My Office

The winter wind blowing through the leaves of the huge Tallowood tree almost sounds like distant peak hour traffic from where I sit, with its distant hum. But in peak hour traffic you don’t also hear the frogs singing by the creek or birds chatting away in the winter sunshine.

A pair of rozellas was on the lawn this morning as I opened the window to the new day, beautifully bright, red and blue birds. The horses have just wandered into the house yard too. As each new day unfolds in this beautiful location that is home, I count my blessings that life brought me here.

I am working harder than ever on my own stuff, but it is work I love and doesn’t feel like work anymore. Rather just honouring the creativity that flows through. When I think back to the corporate days of my younger years, I wonder could that even be in this lifetime. It certainly doesn’t feel so anymore, thank goodness.

It is interesting the seeds that are planted along the way.

About twelve years ago I was in my favourite cafe in Melbourne, sadly now closed. They had a rack of free postcards advertising different stuff. One was of a girl with a laptop, sitting on a cliff, overlooking bushland for as far as the eye could see. It was advertising an environmental science degree at a nearby university. But on the front of the postcard, with her photo and the magnificent scenery, were two simple words. My office.

At the time, I was working in an office job at a photography lab, trying to get into the creative side of the business in order to evolve more as a photographer. But the doors were not opening and my longing for work satisfaction was starting to wear me down in a big way. Looking at the postcard on that rainy day in the cafe, I knew that I too needed an office like that. The effect of the image and words never left me, and the postcard became one of my favourite bookmarks for a long time.

Twelve years have since past. Many of those years were so full of incredible challenges that, looking back, I wonder how I survived them. Thankfully, they feel like a distant lifetime now as my creative work continues to evolve and other wonderful opportunities are presented to me. The Internet makes so much more possible by bringing us all closer together.

The whole of my work cannot be done at home though, whatever project I am working on. But this is good. It gets me out and about as is needed and healthy. But most of my work can be done from home these days. And when you are doing work that you love, it doesn’t feel like work. Instead it is simply honouring the role you are here for. The hours you put in are no longer a curse, rather an enjoyable blessing.

As I type away here at my desk on the verandah, the warmth of the winter sunshine now reaches me from above the soaring branches of the Tallowood tree. Songs from at least six different varieties of birds can be heard, the wind rustles through the branches, and delicate chimes add a little human touch to the symphony being played out by nature.

I look at the mountain on the farm, hear the creek meandering by the cottage, see the cloudless, blue, winter sky and as I breath clean, country air, I smile in overwhelming gratitude.

My office. Two simple words, but with such power. My office.

Little did I know twelve years ago what significance those words would have and what seeds were planted on that rainy day in a little city cafe. Beautiful.

Thanks for dropping by friends.

Happiness to you.