Felicity is a 2023 member of our SOUL LIFE - SOUL MASTERY group - a group that meets bi-weekly for a whole year in support and nourishment of each other and the dreams we hold. We dive into our blocks and patterns and refine our vision for the future. This excerpt was published in Architecture NZ Magazine and was inspired by our work together in the SOUL MASTERY GROUP.
Dawn Ritual
My day typically starts with a ritual that anchors me in a being state before I get on with doing all of the things that my life requires of me. Stepping outside to practice Qi gong, yoga, breathwork or take a simple soak in my hot tub grounds and connects me with my body, my intuition and my creativity before I start to overthink/ overwork/ overdo. My favourite mornings are those when the sun is rising over the hills next to my home at the moment I step outside, the colours of the sky are instantly calming as well as awe inspiring. A photograph cannot capture the light in the way that the human eye experiences it, this is a beauty that must be appreciated in the moment as it is always fleeting.
By routinely engaging in this morning ritual I have vastly altered my internal mental landscape from one of feeling not good enough which led to overworking, chronic stress & anxiety, to a deep knowing that just being here now in this moment is enough, that I have nothing to prove. I still actively work towards my goals but I approach work differently, allowing days to unfold as they will without trying to achieve everything all at once. My aim is to sit in that space of creative flow for as much of the day as possible!
Architecture has the ability to inspire moments of presence, beauty & connection in the same way that the sunrise does. Whether that is a window framed view that makes you take notice, spaces that allow for human connection or quiet corners for reflection, buildings can add a sense of ritual to the routines of daily life. Much of my work focusses on simple composition, proportion, materiality, colour & texture, I love anything hand-made or well-crafted, that tells a story of its creation and connects you to those other humans involved in its making.
The colours I have selected connect me to the sky at dawn. Deep blue is a reminder of the vastness of space, the limitless potential that this universe holds. Lighter blues are the progressive dawning of the new day, the colour shifting moment to moment until day is upon us, a reminder that each moment is an opportunity for renewal, to begin again, over and over. The pinky-orange hue is our first glimpse of the sun, that which brings warmth and light to our planet, without which life here would be impossible. These colours remind me of everything I have to be grateful for.
