... but then came to realise that art is not a cleverness contest. It is not one's capacity to be inventive. It is really an honesty contest ... the capacity to truly be that thing that you are.
Ben Ortner.
Ran Ortner paints the most extraordinary paintings.
I would love to live in a room with his work there on the wall, reminding me of the sea that I love, the sea I'm so far from now.
Here's a documentary (in progress).
Ran Ortner Trailer (documentary in process) from Todd Holland on Vimeo.
I found this question over on Terri Windling's beautiful blog, Myth & Moor.
Life is so short. The world is rich. There are so many adventures possible. Why do we not gather our strength together and live. It all comes to much the same thing. In youth, most of us are, for various reasons, slaves. And then, when we are able to throw off our chains, we prefer to keep them. Freedom is dangerous, is frightening.
Katherine Mansfield, New Zealand modernist writer.
I loved this story of 6-year-old Australian surfer, Quincy Symonds. Her story is simply inspiring. I found her via this useful website I follow on Facebook ... A Mighty Girl.
A small surfer makes big waves from ABC Open on Vimeo.
Tonight I'm listening to Rupa and the April Fishes as I work. Sharing their song titled Neruda here.
... with an Erica Jong twist.
I found this beautiful image out walking, early one morning, at Cooks Beach, in the Coromandel, New Zealand.
Listening to favourite song, favourite singer, as I load this.
It opens with a torrential downpour in the recorded version. I think I love the sound of that rain, more than anything.
"In the landscape of New Zealand music, one genre stands out: music by Maori artists, which is a solid cornerstone, and within itself powerfully diverse. One of the most distinctive, articulate and significant Maori voices is Moana Maniapoto who - first with Moana and the Moahunters and latterly as Moana & the Tribe - has taken her often politically conscious music to festivals across the world." (Graham Reid)
She has consistently pushed the boundaries of Maori music in both her recordings and live performances, fusing taonga puoro, haka, chants with soul, reggae and classical "to produce her own blend of traditional and contemporary styles without compromising either." (NZ Herald, 2003).
A tribute to people power written by Moana Maniapoto & Paddy Free.
You can read more over on the website.