This year I plan to be more organised and so wanted to get this post up before the dust settles on 2017 – unlike my 2016 review post which was a wee bit late, coming out in early Feb :-).

As 2017 came to a close, I enjoyed some quiet time with our family, not going far from home. It was another big year packed full of ‘stuff’ and quite frankly I am ‘stuffed’ (not least from the season’s festivities). This year has been about ‘stepping up’ and ‘stepping forward’, learning to follow my instincts and trusting that I will be guided to what I need to learn.

In earlier years ’20xx in review’ posts, I have usually made a list of all the stuff I have done during the year but 2017 deserves more than a list of activities.

It was a year of mixed fortunes, of adventures and challenges. There were many highlights regarding activities but was most meaningful was how these threads wove together, teaching me many things, mostly about myself. 2017 was also about friends, losing some dear ones, making some new ones as well as reconnecting with good mates from the past. It was a year of opening heart, mind and spirit to accept new kinds of knowledge, like a process of initiation for some strange reason.

The year started with an amazing residency at Te Mahia – SCANZ2017 Ocean*Energy – organised by Jo Tito and Desna Whaanga-Schollum. The time at Te Mahia was all about process: long conversations, sharing ideas, learning about culture, paying attention to the earth and her waters.

I really do love the Intercreate community that is articulated through SCANZ residencies – every time I have participated I come away more aware, attuned and transformed. I also love the connections that are formed, the collaborations and shared values of the people that are drawn to SCANZ. They really are very special. Many of the ideas seeded at Te Mahia will continue to unfold over time, as the intention and focus evolves.

The connection to the water/s was a big part of 2017, manifesting in many ways. Getting involved with the ACF Rivers Fellowship was really amazing – great practical skills and training and what an incredible bunch of passionate people committed to the same cause – the health of the rivers and their communities.

Today we welcomed 2018 with some creativity and adventuring – making frames for prints, then a trip to Dickson and a stroll, discovering a delicious vegetarian cafe. We then drove to Yass, had a short walk and then spent some time sitting to enjoy the shade of a tree elder and the cool breeze coming from the river. Seemed like the perfect start to the new year.

So what else? The other significant event of 2017 was my time in Norway, undertaking a three months residency at Drammen Kommune, at the Union Scene – incidentally right next to the Drammenselva (River Drammen). I have written a few posts about my adventures in Norway. It was a truly incredible time and I look forward to going back in 2019 to work on some creative projects that are now emerging.

So what is the plan for 2018?
I have many goals and hopes for 2018. One of the main ones is to take better care of my health. To try to address this I am starting a photowalking diary #365walks. My goal is to walk at least 30 minutes a day, no matter what the weather for the whole of 2018. It does not have to be a big walk and can be in chunks – e.g. 3 x 10 minutes. I will take a photo and put it up on Instagram with the hashtag #365walk. If this idea inspires anyone – please join in!

Other plans include working on my MSci and having an exhibition at CSIRO Discovery Centre – in less than two weeks! There are a few other things in the pipeline and will share in good time 🙂

My other commitment is to also publish a monthly blog article on a range of topics. Maybe there will be more frequent posts – let’s see what the year brings.

Best wishes to everyone for an amazing 2018 – full of health, joy and happiness.

Thank yous – cos youse are amazing!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many wonderful people who I worked with in 2017. Thank you Intercreate community, my colleagues at the Department of the Environment and Energy especially my manager Bron Pollock. The Institute of Applied Ecology at University of Canberra (UC), especially my MSci supervisors Ross Thompson and Jacki Schirmer for their time and patience. Also thanks to the Faculty of Art and Design at UC, Stephen Barrass and Viveka Turnbull-Hocking for another year of XMP (Cross Media Production) – great to see some more excellent student projects. Thank you to everyone who supported SCANZ CBR – it was amazing to have your involvement Julie Armstrong, Tommy Dick, Sandy Sur, Lee Joachim, Dian Booth, Shelley Darling, Jacintha Bezgovsek, Josiah Jordan, Kate Vega and many more. Thank you to everyone I met and connected with in Norway – vennen min – Anne-Britt, Hege, Andrea, Elisabeth, Lena, Ann-Magritt, Anneke, Ana, Ingrid, Tyr, Maria, Aina, the Buskerud Norse community and those amazing trees. The last and biggest thank you always goes to my family  – Marty, Lukas , Nikki and Oscar – thanks for being who you are and accepting me the way I am ❤ (PS – You don’t need to scratch me next time Oscar).

With immense gratitude for all that was, what now is and what will be.

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