Peaceful Paloma

Hello all.  It's a slightly different post here today at Words and Pictures.  After the awful events in Paris last month, the lovely Lys of Impression Scrap was moved to create Paloma - a dove of peace, who will travel around the world to spread her message. These are the words Lys used to introduce her...

After the shock, the anger, the nausea... what to say, what to do?

I have only weapons made of paper and words... 

I can face violence only with my values and beliefs.

Freedom and peace are the ones I wished to give today.

So this is Paloma, my little simple paper dove.

For her I make a wish: could she take flight

and give all around the world her freedom and peace message.

As soon as I saw her, I wanted to be part of the journey.  I hope that we can protect her better than the broken dove in this song - La Colombe - which I have known as long as I can remember.  It's a cry of anger and despair at the futility of violence, and it's been running through my mind as I write this post.

You can see Lys's original post here... and I am delighted to be the first host on Paloma's journey.  She's had quite a long stay with me for one reason or another, but I think she was glad of the rest after the first leg of the journey.








As you can read in her introduction post, Lys was inspired by the wonderful journeys of Flat Susan - the brainchild of the lovely Neet at Hickydorums.  For this mission, she suggested taking some photos of Paloma in a place which represents peace or freedom to you.

The times I feel most at peace are when I'm playing with Shakespeare's language as part of my work, and when I'm at my craft table creating. It's easy to take those freedoms for granted - that I can work, play, create without being in fear - so I decided that I would share my crafting spaces with Paloma.

You can spot her right at the heart of this photo - in the centre of my "happy shelves" - part storage, part display.





Paloma was also keen to see the ivy bound tree stump which provides the setting for most of my photos.  Though in fact we're just off a busy road, this little corner looks like we're deep in the countryside, surrounded by woodland.

It always makes me happy when I come out to take the pictures of my projects - especially if there's some sunshine too.

I think Paloma was happy to find some fellow flyers to play with during her stay.

What a privilege to have space for the imagination to play, a place to indulge this new form of expression.  (Given that I've worked with words most of my life, the last few years of visual creativity still feels like the early stages of a journey.)

But now I think she's ready and eager to continue her journey.  I hope some of you will want to host her as she travels onward around the world.

In the little travel journal which accompanies her there is already one address of a willing host - Sara Emily, she will be on her way to you soon! - but I would love to add some more names before she sets off.

If you would like to be included as a rest-stop on Paloma's journey, then leave a comment here saying so, and contact me with your address via the Get In Touch button just below my photo in the sidebar.  I will then add your details to the travel journal.  One day, maybe next year, maybe five years down the line, we hope she will wing her way in your direction!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Martin Luther King Jr

An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.

Mahatma Gandhi

Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. You cannot subjugate a nation forcibly unless you wipe out every man, woman, and child. Unless you wish to use such drastic measures, you must find a way of settling your disputes without resort to arms.

Albert Einstein

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

George Carlin