Community
Act of Love
At times like these, it's more important than ever that we act in love. Much like how we instil so much love in what we do, in every piece we craft and every interaction we undertake, our friends and fellow creators do the same and so we reached out to them to learn how they are acting in love at the moment, simply for themselves, their creative process or for others.
Lisa Madigan, Artist.
Whats the best part of your day at the moment?
It’s incredible how quickly you can find new rituals or adapt existing ones! I definitely have a few daily highlights. Firstly, lighting candles in the early evening, putting on some good tunes, cooking something delicious and catching up with my man.
Puppy cuddles and headland walks with my beautiful boy Oberon. We’re so blessed to live in such a special part of the world. I soak up the salt and the ocean air every day. Being in nature is everything.
Certainly my meditation and training, it just sets everything else up and keeps me calm, strong, moving and I still get to connect with my team, which is lovely.
Coffee and connection, staying in touch with my friends and loved ones always means the world and is especially important now.
Have you seen anyone in your community act in love? Can you tell us more…
Absolutely! One thing that is truly striking me is that our global community as well as our local communities are so very connected. People are finding new ways to stay in touch, to reach out, to help one another and to feel together.
I’ve seen more people simply smiling at each other on the streets, or exchanging knowing conversations whilst politely and distantly lining up for the essentials. I love how quickly our local businesses have adapted to support those who can’t come in, with deliveries and new ways of working so everyone is looked after.
I’ve seen more people out on their walks soaking up the sunshine, like really drinking it up and savouring being out in nature.
People are genuine in wanting to help one another navigate this on every level, which is so wonderful to see. There’s true generosity of heart.
How do you believe is the best way to act in love, either for yourself or others?
Everything begins with you. Self care is so important always and especially now. Movement, meditation, keeping well nourished, knowing what works for you and looking after yourself is the kindest thing you can do right now and will in turn keep you strong to be able to help others when needed.
Look to what sets your heart alight and to those you love.
Be gentle. Be kind. Be patient.
Emma Campbell, Ceramicist.
How are you coping with the current situation? How are you staying creative, motivated and positive?
Like most, I have good days and bad days. Some days I feel like I’m not coping at all, and other days I feel grateful that I’m safe and healthy and have so much free time. For the last five years my creative outlet has been pottery, I treat the pottery studio like my therapist, my gym, and my sanctuary. My community studio closed on March 16th and I have had to find other ways to be creative. I have been saving all of my pottery pieces that were either experiments, mistakes, or have broken at some point in time. For years I haven’t wanted to throw them away because I wanted to bring them to life again in some capacity. With this abundance of time and my desire to work with clay (even if it’s in the form of broken pottery) I have decided to make a mosaic game table. The challenge of learning new skills and problem solving in a creative way that’s different from my norm is just what I needed to bring some positivity into my life.
Whats the best part of your day at the moment?
Lately my days have been flowing into each other but I do manage to stay consistent with getting out in nature with my sweet dog. The moment I am outside in the fresh air my worries melt away. I think about all the things that our Earth has overcome and even though it feels like we are at a stand still, when I see flowers blooming and birds chirping it’s a reminder that Earth will continue on and everything will be okay.
Have you seen anyone in your community act in love? Can you tell us more...
Because of this pandemic I was faced with the tough decision of leaving my pottery studio, apartment and the city I have called home for the last three years. It was a heartbreaking decision to make but without any income it made the most sense to leave. I had to act quickly so I packed everything up in a couple of days and during so I hosted an online sale to clear out all of my pottery pieces, offer thing them at a super sale price. I was blown away at the support from my community and the amount of people that chose to pay full price rather than the sale price to support me during my time of need. I felt so honored to be apart of such a loving and supportive community.
How do you believe is the best way to act in love, either for yourself or others?
I think the best way we can act in love for ourselves and our communities is just to utilise what we have within our reach. There can be a feeling of helplessness to see so many people in the world struggling while so many of us feel stuck at home. It’s important to remember that the smallest things can help spread love, if you don’t have the resources to make masks or donate to food drives, or if we are only emotionally strong enough to care for ourselves right now, that’s completely understandable. Even something as small as reaching out to your favourite local business on social media to let them know you’re thinking about them can make a huge difference in someones day. No act of love is too small.
Karen Tinney, Artist
How are you coping with the current situation? How are you staying creative, motivated and positive?
I try to remind myself to take it one day at a time, we are facing unprecedented times and trying to plan too far into the future can feel a little overwhelming. In the past few weeks there have been days when I am feeling motivated and creative so I try to lean into that and enjoy the day. But there are also days where I simply don't feel like working or being creative, so I've been giving myself more space and taking time off when I need it.
Whats the best part of your day at the moment?
Mornings have always been my favorite, but I've been taking it extra slow before reading the news or getting to work which has helped me to set a calm tone for each day. I wake up early, practice yoga with my boyfriend (while our dog tries to get our attention) and then enjoy breakfast and coffee on the couch before starting the day.
As someone who is used to working from home, what advice would you have for someone who had just had to start?
Routine is really crucial for me to stay productive - it's important to get out of your pajamas, set wake-up times and meal times to help structure your day. I usually keep a to-do list for each day to help accomplish weekly goals, but in the past few weeks I've been adding non-work related tasks to my list (like cooking, taking the dog for a walk, or calling a friend) to remind myself to take a break when I need it.
Madeleine, Co-Founder, AYU.
How are you coping with the current situation? How are you staying creative, motivated and positive?
I like to meditate daily to clear my mind and catch up on reading. I'm also loving having the extra time for self-care. My oldest daughter, Maya (12), and I are doing lots of pamper sessions on each other, using face masks and our ceremony hair oil for a deep moisture treatment on our hair and lots of Abhyanga (self-massage) using our Vata oil to help calm and ease anxiety.
I am lucky to be able to stay creative through my work. I am still pouring oils for our range and Alanna and I are continuing to build upon our business. We have a few exciting things in the pipeline that we will be able to share in the coming weeks. We are collaborating with some very amazing creatives on very special projects so having all this going on helps to keep my mind occupied. I am so grateful for AYU, Alanna and I run every aspect of our business ourselves so it really keeps our brains busy 24/7
What's the best part of your day at the moment?
I'm enjoying having all of my children home. In a crisis situation you only want to hold your babies close so I feel very lucky that we can do this. We are slowing down and just doing all the things we always talk about like baking amazing cakes and painting together on the balcony. I'm not going to lie, I am loving NOT driving to dance, football, music etc...sometimes I feel like a taxi driver so the break from after school activities is golden.
How do you believe is the best way to act in love, either for yourself or others?
It's so important to be patient especially in isolation and kind to everyone. It's as simple as that!
Ruby Robinson, Ceramicist.
What is the best part of your day at the moment?
I’d say the best part of my day at the moment is the moments I’ve had to slow down my mornings and spend it with family. It’s been precious having these moments with them that would otherwise only occur over long weekends. It’s so beautiful seeing so many families bike-riding together or pappas running with their little ones.
As someone who is used to working from home, what advice do you have for someone who has just started?
Start your day with something outdoors, always. Surfing, running, swimming, walking or even just sitting and breathing - whatever it may be, being outside in amongst nature is the most grounding thing we as humans can do. Fresh air, fresh water, fresh mind, fresh ideas, fresh start.
How do you believe is the best way to act in love, either for yourself or others?
Firstly, yourself and others I believe go hand in hand. You've gotta make sure you’re pouring out from a full love cup (no one wants a half empty mug of coffee).This comes back to my morning routine of trying to always make it outdoors for self-care activities, practicing slowing down and trying to be gentle on myself and flexible towards my own expectations. If I’m full of love and not being so hard on myself then I’m in the best position to give and love others from an overflow.
