Daydream-catcher Making

Mollyamourous’ Anonymous

I’ve had lots of motivation to ‘do things’ recently but have been finding it difficult to make myself listen, sit, observe and reflect. I’ve definitely been buzzing at a high frequency and I appreciate that I am sometimes fucking annoying.

I was advised by a naturopath, whilst living at Bellbunya (a sustainable retreat in Queensland), that I have problems with my ears and I need to work on my listening skills. I’ve heard this advice a lot in my life but always struggled to listen.

I was told by another friend in the community, whilst he was making me a beeswax candle one evening to ward off some of the negative energy (and huntsmen spiders) in my room, that I was ‘Vata’ in Ayurvedic medicine.

Meaning I need to regularly calm and tether myself with meditation, rest, water, and nutritious food. I am trying to learn to appreciate ‘being’. I am learning to go with the ebb and flow. The waves of life. I want to be a space-time surfer.

I feel the desire to thank my mum, my friends and the unsuspecting strangers for their time, love and energy, that I have sometimes demanded recently. Thank you for listening, cuddling, feeding, sharing your homes, dancing with and loving me, you sexy little beasts.

I really appreciate it. Positive ideas, comments and guidance (for my blog or life) is always welcome, I am listening <3

Catching Daydreams…

My travel/living/work/love/life circumstances have all been changing recently. I’ve slept in 7 different beds the last couple of months and met many new, ridiculously intelligent and interesting people.

Good friends are advancing away on their own paths, once familiar places feel different and new opportunities have been presenting themselves. I know it’s time for more adventures and I’m excited to go exploring.

Even if I wasn’t, I only have 6 months left on my Australian visa, so some sort of cunning plan might come in handy soon. I’ve found myself daydream-catcher-making, thinking and asking myself a lot;

“Well, what the fuck do I do now?”

Trying to get a grip on this has taken some time and processing. It’s thrown up lots of other questions too. Lots of questions and lots of self-reflection, analysis and poking about in my insides and my soul.

I’ve been asking myself “What are my beliefs?”, “Do my actions match those beliefs?”, “Where do I get my idea of ‘identity’?”, “What is my perception of success?”, “If I’m not going to do what I have for the last 7 years (travel, stripping, cities), then how am I actually going to thrive?”, “Do I need to chase money and exotic sunsets?”, “Can I enjoy being in my own company?”

And the always fun; “What is the worth of my existence?”.

In January I decided to go back to Queensland for the 4th time (I still haven’t made it to Sydney), it might seem repetitive but it’s a ridiculously beautiful, subtropical, rainforest, beach porn heaven and I like it. I went to live in 3 ‘intentional communities’ for a few weeks. These included:

Bellbunya: $75 p/wk in exchange for 18 hrs community work (half asylum, half eco-retreat, good people, great veggies and lots of laughs).

Noosa Edge: Free – I didn’t stay the night (advertised as a nudist resort, actually more like a 66 year old man’s wet dream materialised- sticky, homophobic and definitely not my vibe).

Chenrezig: $20 p/night in shared dharma dorm (an inspiring, slightly imposing, educational Buddhist monastic Institute where the ‘precepts of the hill’ ask that you literally do not hurt a fly and there were many biting horse-flies).

Bellbunya’s natural pool.

I wanted a challenge, to see what I could learn from my surroundings and myself, analyse if I missed anything from ‘normal’ life and find out if any of these ‘crazy-free-radical people’ had better ideas about how to live.

I wanted to see what kind of daydream I would like to materialise and how much I could do with the least amount of money.

It turned out that the majority of community members are actually just ‘normal’, lovely, squishy, humans on the same journey as me. With the same questions and the same yearning to find their place in life.

There was also an impossibly cute baby bearded dragon. I was surprised when two others introduced themselves as ‘multi-dimensional seers’. I wasn’t aware that was a thing before.

They were vibrant, lovely, friendly multi-dimensional seers and were kind enough to teach me to be able to do some effective NLP to help improve my thought patterns and behaviours. They looked just like regular humans and also made a tasty paleo quiche.

‘Fantas’ the fantastic baby bearded dragon.

The main thing I took from the whole adventure was;

‘Appreciate your own and others time, space, energy and love. Do whatever the fuck makes you feel good and consciously aim to cause no harm to yourself, others or the planet- or flies’.

Space-time-energy-love appreciation. That was the vibe and principle of them all.

Even the creepy German sex cave guy somewhat, with his desire to offer hospitality, a sanctuary, external and internal ‘massages’ and love to other sex cave enjoying friends, all within a piece of sexy paradise (5 minutes from Noosa’s bourgeois retail complex).

I realised each person’s dream is a bit different to another’s, his personally being much about sexy caves. I wasn’t sure that was my thing, so until I my friend came to rescue me, I just politely declined his invitations and guarded myself with steam cleaner.

I came away with some interesting thoughts and a number of interesting book recommendations (excluding ‘Nudist Fun Monthly’) that I am slowly working my way through:

1. Louise Hay – How to heal your life.

2. Mitch Albom – Tuesdays with Morrie.

3. Rosalie Ham – The Dressmaker.

4. Li Cunxin – Mao’s last Dancer.

5. Chogyam Trungpa – Work, Sex, Money: Real life on the Path of Mindfulness.

6. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Not for Happiness.

*Further recommendations left in the comments might earn you a lollipop :)

Daydream Making…

Playing with my beliefs around ‘space-time-energy distribution’ ‘self-worth’ and ‘value’, has helped me challenge some preconceived ideas, thrown up some fun curve balls and at times made me feel fucking insecure.

Insecure about being a little pea sized human in such a big universe. I keep thinking maybe I should just try being ‘normal’ again.

If I look from one perspective I am a 27 year old boho hobo, my boyfriend is leaving, I’m sleeping on couches, with no career, no house, no car, no children, a few dollars in the bank and no security. Not even a goldfish. That could be shit and somewhat scary. I could feel negative.

Or I could choose to look at it from a different perspective; I am a young, happy, healthy, privileged, educated backpacker enjoying an opportunity of unimaginable joy, experience and freedom. I can choose to see the sunrise and sunset every day. I could feel gratitude.

I am learning that I can have peace, happiness and security, no matter how much money, what job I have, where I live, what clothes I wear or how I paint my face if I remember to be thankful for just ‘being’.

That I appreciate my opportunities for experiences, learning and the pursuit of knowledge. I’m investigating freeganism, trade based & community living, volunteering, wwoofing and creating open content workshops as alternate ways to thrive in society.

It’s all quite fun. Even the times of uncertainty. Even if it’s ‘uncertified’ and I don’t get a degree and tasselled hat from university to tell me I’m doing the right thing. I’m realising I am still a valuable little bio-bot and I’m surrounded by fractals, flowers, puppies, hugs and love.

Self love vs. Self masturbation…

I’m seeing that by being brave in thought and action and having a somewhat free-flowing nomadic gypsy life, I have had access to ‘alternate’ realities and learned interesting lessons.

One example- Tuesday night’s in a 4 floor, candlelit workplace with aerial hoops, gigantic crystal chandeliers and dancing, soapy, naked, glittery girls on stage (lesson- it’s beautiful and feminine and sexual and I see I shouldn’t be scared of that powerful combination).

Where the girls outnumber the boys 10:1 and in their 8″ heels are usually taller. It’s not your regular 9-5, it’s not a ‘normal’ reality. It’s unusual and intriguing. I’ve learned no matter who you are, what you can do, how charming you may be, how beautiful you look, or how much love you have to give, some people will still not like you (and that this is okay). Fuck ‘em and stay happy anyway.

I am also learning that I am beautiful. And that you are all beautiful too. That we live on an infinitely beautiful jewel encrusted planet and that being positive feels good.

That negativity, insecurity and too much ego leads to self-masturbation, when what I actually desire is self-love and symbiotic-love. And I should not be ashamed of this desire.

Love is not vanity, possession or ego. Love is gratitude and appreciation. It’s feeling thankful and happy for all existence. It is knowing I am just a small fractal of a much bigger picture.

I am good enough and worth enough to love myself. Properly Love. Gratitude-and-awareness love. Calmly-centering-myself love. Appreciating-my-health-and-body love. Understanding-the-beautiful-complexity-of-life love. The juicy bits. Juicy love.

– Osho on ‘love’.

I have learned that I can, if I want to, access the time and energy that I have available to me and go find a space to make something positive with it. I can make whatever I like. I can make sparkles and more love.

Or upcycled bunny ears and workshops on daydream-catching. And I can share these things that I have ‘made’ with anyone else that wants to join in. And even though this sometimes leaves me feeling vulnerable, that is okay, because it’s not about me.

It’s all about amplifying good energy and action. I can be a productive, efficient, creator.

I know it could sound somewhat insane and naively idealistic if you have not been in this little bubble-tea party, but after hearing of the ’100th Monkey’ theory recently and speaking with friends and strangers, I am questioning whether I am the only one?

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there” – Cheshire Cat.

I started researching, networking and looking for others on the same trip. I have been thinking about where I want to be and what I want to do.

Looking further into ‘intentional communities’ and listening to the tales and experience of others and using that as a guide. I’ve been trying to find a festival kind of vibe.

An international, travelling, intentional community, a network of good people, good food and good speakers. My gypsy tribe and my piece of paradise, my kind of home. And it has led me to some amazing finds.

Burning Man: http://burningman.org/

‘A network of Dreamers and doers.’

Black Rock City – Nevada.

Regional- ‘Burning Seed’ Southern Hempisphere, ‘Nowhere’ Northern Hemisphere. With many more regional ‘burn philosophy’ offshoots in cities worldwide.

Rooted in the values expressed by the Ten Principles, this culture is manifested around the globe through art, communal effort, and innumerable individual acts of self-expression. To many, it is a way of life.”

Confest: http://confest.org.au/

“(Conference/Festival) is a gathering of people wishing to share talents, skills, ideas, concerns and philosophies in a caring fun loving and tolerant atmosphere.

The presentation of workshops, demonstrations, entertainments and the maintenance of site facilities are all performed by volunteers, monetary payment is neither accepted nor made.”

Following the White Rabbits…

I’m willingly falling down these rabbit holes and following curiosities on a quest to find my peace in wonderland.

I’m volunteering at Confest, as front gate and site cook for the crew of volunteers setting up and building the festival infrastructure, which will run for 2 weeks at the end of March.

I’m also hoping to get some gigs with a roaming festival bar that sells magic-tea potions and bloody mary’s. I’m finding out more information about local ‘burn’ events and figuring out what skills I can bring along. Any gypsy tips & advice welcome.

I’ve been searching for my ‘tinker’s’ pots and pans and I had an epiphany over an old pinny. I’m remembering what I once studied and the things that interested me when I was young; art, design, crafting, creating, healing, mending, connection and language. I even studied some of these in ‘formal’ education and got some actual certificates.

This made me reflect to my previous post and question the difference between what I wanted and what I needed. I need food, shelter and love. I need to change positive thought into positive action.

I am trying to do this with the only resources I have control of; my time, my energy, my space, my love. My space-time-energy-love. I am realising that everything else, including the sparkles, are collective and could be shared.

It’s all organically developing into ‘Tinker Rebel’, a brand identity for an idea. A way to possibly materialise some of my beliefs and make them physical. A way to spread a little love and happiness. An idea that I have joined and for others to join in on too.

A way to join the fight to upcycle some of the tonnes of unwanted ‘shit’ we under-value, disregard and throw away every day. A way to heal something broken and turn it into something that is loved. A way to be more appreciative of my life in my ‘work’. A way to turn negative energy into positive energy.

I’m playing with ideas of ‘foraged fancy dress’, ‘dreammaking meditation workshops’ and a ‘festival mending tent’. A travelling tinker-tailor-spiritual-gypsy service. All within the philosophical principles of the ‘Burning Man’ movement and of ‘ephemeralization’.

Buckminster Fuller was very fond of the word ‘ephemeralization’, which he used roughly in the sense of “progressively accomplishing more with less” and I am too.

To get better and better at using materials in more sophisticated ways, so we need less and less quantity of materials. Sounds like a good plan to me.

So I now spend my time playing with space-time-energy-love manipulation, business planning, travel planning and ‘being’. I want to no longer obsess over imperfections and negatives or fight with myself.

To be a more confident, happy, productive little bio-bot and remember to make time for yoga, fresh veggies, sunshine and friends.

More and more avoiding unnecessary ‘waste’, made up of clothes, greed and bullshit.

The wasteful ‘single-use plastic bag-baggage’ that’s created through my insecurities, driven deeper into my psyche by advertising and ultimately ends up in landfill or the ocean, and instead just enjoy ‘being’.

It's about learning to appreciate more and live with less.

It's about learning to become a space-time-energy-love tinker.

That is the next travel/love/life adventure an anyone is welcome to join.