May the sun bring you energy by day
May the moon softly restore you by night
May the rain wash away your worries
May the wind blow new strength into your being
May you walk on this earth in peace
all the days of your life
and know its beauty for ever and ever,
amen

There is so much to see if we are open:
to ourselves -
our feelings, our ideas, our relationships, our experiences, our beliefs;
to the natural environment -
its beauty, its disasters, its fecundity, its detail, its frailty;
to the passage of time -
in our bodies, in our families, in our communities, in our thinking;
to injustice -
through our actions and our inactions,
through our prejudices and our selfishness,
through our lack of stewardship and governance;
to art -
in our homes, in our gardens, beside our highways, on walls everywhere,
in our heART.

Perhaps creativity is about 'scattering the seeds'.
Sowing ideas;
providing a rich environment for growth,
and also allowing them to fall on stony ground;
encouraging challenge and exploration of new places and spaces,
and providing safe haven when things are adverse;
allowing processes and practices to germinate and mature,
and celebrating experimentation and lateral thinking;
sharing the story;
trusting the hidden power that lies within;
knowing that with a firm foundation, they will become all that they were created to be.

I amazed at vision of Shea Hembrey.
His capacity to think outside-the-box;
his lateral thinking;
his technical skill;
his dedication to this activity;
his courage in challenging the norms of the art society.
His talk fills me with hope;
with a sense of purpose;
with a challenge to re-engage with my art;
with new tools to express what is in my heart.
Shea Hembrey's Biennale is an invitation
to participate in that which transforms me;
to create.

Are artists listeners?
Do we listen to our own selves -
our thoughts, our bodies, our histories, our potential?
Are we attentive to others -
their needs, their dreams, their pain, their potential?
Do we regard the earth -
as stewards, as consumers, as destroyers?
Do we allow ourselves time -
to drink from the wellspring,
to join in the opus,
to respond with gratitude?
Is our art our heartfelt response to the music we hear?

Focus -
(n) the centre of interest or activity;
(v) to pay particular attention to.

It can be difficult to maintain focus,
to keep our activities clearly aligned with our goals.
There is so much to distract us -
life's difficulties,
interesting side-projects,
paid work,
family commitments,
the internet!
But we are the archer -
we choose the arrow,
we draw the bow,
we seek the target.
Let's reclaim our focus
and aim at becoming all that we are called to be.