Articles from August 2017

Published

cracker calm

I sat today, on the shady steps of a series of houses that were all for sale, with a five year old who was carefully spreading hummus on crackers with a miniature spoon, then stuffing the little savoury “cookies” into their mouth — whole — and chomping away with incredible focus and devotion as if nothing else mattered. In the middle of the adult-generated whirlwind of questions, decisions, timelines, facts, factors, finances… there was a centre of calm. Spoon. Cracker. Hummus. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

— heidi kalyani, 2017 
from the *nothing is black and white* project: illustration created out of meditation with a single unbroken line

Published

passion for pudding

When did this passion for homemade chocolate pudding take hold? When I finally woke up and remembered the sensual pleasures of the body, or rather, allowed myself to bathe in the present moment again, soaking in every touch, taste, smell, sound and sight? When I remembered to breathe while eating? When I accidentally, but happily, found a recipe using bananas, avocado and honey? When I dreamed of topping it with red berries and coconut whipped cream (the latter being one of the most sensuous foods to have passed my lips in years)? Is it the colour? The texture? The richness of flavour? Or is it something else all together? The idea of decadence. The memory of tingling senses. The anticipation of being enticed, excited, stimulated. The salivating warm flush of knowing something beautiful is about to happen. Or am I simply hungry? Perhaps there’s a nutrient in the mix that my body needs, a missing vitamin or mineral, a purveyor of energy and life. Or perhaps, simply, pudding is a perfect food and my newfound passion means I’ll never want to eat anything else again!

— heidi kalyani, 2017 
from the *nothing is black and white* project: illustration created out of meditation with a single unbroken line