Useful advice from your Hobart correspondent

1. Walk more. Walk lots. Walk to accomplish things (like the groceries for dinner, or getting to a place where there's Internet access). Walk when the weather is crappy. Walk when the weather is stunningly gorgeous. See something in the distance and walk to it to find out what it is. Walking Makes Life Better. We have no car here, and if you're in a position to make that work, it really is better than jumping into the car at every provocation.


2. The very best way to understand your own work/artistic practice/etc. is to try to explain it to others. Today Houston and I did a joint presentation on collaborating artistically (we work together often, and of course the major project of the opera requires a lot of collaboration). Explaining how we work together forced me to look at the process with mindfulness — which, again, Makes Life Better.


3. Wherever you go, make sure you connect with others who are interested in the same things you are. Not only have I been spending significant time at the Tassie Writers Centre, but I sought out a writer colleague whom I know lives in the Hobart area (we had a lovely chat over baked goods), and I'm planning to go to the launch of a new YA fantasy on Sunday — meeting and supporting colleagues also Makes Life Better.


4. Eat marzipan. Enough said.