Saving Turtles, Singing Songs
Christmas conservation and resolutions
“Defend the wild. Do it with love.“ - Vital Actions
As we travel into the time of new years resolutions I’m contemplating what I want to carry forwards with more shine, more steady and uplifting gentle energy, more success without the hard drive, without the push-push energy, without the rigid old must-do-this energy that runs me ragged.
Last weekend I had a beautiful experience - two things came together - singing & conservation.
I experienced an uplifting sense of coherence as the jigsaw puzzle of disparate things I love wove together.
Do you feel there are many separate things - things you love and want to do more of - but you can’t because they don’t connect easily and there’s only so much time?
In permaculture there’s a phrase I love: Stacking Functions.
It basically means design something that can have multiple useful purposes; smart planning; kill two birds with one stone. For example if you want to make shade in your garden why not plant a fruit tree so that you get fruit as well as shade, a climbing structure, and wood for fire.
On sunday I sang, and I used my voice for good to raise money to save turtles.
Normally I do one thing, then another, then another… and ultimately discover there’s just not enough time to do all I love plus the stuff I don’t love that has to be done.
When I turned 40 my sister gave me a gift of a singing class. After that first class I sang and I sang and I sang until eventually I began a little band and did some shows.
Last weekend I got asked to sing in fundraising shows to raise money to support hatcheries of sea turtles.
It felt like the perfect pairing. Singing and environment. Offer beauty - inspire change.
Art and conservation. Art and activism. Art and information.
I’m sharing this because it’s the time of year we set intentions about how we want the next year to be. We add some of this, subtract some of that and hope that our resolutions will stick.
I’m suggesting to help you with your new years resolutions you consider stacking functions - make the resolutions work for you - weave elements together that bring joy, serve a purpose important to you, help you do more of something you want to do or learn and ultimately one thing can then have a variety of functions.
Wishing you a very nourishing Christmas & new years
Lucy
p.s. Here’s a clip of live music from the saving turtles event …. If you know the song you’ll hear I got the lyrics wrong…. I mixed a couple of verses together to cover up forgetting the words …. it’s what you have to do when you’re singing and find yourself wondering what on earth is meant to come next :)
p.p.s. The picture up top is from my garden - one day on retreat with a small group in November … 2025 I have a series of yoga & art retreats … yoga & herbal medicine … yoga & surf retreats…. You can design your own with as few as 3 people and all you need do is message me to learn more