Note from me (Dean) - This is an exceptional resource for those looking to explore and understand a series of causative factors contributing to depression. DFA. This post (or page), which will continue to be updated, organizes links to my series of posts relating to depression’s causes, possible solutions, and Johann Hari’s “Lost Connections” ThisContinue reading "This Series of Posts Concerning Depression’s Social-Environmental Causes, Solutions, and Johann Hari’s “Lost Connections”"
The Sail.
If you had said to me way back in the summer months of early 2023 that the weather would still be favourable for sailing in July - our mid-winter here in Australia - I would have laughed in your face. And yet, here we are, in the depths of the Australian winter and I'm doingContinue reading "The Sail."
The Struggle For Art.
The romantic image of the struggling artist has been portrayed in art for as long as art has existed. But it is an idea that I think should be rejected out of hand in our modern time. Here's something I've been thinking about over the past few days. After my yearly tax return appointment thisContinue reading "The Struggle For Art."
Revelation.
A prompt in my copy of "The Daily Stoic Journal" got me thinking hard today. What can this adversity show me? Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman, 'The Daily Stoic Journal'. Character. When I consider the adversities I have faced in recent years with my spinal cord and my recurrent spinal cord tumour, I have triedContinue reading "Revelation."
A Search For The Lighter Side.
I was in town (Adelaide) with my daughter yesterday afternoon and we stopped by a little bookshop that has quickly become a favourite of mine - mainly because it has this killer collection of second hand Penguin titles for $7AUD. It's called Page Turner by the way. I've been reading some heavy material lately. IContinue reading "A Search For The Lighter Side."
Power, Agency & The Tension Between Them.
"What power does all my wanting take from me?" Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman. Agency. The ability to proceed confidently. I'm thinking of all the times when I pursued book reviews for my novels. Part of being a working author requires that I seek out and request book reviews. While I was aware those reviewsContinue reading "Power, Agency & The Tension Between Them."
The Bastards I Have Met.
I grew up in a working class area in rural Australia - among farmers, trades-people, a smattering of professionals and workers in heavy industry. The State Electricity Commission was the largest employer in the Latrobe Valley. It was where many men and women became employed in various trades. A lot of my contemporaries got theirContinue reading "The Bastards I Have Met."
A Beautiful Melancholy.
“I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I'm tired. I watch the wind play with the trash that's been under the snow all winter. Everything seems simple until you think about it. Why is love intensified by abscence?” ― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife. I find melancholy attractive.Continue reading "A Beautiful Melancholy."
The Creative Nothing.
Hello. It's me again. I have been quiet of late. After I penned my last post, "1982", I closed myself off from writing. It was an emotionally draining act - to put out there some deep parts of myself and while the response to it was quite lovely, something in me kind of broke. IContinue reading "The Creative Nothing."
1982.
It feels selfish to sit down and write about what I'm about to relate, given that I wasn't central to this story. I often feel I have no right to reflect on my experience of this particular time, which I believe had profound and long lasting effects on my family. My experience however, was centralContinue reading "1982."
Dean Mayes - Australian Author & ICU Nurse 