NasieInspirasie / NationInspiration

Homo Naledi...would you say this fossil finding is the missing link? It is said that this face changes human history. What about the future? How relevant is a fossil finding to my everyday life and experiences? To some people it means a whole lot and others couldn't be bothered by it. I do not support the evolution theory, but I think I can identify with the joy of the researchers when finding something valuable to them. The last few months I have asked myself some tough questions. Basically a re-evaluation of the foundation of my thinking and beliefs... I realized, after much debate with myself and others. That I have been blindly neglecting a huge chunk of the truth! I have been found to be so focused on DOING THINGS RIGHT that I have neglected the WHY behind it. Not all of it is my doing of course. It has been a collaborative mess with regards to upbringing and what is being taught in mainstream society. Add a little sugarcoat of pressure and guess what, you are baked! (a.k.a y...

WAARSKUWING: taalgebruik in die film kan dalk sensitiewe kykers ontstel. Ek en my man het die heerlike voorreg gehad om NasieInspirasie te verteenwoordig vir ‘n fliek “premiere”. Een van die lekkertes van die aand was om ‘n plaaslike Afrikaanse fliek te kyk gebasseer op ‘n plaaslike Afrikaanse boek deur Jeanne Goosen.  Die ander groot lekkerte was om van die room van Suid-Afrika se akteurs en aktrises in lewende lywe te sien. Sommiges hou ons al dop van ons kinderdae af en ander geniet ons in meer nuwe flieks en reekse. Voor die fliek, terwyl almal opgewonde wag om die rooi tapyt te bestyg, het ek die geleentheid gebruik en vinnige geselsies aangeknoop met almal wat naby my gestaan het. Aan elkeen het ek gevra “Wat inspireer jou”. Eerste het ek Marga van Rooy (vir my sal sy altyd eerste Worsie se ma wees) ontmoet. Sy het gesê dat menswees haar inspireer, “flieks hou ‘n spieël vir ons op”. Sy skerts hoe die fliek gaan oor die mense wat val v...

“'n Woestyn is 'n gebied wat minder as 250 mm reën per jaar ontvang. Woestynplante en -diere het by die ongenaakbare toestande wat in hierdie gebiede heers, aangepas. 'n Voorbeeld is sommige plante wat wasbedekte blare het (soos die kreosootbos) wat oormatige verdamping voorkom, terwyl ander (soos kaktusse) hul vlak wortels uitsprei om water op te vang en in hul sponserige weefsel berg. Die meeste woestyndiere ontsnap bedags aan die hitte deur in gate te skuil en snags aktief te wees.”- Wikipedia Vroër die jaar het ek en my 6 jarige dogtertjie oor die woestyn gesels en geleer. Ons was so beindruk met die feit dat kamele se ooglede so dun is dat wanneer hulle hul oë toemaak tydens sandstorms hulle nogsteeds kan sien. Dis wonderlik hoe die natuur, soos ‘n groot legkaart, perfek gemaak is, pas en werk! ‘n Ander naam vir Woestyn is… verlate of onvrugbare plek… in engels….”wasteland…abandoned….barren” Ons ervaar seisoene van DROOGTE, VERLATENHEID ONVRUGBAARHEID… Vroër die jaar v...

Dis amper weer vakansie. Vir sommiges ‘n lekker lang vakansie, weg van werk en verantwoordelikhede. Ek het hierdie begin skryf, langs die see, met ons laaste vakansietjie... Vakansie bied kans vir herstel van harde werk. Soms voel dit of ons net rondjaag en nooit stil sit nie. Dan het mens eintlik nog meer gereeld rus nodig. Ons tv's èn tablets èn rekenaars èn fone èn ligte (in die ou dae was dit kerse) brand laatnag nogsteeds (behalwe as daar "loadshedding" is) en baie van ons slaap heeltemal te min. Ons liggame het slaap nodig om te herstel en te herlaai van die dag se gewoel. Ons is soos daardie robot in “Short circuit” wat meer en meer “input” wil hê. (youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj-qBUWOYfE ) Hierdie herstel wat vakansie bring, gee kans om weer met ons gesinne te “connect”, stil te word en laat te slaap. Dit het my aan‘n dieper herstel laat dink wat ons ook te min tyd voor inruim... Na fisiese seerkry kan mens se liggaam herstel,...

“If you haven’t lost you have not lived…” – Die Lewendige Risikos   Hierdie frase kom in my gedagtes vanoggend. Ek het gewonder oor die feilbaarheid van die mens. Ons raak so geheg en lief vir mekaar en dan moet ons mekaar op ‘n stadium afstaan…nie omdat iemand getrek het of in ‘n ander land gaan woon het nie, maar ons staan mekaar af aan die dood. Daardie onbekende, laaste hoofstuk in die groot  boek van Lewe, maar ook een wat ons almal ‘n beurt gaan kry om te lees…   Ontmoet Naomi. Naomi Britz. Soos ons Bybelse Naomi, ken sy verlies. Dit wag haar in elke dag.   Ek het Naomi ontmoet by ‘n vroue-tee/40ste verjaardag viering van ‘n ander spesiale vriendin. Dis daardie soort tee’s waar ons dames saamkom, “real” raak, bietjie “soppie en seeperig”…. Ons huil, lag, deel harte en eet natuurlik om dit alles mooi af te rond... :)   Naomi beteken “pleasant”, “delightful”… Dis een van daardie vriendinne wat soos die versiersuiker is op ‘n droë, lewelose kolwyntjie. Dit is...

“Cake-a-phor” #4 A party without cake is just a meeting. -Julia Child – I regard myself to be a pretty organized person, my husband always jokes and says I don’t have OCD, I have CDO (the letters have to be in alphabetical order as well ;-) ..... but despite my organizational “skills” it feels as if I am forever looking for things.  Items like keys, paperwork, missing socks, tennis shoes or some toy at bedtime that one of my boys cannot possibly go without. Following another search session the other day I was thinking....imagine you were looking for something. Something/Someone very important that you knew you needed to find.  Imagine that before you start looking for this very important thing, you are given a guarantee or a promise that if you search for this, you WILL find it.  Would you look for it with more passion, drive and purpose?  Would you ever give up looking?  A party without cake is just a meeting and living without seeking God is...

There is a long-standing relationship I have been involved in for many, many years. It is a necessary connection, but it has never been normal or healthy... As ridiculous as it sounds, I am talking about my dysfunctional relationship with food.  My emotions and sometimes, lack of emotions, have always been directly connected to my eating habits. I have often envied people being able to eat a whole plate of food without a second thought or guilty feeling. At certain stages during my teenage years it became so bad, that I wasn’t able to really eat until I was full in front of anybody. I would eat very small portions and “top-up” later when I was alone. I always imagined people thinking….REALLY? Should you really be eating that in your condition? That’s what I imagined people said because, honestly, that is what I was thinking to myself. Around ages 17 to 18 I just wanted to be in control and in my distorted mind, vomiting after meals and excessive exercis...

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This verse is weighty amongst us as a family because it was one of my father’s biggest prayer requests; to be a man of GREAT FAITH. And he was. It was his favourite verse. As Believers in Christ we WILL be challenged in this life.  The Word says…YOU WILL have trouble (not you might have trouble)..But do not let your hearts be troubled for I have overcome the world… (John 16:33). We are asked to KEEP OUR FAITH NO MATTER WHAT! Difficult, but not impossible! We do not always understand the things we go through…but God is asking us to trust Him even though we do not see or understand the full picture… Abraham left home. a Familiar and safe place and he didn’t even know where he was going. God just said: GO WOW…"selah" about that for a while…. In honour, I wrote this song after the loss of my father.  I pictured him as ...

I visited a place, more times than I would like to admit. That lonely hill called: ‘the end of my rope’… a place where I couldn’t see breakthrough or change any time soon… Lonely because the people around me couldn’t bear to listen to the problem, or rather pure frustration, anymore and only after you have reached the END OF YOUR ROPE do you realize that you cannot DO anything about your situation but wait it out and the people around you can only really support you THROUGH it. KEY WORD here is THROUGH . Just because we can’t SEE the solution does not mean that it is not close or on the way. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 With a Hopeless mind and heart our solution might walk right passed us and we wouldn’t even recognize it. Negativity and hopelessness will suck the life right out of you! It will keep you blind to possibilities and opportunities. Psalm 39:7 the psalmist prays to God saying: My HOPE...

1. Vir iemand wat natuurlike talent het om gevoelens en ervaringe in liedjies om te sit, wat, sou julle sê, inspireer julle musiek die meeste? Ek skryf redelik divers en hou van aktuele temas maar op die ou einde van die dag wen die tema van liefde. Ek kan dus sonder twyfel sê dat liefde my die meeste inspireer om te skryf. 2. Hoe het jul lewens verander van VOOR julle as wenners vir Afri-Visie 2015 aangewys is tot nou? AfriVisie was 'n ongelooflike platform en het vir ons geweldig baie deure oopgemaak. Ons het bv. die naweek by Super Skouspel opgetree wat nooit anders sou gebeur het indien dit nie vir AfriVisie was nie. Verder het dit ons in 'n posisie geplaas waar ons 'n ordentlike album kan opneem wat ons teen die einde van die jaar met julle sal deel. 3. Waaroor is jy passievol? Musiek en mense. En selfs hierdie land van ons asook konsep-ontwikkeling. Ek hou van alleen wees en dink en leer. Maar die grootste passie sal maar altyd musiek bly. Ubuntu is ook 'n voo...

Our interview with Willie done late in 2012 has had a wonderful response so far. So many people have been inspired and touched by his story. I decided to do a follow-up interview with Willie and see how he is currently doing. (If you haven't read his first interview, please follow the link:  http://nasieinspirasie.blogspot.co.za/2012/10/here-we-go.html 1. Willie, welcome back, your story has inspired so many people and has also challenged people to think twice before making assumptions about people. How has your life changed now that many know a little more about you and your life story? My life did not change much concerning the things I do. I noticed a change in people's attitude towards me! I get 'Hallo Willie!' from strangers. Greetings in passing are part of the recognition I enjoy and it uplifts my mood! 2. How would you like to continue inspiring people? I see the inspiration flowing from the clients to me. Lately my walking has deteriorated and their...

1. You grew up in an environment where art is a way of life. When did you discover your own passion for art? I grew up mostly in an environment of sculpture and I think once I discovered painting, it was something I could call my own, and explore. It was at that stage, I really found my passion - I was able to break away from something that was part of my norm. 2. What or Who inspires you? I have been inspired by a variety of artists, throughout my career - ranging from classical to contemporary painting. I think I try to combine everything that inspires me subliminally, into one style - almost like I draw from each stage of my inspirations. I am also inspired by my surroundings and drawing from people and their cultural identities. 3. What mediums do you enjoy working with the most? My preferred mediums are oil on canvas, and sculpturally I prefer clay and plaster of Paris that will be cast into bronze. 4. Here on NasieInspirasie we encourage one another not to wait for things to...