Creativity is a wonderful word that has been of great significance in my life. It is my belief that in order for creativity to flow, we must first make time and space. For me, being creative is one of my great joys; it is always time well spent. We all need to do “real” things in order to feel grounded – things that we both start and finish. Successfully bringing a project to its conclusion with a satisfying result is an exercise in time and patience. You have to give things the time they need to achieve the best results. I love the simplicity of paper. It’s all around us in everyday life, an ..read more

If you’ve ever felt your mind was brimming over with random thoughts, like an Instagram feed that’s scrolling too fast for your eyes to focus, you might have been experiencing chaotic thinking. Sometimes this hectic flash of ideas can bring creative inspiration or cause a switch into superpower mode, but if you feel you’re in a battle with your own brain, especially when those thoughts come thick and fast, it can be stressful too. Here, US-based marriage and family therapist Elizabeth Hinkle explains chaotic thinking and shares her guidance on how to help curb the confusion it can bring. What ..read more

While dispensing words of wisdom can be an act of care and often go off without a hitch (with your loved ones thanking you for it), this might not always be the case. This isn’t said to put you off giving advice – far from it. Rather, it’s to recognise the courage, empathy, and love involved in these efforts and suggest that you look after yourself in the same manner. In other words, you deserve the same attentive treatment you give others, and importantly, you’re in a position to provide it. It can, of course, be difficult to know the difference between good advice and bad, regardless of whet ..read more

Do you have a big dream? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to write a book, learn a language, or devote yourself to art or pottery. Whatever you want to achieve, you might have put off doing it because you felt you didn’t have enough time or space to give to it. Or you might have put it on hold until you’ve first had the chance to clean the house, find a course to improve your skills, or design a website for it. But what would happen if you decided to start, right here, right now? Get into the flow Roma Norriss is a parent educator who has Epstein-Barr virus, an illness that often leaves her feelin ..read more

A cheerful bunch of flowers brightens any room. Filling a home with fresh blooms, however, can be an expensive and constant task. This is where dried arrangements, which last almost indefinitely, come into their own, saving money and time while simultaneously bringing joy into your space. Katherine, a preserved blooms florist, loves how dried flower arrangements offer a low-maintenance way to experience the great outdoors: ‘Nature brings us happiness. Having it in your home has a positive impact on life and mental health.’ Katherine has noticed the interest in dried flowers soar in the past fe ..read more

The afternoon winter light filtering through the trees gave the hinterland a calm, quiet glow, and as I sat, nestled in a blanket with a cup of tea in hand, watching the sun slowly sink towards the horizon, I truly felt like the rest of the world was, well, a world away. I had come to Billabong Retreat to reflect and recharge, and from the very first moments I knew that this would be the place to do it. The location Approximately 45 minutes from Sydney and a little over an hour from my home on the Central Coast, the beautiful Billabong Retreat is located on 12 acres of stunning Australian bus ..read more

Forgiveness is a process that might sound good in theory but can be difficult to put into practice, especially when it comes to pardoning people who’ve caused you great pain. It’s often hard to know where to begin. American psychologist and retired professor Everett Worthington has devoted much of his research career and clinical practice to teaching people how to forgive. For him, the topic is deeply personal. Decades ago, he chose to forgive the person who killed his mother. According to Everett, for some people, part of what makes it tempting to hold on to a grudge is they enjoy feeling res ..read more

In 2020’s global shutdown, when human connection was in short supply, small talk took on a new meaning. No longer the less interesting relative of meaningful conversation, chit-chat grew large in importance. With no soirees for most of the year, small talk had little chance to corner us in the kitchen at a party as we politely danced with it, plotting our exit. Instead, it entertained us as we queued outside supermarkets, metres apart. I once read that small talk was the equivalent of dogs sniffing each other’s bottoms. I must confess, I’ve never liked it (small talk, that is), even though I’v ..read more

I never liked running. So, when my physiotherapist suggested taking it up to reduce back pain from a previous career in figure skating, I wasn’t overjoyed. Undeterred, however, he said to start slowly, to run between two markers, and build from that point. With this quiet encouragement, I decided to try again. And I did start slowly. I refused the inner urge to go faster. I would stop if I felt an unusual twinge. No pain, no gain? More like no pain, no pain. But beginning gently and building up almost imperceptibly proved effective. The physical benefits soon became apparent. As sports and reh ..read more

While dispensing words of wisdom can be an act of care and often go off without a hitch (with your loved ones thanking you for it), this might not always be the case. This isn’t said to put you off giving advice – far from it. Rather, it’s to recognise the courage, empathy, and love involved in these efforts and suggest that you look after yourself in the same manner. In other words, you deserve the same attentive treatment you give others, and importantly, you’re in a position to provide it. It can, of course, be difficult to know the difference between good advice and bad, regardless of whet ..read more