. It has been a time where people have been almost forced to reflect. Life will have given people mixture of the good and bad. When we come out of this strange, strange time, it's an idea to ask yourself: What habits will you have taken up? What habits will you have adapted? What would you have learnt? And honestly, this isn't a "If you haven't learnt a language, taken up a new hobby, time was never an excuse" post. What it is, is a chance to ask yourself in a few months from now, how would you like to respond to someone when they said: "So what did you do during the time of COVID-19?"

In 2020, I'm learning that turning up is one big part of the victory. By that I mean, turning up: at the gym, at the French class, in front of the piece of paper on the table. That is a big part of the mental victory. Do not underestimate that. James Clear puts it well . I am going to use this year to continue better habits, which will lead to a better life, watch this space.

2020 is such a beautiful-sounding year Here's to better: money habits friendship habits career/work habits sleep habits spiritual habits

Words that I thought were boring in the past are now becoming my friend: Consistency:  steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc Habits:  customary practice or use Implementation which I have now rephrased as "Now doing and continuously learning" -  to fulfill; perform; carry out: Life is made by those day-to-day habits and attitudes. I cannot emphasise that enough. I have also loved books and videos on how you've been programmed to think the way you think by the way you were brought up in your first seven years, and not just with your parents or guardians, but also teachers, your parent's friends and adults around you at church, clubs and groups, in day-to-day interactions, I like Bruce Lipton in his videos (watch the above video) who explains it so well. Loving Secrets of the Millionaire Mind . It's all about action! What is your habitual perspective on the world? All t hese sources are so fascinating - what are your th...

It's been another year. I read the great book Atomic Habits by James Clear and it made me assess my habits: I wrote a couple of pieces for Black Ballad in 2019: https://blackballad.co.uk/people/meet-the-black-female-fitness-influencers-inspiring-us-to-take-care-of-our-bodies-for-life?listIds=5925d3bb89cc51231bd4c235 https://blackballad.co.uk/people/black-female-finance-experts-on-spending-saving-financial-freedom?listIds=590867cea8c0bab2039c3ac5 I was a regular(ish) at the gym, alongside a great personal trainer John. Started attending weekly French classes at Institut français. I'm learning that habits are key. Here's to an amazing 2020 x