Travel, Writing, Circus
According to the national initiative COPMI, over one million children in Australia have at least one parent with a mental illness. These children may face many challenges. A range of factors associated with families where a parent experiences mental illness can impact a child’s development and wellbeing.
October is Mental Health Month in Australia. Support for mental health is so very important not only for those experiencing it firsthand, but for their families as well. It is an important cause to me, and why I am so proud that my novel, The Wilted Rose, can continue to spread awareness about this worthy… Continue reading The Wilted Rose Supports Mental Health Month
In this post, I discuss my experiences as an unpaid carer, including what I have learned about prioritising my own wellbeing, and establishing and maintaining boundaries with the person I cared for. I also address the stigma around separating from a partner with an illness or injury.
When Sarah was a young teenager, still living in Maleny, Queensland, in the 1940s she was given a spirited horse that her elderly neighbour didn’t have the time to train, or the time to take care of. Sarah called her Dawn. She rode her at every opportunity and loved and cared for her more than… Continue reading Dawn Riding
I know that I am in an incredibly fortunate position whilst in lockdown. My stress levels are relatively low, and for the most part I am able to enjoy being stuck at home, and have the privilege of having the mental and emotional energy to be creative and productive during this time. This time last… Continue reading Being Creative in Survival Mode
Last night I came down with a cervicogenic headache. The result of way too much time spent sitting at the computer over the past few weeks, putting unnecessary stress on myself to be productive with all this extra free time. I recently finished typing the revised edition of my book Paid To Dance: Asha’s Story… Continue reading Releasing the Pressure.
Last night I laid awake all night. I felt so restless when I first went to bed, and after hours of lying there staring at the ceiling, I started to feel claustrophobic. I felt so unsettled, and I wanted to cry, but I didn't know why. Was it because of everything that's going on in… Continue reading How Isolation Is Helping Me Slow Down and Enjoy The Journey of Writing and Publishing
As many of you already know, in March of this year, my long term relationship ended, and with it my time living on the Gold Coast. For two years I had been caring for my fiancé, who suffered a debilitating back injury at work in January 2017. I thought the past 24 months had been… Continue reading Grieve Writing Competition Entry 1
Welcome to Tallebudgera Creek, stop no. 9 on my Books By The Beach tour! Tallebudgera Creek is by far one of my FAVOURITE spots here on the Gold Coast. Where I am sitting in this video is on the Burleigh National Park side of the creek. Here there is a small, quiet beach, and I… Continue reading Books By The Beach: The Wilted Rose at Tallebudgera Creek
One afternoon in mid-January 2017, my fiance Greg came home early from his job as a tiler with lower back pain. He took the weekend to rest up, however Monday came and the pain had not subsided. The days turned into weeks. In early March I set off on a month-long book research trip to… Continue reading National Carers Week: My Story
