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Leonie Orton

Phone: +61 419 737 563

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24.01.2022 High teapot wisdom

24.01.2022 Hello there... I have written something new, and the only place the word ‘Corona’ appears is on this lovely old typewriter... Which is just a pic I pinched and not something I own. But hey, a girl can dream. Anyway, if you would like to receive some hardcore navel gazing philosophy from me, then make sure I’ve got your details... Join me here if you’d like to: https://bit.ly/2VWsiQ2

23.01.2022 girl in a beanbag / words and pictures #4 Here's my take on the music challenge thing that's doing the rounds... Thanks for the invite Nina Hansen, Janelle Ward and Stan Searle ".."I’ve been thinking about how music taste is an integral part of identity creating. It certainly has been for me, and lots of people I know. Part of that is projecting an image of how we’d like people to see us, rather than the whole truth.... So if I was going to post some album covers that have been meaningful to me I could, with complete authenticity post some really awesome, obscure albums that I have loved, and have shaped me. However there would definitely be a degree of me wanting you to think I was cool rather than the whole truth. So I'm going to get very honest with you, very not cool, and take you back to the true beginning of my awakening love for music..." Keep reading... http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/girl-in-a-beanbag

23.01.2022 This article is bang on... ‘Hoarding toilet paper might be odd, but it’s nothing compared to the hoarding of money and property in a world where people are homeless and living below the poverty line. In the face of this current political reality, while we work towards a more humane economic system under a more compassionate government, we might also need to engage in radical acts of community solidarity and to build social safety nets at the local level. We can do this by get...ting involved in local government and community associations, by reaching out and getting to know our neighbours, by lending out or sharing our stuff, helping each other out, creating community gardens and food forests, or coming together to care for our parks and reserves. Or we can get even more radical and give away our toilet paper.’

22.01.2022 Love every single word of this

21.01.2022 i love my sisters / words and pictures #9 Here's a story about my sisters - and what a shitty big sister I used to be! http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/i-love-my-sisters

20.01.2022 Words and Pictures #1 / banana peel "I sat on the back stairs, feeling great after a vigorous walk. Took my shoes off, freed my toes, soaked up the sun and ate this banana. Life felt complete in that moment. ... I wonder why we make life so complicated. Why can’t it be as simple as sunshine and barefoot banana eating? My grandfather had a brain tumor so they cut out part of his prefrontal cortex..." Read the rest of this fun little story here: http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/banana-peel

20.01.2022 Travel Tales #2: Diving in the Desert Since we can't travel very far at the moment, I thought it was a good time to write some travel tales. You can subscribe to receive new stories long before anyone else sees them here: http://eepurl.com/bn3NdP "From Luxor I took a (bloody long) bus trip through the Sinai Desert to Dahab, a laid-back town on the shores of the Red Sea. ... Throughout the rest of Egypt it is respectful for women to wear clothing that covers legs, arms and sometimes head. But Dahab seems to exist in its own little bubble, where togs, a sarong and bare feet (if you can handle the heat) are standard issue uniform. The shorefront is lined with Bedouin-style restaurants with low tables and cushions, looking out across the sea to Saudi Arabia. I was there to learn how to dive..." Read the rest of the story: http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/diving-in-the-desert

19.01.2022 What an incredible artist Billie is. So young and so masterful at transforming feelings into sound. I think she must have arrived here from another world.

19.01.2022 Good morning! I've just started a new writing series called 'travel tales'. I figure since we can’t actually do much of that right now, it's the perfect time to do some travel through time and words instead. ... I'd love you to join me on the adventure. You can join my reader mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/bn3NdP I’ll send you an email any time I have a new story ready to roll. And I’ll probably dig up some old (potentially embarrassing) travel pics to go along with the stories too, so it'll be fun.

19.01.2022 Hello reader words seer of pictures thinker of thoughts Feel like doing some of that together?... An idea for a new writing series has arisen, so I’m going for it. It's called Words and Pictures. Every day for the next who knows how many days, I’m going to draw a little picture of something mundane, and write some possibly tedious, possibly transcendental words to go along with it. The picture you see here is of the world’s smallest sketch book, and my hand for scale. It’s a drawing of the book, in the book, that I’m doing the drawings in. I get pretty lazy about creative writing if I don’t have some sort of structure to it. I think it’s something to do with the magic of deadlines and promises. So I hope you're up for being the promise side of that magic. Maybe it’s a bit like a cat proudly presenting a dead mouse, or a kid bringing home a drawing, or maybe it’s just an idea that arose to be brought into existence and shared. No further analysis required. There’s a great little book called The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. He reckons creative inspiration is an energy that comes through us as conduits not creators. He says When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favour in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete. In other words, sit down and do the damn work. Then maybe you’ll write/create something good, and maybe you won’t. If you would like to come along on this journey of writing and drawing and thinking and sharing with me, I’d love you to join me here: https://bit.ly/2Tyoinl I’ve got banana peel, dying leaves, and an electric guitar queued up next. Leonie x http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/words-and-pictures

18.01.2022 As a result of more time at home, a stranger than usual world, and the reliable blossoming of a fresh flush of chaos in my personal life, here I am bleeding all over the page again. It's about little things that are bigger than big things, life, death, chaos - you know, just the usual stuff. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you thought, and what, if anything, is keeping you up at night.... http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/fall-in-love-with-chaos

17.01.2022 Decent adj. Characterised by conformity to recognised standards of propriety or morality. Descent n. The act or an instance of descending.... Dissent intr.v. To have or express an opinion different from a prevailing or official position. Small changes can lead to new paradigms.

17.01.2022 Chaos should be regarded as extremely good news. - From When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chödrön I have abundant supplies of chaos right now. Lucky me... Lucky all of us!

16.01.2022 one for me and one for bob / words and pictures #7 Oh, didn’t you know? Bob was killed. Every night when I get home from work I get out two beers. One for me and one for Bob. I drink mine and then I let Bob know I’ll drink his for him too.... Vale Bob. http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/one-for-me-and-one-for-bob

15.01.2022 watching things grow / words and pictures #8 This is a story about a little roquette seedling, and also about another seedling that grew into a tree with deep roots and many branches - Harvest Swap It's about doubt and persistence. It's about community and connection. It's about organic growth and how sometimes having no plan is the best sort of plan. ... This is what Judy said about it "This one really touched me. Maybe because I have been well and truly infected with the Harvest Swap bug. Maybe because I could picture the gatherings and faces. Or maybe because it is about being a part of a beautiful family that has organic form. I had tears in my eyes as I read it." http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/watching-things-grow

13.01.2022 Tonight my 13 yo boy said to me, after giving him some help with To Kill a Mockingbird analysis... It’s good having a mum who is good at language arts. Parenting gold

13.01.2022 I like to write when I'm feeling happy, confident and inspired. I like a quiet house, a good coffee and a day free of plans that stretch ahead into night. And t...hat happens? Rarely. Especially the 'confident and inspired' part. The rest of the time I just do it anyway. And it took me the longest time to figure this out. Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action. Do it or don't do it." - Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

12.01.2022 While the world has been taking itself way too seriously, I've been writing about important stuff like banana peel, electric guitars, coffee cups and autumn leaves in a series called 'words & pictures'. I've just had word from the Bureau of Inspiration that this series is now complete. Before I move onto the next one, below is a behind-the-scenes exposé into the mechanics of writing...... AND... I'm turning the Words and Pictures series into a book... If you would like to receive it (it's free), you can subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2QpfiPE I promise no spam and nothing that is going to ruin your day... Just stories. The next series is 'travel tales', because I figure what better time than now when we can't travel any further than our state borders!! http://www.leonieorton.com//words-and-pictures-the-lab-rep

12.01.2022 The true meaning of ‘civilisation’

12.01.2022 Travel Tales #3: Climbing Kili Inspired by limited travel options, I'm writing about it instead. You can subscribe to receive my new stories long before anyone else sees them here: http://eepurl.com/bn3NdP "We must have seemed like absolute cowboys to the other climbers. Everyone else seemed to have ‘the gear’ expensive thermal clothing, aerodynamic walking poles, state of the art arctic tents. We on the other hand had mostly packed for the desert and the tropics, and had... done zero training to climb Africa's highest mountain..." Read the rest of the story: http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/climbing-kili

12.01.2022 I’ve long thought there were major problems associated with the ideals of ‘success, productivity, optimal/peak performance, perfectionism etc Their aim is one moment of pinnacle. And often the only place to go next is down. Let’s appreciate the beauty and magic abundantly available in each average, everyday moment.... Sure - grow, learn, improve... But let each moment and step be just as valuable as the destination.

11.01.2022 Thank you Nick and all the talented creatives in the world who bring some sense and sensibility to these sinister days... Why is this the time to get creative? Together we have stepped into history and are now living inside an event unprecedented in our lifetime. ... Every day the news provides us with dizzying information that a few weeks before would have been unthinkable. What deranged and divided us a month ago seems, at best, an embarrassment from an idle and privileged time. We have become eyewitnesses to a catastrophe that we are seeing unfold from the inside out. We are forced to isolate to be vigilant, to be quiet, to watch and contemplate the possible implosion of our civilisation in real time. When we eventually step clear of this moment we will have discovered things about our leaders, our societal systems, our friends, our enemies and most of all, ourselves. We will know something of our resilience, our capacity for forgiveness, and our mutual vulnerability. Perhaps, it is a time to pay attention, to be mindful, to be observant. - Nick Cave, The Red Hand Files https://www.theredhandfiles.com/corona-fill-the-time/

11.01.2022 Travel Tales #1: Red Bike London Since we can't travel very far at the moment, I thought it was a good time to write a travel series. You can subscribe to receive new stories here: http://eepurl.com/bn3NdP... Here's a snippet of the first one... "The London metro system, 'The Tube' was initially thrilling. A real life trip around the Monopoly board Piccadilly, Covent Garden, Angel Islington, Fleet Street, they were all there. But it didn't take long for the novelty to wear off. During the morning and afternoon peak hour commutes, Londoners are packed in there like sardines, and no one is very happy about it... Life had quickly ceased to feel intrepid and adventurous. And then an old red bicycle came into my life. I had a lot of great times on that bike, and some mishaps too" Keep reading: http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/red-bike-london

08.01.2022 Parliamentary book club - featuring Bruce Pascoe's 'Dark Emu'... Yeah!

08.01.2022 If you missed my reflections on chaos, here’s the story again, published on Rebelle Society My fave reader response so far has been from Terence who said, ‘How the hell did you read my mind, and then tell me about it?’

07.01.2022 Today is Mother's Day in Australia. My favourite thing about this day is handmade cards from my kids. I don't make cards for my mum anymore, which as you will find out, might be for the best, but I do write her stuff, like this...... I hope you enjoy a glimpse into the wild ride that has been our relationship over the years. If you are a mum, enjoy today, you bloody well earned it. And if you have a mum, bloody well call her and say thanks. Or send her some telepathic love if she is in another realm.

07.01.2022 When I'm writing or editing, listening to music helps me to focus and block out background distractions and thoughts. Today I'm really enjoying Piano Works by Philip Glass. (What a maestro <3) https://open.spotify.com/album/4WMVFHCPiUEurlsWDF1Deq

06.01.2022 Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. ...So many great quotes in this collection. Enjoy

06.01.2022 a teacup full of sky / words and pictures #11 "I imagined I would come back with volumes of stories to tell But a funny thing happens when you slow down, quieten down, and strip life back to the simplicity of eating, sleeping, walking, and being another creature in nature ... There’s less to say. What I noticed is that away from the constant whirlpool of daily news, information, and the general buzz of human life in motion there is a calm, continuous constancy to the forest. It is there, the trees continue to grow and whisper in the wind, the flowers bloom, the insects crawl, the ground holds firm, the sun rises and sets, and the sky continues to stretch over all of it. It was comforting. Each day had a rhythm Awake, dress, eat, pack up camp, pack bags, then set out for the day. A couple of stops along the way for tea and snacks, arrive at camp, set-up, cook, eat, wash, sleep Then do it all again. It surprised me that this daily rhythm of waking and sleeping with the sun and attending to the needs of a human body took up most of the day. It was nice. To just exist. And in amongst that rhythm there were many wonderful little moments that reminded me that the destination is always found when you can arrive at the present moment. And I drew pictures of some of those" http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/a-teacup-full-of-sky

04.01.2022 put your faith in a loud guitar / words and pictures #3 God gave rock and roll to you Gave rock and roll to you Put it in the soul of everyone... - KISS . "I realistically first learnt to play guitar at uni, sitting on the floor of friends’ small college rooms. Smoking rollies, drinking instant coffee or cheap cask wine and slowly learning guitar chords. . Reflecting back on the last 20ish years of knowing how to play a guitar, yes I do wish I’d put more effort into it earlier on, chosen to spend minutes and hours practicing and playing instead of whatever else it was that I did with my time. And I wish I’d had the belief in myself to join a punk rock band. . But, you know what? Practicing scales in between making the kids breakfast, rocking out in front of the lounge room mirror and jamming with friends over tea is pretty fucking great too." . Read the whole story: http://www.leonieorton.com//put-your-faith-in-a-loud-guitar See more

04.01.2022 This is who you are, and this is where you live. Nourish this and cultivate this. Give this a watch and that line will make profound sense. It’s an important reminder for these crazy days and a world spinning fast. And besides which it’s a great little story by a masterful storyteller... Stories are the global currency that will never collapse.

04.01.2022 god in my coffee cup / words and pictures #5 For this one I lifted my gaze from my navel to my coffee cup! "While it is plainly obvious that yes of course God is in my coffee cup, it’s worth some deeper diving beneath the surface of this most holy of creations.... Afterall it is a very small word with a very big and fraught meaning. It for sure means something entirely different to you than to me. That’s the limitation of words. Spoken or written, they’re intended to tell the same story to all eyes and ears. But instead become like a ridiculous game of Chinese whispers. It’s also a word that tends to divide people. It’s not like slug or spoon - words that don’t get much thought of. It’s a word that people kill and die for, lose friends over, choose friends over. I too have had a turbulent relationship with this word." Read the whole thing: http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/god-in-my-coffee-cup P.S. Will you do me the honour of becoming a regular reader? I send out my new stories to subscribers a few days before anyone else sees them because they are special! You can join me here: http://eepurl.com/bn3NdP

02.01.2022 dying colourfully / words and pictures #2 "A deciduous tree in autumn is at a distance, a true beauty. A kaleidoscope of perfectly harmonised colours. It’s as though the tree is throwing a party, and every leaf is invited. And it’s a really good party. You can tell. Even mid-distance the tree is breathtaking. The way the sunlight glows through each leaf if you move your head in just the right way.... But look a bit closer and death is evident. The leaf that looks a luminous burgundy or scarlet or gold from afar, is close up a feverish rash of blotchy skin, lacerations and blackened extremities. The leaves are dying. When we look at a colourful tree in autumn, we are looking at death. In our Western world we are not taught about death. It is something hidden away. Something known but swept under the rug. Imagine if schools had death education in the same way they have sex education or physical education. Now that would be progress. Instead we just don’t talk about it. And we don’t get to know about it unless we have a curiosity to know more and go looking for ourselves. I knew I wanted to spend time with my grandma’s dead body. It felt like the last goodbye to someone most loved." Keep reading: http://www.leonieorton.com/blog/dying-colourfully WANNA BE A VIP READER? My subscribed readers received this a couple of days ago. I'd be honoured if you'd like to join my little black book: https://bit.ly/3cgLMEh

01.01.2022 Here is an antidote to the killer paranoia and feverish division flaring at present. We have each other.