#iampoetic - Featured Friend Carla

 FEATURED FRIENDS OF WAXING POETIC

 WHO I AM

Africa is in my blood.

I moved to Durban, South Africa from London with my family when I was young.

This is where I first developed my deep love and bond with horses.

I am a huge animal advocate and lover, and horses at that time were my life. Horses have a spiritual quality that give me a sense of being.

I rode competitively but more importantly I was living my childhood dream!

I spent most of my free time carefree, happy and at peace with my horses.

These memories of being one with horse represent freedom and joy.

I am a designer by profession, having studied in Durban, South African for 3 years and went on to do a post graduate degree in London at the Central Saint Martin’s School of Art.

I’m a creative thinker who has both held senior positions for leading companies and co-founded and built up two successful sportswear brands.

I have an entrepreneurial spirit, and live life with passion.

I’m purpose driven and care deeply about social and environmental causes.

BEING POETIC

Being poetic for me is about how one lives one’s life.

Seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Seeing beauty in nature.

Living with love and kindness

It’s authentic self-expression, being true to yourself.

Self-expression is the heart and soul of creativity.

It’s about imagination.MY LIFE / VALUES / INSIGHTS

In 2006, my husband, Shaun and I tragically lost our only beloved son, Mathew.

Men and women heal differently.

I felt so alone.

The unspeakable pain and grief led me to question my value and meaning in life at that time.

Soon after, I was introduced to The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation.

TBCF supports families that have a child with cancer providing financial, emotional and educational support.

I threw myself into volunteering for them, finding helping others was emotionally healing to myself.

Giving back benefited me ……. knowing that I could make a difference in the lives of others in some small way, allowed me to begin a new life, living with gratitude.

TBCF gave me a sense of family and a sense of belonging.

It was life changing and powerful!

I continue to be committed as an Ambassador for Teddy Cancer Foundation and advocate for children in Mathew’s honor.

I’m so lucky to have Shaun by my side, and to have been given a second chance at being a family.

I believe in miracles ….

I believe in the power of prayer ….

I trust in the universe, have hope, humility and know love triumphs

Family connection matters most.

Luke, our second born son, is now 8, and I like to think we bring poetry into all aspects of our lives.

I value every minute of every day with him.

We share stories and I’m planning on writing a book about our dearly loved dog Buddy, who is our four-legged family.

Luke is going to illustrate the book which will be called “Buddy Belongs”.

Friendships are also pivotal to my existence, and enrich my life.

I'm surrounded by a circle of phenomenal friends here in Santa Barbara. Dreams – we all have dreams

But what makes our come alive … believing in ourselves …

being divinely aware, our faith and love.

My dream is to love and be loved, to follow my own path, living a life of purpose.

The ocean heals my mind, body and spirit.

It makes me calmer and more creative.

We are a family of ocean lovers, so protecting our ocean and coastline is vital for humankind, and those we care about for future generations.

2013 I began volunteering for grassroots organization, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and subsequently became a board member after a couple of years.

Channelkeeper protects the waters in the Santa Barbara Channel through science-based advocacy, education and enforcement.

The climate crisis affects all of us and we need to protect our environment!

Knowing that we belong to something bigger than ourselves and that all life on earth is connected to our oceans, protecting the beauty of our ocean and beaches for a better future is a commitment we can all make.

We have the personal power within us to share our inner most thoughts, our vulnerability and deepest emotions. Sharing our ideas, our journey, is not only magical for the writer/ artist/musicians/advocate, but can have an impact and help others.

Each and every one of us have the power to inspire and be a positive influence in this world.

It’s about doing something that matters. The first piece I bought was a necklace with an initial M on the one side and an astrological sign on the other side – gosh it was maybe about 15 years ago.

What drew me to it was a heart connection – this piece is a remembrance now it is my love.

My old favorite piece that I wear stacked is a simple bangle that a close girlfriend gave me for a gift, many years ago that is inscribed “LOYAL AND FIERCELY SO."

I fell in love with this piece and went into the store and bought a few for my girlfriends.

My most complimented piece is small gold crest necklace on leather that I that Luke loved so much that I bought him one too.

My new favorite is the large silver ring I am wearing in the shoot!

Whether WP are gifts for yourself or for others, whether to bless, inspire, encourage, or motivate I love the personal flavor.

FAVOURITE POEM

Maggie and Molly and Molly and May by E. E. Cummings

maggie and milly and molly and may

went down to the beach (to play one day)

and Maggie discovered a shell that sang

so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing

which raced sideways while blowing bubbles; and

may came home with a smooth round stone

as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose (like you or me)

It’s always ourselves we find in the sea

Hhhhhm so many beautiful quotes – this one today - "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched, but are felt in the heart.”  Helen Keller