Go to the wilderness and find some P'u

It is a term I have borrowed from Susan Cain (more about her soon) but it has been at the centre of my own thoughts for a few weeks now. Go to the wilderness.

This semester my educational enlightenment is via the course Introduction to Environmental Management. Although this encompasses many fantastic tidbits of information (eg. if you stand on the equator the rotation of the earth means your moving at 16,000km per hour!!) we have been focusing quite a lot on environmental values. Maybe it is obvious that we are no longer living interwoven with nature and are therefore greatly unaware of our total dependency on natural resources. But what beliefs and values are driving us to destroy so much? Where do you sit in the scheme of things? Are you Anthropocentic seeing humans as the most important and valuable species? Are you Biocentric, believing nature and other organisms have just as much intrinsic value as humans? Do you believe technology will be able to rescue us from our environmental problems, are you a techno-optimist? Or maybe your more of a greenie and believe without major changes in lifestyle its a downward spiral to an apocalypse?

I consider myself as a Biocentric Techno-optimist Greenie. But hey its just a label and its all pretty complicated underneath. The element I believe our society is missing when it comes to connecting with nature is an understanding of value.

Two weeks ago I sat on a headland in Yuraygir National Park NSW and took a breath of natural wonder. Many of my good friends will attest to how insanely beautiful and rugged this place is. Deep red soil, cliffs of intricate rock formations, crashing salty waves, open shrub lands with limbs reaching away from the coastal winds. Its a place that grounds me, like many other natural places I have had the privilege to experience. Soon I will be a mum and as I sat there my soul warmed at the thought of sharing this place with my child. A place thats value can not be solely measured by science and economics, instead it has a "spiritual" value that is so hard to explain with the language we use.

My beautiful yoga teacher Georgie recently shared a great TED talk with the facebook community called The Power of Introverts. Susan Cain tells an amusing story of life as an introvert, and points out  in our society of big personalities half the population is being suppressed. She also challenges everyone to GO TO THE WILDERNESS. Be a sage, a seeker, a contemplator. Like we have done for many thousands of years go into the wild and take some solitude with nature. It is here that many great thinkers have been enlightened.

So in the way that I like to do I have taken all these bits of my life and linked them back to a greater meaning. In Taoism there is a manner of being called the Uncarved Block know also as P'u (pronounced Pooh with emphasis on the oo). The chinese character P'u is defined as natural, simple, plain, honest. To understand this more and be tickled pink with a fantastic read please please please pick up a copy of Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh. In the mean time I will steal Benjamin's words " The essence of the principle of the Uncarved Block is that things in their original simplicity hold their own natural power."

My revelation is that in our extremely complicated world of human creation and human problems maybe the simplicity of nature holds a power to clear our minds and enlighten our thinking. I love the added punch of meaning this adds to days walking in the bush, or surfing in the ocean, or sitting in a tree.  It is this value of nature that I so want to pass on to my children, so they know, when everything seems too much and the world seems to be caving in around them, they can go to the wilderness and find some P'u. 

Do something fun

My beautiful man keeps asking me what I am planning on the weekend, keeps insisting I should do something fun. I look at him with a puzzled look. Why does he keep saying this? I am perfectly happy relaxing and catching up with friends, doing things around home. Then I am lying to bed trying to drift off to sleep, I am asking myself "What have I been doing lately? Am I having fun?"

After really thinking about this, for you know ten minutes, I begin to realise I have fallen into the comfortable area of life. You know what I mean, when you are more then happy doing what you are doing, getting in a routine, visiting your regulars, going through the motions. Its comfortable and perfectly sustainable, but am I loving this? Am I inspired?

Parts of life definitely are, moments of pure joy, of gratitude, I have a baby in my belly so its hard to not be tickled pink. Yes that is right I am pregnant, another beautiful twist in my tale of life.

But when was the last time I tried something new? Explored unchartered territory? Brought the girls together for an adventure? Created something with purpose that inspired me? Besides this beauty in my belly where is my passion going?

I began to contemplate home business, cheeky comfy and why I am no longer pursuing it, what I would change to make me care more, what I want to share with the world. Then my mind was flooded with simple ideas that may tick the boxes I need to tick. Simple, functional designs. Eco fabrics. Inspired messages.

Then I could not dull my mind and fall asleep so I am sitting here typing away with a little vigour, a little inspiration. Maybe tomorrow I will try some fun things. I will get excited about life.

Late night rambling....yes 10pm is late for me

This week creativity has been calling my name. I have been sort of ignoring her and bashing her down a little with facts, figures and everyday life. Yet here I am at my favourite creative outlet...writing. Sure it is a reasonably neglected past time but I still come back eventually, it gives me peace. What gives you peace?

I started this blog with the idea of a little business and seeking/sharing inspiration. So what does the present hold? Poor ole Cheeky Comfy is not so much dead and buried as taking a long nap. Now...I am a university student!

I seem to be the cliche of my generation. X that is. We fumble around discovering corners of the globe, different occupations, different hobbies. Then we hit our late 20's, come to the decision our life needs more purpose/meaning/direction...we go and get educated. Six of my friends have commenced study in the last 12 months. The verdict? I love being a cliche.

My partner in crime and life has dubbed me a nerd, partly due to my paranoia of failing that has lead to hours of study, mainly due to my incessant fun facts. KNOWLEDGE PEOPLE! Interesting little tid-bits about the world that I never knew just flood towards me. Sure I still need a coffee to get me to the end of Wednesday but I am generally blown away by our amazing planet and the species that call it home.

Did you know... vultures eye sight is the strongest recorded at 20km, native Africans are pure homosapiens while Asians and Europeans have a wee bit of neanderthal within them (cross breeding during migration), production of the biofuel ethanol from corn actually uses more energy in production then what it gives back in consumption, if the veins, arteries and capillaries of a single human being were laid end to end they would wrap around the equator twice!

Its really amazing stuff.

I still do not know where life will take me, or even this part of life, but what I do know is I am getting wowed again and I have found some more inspiration.

Inspiration with Integrity

I am a big fan of the website www.ted.com. It was created by a not for profit organisation called TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, that began in 1984.

Their mission:Spreading Ideas - We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately the world. So we're building here a clearing house that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the worlds most inspired thinkers.

Whenever I am feeling unmotivated I just jump online and find a talk by some brilliant individual that leaves me feeling as if, yes, we can make a difference. Each yeah there is a TEDprize, awarded to an outstanding person who receives $100,000 dollars to use in a project and is allowed to make a "wish to change the world", which is then presented in a talk at one of the annual TED conferences. Past winners include Bono, Bill Clinton and Jamie Oliver. This years winner goes by the alias JR.

I just watched his "wish to change the world"

talk and quite frankly so should you. It is truly a great story, he is an artist, a photographer, but someone who works with such integrity and thought for the bigger picture, its just, well, inspiring.

We all get caught up in life so much, the daily routine, what needs to be done, what miles stones we need to reach, what we should wear. That we tend to forget the bigger picture at times. Its nice to step back every once in a while and really consider what impact our actions are having on the world. We all have an amazing gift, life, that has given us a chance to hone our natural skills and passion. We have the chance each day to use those things to change our own lives and the lives of people around us. What are we teaching the world?

JR is an artist. The way he practices art changes the way people view the world, he highlights communities and individuals that would never have the chance to be seen if it was not for his projects.

So check the TALK out... and get involved with the PROJECT

Inspiration- The topic of the hour.

Was the last time I blogged really October? That little rascal called time is getting faster I swear it. Alright so down to the business of business.

The first inspirational gem of nella bella, cheeky comfy creations, is blossoming! A Christmas gift giving spree brought us a lot of joy and confidence as we saw our projects from the last months of 2010 bring smiles to family and friends.

January and February have been great months for cheeky comfy. We are now online (www.madeit.com/cheekycomfy) and on

facebook and our is website under construction. Not only that but we are making sales! The foundations of the business are coming together and its exciting.

But alas I have not been blogging because I could not find anything

really worth blogging. An idea has sprung to mind in the recent weeks though, one that stems from the whole purpose of this business venture. Inspiration.

It is something that we all search for on a

conscience and sub-conscience level. For me it has been illusive and quite honestly a worry. I have met people in my life with such passion and purpose, who are just buzzing with the energy of inspiration. They have really found their calling. I have struggled to find something that really lights that fire in my belly, I wonder now though whether I just wasn't looking in the right way, wasn't truly open to the possibilities, was distracted with past beliefs about what it should look like, or maybe to scared to go after it.

So I have decided that this blog, while it will keep everyone updated on nella bella and cheeky comfy in a business sense, will be more focused on inspiration. People who have it, where to find it, how to find it, pretty much any thing that lights a little spark.

To end this entry I would like to recommend watching a movie called "it's kind of a funny story". After watching it earlier this week I felt like taking life by the hand and skipping into the sunset. Also let me know what gives you inspiration...

The reality of creating

Well it has been about four months since this little seed of an idea was planted in my mind. And not so much as a little green leaf seems to have grown as yet. A little sad really, but I have to remind myself that life continues and sometimes its a little hard to find time in between, work, sleep, eating, cleaning up after my boyfriend and our five month old mastiff pup. Sometimes I don't even find time to think. Don't get me wrong of course I am thinking every minute of everyday but do you find we are continuously thinking about things that are not truly important to us. In fact it seems rare that we get that beautiful, delicious, quality time to simply dream...

With this in mind I have taken a step in what I like to call the right direction...my mum.

Why I did not think about this sooner is beyond me, she is the perfect business partner in this little adventure. My beautiful mum has many years of sewing experience and has always been a creator. She also has oodles of time now she is retired, something I lack.

So three days after the decision was made we have fabric on it's way from the USA and Korea. Can not wait for it too arrive, time to start making Cheeky Comfy things.

Yoga inspirations

I have been on a yoga strike for about 6 months now, which means I have been too lazy/preoccupied to make stretching my poor limbs a priority. After realising early in the week that touching my toes has become a real effort, I have endeavoured to bring this practice back into life.

The point of this blog is a thought that came to me somewhere between poses, about what my business SHOULD be about. I decided that I want my passion and my life philosophies to be reflected in what I create. That I should not attempt to fit a square peg in a round hole by trying to be like anyone else, or having products that put any emphasis on things that at my core I do not think are important.

Of course this thought compliments the idea that Cheeky Comfy will celebrate the diversity in the world. The first step in accepting others, is to accept ourselves.