One of the best things about attending the Perth Poetry Festival was meeting so many wonderful new people. The audiences were warm and encouraging, my fellow performers were welcoming and friendly and the volunteers and WA Poets Inc folks were supportive and helpful. My whole trip to Perth was so... Read more →

You know I love games. And writing. Imagine how excited I was to discover a whole lot of new writing-themed games! Forget about those old standbys, Scrabble, Boggle and Banagrams. I'm talking about the modern, new kids on the block that breathe life into the works and worlds of long... Read more →

The right word or idea at the right time is a gift. It can take you from where you are, flailing in the mud and set you back on your path. Or perhaps on another one nearby. Or turn you around completely. Whatever it does, it gets you out of... Read more →

The poetry retreat I attended on the weekend was just what I needed to restore and revive my flagging spirits. The year so far has been a challenging one for me personally. My health hasn't been great and there have been big transitions at home. These have all taken up... Read more →

I have just had the most incredible two day Poetry Retreat hosted by Small Giants and held at the White House (no, not that one) in St Kilda. The facilitator of the workshop was Pádraig Ó Tuama, the incredible host of the Poetry Unbound podcast. During the pandemic and Melbourne’s... Read more →

Do you ever get stuck for words? Or ideas? I know I do. All the time! That's where writer's prompts come in super handy. Pretty much every writing class I've ever done was structured around a series of writing prompts to get my imagination firing and creativity flowing. Think of... Read more →

During the very first lockdown here in Melbourne in March 2020 I was filled with a sense of peace and relief at the free time I had spreading out to become large enough to breathe and craft and think. Leading up to that lockdown I had been super busy and... Read more →

It's been another epic year of uncertainty and anxiety, holding and pivoting. Living through a global pandemic in the world's most locked down city has been mundane and banal. A little like Groundhog Day and a lot like not feeling bothered to do anything. My teenaged daughter is heavily into... Read more →

I had the best time in Tassie. The highlight of course was all the craft I got to do with my friend's 14 year old son. He's into all the crafts I love - leathercraft and woodwork - with the added bonus of being into blacksmithing, something I'd love to... Read more →

Creativity is a cantankerous beast that still surprises me after all this time. I've been blocked for the last few months with no idea of how to get unblocked. In the first lockdown back in April / May, I did lots of hand crafts and felt really nourished and grounded.... Read more →