Movie Making

by Emma

I recently bought a new camera.

I bought it primarily for shooting video for Studio Scratches.

I used to shoot and develop black and white photos on a GCSE photography course at college. I loved it. I wanted to give up my A levels to pursue it full time. I didn’t. I took the ‘sensible’ choice and stuck out the A Levels. No regrets though, everything works out!

Back to the present. The camera opened up a whole new world. I saw things differently. I noticed angles and perspectives that are normally unnoticed by me.

I felt excited and alive.

I started to remember apertures and depth of field. I experienced beginners mind.

It was magic.

Here is the footage I shot:

Very Berry from Deliberate

 

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Not many words today, just a picture from yesterday.

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Happy New Year 2012 from the UK!

I took these pictures of the TV whilst watching the fireworks taking place in London. Pretty spectacular.

I have received a lot of messages from people saying that anytime is a good time to start fresh.

I appreciate that.

I also feel its a thing of beauty that the whole world starts afresh on 1st January every single year.

Those good feelings have to count for something.

Have an awesome moment, day, week, month and year!

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Afro Tea

by Emma

I got some Afro Tea “Cairo” blend for Christmas.

This blend of Rooibos, Mate, Honeybush and Chun-Mee Green Tea are blended to perfection to create a fresh aroma. Carob, apple pieces and nana mint add an additional fruity tone.

I recommend.

It comes in a cool tin like this:

Perfect for making in a pot and drinking out of a small teacup, when time permits.

A favourite little ritual of mine.

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Cloudbow

by Emma

 

Yesterday I took a Boxing Day walk. The air was fresh, but not too fresh.

I saw my first ever cloud bow. LIke a rainbow but made out of cloud.

Pure magic.

What have you seen for the first time recently?

Hope you are having a wonderful festive season.

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Meet William:

William was born the day before the royal wedding hence his name.

We met out in the countryside when we went to buy a sustainably local grown Nordman Fir Christmas tree.

The owner told us that he didn’t stand on birth, which in the wild means death, but he was nurtured with lambs milk powder and some honey and is now quite the confident chap bounding about and rubbing his head into my hand.

I’ve never seen a real reindeer before and although there was no snow, William really brought out the Christmas spirit in me.

No sign of Rudolph though!

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I have a small update to the free daily letter.

I have decided after much thought to change the ‘free daily letter’ to simply ‘the free letter’.

This will be sent out in the same way as before, whenever I have written something new.

This only difference is that instead of daily, this may be daily, it may be every other day, it may be weekly.

I am writing everyday, but won’t always publish here.

The reason for this is I would like to make sure that you receive my highest quality writing possible and gives me more time and space to grow without the arbitrary goal of publishing daily affecting what I am doing. Consider this an experiment. It feels right at this moment.

I’d like my writing to grow slowly with me rather than putting more pressure on it than is necessary.

Writing daily was a real achievement for me and very worthwhile but the time has come to evolve.

I hope that you understand where I am coming from on this one and are along for the journey as always.

Beyond The Surface continues weekly as usual and contains the deeper explorations.

Thanks for reading!

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I recently received a comment on G+

“good writers such as yourself make small, simple things interesting to read about.”

Wow. I have never been referred to as a ‘writer’ before.

This got me thinking about many things, some of which I will be exploring in more detail in the future here.

Today I would simply like to explore the term ‘writer’.

Am I a writer? What is a writer? How do I know if I am? If I am not, will I one day all of a sudden come to the realisation that I am?

I am many things. One of the things I do is write, that is for certain. Good somedays, bad other days, needs improvement others. A touch of wonderful the next. Always growing. Ever changing. Sometimes overwhelming.

Perhaps the practice and physical act of writing then is what makes me a writer.

I am a writer because I write, not because someone tells me I am, or because I get external validation, although this is always great to hear. I certainly haven’t passed any test that makes me a qualified writer.

I am really very happy if you enjoy my words and join me on my journey, but this is not my sole motivation. If it were, this might change what I write as I try and cater to differing readers needs.

I write also because it adds to my own life. It is a way of expressing and connecting with others through shared experiences, or reflections around situations similar to us both.

I aim to share from my own experience and invite you in, without telling you what you should or shouldn’t do.

I’ll keep writing! ‘Writer’ or not!

I’ll be exploring writing in more detail in Beyond the Surface today.

Do you write? Do you consider yourself a writer?

I would love to hear your thoughts here.

//

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Shower Up

by Emma

I’m a big fan of taking a shower.

It resets my brain.

Everything becomes new as the massaging effect of the water on my head seems to create new ideas.

I get some of my best insights in the shower.

No matter how hard a day, most of it can be washed away, leaving me fresh and ready to begin again in the very next moment.

Coupled with an indulgent exotic fragranced shampoo and shower gel, I can’t think of a better way to wind down.

Similarly, in the morning on waking, I don’t quite feel human until after my shower. The steam gently opens my airways and allows me to breathe deep and prepare for the upcoming day.

Morning or evening, I truly appreciate the shower.

I don’t have a picture of a shower today. I do however have a picture of some clouds which, after all, often turn into outdoor showers and make their way as rain into our water system. Maybe that means I showered with a cloud. I like that idea.

 

Are you a fan of the shower, or maybe you are more a bath type person?

I would love to hear your thoughts here.

//

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Time to Fill Up

by Emma

Sometimes, I have nothing to say, or at least I think this is so. I avoid the work (writing).

When this occurs, I know I need to fill up.

I do this with gentle walks, peace and quiet, and seeking out other like minded positive people, both in real life and through their writing, online and offline.

This morning I filled up with a 5 minute walk across a car park on my way to work.

It was ice cold, which I would normally not appreciate to say the least, but as the sun rose to light up the sky and as I was bundled up with a scarf and layers upon layers, I couldn’t be anything but content.

I took some deep breaths as the sun hit my face and I felt the ground beneath my feet.

The wind was so cold that my eyes watered, but it was just the fresh start to the day that I needed.

I find that taking time to stop throughout the day and reflect in a time gap I have, however small, resets my brain before I enter the demands of the next moment, whatever that might be.

How do you fill up in limited time frames?

I would love to hear your thoughts here.

//

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