Daily Well-being Practices in my Creative Business
Creative mindfulness. I absolutely love running my own business, and I know that I would not be able to do so if I did not have my daily well-being practices at the opening and close of each day.
Graphic design and photography studio Kapiti Coast, Wellington, New Zealand.
I absolutely love running my own business, and I know that I would not be able to do so if I did not have my daily well-being practices at the opening and close of each day.
Running a business can feel very full, with many hats to wear, and I feel that I have a responsibility to myself, my clients and to the wonderful work that we co-create to be putting practices in place that ensure that I approach my work from a place of balance and bursting with creativity! These early morning practices help me to ground, to centre, to settle my central nervous system, to be more creative, to be inspired, to be better organised and to be happy 😊
1. Good morning beach (rain or shine)
The practice I start my day with is … out of bed, get dressed and off Adie and I go to our lovely Paekakariki beach. We are more often than not alone on the beach at this time. We walk or run in silence for about 50 minutes — with a good many sticks and stones thrown for my sweet Adie to chase. In the warmer months we swim in the ocean on these early morning excursions also. There is a big log on our beach where, each morning, I climb up and do my yoga shoulder and upper back openers — creating space for the day that lies ahead.
Since I started my own business, not one work day morning has begun without this spacious time in nature as it’s beginning. Its not about having great motivation or will-power (I do have those traits also!), it is more about a deep love of starting my days in this manner. Being with nature, alone in silence, the fresh sea air, the ever changing water, the sand, the hills alongside … so much gratitude for all of this. It is the same coast as the peninsula where we once lived in spacious solitude, and it feels so very connected to me.
Good morning Adie! She’s very loveable and loves our morning time on the beach as much as me:
2. Extra time to ‘see’
Some mornings I have my camera with me (Fuji Xt-2 mirrorless makes this light and easy!). I don’t set a rule of ‘I must have my camera on me’ or ‘I must create photographs today’ — I don’t have any ‘musts’. Photographing in nature is a collaboration between nature and myself. But I shall just say that once the lens cap comes off, I do become so immersed in seeing in this manner that it is very hard for me to stop! I could happily have hours go by spent immersed in colour, texture and feeling in this manner.
3. Hip openers
When Adie and I return home it is time to shower, and then we head up to our creative studio where I have a practice of sitting at a low table so that I can sit crossed legged while I move into the next phase of my morning. Being a yoga practitioner I love to open my hips (release any held tension), at any opportunity and consistency is key.
4. Soul Mood
Now seated cross legged — I work with colour in a meditative manner with a chalk pastel rubbing. I choose the colours that resonate with me in that moment, not over-thinking anything. This chalk rubbing practice is something that we teach within Alamandria. If you haven’t heard about Alamandria and the wonderful meditation-through-colour work we do, please do take a peek at our website here >
My rubbing for the day then sits next to me on my desk, allowing me more time to feel into the colours, to contemplate what I created:
5. Journalling
Over a cup of tea and breakfast, still sitting crossed legged at the little table (with Adie lying under it), I then start my business-journalling for the day. I write one A4 page. It is not a list of what I need to do that day — that is in a different diary (I love lists and journals and diaries!) — instead, this journalling is a means of clearing out my mind, seeing where my mind is at specifically in regards to my business . If you are interested to learn more about journalling for your business, Business Coach Annie Romanos has a wonderful (and free!) week-long journaling for business course. Check out Annie’s site here > (and the sign up for journaling will pop on up for you), or sign up directly for a week of Annie’s Journaling inspiration here >
And now I am all ready to step into my work from a centered, calm, creative and happy space. Now the phone can come on, I move to my lovely big stand up desk (where Adie snores from under it) and I check and respond to my work emails, social media, and then into the day’s creative work I go!
These practices, from rising to checking my email, take me around an hour and a half. This time of day works for me and my life’s rhythms. And then the close of day involves heading back to the beach and a yoga practice in our sweet yoga cabin in the clouds with much upper back opening movement throughout the day to balance the time spent working on a computer.
What well-being practices do you include in your daily routines?
Silence and Creativity
Recently I received a gift from a lovely client, thank you lovely client. It is a book entitled, Silence In the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge from Wellington’s Unity Books.
A description of Kagge’s book from the publishers, Penguin Random House:
“In this astonishing and transformative meditation, Erling Kagge, famed Norwegian explorer and the first person to reach the South Pole alone, explores the silence around us, the silence within us, and the silence we must create. By recounting his own experiences and discussing the observations of poets, artists, and explorers, Kagge shows us why silence is essential to our sanity and happiness—and how it can open doors to wonder and gratitude.”
I very much enjoyed reading this softly-pale-blue-covered book. I related to its essence — inner stillness. For my own wellbeing, growth and creativity I consciously seek inner silence often throughout a day — while walking/running on the beach (with precious Adie) both first thing in the morning and at the end of my workday; whilst photographing alone in nature; during my beloved yoga and meditation practices; and working in silence (as much as possible), in my sweet creative cabin amongst our growing vegetables. And I carry this stillness with me as I go about the more active tasks in my day.
I tend, often, to create images that express how this inner stillness feels to me, this is what I am most compelled to create images of:
As the images above suggest, when I am in search of inner stillness — experiencing it and expressing how that feels creatively — the horizon is something that I am very much drawn to — as are the gentle tones of the colour blue.
I decided to embark on a photographic study that further explored my pull towards the horizon as well as my reactions to colours outside of the world of Blue — looking into the depths of black or the vibrancy of orange — asking myself, ‘What do I experience here, within myself?’
This study relates so very well to Kagge’s words around the quality of outer and inner silence experienced in nature:
“For me silence in nature is of the highest value. That’s where I feel most at home.”
My creative process is very simple, very quiet, very un-rushed — me, Adie, on the beach, with my camera absorbing the vast horizon in front of me. I am very drawn to this seemingly precise space where water and air appear to meet. During the summer months, I try to swim as far out as I can towards this never-ending space to feel even more immersed in its magic.
Below is a small selection of images from my Horizon Study 2018 – 2019:
I have been resisting photographing orange. It is interesting to note what colours we are drawn to and pushed away from in different contexts and to question why. This orange, however, contained by the rich, deep blues is, to me, alive and still and beautiful:
I am interested in how the varying colours, tones, textures, lights and darks speak to me and to others. I am currently working on bringing these visual meditations even more to life — printing a full set.
Once printed, I am looking forward to working with these images within the context of the Art of Meditation work that Mark, Emily and I continue to nurture and grow with our Alamandria endeavours. Our next Art of Meditation Retreat is being held at the beautiful Aio Wira Retreat Centre — Waitakere Ranges, Akld, 22 - 24 November 2019.
And I am now very much enjoying another book, on the same theme of silence, called Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle.
“Silence is essential. We need silence, just as much as we need air, just as much as plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us.”
Dr Jane Goodall, I thank you.
Dearest Jane Goodall,
I would like to thank you for all that you do.
Thank you for reminding everyone of their own importance, their own great inner force that can be focused on much collective good. Each and every one of us can achieve so much when we fully focus our mind on what it is we wish to achieve.
Thank you for seeing and remembering me, for making me feel welcome — as you do for all who cross your path, and that is millions of people all around planet earth, thanks to your great effort of travelling this globe, non stop.
Thank you for looking down the barrel of my camera more times than I imagine you care to remember — I know it is not easy.
I do hope that you know, deeply, (I know you do), that every moment you offer to others, every photo you have taken with others has an enormous impact in this struggling world. I would not want to take these photographs with you if that were not the case.
These photographed moments are far removed from the realm of celebrity — you have a presence that is so strongly felt. You are one impactful and compassionate global leader. You radiate a deep universal love, wisdom and consciousness — a blessing to all you share time and space with, and that is millions of people all around planet earth.
These many photographs we took will be cherished by their owners and they will motivate them all to keep going, to keep doing the good work, to do it better, to do more — our collective good work that you are tirelessly taking around the world.
My photographs of our shared time together, thank you, will be going on my cabin studio wall. They will remind me to not loose hope. To keep trying. To keep going. I shall keep doing the good work, helping every animal in need that I can, making ethical consumer choices and using my visual communication skills for the good and important work.
Melanie Vivian (right) CEO of the Jane Goodall Institute of New Zealand, with her mother and family dog greeting Jane.
Many of the team members of the Jane Goodall Institute of New Zealand.
A very big and heartfelt thank you for all that you do. And thank you Melanie Vivian and all who form the Jane Goodall Institute of New Zealand for all that you do to bring this very good work to fruition in Aotearoa. What an incredible team!
For more images of this wonderful experience pop on over here to my photography gallery.
Sisters of Compassion
An exhibition at the Home of Compassion, Island Bay, Wellington, that tells of the history of the Sisters of Compassion. A special and fascinating project to be involved in as the graphic designer.
Courage—set in stone—at the Home of Compassion, Island Bay.
Last year I was fortunate to be approached by Craig Turvey of 3D Creative to work as the graphic designer, alongside Celeste Skachill on a very special exhibition — an exhibition that tells of the story of the Sisters of Compassion in New Zealand. It opened at the end of last year at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, Island Bay, Wellington.
I learned so much and met wonderful people as I worked on this project — working to visually communicate the stories of others is so very rich.
An extra special project for me as my father had worked on the development of many of the buildings and chapel at the Home of Compassion, during his Structon Group era. Keeping it in the family :-)
The design process began last autumn with a very special day trip to Hiruhārama/Jerusalem, Whanganui. A place I hope to return to again and again. It felt very good there. The Sisters welcome group and individual bookings for retreats.
Jerusalem… a wonderful place for spiritual healing and an essential waypoint on any Pilgrim’s journey in New Zealand. The best way to experience is to go there.
Last week I returned to the Home of Compassion to photograph the exhibition now that it is all up and running. And I was so pleased to experience the calm that we had hoped to capture in our graphic style. It was a very peaceful hour of photographing. It feels very good knowing that our exhibition tone and style fits in so perfectly with all that the Home of Compassion encompasses. As the Sisters say, the Home of Compassion is:
“The perfect place for rest, retreat and renewal. Encounter the charism of compassion and take time out to contemplate and reflect.”
Spiritual retreat, business conference or anything in between. Book one of our fine facilities for your next event.
What an honour to work on this project.
And here is the final exhibition. If you live in Wellington or are passing through — take a pause and visit the Home of Compassion, Island Bay for a peaceful, informative, inspiring exhibition experience.
Grateful for Emily Fletcher’s involvement in the story telling and design of the beautiful Buckle Street Album.
An Environmental Ambassador of Hope
Here there is much goodness—one very good and strong lady who is leading such good community action to save our planet and all the species that exist upon it accompanied by my good chance to have the opportunity to photograph her in action.
Here there is much goodness—one very good and strong lady who is leading such good community action to save our planet and all the species that exist upon it accompanied by my good chance to have the opportunity to photograph her in action.
The Jane Goodall Institute of New Zealand asked me to photograph its launch event at Te Papa. I said yes on the spot! It sure feels good to photograph events that mean a lot to me. Putting my Visual Communication skills to use in the arena of Effecting-Positive-Change. Jane Goodall was touring New Zealand, to do what she is driven to do—connecting with other humans on this planet, reminding us that each and every one of us makes a difference every day.
What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.—Jane Goodall
A strong and kind hearted Jane Goodall who offers enormous service to this world.
And the positive choices we choose to make needn't be high and mighty. Let's start small and local, as Jane advises. The big picture is overwhelming, but if we all did our part, that all adds up to a very large total! Simple actions—plastic bags, just don't use them, say no to plastic drinking straws, educate yourself about the production of the food you choose to buy, be kind to a neighbour, care for an animal....
If my memory serves me well, Dr Jane's description of individual and local contribution is that each consciously positive action is like a fine gold thread which is being woven into a black tapestry. Our fine gold threads are increasing in number, let's keep the gold threads a-coming! It all adds up. It all matters. Let's all do our part to eliminate the black.
Jane Goodall is 83 years of age and travels an average of 300 days per year. Connecting in person with as many people as she can. She knows that being in the same room with other humans is much more powerful than digital sharing (which still has its place). I was certainly very moved to be in Jane Goodall's presence. Not because of any ideas of fame, but because of her way of being, her sharp (and intelligible) intelligence, her humble wisdom, her passionate hope, her drive to empower us all to make a much-needed difference.
Dr Jane states that she entered the jungle as a 'scientist' to study human's closest relative—the chimpanzee, but left the jungle as an 'activist' (through non-violent means) to save, not only her family of chimpanzees but also the planet and all who live upon it. This makes me think of Parker J. Palmer—referred to me by a friend—and I'll write more in detail about him in a future post all about my next photographic documentary project! In Parker's book 'Let Your Life Speak', he talks of vocation not coming from wilfulness but instead coming from listening:
Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent.—Parker J. Palmer
Dr Jane certainly has the presence of a woman who is 'letting her life speak', 'living from the inside out, not the outside in'. And so many people all around the world have been so deeply affected by this inner drive.
There is a wealth of information on the Jane Goodall Institute of New Zealand website. Some great videos here that I binge-watched in one hit! And if you are wanting to financially donate to a very important cause (no amount is too little) you can do that here. Take the time to have a good look around. Check out the Roots & Shoots programme—a global community conservation programme that empowers young people of all ages to design and implement sustainability action projects with positive impacts on animals, people and the environment.
I think my message to the politicians who have within their power the ability to make change is, 'Do you really, really not care about the future of your great-grandchildren? Because if we let the world continue to be destroyed the way we are now, what's the world going to be like for your great-grandchildren?'—Jane Goodall
Thank you, Melanie Vivian, for inviting me and my camera to the launch. Thank you, Dr Jane Goodall for gracing us with your presence, wisdom, knowledge and hope. You certainly made an impact on me.
And thank you for adding the words 'One, two, three, chimpanzee!' to my photographic verbal repertoire! I shall treasure them and share them widely.
The Meeting of Two Passions
As the name Catherine Adam Photography & Design says, I am a visual communicator whose creative passions lie in both photography and design. There have been times when I have asked, 'should I be less, have fewer passions, narrow myself down?'. But I have learned that if I were to do that I would be going against the grain of what makes me who I am.
As the name Catherine Adam Photography & Design says, I am a visual communicator whose creative passions lie in both photography and design. There have been times when I have asked, 'should I be less, have fewer passions, narrow myself down?'. But I have learned that if I were to do that I would be going against the grain of what makes me who I am.
The tools of my trade — photography and design
So, I continue to explore the world of creativity in both the realms of graphic design and photography—I'm an explorer at heart! And it is proving to be a worthy adventure! More often than not, I find myself in the midst of a sweet spot where both photography and design naturally combine to create a rich goodness.
The strongest aspects of me, and what the core of my business is based around, are Photography and Print Design. And it is exactly these two branches (I have discovered) that have a way of naturally intertwining to create one sweet harmony. 'Simply Being' for example—I photographically documented the simplicity and beauty of the world around me and then the graphic designer in me stepped up and turned the project into a unique-to-me calendar (there is a 2018 version in the pipeline too!), and I am currently working on the book design phase of this project. It's nice, and pretty handy, being such a good match with oneself!
The latest project that fits into this same vein is nearing completion of phase one: Working title: 'UPPER CASE lower case—A photographic exploration into an industry-turned-craft — letterpress'
Me #1: Graphic Designer / Typographer
Ink, wood, metal, machinery, paper—letterpress. This form of design makes my world an extra happy place. The tactile quality, the craft, the skill, the incredible machinery. I love it so much I decided to become a committee member at The Printing Museum (NZ’s letterpress museum)!
Me #2: Photographer
This past year I have been having a whole lot of fun photographing The Printing Museum in action. Each Monday I have been heading over to the depths of Mangaroa Valley in Upper Hutt (it's a pretty amazing place out there!) and hanging out with a great bunch of chaps who have been only too willing to teach me all about what was once their trade.
A selection of images from this project were exhibited at Photospace Gallery, 1st floor, 37 Courtenay Place, Wellington, from 25 August – 9 September 2017. And a Limited-Edition exhibition catalogue (with a letterpress cover of course!) are for sale. Below is a little taste of the project, the people, the machines, the typography.
