It's here! 😄

Delayed in the post for two weeks, my tent – AKA The Studio – finally arrived a few days ago. I can't hold an opening party but I am so happy! I'm a child in a wendy house again.

It reminds me of those six-week summer holidays that seemed they were endless, spent making up things out of nothing and the mini toolshed (or was that just me?).

Yes, my studio is up, now the wind has stopped howling for the first day in several and warm, fine weather is upon us. Living on a hill has its disadvantages, though it does help dry the washing quicker. I've pegged extra guy lines down to make sure.

I sat filming in the tent for a couple of hours today, after I'd prepped it with cushions, blankets, filming equipment I currently make do with. Solar lighting is installed ready for overnight communes with nature, and I'm going back out to meditate in it very shortly.

You know, I was more excited about getting a cheap little tent set up as a makeshift studio than I was about getting a new car 18 months ago.

​And that's how much the inner child wants to be let out.

Two blogs in a week. I know!

News is, I crashed last weekend. I was doing that thing just prior of trying to cram 20 tasks into a day, creatively and around the house, plus spend time sitting and reading trying unsuccessfully to relax.

Following that I've had two existential crises, the latter one pretty bad on Wednesday. I wanted to give in, simple as that. We're all at our limits, stressed, and affected energetically by what's going on. It's understandable and human.

I did a bit of what is termed 'shadow work' in Tuesday night's meditation (did you know Black Moon Lilith and Chiron, The Wounded Healer, went conjunct the day after, on the 15th?) and woke Wednesday angry as you – very much wouldn't – like. I believe the two are connected – my meditation and my subsequent outburst. It takes time to accept the shadow aspect but once you do start to embrace it, you find you have newfound energy. Mine is Leo power, the leader, the one that basks in attention, and fire energy, hence all the anger. It's not my natural way, but embrace it I must try (ooh, I've gone all Yoda again).

​In case you haven't caught my posts by now, EAST direction on the Medicine Wheel is new beginnings, spring time, fire energy, hope and the spark of creativity. EAST is courage, spirit, preparation, and morning.

It always makes me think of the scene in Lord of the Rings where they are about to go into the battle at Helm’s Deep and Gandalf leaves to find help from the Rohirrim. ‘Look to my coming, at first light, on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East.’ Why East?

First off, Gandalf, being a wise wizard as he is, knows that by appearing from east direction precisely as the sun rises he will appear on a hilltop to blind the evil enemy with its rays and overpower them, then riding down on them in an army on horseback. The enemy literally won't see him coming. A military tactic of perfect positioning and natural resources when weapons and manpower are in short supply.

Secondly, because as night peels away and the sun rises, we have hope. Every day begins without fail, and light is where most of us prefer to be, at least psychologically, because the light is about seeing rather than fumbling in the dark and the unknown. Our fears are always worsened during the night hours.

But what does all this mean in terms of visual art?