I mentioned in my November newsletter that the first meeting of a local writers’ group that I am facilitating was happening on Wednesday. I was anxious that no one would come so I was relieved when eight other writers arrived. We chatted about ourselves and what we were writing for thirty minutes and, for the […]
Evoking another time
Inspired by this photo, here’s a story I wrote. Thanks for taking the time to read it. The plants were in small pots and sat in rows on a stand. There must have been about a dozen of them, blooming in the environment of the enclosed verandah. Some showed simple flowers, while others had frilly […]
Protecting my headspace
Stories are my thing. They can be constructed from my memories or recounted by other people. Stories can be spoken or written; based on facts or totally imaginary. It doesn’t matter how they come to me. Words, of course, are the basic building blocks of stories. I’m immersed in words every day, whether I’m reading, […]
The power of stories
For four years, I was Editor of an Australian quilt magazine. A few years after I left, the business was sold and the magazine subsequently shutdown. Until then, the magazine showcased a wide range of stories about the Australian patchwork and quilting community. I was proud of the hard work I put into nearly 50 […]
Creative inertia
This is nothing new to me. Creative inertia – a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged – usually occurs when I am overwhelmed or my subconscious is processing something. I don’t think it is a negative thing, at least not for me. It’s simply a part of life’s ebb and flow. I took […]
Celebrating UFOs
Most quilters have Unfinished Objects (UFOs) stored in cupboards, boxes or under the bed. This is usually seen as a Bad Thing, but let’s stop this negative thinking right now, because it’s very draining and we don’t need that in our lives, do we? Let’s examine the positives of UFOs. The fact your UFO exists […]
Revive: national cultural policy
What a relief it is to have a government that accepts and supports our Australian stories, past and present, no matter the format or medium. After many years of being ignored (and whittled down), creation and access to our stories is recognised as a critical part of a healthy society. Today the Australian Government launched […]
The telephone
Inspired by this photo, here’s a story I wrote. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Dear Lucy, I enjoyed chatting with you today. It’s always great to hear your voice and share what’s new in our lives. It reminded me of this family story, which you may not have heard before. Last century, […]
Here’s how to read my newsletters
“This weekly newsletter is written by me, Erica Spinks, so I can share stories about books, gardens, quilts and other interests with you.“ These are words from the footer of my weekly newsletters and, hopefully, gives you an idea of what to expect. I write a newsletter each Sunday and, if you subscribe, it will […]
In my garden column: February 2022
All my friends know that blue is my favourite colour, so it’s no surprise I encourage plants with blue or purple flowers to grow in my garden. This is Geranium ‘Rozanne’, which delights me every time I pass by. I write more about my blue garden in my February gardening column for our local newspaper Southern […]