i was chatting with a woman at the mind body spirit festival on friday whilst massaging her feet (as you do) and we were talking about silence. she had been on a few 9 day silent retreats and was encouraging me that i need more silence in my life. she's right i'm sure. i did a silent day earlier in the year and a few silent mornings on a scottish island recently where i began to lean into silence. i carry a memory of literally leaning against a rock gazing at the sea with the sun on it for a couple of hours doing my best to just be and i close my eyes and picture that when i feel the need to lean into it again. but in our fast paced crazy life in the city it's so difficult to do such a simple thing as to be still, quiet down, stop.

i don't know if it's self indulgence, inevitably what every photographer tries, or alleviating boredom when i should be simply being still beacuse i am so restless (!) but i took a few self portraits and quite enjoyed the thinking behind it. i shared one last week – longing. so here's another succinctly titled a head so full of busyness that stillness eludes me

on the subject of busyness i find when i am really busy, which has been the case this year, that images become more important to me than words. i often then simply blog photos so apologies if you are looking for wisdom in words in those moments! and if i have been given a book token i'll most likley buy an art or photography book and stare at a few pictures though equally a poem might do the trick…