When did you first notice your body?

I got this featured image from a really cute blog that does a “tattoo tuesday” and because of my connection with Tuesdays i couldn’t resist using it. Plus…well…ALIVE.  (find blog here)

When did you first notice your body?

Sometimes i sit for long periods of time working and then i suddenly realise that my foot is in a strange and very painful position or that i have needed to wee for about four hours.  I switch off from my body and become all brain – too focused.

When we are in the edit suite, I get annoyed that my body wants food and to poo and anything really, but i don’t switch off from it.

But when did i first notice my body?  I used to have this sensation when i was going to sleep, as though i was on a giant swing – like the pirate ship ride at the show (for those non-Aussies, i mean a carnival).  I would feel that i was swinging right up to the ceiling and then be lurched back into the body in my bed. body.

but really, i don’t have a clear memory of my body as a child and i found myself constantly surprised by my body despite it being a great constant in my life.  Were you surprised? Are you surprised?

If you immediately have something in mind and want to share it with me, please do.  You can find a form on the ABOUT page and the CALL FOR STORIES.

And your doubt can become a good quality if you train it. It must become knowing, it must become criticism. Ask it, whenever it wants to spoil something for you, why something is ugly, demand proofs from it, test it, and you will find it perhaps bewildered and embarrassed; perhaps also protesting. But don’t give in, insist on arguments, and act in this way, attentive and persistent, every single time, and the day will come when, instead of being a destroyer, it will become one of your best workers—perhaps the most intelligent of all the ones that are building your life.”

— Rainer Maria Rilke

My 52 Tuesdays. Well actually not mine at all…

Just as we first screened 52 Tuesdays we launched a project called MY 52 TUESDAYS.

That was nearly a year ago now.

My 52 Tuesdays is a project that anyone can be part of.  If you sign up (usually via a smartphone but you can do it on the website) you get given a mission video (you can see the trailer and the mission video at the bottom of this post)

The basic idea is that every Tuesday a question is sent to you on the app.  You answer that question by writing your response and taking a photo and uploading.  You can keep your answers private, make them public or even share them via twitter and facebook.  And you can look around at all the different answers to the same question from people all over the world.

We knew we want to give others a chance to consider some of the themes of 52 Tuesdays within their own lives.  We had a whole year where we talked a lot about those ideas manifested in our lives – a lot about sex, sexuality, gender, our relationships with our parents and children, our relationships with others in our lives and how we live.  We also loved this idea because it was a chance for an audience to have a little taste of the way we made the film too – we filmed every tuesday (and only on tuesdays) for a year.

What we have discovered over this first year is glorious.  People answering with humour, honesty, frustration, joy, love, regret, pain, sorrow, anticipation.  I loved people’s creativity of response, their humour and their honesty.  Sometimes I have found the answers devastating, sometimes i am thrilled by what i see.  Sometimes i learnt things about people i know, and i certainly feel i have met a few new people.  There are a few people coming up to the end of their 52 Tuesdays, people who have answered every question so far, and people who have only answered once or twice or sporadically –  but i have to say that i adore them all.

Here are a couple of my favourite questions

bravebudesexadult

And here is a link to someone i was always excited to click on and see.  Llewellyn 

happiest year

So much joy and honesty and my heart broke a couple of times.  Thanks Llewellyn you made my Tuesdays!

If you want to join up, it’s on ongoing project so you can start anytime and you will still get 52 questions to answer.

Just head to the app store or google play. It’s free!

We worked with the lovely folk at SANDPIT to create this project