the mid-winter reflections of a landscape architect...

Lately I've been thinking about how this blog reflects my state of mind, my pursuits and my current areas of interest. I've considered how it's evolved over time, sometimes with a focus on design in general, sometimes with a more urban agriculture focus and recently, perhaps, with more of a focus on landscape architecture.  

I've always had a voracious appetite for learning and new things and I'm sure that is being reflected here. Sometimes I feel like I need to reign it all in and focus on one thing at a time, but that's really just not me. I'm a generalist and I think that's a really nice quality for a landscape architect. I once heard someone say that engineers need to know a lot about a few specific things and landscape architects need to know a bit about everything, which is probably why we are such great project managers.

I have finally come to accept that my range of interests - art, gardening, dance, herbal medicine, agriculture, fashion, food, travel and on and on -  inform my process and designs and contribute to my wholeness as a designer. It's about time I embraced that!

ps. This photo makes me so very happy. I'm dreaming of a peaceful home studio with such beautiful light...

'happy' gardening

In the midst of a rough couple of days, I stopped by my garden last night in a horrid mood. As soon as I walked onto the sun-drenched site in the early evening I found myself thinking 'I love my garden, it makes me so happy!' Sappy I know, but true. Do you think of your garden as therapy?

YIN yang

This lovely lady is surely in touch with her masculine side, but apparently I'm not. I've just started rereading Gabrielle Roth's Sweat Your Prayers , a book that has been on my book shelf for the last 10 years. This is a book I discovered through my friend Robin during my electronic music stage (aka raves) in my early twenties. It is a frankly sexual book that explores ecstatic dance through archetypes, the first two being feminine and masculine, flowing and staccato respectively. After reading her descriptions of these archetypes and their relationship to masculine and feminine qualities I discovered how strongly feminine I am.

This comes as a bit of a shock; I've always considered my strong independent streak as a sign of masculinity. Friends and lovers have protested by saying I'm very soft and feminine, but I've dismissed them. Roth describes femininity as awareness, inspiration and substance and masculinity as action, discipline and form. I'm sorely lacking in the energy I need to accomplish things in the real world. I have paintings in my head that never take shape. I let a recent love be completely careless with me as I patiently excused his behavior due to his circumstance rather than standing up for what I needed. I'm leaving for Central America on savings that should have gone into my RRSP.

Of the three masculine archetypes Roth describes, 'Father' is most absent within me. I need a Daddy that will march in and tell me to clean my room, forget about any guy who doesn't mean it, finish my 5 year plan and get my ass in the studio and paint. I need a firm hand and some tough love. And by 'Daddy' I'm talking about a part of myself that needs developing, not someone I need to attract. Can I develop this side of me by dancing? It sure is fun so lets see where it goes. Now I just need to put down the book and do the practice...

(Images via the Sartorialist and The Hindu )

derailed

 Happy New Year! A bit late, yes I know. I just realized I hadn't posted in a month! I guess I'm an all or nothing kind of girl- after posting every day for 4 months. January always seems to take the winds out of my sails and Halifax has been unusually sun-less this year. I'm staying out of the depths with light therapy and St. John's Wort, but I'm still very withdrawn, with not a lot to say at the moment. 

I've booked a trip to Mexico and Belize for February and I'm very excited for a big jolt of sunlight.

3 weeks! I'll try to keep you filled in on my travel plans. I'm backpacking down the coast of Mexico to Belize where I'm meeting up with a group for a conference and 10-day tour of land planning and environmental education practices in Belize. I'm happy about the combination of lounging and learning.

So I hope once these winter blues pass, I'll be back on my blog swing. I really enjoy doing a daily post, but I'm not going to force it at the moment, rather seeing where it goes...

Hope to see you again soon!

(photo via sfgbb )

existential crisis #334

So I'll admit that I seem to be hardwired to ponder the meaning of things. The long cold nights that make me want to snuggle in at home are getting a bit heavy and perhaps providing way too much time to my thoughts. Maybe I'm just not getting enough sun...


Regardless, just days ago (my last post), I was feeling thankful for being in such a great line of work and now I'm questioning it all. Is this what I'm meant to do? I don't feel like I'm using my talents. How might I bring those talents to the table? Would I be happier elsewhere? Where? 


I'm mid trip planning and I'm wondering- Am I running away? Will time away help me figure this out? How the hell am I going to pull this off?


Do the long nights of December bring on your dark nights of the soul?


(photo via Bliss )

puppy lust

I have to admit that I look at puppies the way most women my age look at babies. My puppy lust has been dormant recently, but this pic brings it all rushing back. Look at these adorable golden retriever puppies!. (photo via a cup of jo )

 

Awwoooeee

Today just happens to be Monday and one of those days where I am so achy and crampy, that it surpasses nausea to almost delirium. I'd love to spend the day in bed... 

I came across this photo on what possessed me just as the principal of an architecture firm I'm working with came up behind me. I blushed, and tried to casually move on to our project, but he laughed and assured me that he too looks at things he shouldn't. I still giggle whenever I see it.