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!

The Beauty Deli Big Question

'The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions' John Simone

Reflection: Look at your life. Are you living the life of your dreams?

Monday muse... take a moment to answer today's question. Pass it on... Find out more about the people you know. Even the small things provide BIG revelations! Engage in conversation. Build relationships. Speak to someone new!

Lunch on the GO... to keep you on the GO!

Now the school holidays are over - it is time to focus! Many of us use the holiday period to have a little time to ourselves, to spend time with our children or to jet off abroad for a sunny break. So what happens now that we are back in work? Meal times can no longer be tackled in the leisurely 'lets see what's in the fridge' or by choosing a convenient take-away or a long afternoon in a 'nice country pub' kind of way. We need to plan healthy, cost effective, nutritious meals which keep us going all afternoon and get us back on the right track! So ditch the instant soup and the overpriced disappointing sandwiches, here are some fresh ideas to keep you going all afternoon...


Salad in a Jar: One of my favourite ways to put a quick take-out salad together is to layer lettuce or spinach, seeds, legume, fruits and vegetables with beans or chickpeas and dressing in either a screw top or clip top jar. You can put pretty much anything that you want together - just remember to layer your salad leaves on the top to stop them going soggy and shake together when you are ready to eat to make sure that your dressing covers all of your layers.

Low-Carb: If you are trying to cut back on the carbs a great idea is to make a lettuce wrap. You can fill the lettuce leaves with leftover chicken or fish plus any veggies. Add guacamole or houmous for extra flavour and wrap and eat!

Speedy Eggs: Scrambled eggs are super quick and so easy to make. Rather than topping toast, top your eggs with chorizo, feta and paprika for a spicy kick. If you prefer the classic; choose wholemeal or rye bread and add rocket or spinach leaves and couple of cherry tomatoes. I really like poached egg with avocado on seeded bread with a mixed topping of seeds (pumpkin or sunflower work well).

Keeping it Balanced: For an equal mix of protein, wholegrains and veg, make a mezze-style meal and dip sticks of carrot, pepper, cucumber, cheese and seeded pitta into houmous and guacamole. The variation of tastes and textures keeps you interested and full enough to keep the hunger at bay for the rest of the afternoon!

Super-Quick: This version may sound more like breakfast than lunch but you will find that this will fill you up far better than a shop bought sandwich! Buy a small pot of greek yoghurt and add a handful of nuts, seeds, blueberries or raspberries - seconds to put together, minutes to eat and the combination of fat and protein will keep you full for hours.

Healthy Pitta: A simple sandwich - stuff a pitta bread with chicken, lettuce, tomato and salsa - this final spicy touch delivers flavour as well as giving a great balance of protein and carbohydrates.

Fast Lunch Rules:

• A Protein Fix: It must contain a good mix of protein and fat to keep you full well into the evening.
• Fruit and Veg: Lunch must contribute to your 5 a day!
• The Right Carbs: Pick good quality wholgrain carbs to keep blood sugar levels even and prevent mid-afternoon sugar cravings!

Friday Focus: Art as Expression: Being Happy with YOU!

How many of us can look in the mirror and honestly say that we are happy with what we see? I don't think I've ever met anyone who can say 'I look perfect' or 'I'm so happy with me!' So why can't we ever be content with the way that we look? Low self-esteem? Being too bothered about other people's perceptions of us? Setting unrealistic goals? Or the old adage; we all simply want what we can't have?! 

We all have days when we don't feel 100% about ourselves and the way that we look; I am sure many of us have experienced 'fat days', 'thin days', 'good days' and 'bad days'. I truly believe that we know deep-down when these perceptions stem from being valid (feeling and looking overweight and being proactive in tackling it) to just completely unrealistic (picking fault with everything about how we look). So why do we feel like this?

Let's look to the media and the fashion industry - I know that there are so many strong minded individuals out there, who know what they want and don't care what other people say or write about; but for every one of these fabulous people; there are plenty more who consciously/subconsciously filter through and  focus on the unrealistic body shapes and lack of diversity which is in the media.

Rather than putting women under pressure to achieve the 'perfect' body - which for the record, doesn't exist! - there should be a fairer representation of 'real' women in the media. I'm not championing being overweight and being happy about it, but we are all different - we are not identikit robots - we should be supportive to each other to be fit, healthy and embrace the way that we look. We need to be happy in our skin - I don't think that if you are unhappy, accept the way you are - as we all have the power to change things for ourselves - but don't try to set unachieveable goals.

For today's exercise we will focus on creating a self portrait. It doesn't matter if you are not great at art; the whole point is to have a different experience in front of the mirror to create a new perspective. This exercise helps you to get comfortable with looking at your reflection and practicing the art of not judging but playing with materials to help to alleviate some of the critical thoughts that you may have about yourself when we look at our reflection. This can be a difficult experience for people who spend time only to critique themselves in the mirror and attaching emotion to those critiques. This exercise is more about looking at the face as a set of shapes, lines and colours which builds the appreciation of the beauty of it rather than finding the flaws within it. With more practice this exercise can gradually decrease the initial instinct to judge. 

Where do I start?
You will need a canvas (you can pick these up really cheaply), paintbrushes, paint, a palette (or paper plates will do), water, paper towels, a pencil and a mirror. Find somewhere comfortable to sit and make sure that you have a mirror in front of you so that you can see your face. Outline your face shape on the canvas with a pencil - this doesn't need to be exact! This is about spending time with yourself, learning the curves of your face, the colour of your eyes and the experience of playing with art materials. Spend some time painting your portrait. Once you have finished, try not to judge; remember fighting your inner critic is what you are trying to overcome!

Friday Focus: Complete this exercise during the weekend. Pick some quiet time for inner reflection!