Silently the grass grows all by itself

Hello everyone,

How are you all?

I’m writing to you from the beautiful island of Iona, the space, peace and harmony here are quite incredible. The further north I travelled was like unwinding time. At home spring is in full swing but up here the pause of winter is slowly releasing its hold.

I find spring a very inspiring time, somehow everything makes a photo, and everything has poetry running through it, take the image of the Five Pears above, a simple everyday scene but after spending time just looking at them I started to feel a wonderful connection to those five pears and was astounded by their unique beauty. I think I was inspired originally by the painting of Six Persimmons by the 13th century Chinese monk and painter Muqi Fachang.

Seeing the beauty in the everyday is the bread and butter of all creativity. Do you find beauty in your everyday, do you feel inspired by the ordinary?

There’s a beautiful haiku by Basho chiseled in stone outside The Green Shed ( the location for the retreat I am currently running)

"Sitting Silently, doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself"

The verse really speaks to me of the patience required to be creative, but also the knowledge that if we are patient with ourselves it will come.

With that in mind here are five reasons to join the spring awakening

The Spring Awakening commences on the 21st March, promising a season of inspiration, creativity and community. If you’ve not yet enrolled, here’s five very good reasons to sign up and join us:

An invitation to find stillness in your day

With so much vying for our attention, it’s little wonder that we have a tendency to rush through each day, robbing ourselves of the quiet beauty which is hidden in plain sight. Working to the brief set by me, you’ll have the perfect excuse to pause, reconnect with your environment and savour the opportunity to slow things down.

You’ll learn to challenge yourself creatively

Throughout the workshop, I’ll set a series of briefs to act as s framework for exploration. I absolutely encourage you to interpret the brief in a way which resonates with you, creating photographs which are as unique as your fingerprint. I wonder what you’ll create?

Finding beauty in every day will become second nature

When you introduce a new practice to your daily life, it can quickly become s habit. Imagine how much more enriching life will be when you’ve trained yourself to search for the beauty in every day.

You’ll create a body of work which is meaningful to you

How you see the world around you is utterly unique to you. Through the workshop you will hone and celebrate your perspective, as you create a collection of photographs which carry real meaning

It never ceases to amaze me how my online workshops inspire such diverse

You’ll become part of an exceptionally supportive community of photographers

No kit boasting, no criticism, no negativity. Just encouraging, inspiring and empowering support from like minded photographers who are on their own journey, just like you

To find out more, or book your place, please click here - and of course, if you’ve any questions I’ll be happy to answer them.

Thank you for taking the time.