Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: inspiration

Of Lakes

I've been watching Lakshmi R Kanchi (aka Soul Reserve) posting about the Cockburn wetlands and all the amazing events she created when she was their poet in residence. I wanted so badly to visit this beautiful place and this morning my dream came true!

Her husband Ro picked me up from my digs and along with the Washington State poet Laureate, Arianne True and her fiancee Liz, we headed out of town. On our way out, we drove past the Derbal Yarrigan / Swan river which is huge! After the Birrarung Mar in Naarm, I was so surprised to see this mighty river. It looks more like Sydney harbour than a river! We headed south along the coast, stopping at Cottesloe along the way to meet the Indian Ocean. Ro was a great guide telling us so many stories about the places we were driving through.

The wetlands centre in Cockburn is on land that was going to be cut through by a major highway but local residents and scientists banded together to save the bushland. They established the wetlands centre to educate locals, especially children about the beauty and value of the swampy area containing two unique lakes and eco systems. This idea worked because when the government again tried to develop the area, the kickback from voters was immense, stopping the roads and saving the lakes.

On our arrival at the wetlands in Cockburn we were met by Lakshmi, Jaya Penelope and the WA Poets Micro Poet in Residence, Gillian . The centre is a beautiful building that until recently was shared by many local groups, including their oldest scout group in WA. They have just finished the display in the entrance which is filled with imagery and captions in Noongar. Ro introduced us to many of the people working in the wetlands centre, including some of those who fought to save it.

We then walked through the bush to the lake. As we walked along the path about twenty metres (I think, but I'm hopeless at estimating distances!), a kwenda/bandicoot, scurried across the path behind us. It's not often that you see mammals out and about in the middle of the day (except for homo. sapiens that is). As we walked, accompanied by bird song my eyes were everywhere, drinking it all in. Seeing the details, noticing the little things and the big. Trying to see what is different and what is the same. The soil was sandy and the trees were familiar but different.

I was hoping to see some new birds but there were a lot of familiar faces. Kookaburras, fairy wrens, magpies, galahs, ravens and on the lake Eurasian coots, black swans and purple swamp hens. Walking back along the boardwalk from the lake I spotted some smaller birds in the bushes. And then later, some of the endangered black cockatoos flew over the Wetlands centre. After our walk we were treated to a traditional Aussie BBQ cooked by the volunteers. And we met some alpine dingoes.

It was so good to be out of the city. To be in the bush. To be walking the naked land.

Lakshmi's poetry residency has ended and as a farewell gift she left a poetry trail around the wetlands. these boxes contain treasures, writing prompts, waterproof pencils and notebooks so you can add your poetry to the collection. A wonderful idea and a great legacy for a remarkable year of poetry from a brilliant poet.

September 14, 2023
A Poemabulation

I'm in Perth for a week to attend the 2023 Perth Poetry Festival curated by the incredible community organisation, WA Poets Inc. The week is chock-a-block full of incredible events, open mics and workshops.

This morning I braved the rain (hello Melbourne, brought the rain and clouds with me!) to do the Searching for Uglieland walking tour of the Perth CBD. When I read the description of this event in the festival program, it immediately went to the top of my list of things to do. I love walking around cities, wandering down laneways and popping into galleries and shopfronts. What more do you want really when visiting a new city?

The best things about this tour was that it was run by locals with added poetry! That's right people, this walk included the poetic history of the city as well as poets reading their poems along the way. We stopped for coffee (or a hot chocolate for me because it was freezing!) and ended the morning with lunch together in an underground food court.

picture of Jaya Penelope (left) and Mar Bucknell (right)

I had the best morning meeting new people, hearing poetry (I even recited one that I had composed that morning on the walk from my hotel to the meeting point. Fresh!) and wandering through Perth's arcades. The original plan to walk further afield was changed because it was pouring.

It was so inspiring, particularly meeting Davina Edwards and seeing her belligerent bunting project. She dyes scraps of fabric, writes on them with marker and exposes them to the sun through the cyanotype process which I am now keen to check out.

If you're coning over to Perth, I highly recommend checking out one of these tours. Mar Bucknell is a wellspring of information!

September 13, 2023
A Week in Paradise

I have just spent six wonderful days in Bali wth my gorgeous younger daughter. We had the best time lazing by the pool and slowly defrosting after a Melbourne winter. It was so lovely to be back in paradise, staying at our favourite hotel and eating all the amazing local dishes. Gado gado and lumpia for lunch, mie goreng, beef rendang and satay ayam for dinner were a few of the stand outs for the trip. And checking out all the new little cafes that have popped up since we were last here four years ago. We just had to sample the cakes and find our favourites.

As well as snacking, there was swimming, snoozing, massages and of course shopping for sunnies and Balinese silver for the folks back home. I could have easily spent a month here, being pampered and having delightful people cook and clean for us.

When I go travelling one of my favourite things to do is to go to the local supermarket and see what things are the same and what are different. I love discovering and sampling new food items and supermarkets are great places to do so. it's also interesting to see how tings are packaged and displayed differently in different places. When we were in South America, you could buy milk in plastic bags!

We were in Bali to surprise my Dad for his 80th birthday and it was wonderful to celebrate this milestone with both him and Mum. The look on his face when we turned up for breakfast at the hotel was priceless.

On his birthday, we took him out to a fancy hotel restaurant for happy hour cocktails overlooking the beach. At his request, we had made the ultimate sacrifice and got up earlier than the sun to start the day with a sunrise walk along the beach to meet Angelique the cow. Dad can befriend anyone and anything!

It was the perfect mini break and the only fly in the ointment was that the lovely man and the oldest girl couldn't be with us. They were at home working and studying and keeping the cats company.

September 7, 2023
Cut and Paste

It's been a while since I got out the scissors and glue for some good old fashioned cut and paste action. There's something super satisyfing about sticking things on envelopes. Especially if you only have to do a few. It's nowhere near as fun when you have to do thousands as I have done in past lives and former jobs.

But this project is different because it's a labour of love. It's also a return to handmade for me as I have been spending lots of time creating digital objects instead of three dimensional ones. It's so lovely to be working with paper once more. The texture under the fingers and the sharp creased edges are so evocative. And it's so satisfying to see all the finished envelopes (made by Ecocern in Australia from recycled paper of course) sitting there in that box waiting to be filled.

I'm taking images and downloads from my side project, The Circus of Similes, and creating gifts for some friends. Filled with vintage illustrations, my own designs, prompts and invitations to be creative. I hope they like it!

August 18, 2023
The Alchemist’s Retort

As a family, we've played many games over the years and we have so much fun. Of course, there's also all the other emotions as well like frustration when someone steals your card or disappointment when you lose. Just like poetry, games have all the feels!

For a long time I've been wanting to try my hand at creating a game of my own. Bringing together all the best bits of the games I've played along with my own unique flavour and perspective. Of course any game I make will revolve around words, writing and poetry. That's a given. To that end I've been collecting word games for some time now – trying to see how they are structured and what makes them great.

Scrabble and Boggle are the two old school games that come to mind when you think of words games but there are more out there. If you're interested in checking out some of my collection, you can read my posts on Literary Games, Poetry Games, and Prompts.

As always I have about a million different ideas on the go and the challenge is finding the one that works. I had to abandon some of my ideas because I don't have time at the moment to do them justice. Given all the other stuff happening in my life right now, I needed a game that was relatively straightforward to design and create. Once I realised that I also realised that the perfect place to 'publish' it would be on my Circus of Similes website.

So without further ado, here's a sneak preview of The Alchemist's Retort. If you want to grab your very own copy head on over to the Escapologist's Trunk now and download it for free!

August 11, 2023
Paint It Up

My daughters have been getting into the pouring paints recently. It looked like heaps of fun and once I found these cute little book shaped boxes I just had to give it a go myself. What's not to like about a wooden book that's hollow inside for storing all your treasures?

It was really good to get back into making something with my hands and to be doing some art as well. I'd forgotten what it was like. Starting out full of hope, getting a bit despondent part way through when it all looks like a mess and then realising that it's finished and didn't turn out too badly. It takes a bit of time and distance for me to be able to think I've made something great.

I had so much fun that I've been making lots of these. Playing with different colour combinations and varying my technique slightly.

I'm going to use this box to store all my downloads from The Circus of Similes.

August 4, 2023
Golden Days

Sovereign Hill is an incredible slice of history preserved in timber, steel and brick. It’s even more amazing when you realise that this bustling historic ‘town’ has only five original buildings and that none of them are original to the site. Someone with a passion for history and a love of the detail has spent a lifetime preserving this part of the Australian story.

Wandering the streets and exploring the buildings was heaps of fun. As was chatting to the costumed storekeepers and craftsmen (yes, they were all men back in those days). I visited Dawson & Ash, the undertakers, where I viewed the latest in after death technology – the safety coffin. It had a rope attached to a bell that could be rung in case of accidental burial.

At the post office I bought a nib pen and composition book so Miss Thirteen could practice her penmanship once she went back home. At the printers I refrained from buying a wanted poster with my name on it although I was very tempted. I have a thing for graphic design, vintage style and personalised objects – it must be a hold over from my childhood and never being able to buy anything with my name on it because it's so unusual. Instead I snapped lots of photos of all the advertising posters pasted up around the town.

I popped into the bowling alley but didn’t get to go back and try my luck.

I visited little houses that looked as if someone had just ducked out to go to the shops. There were even woodpiles and chickens in their gardens.

On the goldfields I bought a miner’s licence (they were expensive and mandatory back in the day) and little jars filled with water to hold all my gold. I had high hopes of filling one with gold flakes to take home to Miss Seventeen and was briefly infected with gold fever. Luckily (or unluckily depending on which way you look at it) my legs weren’t up to the rigours of crouching by a stream for long periods of time so she is now the proud owner of an empty glass jar!

Of course the highlight was the lolly shop with all those boiled sweets in jars. Not surprisingly it’s Sovereign Hill’s biggest money maker. Unsurprisingly I didn't get any photos of the lolly shop because I was too busy choosing my next flavour! Instead you'll have to make do with some interior shots of other shops.

In a separate building they hold lolly making demonstrations three times a day. The room was always packed and at the end they handed out tastings of what they had just made (mmmm, raspberry drops). The mould used to make the sweets is 175 years old. Of course they’ve replaced the lead plates with brass and made a few other minor alterations such as the heated table to work the sugar on but most of it is original. Sadly they now use artificial colours. Back in the day it was all natural with charcoal for black, grass for green, bark for brown and rusty water for orange and yellow. Hmmm, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all!

They also had live demonstrations at the blacksmith’s and wheelwrights. Seeing a forge being worked is always fun. And it’s warmer than elsewhere as well. I learnt that smithys were always dark so you could see the colour of the steel and know when to work it. The wheelwright’s set up was all steam powered belts and pulleys that drove the machines. The beginning of the industrial revolution side by side with the hand fired forges of the past.

I had an enjoyable half an hour talking to Brett in the saddlery section where he had the best range of leather craft tools (all period of course!) and a sweet set up. I wanted to hop over the counter and go in a play!

All the staff were in period costume and the building’s exteriors and interiors lovingly recreated so it felt just like you were stepping back in time. I could have spent a week here but I am super grateful that I had two whole days to explore. It was so much fun!

The first day was wet and muddy underfoot as all the streets are made of dirt. I wandered in and out of buildings having the time of my life. When I got weary, I found an old pub with carpeted floors and lots of chairs that was completely empty and sat down and read. It was warm and toasty inside.

On the second day it was fine and sunny with clear blue skies. Braziers with fires were set up in the streets to warm yourself. Costumed characters wandered the streets putting on performances. There was the night soil man looking for a new apprentice to muck out his wagon once a week. The mad inventor demonstrating a failed battery. A woman with a parasol arguing with a man on the first floor balcony of the theatre. A teacher shouting at the troopers as they marched past. So much life and colour!

Even though I had two full days at Sovereign Hill, I didn’t get to do a whole heap of things including a tour of the diggings, a performance at the theatre or the parlour games. We decided not to make a candle because we’ve done that at home and theirs were made from paraffin. Not the best as it’s derived from petroleum. In the olden day they would have used tallow which I think is rendered animal fat and I am sure it would have smelt disgusting.

I tried my hand at panning for gold, went on a mine tour deep underground and took a Cobb & Co carriage ride down the main street. I also saw gold being melted and turned into an ingot. They’ve done that particular demonstration over 90,ooo times, reusing the same gold over and over again. Its currently worth $275,000.

There was a small nod to the Chinese presence on the goldfields in the form of the Chinese Protector’s house which had information panels about the lives and trails. Unfortunately the Chinese encampment was being refurbished and the Joss house was closed. I found only one mention of the Indigenous Australians as the Native Police in the goldfields area as well as the obligatory Welcome to Country sign at the entrance to the site.

I can’t believe it took me so long to come here. Next time I’ll have to bring the whole family!

July 21, 2023
Hall of Mirrors

I’ve been working on the latest attraction for my side project, The Circus of Similes. It’s where poetry goes to play and where you can go to find free downloads that you can use to write your poems. I love designing and making useful objects. It used to be handmade crafts for the kids but these days I’m going digital and creating downloadable PDFs that anyone can use for free.

The latest attraction that I’m working on is called the Hall of Mirrors. For this attraction, I’m creating a series of concertina books that will contain illustrations and prompts that can be used to create your very own mini book. As you can see from the pictures I’ve been focussed on getting the layout and design for these books just right.

The next step is to come up with prompts. I want them to be as open ended as possible without being too vague, And of course, they need to tie in with the illustrations and the themes for each book. For those of you interested in my creative process on this particular project, I started with the images, then did the overall design and I’ll finally finish with the words. Seems a bit backwards when you think that writing is my natural habitat and that I’m a poet but I often find myself inspired by images or art.
What inspires you?

July 14, 2023
Feared and Revered: Feminine Power Through the Ages

It's the middle of winter. Actually it's only the start. But I'm in Canberra where it's absolutely freezing so it feels like it's the middle. I'm here to visit family and to catch the Feared and Revered: Feminine Power Through the Ages exhibition at the National Museum of Australia. According to the website, this blockbuster collaboration with the British Museum 'celebrates the power and diversity of female spiritual beings in cultural traditions and beliefs across the globe.’

In planning our visit to the exhibition I came across this excellent sensory map for the museum as well as the quiet hours guide for the exhibition. It’s wonderful to see a national institution catering for the needs of all visitors. Every time I visit this museum I see the enticing exhibits in the foyer and promise myself that next time I’ll make more time to see the other rooms. It also has a brilliant shop with a fantastic range of books and gifts. I must remember to save the pennies before my next visit!

I’m not sure what I think about this exhibition. I really wanted to like it because it’s continuing the current trend of recognising women’s contributions to the arts. It joins the National Gallery of Australia’s Know My Name and ACMI’s current Goddess exhibition in positioning women firmly within the narrative we tell about ourselves as human beings. Celebrating and sharing feminine stories, identities and beings is vital for everyone, not just women and non-binary folks.

The whole thing was in one large room which was good because you could see in one glance the whole exhibition and pace yourself accordingly. There was enough to feel like you were getting your money’s worth but not so much that it felt overwhelming. The exhibits themselves were grouped into five sections of Nature & Creation, Passion & Desire, Magic & Malice, Justice & Defence and Compassion & Salvation. However it was hard at times to know which exhibits belonged to which section because they weren’t clearly divided. A platform running through the centre to divide the different areas would have been great.

Feared and Revered had a great range of exhibits spanning centuries and regions across the globe including Africa, Asia, Europe, India, Latin America, North America and the Pacific. There were sculptures, paintings, clothes, masks, coins, figurines and more. The historical and contextual background for each piece was fantastic as was the information about the artist. Unfortunately, most of the exhibits were displayed in cases which made it almost impossible to take a good photo or get a good look at the contents because of the reflections on the glass. It made me realise that I usually visit galleries where the art is much easier to view.

I really enjoyed seeing how women have been portrayed through the centuries. Seeing the common threads and the differences. And seeing creation, death and destruction from a female perspective. It’s quite different to the usual patriarchal art made by white men that inhabits most gallery and museum spaces. I particularly enjoyed the Creation painting by Judy Chicago that imagines the world being birthed from a woman’s vagina.

My favourite pieces were the almost 2,000 year old Roman/Greek marble sculptures, the head dress from Nigeria, the Maori cloak woven from flax seeds and the Kali statue wearing a necklace of severed heads.

While I had mixd feelings about the exhibition, on the whole it was thoughtfully curated and a great introduction to women and power through the ages. If you’re in Canberra it is well worth checking out.

June 30, 2023
The Ghost Train

The Circus of Similes, my latest invention, is bringing the carnival to the big top with its latest attraction, the Ghost Train.

Not for the faint of heart, this attraction is for those mighty souls who have written a poem and want to share it with the world. You can post your precious poetry on socials for all your friends and family to see or you can send it off to a publisher and hope that it gets printed in a journal.

But how will discover those journals that publish poetry? Don't worry, The Circus has you sorted because the Ghost Train contains two different downloads. One helps you to find a journal for your poem and the other helps you to find publisher looking for full length poetry manuscripts and chapbooks to publish.

Head on over to The Circus of Similes now and hop aboard The Ghost Train!

May 9, 2023