Category: Uncategorized

Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile…

Post author By julesprichards
Post date August 8, 2016
2 Comments on Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile…

I came across this simple grounding technique after following a live email series, led by Brian Draper.

It’s been niggling me for a few months, and so I’ve put together the quick visual above.

Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile…
Compiled by Jules P Richards. Visuals: mitchmartinez.com and vidsplay.com

Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile – It’s a simple but powerful mantra, that we might use to refocus on our place in things, and notice silences underneath the noise.

(i) Pause…Whatever you are doing, in your head… pause… pause… truly pause…

(ii) Breathe… notice your breathing… feel yourself breathing… (close your eyes and feel…)

(iii) Relax… relax your breathing… relax your muscles… feel your breathing – you are alive!

(iv) Smile…

It’s a smile thing but can be quite powerful.

The layers of our lives are underpinned by silence, sometimes uneasy silence; tense, expectant, anxious, deep, joyful or supreme silence. Silences beyond language; beyond bustle and busy, beyond the habits and tasks, beyond the joy and sorrow, beyond the urge to impress or the impulse to fear.

Communication implies sound. Communion might be something else. Perhaps we can notice how we might commune with other people, as well as merely communicating with them. We might communicate in a way that goes far beyond speaking. Intuition, intimacy, presence… communion.

Noticing ‘our place’ among things is not easy; the bustle and busy, the habits and tasks, and the joy and sorrow around us, can often overwhelm. The distractions of the immediate digital and omniwise infotainment media can be hard to tame. The mechanisms of automation and individualism are not a great help.

How we ‘commune’ with our world can be far more alive than the constant, communicative chatter of our culture might pretend. We’re reminded that ‘life’ at it’s simplest and quietest can be so rich and full that it is almost unspeakable. “Cease striving and know…”

The songwriter writes “A wise person draws from the well within,” Proverbs 20

Tags breath, mindfull, pause, relax, smile

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Gold!

Post author By julesprichards
Post date August 7, 2016

Gold4

Gold!
…nuggets.

Golden nuggets, Chicken nuggets, Gold, Gold, Gold…

Packaged and promoted as the ultimate in wake-up sustenance.

easy tasty, get-um-while-they’re-hot quick fix.

Treasured fever-causing rarities, burnished to perfection.

Nuggets – Packaged and promoted as the ultimate in wake-up sustenance.

Nuggets – The easy tasty, get-um-while-they’re-hot quick fix.

Nuggets – Treasured fever-causing rarities, burnished to perfection.

…

Perhaps most powerful nuggets to hold onto, are the small powerful moments, words and deeds that people say or do. These nuggets of beauty and truth, may seem insignificant at the time, and may not even be recognised as treasures by the unknowing giver (or receiver), but they can be so powerful. Perhaps these everyday things are the nuggets that keep growth and abundant life going.

Yes, these golden moments maybe mixed up in a cocktail of lies, deceit, fear, and prejudice. They may be too deep to reach, shattered, tarnished or lost, but at the heart of life, is gold.

I believe the interaction between people, and the knowledge that other people can care enough to really consider others, can be a remarkably powerful thing.

Perhaps it’s the honest everyday interactions that bring about these real commitments between people.

Time and space can be unknown players in the big scheme of things, and often the ‘abundance of life’ is beyond our understanding. I like to think that the powerful interactions, commitments and relationships between people can work over time and space and miracles can occur.

So whether it’s a loving quick fix, a hearty wake-up call or a precious moment to be valued. I hope you find, recognise and treasure remarkable nuggets, regularly.

Tags Gold, nuggets, treasure

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People…

Post author By julesprichards
Post date August 1, 2016

After a week away, new views, and the absence of the routine! (Plus a few cream teas & Otter ales)

I was reading the first book again recently and as I said at the time “Lordy what a tale! What are we to take from such imaginings. #fantasy?” Blood, guts, murder, death, destruction, deception, theft, slavery, horror, adultery, lentil stew… and creation! As Keith said, “They knew how to tell a story in them days”.

But one of the things that I took from it was that we are a world of ‘peoples’…

…and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth…

Also – “he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, even the stones themselves will cry out’ “

Like the pebbles on a beach, we are all different. Bashed, tarnished, polished and buffed into our own unique selves. But essentially we are very similar, in essence, we are the same. Don’t let the brands fool you into becoming a consumerist individual, commercially branded with their “word”, dressed ‘cos you’re worth it’, identified by the ‘logos’ of commercial gain. Just be you! Stop, relax, breath, and smile.

We are a world of people. We have our little worlds of people, but as we often might notice more on holidays, there are many other little worlds just a breath away from our own. There are also worlds a distance a way that essentially came from the same seed. Scattered over the earth. I think our worlds might me richer and more colourful if we try to embrace people whoever they are. Easier said than done I know, but don’t let the Daily Mail get to you, or the BBC come to that! We are one. Or perhaps as the Cornish say “Onen hag oll“ (and those from Devon!). Humm.

Tags Beach, cornwall, devon, pebbles, stones

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Community Magazine

Post author By julesprichards
Post date July 22, 2016

I recently took on the role of Editor of the East Goscote Community Magazine, accompanied by the long-standing team of John, Dennis, Ian, David and Sue.

East Goscote’s original community magazine was the East Goscote Community News and was first published in 1969. It ceased publication in the 1980s. A magazine was then produced via photocopy at Wreake Valley College. In 1993 David Cannon took over the editor’s position of The Long Furrow from Lyn Palmer. David had the magazine reproduced by East Goscote’s very own ‘Clipper Print’. David still contributes the Greener Goscote material today. It’s now reproduced by the reliable ‘Anchor Print‘ in Syston. Old issues can be seen on the Town Council website here.

EGLFCMlogo300

As Long Furrow’s new Editor, I have attempted to revitalise the look and content of the latest issue, and have produced the issue for August – November. We currently have 1300 copies of the 24-page magazine distributed seasonally to all business and residential addresses in East Goscote. You can see the new August issue here:
Long Furrow Community Magazine – August-Nov 2016

Long Furrow says:
“It’s your East Goscote– you live here, and give Goscote its life-liness. This magazine is for you. It’s a place to share your business, to share your passions, to share your news, to share your views.
If your organisation or club has something to say, let us know, and we can feature a bit about what and why you do what you do! Drop us a line…
We hope you might find something new in these pages – if not, perhaps you could send something in for others to discover? It’s your East Goscote, it’s your Long Furrow.”

***** UPDATE *****
Due to other commitments, after 5 issues, I stopped Editing Long Furrow in Oct 2017.

5Covers800

Tags East Gosocte, Editor, Long Furrow, Magazine

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Street Signage…

Post author By julesprichards
Post date July 21, 2016

SMCABoardSignsVisual Another job delivered this week…

The new HUB Café space in Syston, and the Methodist Church needed some new large format street signage – ‘all are welcome’, ‘open’, ‘come on in’ etc.

SMC-AAWelcome

A selection of signage, from invites to the ‘OPEN’ cafe to call to worship on Sundays and the weekday communion:

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If I can help you with similar just shout! @julesprichards

SMCHUBOpen

Tags A0, A1, advertising, Cafe, church, sign

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A logo – Central Methodist Church Helston

Post author By julesprichards
Post date July 18, 2016

And so, I was asked by a man with a definitive Cornish twang “Any one know of a firm that can design logos quickly for me?”

Rev. Danny Reed and team, at Central Methodist Church Helston Cornwall, wanted a new logo with a modern feel. As clients often do, Danny had an idea or two: They liked the idea of the t in central being a cross. They fancied primary colour illustration of people praising. They wanted the logo to convey happiness and family… “Any chance of a sunrise behind the cross?”… “more sun like than ray like?” – It’s quite usual for a client to have ideas about what they want, and usually, these can be accommodated.

Ideally, the logo simply and clearly needs to evoke what you are, with a feel of the root values why you are. You need to consider its use on various formats. Generally, the simpler the better.

After 10 days of a this and that, a little of which you can see right >, we settled on the below.

Tags church, logo, methodist

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Book Covers

Post author By julesprichards
Post date July 12, 2016

2BookCovers

A few years back, I was asked to design a book cover for a new book; “A Bike for Life” by Dave Warnock – see below.

I’ve recently been asked to rework another book cover; “As a Child” by Phil Steer.

“As a Child” by Phil Steer.

My new cover design is a revision of the original design; a distilling of the existing design.

Keep it simple is a good rule, and in this case, it’s specifically apt. I hope it works – simple, little, the power of minutia…
I have kept Phil’s previous font and simply reflected colours out of the newly masked reduced photo.

‘Packed full of thought-provoking truths’
‘A good devotional read or for anyone with a busy schedule’

‘unless you change and become like little children …’

As a Child is an exploration of this call to childlikeness, this call to littleness – a call made not to children, but to adults – not to those who are naturally childlike, but to those who have grown out of their childlike nature.

“A Bike for Life” by Dave Warnock

I created Dave’s cover from scratch. The final design was chosen from a variety of options in a range of colours.
I shot a selection of photos, and retouched the one selected to appear on the cover.

Cycling trends, maintenance, manufacturing, lifestyle, safety, attitudes, infrastructure…
From saddles to shoes, fixies to trikes, Dave’s been there..

His book “A Bike for Life” discusses Dave’s “dream to create a bike to transform life. How your choices can help you embrace and celebrate life, not just for you but for others to.

Two good books! Two good covers. Two good blokes! (and me)

Tags as a child, book, cover, phil steer

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Summer?

My wife’s computer tells her, that a year ago today, we had a water fight in the back garden with the kids to keep cool! Ah… summer!

It may not be hot and sticky and Aldi may not be piling up the Pimms alternatives – we may not be waxing the surfboard or de-crusting the barbecue grill – but it is still summer.

Yes, I do love an Andalusian summer, I love a Greek garlicky feta cheese grilled to perfection, and I love the bluest of blue skies; I was brought up with them in Mount’s Bay. But, I am a firm believer that; although our worldview has been enchanted with greener grass in the summer, and the lure of a better life when it’s sunny or sodden with supposed doom of a damp grey sky; life is still good.

Even if clouds obscure the scorching sun from view and a cold breeze is all we feel – we are alive, life can be good, and peace is but a breath away… #perspective #hopes #expectations. Yes, also there is the crap in life – it’s not fair – it truly is hard to understand – disease, injustice and ignorance is real, and there are nasty attitudes out there where people seemingly don’t give a fig for anyone but themselves.

I left an upbringing in Cornwall in the late 1992 and have always searched for a replacement for the Cornish ‘contentment’, the peace of a flat sea, the endless horizon of Mount’s bay, an alternative to the bluest blue sky that St. Ives nestles under. I have always sought a comforting alternative to the rugged Cornish summer, with hot granite, and fertile bracken, fish, ice-cream, sand, sea, and essential energy…
Since then, I have found similar in places like Cyprus, Nice, Thassos, La Rochelle, Andalucia, and even Tunisia and Lanzarote. But, I have also found this ‘peace’ in Crewe, Wales, Bradford and Leicester.

It’s not easy when so much of our culture points to what we must have, find or master next, to gain satisfaction. It really is not easy, when we have been con-scripted as consumers to at least take part in the game to survive.

Be it summer or not, the energies of life, and the glimpses of peace that we may have been fortunate to feel on our faces should be valued and carried with us. Everywhere you go, take a little weather with you – if you can.

On a different, but not entirely unrelated tack – I have composed three artworks, fueled by my recent reflections of the ‘natural’, to put forward for a local summer display:

Have a great summer!

Tags Art, cornwall, natural, summer

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Glass door designs

Post author By julesprichards
Post date June 24, 2016

BristalDoorsDove Another job I’ve completed recently, for a local church building in Birstall.

Birstall Methodist Church had new doors were fitted in the refurbished entrance hall and it was suggested they needed something to break the space up.

It needed some element on the glass for safety reasons – so people didn’t walk through them. But it also needed something to break the line of sight through them, so a congregation aren’t distracted by activity on t’other side. To, as I say, ‘break up the space’ or soften the oblongs.

Here are the blank fitted doors:

Various designs were considered. At first, a selection of overtly biblical designs were entertained, but rightly the signification of such icons and themes needed to be considered. Also, words and word-patterns were considered, but again this did not seem right – too significant. It was agreed that a more generic design was needed.

Some initial very busy proposals were toned down and eventually this simpler yet still hopefully strong and warm design was agreed.

The aim of my design is to evoke the flow of the feeling, the sense, the wisdom, ‘the spirit’. The flow of the energy of a living faith in something bigger than all of us. The simple universal symbol of peace is included, shown as the fruit of the flowing spirit, the fruit of a living faith in a bigger better thing.

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My designs were expertly cut and fitted by Steve and his team at local Birstall signmakers Sign Wizards

If you’d like me to work on anything like this for you, just give me a shout.

Tags church, sign, window, window film, window graphics

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It was lovely to see you today…

Post author By julesprichards
Post date June 13, 2016

It was lovely to see you, we’d love to stay in touch…

We’d love to stay in touch…

You are beautiful…

I was asked by a local church to produce some notes for people to fill in, with a view to keeping details of new visitors and comments etc.

My thinking was, to make the most of the exchange, why not leave something with the recipients after they have returned their comments/details…

My result is an A6 card for the recipient’s to fill in and return, with a perforated tear-off element for them to keep, containing contact details etc for the church, and an inspirational image to pop on the fridge or shelf.

If you would like this artwork to use yourselves, please credit me as the originator but feel free to take and adapt the artwork that can be downloaded from here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dwhq51g9xnomon2/SMCFeedbackFormREPRO.pdf?dl=0

Simply contact me with a note of thanks. Ta.

If you’d like me to work on anything like this for you, just give me a shout.

Tags church, feedback, welcome

Gold! …nuggets.

Gold!
…nuggets.