A gentle, quiet Christmas
On Friday we left Sydney harbour, sailed through the heads and turned left, pointing our nose towards Queensland. We plan to slowly make our way north (not too far while it is still cyclone season) and take our time exploring the northern New South Wales coastline. For now, we’ve arrived back in our old haunt of Pittwater.
It wasn’t an easy decision to begin with, as we felt torn about staying to see the beginning of the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race which will transform the harbour into a jostling, floating mass of boats on Boxing Day.
I saw the start of the race when I was eleven (pictured below, look at those shorts!), aboard my family’s yacht and I’ll never forget the experience. However, tuning into what we really wanted, rather than what we thought we should do, it became clear we wanted to leave the city after three months of being surrounded by the bustle of ferries, hum of traffic and rubbish floating on the water. We deeply wanted to restore our hearts with a good ol’ dose of nature.
Right now I can hear cicadas forming an unending chorus in the trees below the beautiful escarpment behind our boat. We are moored on a free courtesy mooring in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Soon, we’ll head up to Brooklyn to stock up on basic supplies to get us through Christmas and then find a spot to drop the anchor, where we still have phone reception so we can call around and speak to our families on Christmas Day.
This past week has been exciting in two respects. One, I received photos from the art consultant of my painting being installed, complete with floating brass frame, on the main foyer wall in The Star, Gold Coast. We’ll get to see it when we pull into the Gold Coast in a few months and I’ll be sure to share photos with you as soon as I know I have authorisation from the client.
Secondly, Naomi Arnold, Amanda Rootsey and I have begun inviting guest mentors for our Gentle Business Mastermind 2018 and getting excited about each confirmation. When I look through the bios of all the guests already confirmed, I feel awe, inspiration, and gratitude. These people are doing business gently, in line with their core values, and whole-heartedly. I’m so glad they will be supporting our group next year.
The girls and I will be continuing to put together the final touches for the program over the coming weeks, and we plan to be launching in early February. If you’re looking for a group of like-minded business owners to support you next year, please stay tuned, and hop on the interest list if you haven’t already.
Today, I’m feeling the pull to get out my paints and my new Gelli plate (a reusable printing plate you can use at home) and have a play in preparation for a painting retreat I’m hosting on Lady Elliot Island in a couple of months. I’m thinking the Gelli plate might be a lovely way to paint on the beach, interpreting the natural elements surrounding the small sand island. But the only way to know is to have a play and see how it goes. So wish me luck, I’ll keep you posted with the results.
I don’t know about you, but I have a funny relationship with Christmas. Part of me would like to get all festive and make decorations like I used to when I was a young girl, but each year I decide I really just want a quiet day, and don’t seem to do much more than have a simple, healthy lunch, often with just Andrew and me. If you are planning a bigger celebration and perhaps feeling a little trepidatious about the big day and would like a pick-me-up and inspirational read, I thoroughly enjoyed my writing mentor Fiona Ferris’s latest blog post “An haute couture Christmas.”
I’ll pop back into your inbox next week to welcome in the New Year. Thank you for being here and allowing me to share this journey with you. I feel so grateful to have you to write to and be in community with.
Be gentle with yourself this week. If there are any ways you can take a few moments to do things you really want to do, not just what the world says you have to do at this time of year, I have a feeling your heart will thank you for it.
Warmest hugs,
~ Nicola
