Friday Focus: Art as Expression: On the Outside Looking In

Last night I watched an amazing documentary about little known street photographer, Vivian Maier. The intriguing thread which ran through this remarkable woman's story was that someone else had created the dialogue after piecing together the mystery of who Vivian Maier actually was. During her lifetime, keen street photographer, Vivian created an immense catalogue of work during her life which lay undiscovered in a storage locker until 2007 after being auctioned off for non payment of rent on a small studio apartment. 

She had decided that even though she had been capable of producing some of the most astonishing images of urban America, that she did not wish to share these with the world. After her death in 2009, her work was brought to light by the buyer who was amazed by what he saw...

Vivian's Story

Born in New York City in 1926; Vivian's family were of french heritage and it was in France that she would return to at a young age and spend most of her youth. She returned back to the US in 1951 and would spend the rest of her professional life as a live-in nanny, and her personal life indulging in her passion of street photography. Nobody ever saw her work while she was alive; many of the families who she lived with over the course of her stay with them, say that they never saw her without her Rolleiflex camera hanging around her neck.

Vivian lived in New York until 1956 and then moved to the suburbs of Chicago where she continued with her employment with various families; all of the time recording anything and everything that she thought was of interest - she had a fascination with people, places and newspaper stories; some of which she reenacted by visiting the places which she had read about and taking photos - as if reliving the event in someway; regardless of how macarbe.

As the years passed, as she continued to move on, her rolls of undeveloped printed work began to collect. It was around this time that Vivian switched to colour photography; her colour photos being more abstract than her previous work; replacing people and places with found objects, newspapers and graffiti. In the 1980s due to financial stress, lack of stability and by not having the means to process any of the photographs that she was taking; she began to stockpile her rolls of film.

Eventually during the 1990s, dealing with homelessness and then being helped to rent a small studio apartment she had no option than to place her belongings and work into storage. Without any means, one of the storage lockers containing a immense hoard of negatives which she had stashed throughout her lifetime, was sold off in 2007 due to non payment of rent to various buyers including local realtor, John Maloof.

Vivian Maier sadly died in 2009 and it wasn't until this time that John Maloof actually began to sift through the nondescript boxes that he had purchased from a downtown Chicago auction house. The amazing, captivating images of urban America during the second half of the 20th Century that he discovered astonished him - and so her story began...

For a more in depth look at Vivian's life and work visit www.vivianmaier.com

What's the deal with Organic?

Organic. Organic farming and locally grown produce. Instead of synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, organic farmers rely on biological diversity in the field to naturally reduce habitat for pest organisms. Organic farmers also purposefully maintain and replenish the fertility of the soil. 

Now going organic isn't new. Whether it relates to food or skincare it seems that whichever we apply this to; organic is seen by many as the most relevant choice that we can make to support and promote ecological balance and sustainability . But how much do you know about the organic industry? And does it really matter?

There is no doubt that organic agriculture and principles make the world a better place. Agriculture is one of the most basic practices of humankind - no matter what walk of life we tread, which path we choose to take; we all need to nourish ourselves - and these principles are the roots from which organic agriculture can grow and develop. Alongside the principles of history, culture and community values, these principles apply to the basic building blocks of how people tend the soil (healthy soils produce healthy crops), the water, the plants and the animals in order to produce, prepare and distribute food and other goods. They place emphasis on the way that people interact with living landscapes, how they relate to one another and how they will ultimately shape the legacy of future generations. It is undoubtedly a wonderful outlook - a positive, sustainable way forward but what makes a food 'organic'?

Organic food is food which has been produced using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods on organic farms. When it comes to food, to be labelled as organic, at least 95% of the ingredients must derive from organically produced plants or animals. Some ingredients however, are not available organically so therefore up to 5% of ingredients from a list of approved non-organic ingredients are allowed.  Non-foodstuffs such as salt, water and a restricted number of additives and processing aids are allowed. 

But organic food is so expensive! It all boils down to the old adage 'time is money'. Organic farms are typically smaller than conventional farms and due to their production methods of refraining from using chemicals and growth hormones, crops take longer to produce. Even so, for many people, realistically, it isn't always possible to buy everything organic unless the prices were considerably lower. A great way to introduce organic into your diet without feeling the pinch is to choose a variety of products which are easy to access and relatively cheap to buy. Organic dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, butter and cheese (full fat without the guilt!!) are produced by cows who are free to roam organic pastures; choose organic beef (cows which are not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics); choose organic eggs and chicken over products which are produced by GM fed chickens, and choose organic fruits and vegetables which would otherwise have the highest pesticide residue such as pears, apples, grapes, carrots, sweet potatoes, lettuce and cucumber. See the full pesticide report here. Local farmers markets are a good source of organic fruit and vegetables and also home delivered veg boxes from suppliers such as Abel & Cole are a great option.

All in all organic is the way forward. It may be expensive but it is a healthier and morally a better path to introduce and implement into our lives and diets. No matter how little we get involved, every organic purchase will help and support the organic industry and in a world where sustainable and ecological changes need to be addressed that can only be a good thing.

Wisdom Wednesday

The Importance of Taking Time OUT!!

'Trying times are not the times to stop trying' Harvey Mackay

Life has a nasty habit of presenting us with trying situations when we least expect them. That is what life is all about - these dilemmas are thrown into the mix to test us and to make us stronger. We can hopefully learn from them and move forward in a more positive light than we thought was ever possible. 

It is amazing how strong and resilient we can be when we are faced with times of upset and difficulty but, on the flipside, we need to realise that no matter how much positivity we have in our life it is important to take time out for US - this allows us to focus on our relationship with ourselves and to realign a healthy and grounded attitude.

It is essential that this 'time-out' is taken guilt-free - we are entitled to it no matter what our responsibilities may be - it is normal to get stressed! Stress is a biological reaction to what is going on around us and it is part of how we function. We all need stress in order to work to peak performance - in small doses, it can be beneficial to many of us but chronic stress can lead to us feeling overwhelmed, burnt out and miserable.

When you take time out for yourself you are giving your body a break and your mind time to re-energise. Choose to fill your time with things that you enjoy and which make you happy! Go to the gym, go for a walk, bake a cake, take a bath, read a book... whatever it is which helps you to unwind, indulge yourself!

You don't have to wait until you are stressed to take a break. Here are three quick guilt-free ideas which you can build into your daily routine:

Start the day with yoga. Yoga is a one of the best stress-busting activities that you can do to benefit body and mind. By setting your alarm a few minutes earlier and practicing some key asanas; you will bring a calmness and positive energy to the start of your day.

Eat to relax. We may be on the run-up to Christmas and those family sized tins of chocolates are now in prime view when you walk into the supermarket - but stay strong! Look to nature for your treats - for example; honey and mango both offer depression-fighting compounds and green tea is an ideal source of L-Theanine which is purported to relieve anxiety, stress and anger. Remember a little of what we like is OK in moderation but 'we are what we eat!'

Take a walk. Exercise and fresh air works wonders to clear the mind. It encourages relaxation whilst getting your body moving and your heart pumping! Plus anyone can do it - no excuses now!