Peter Gill is my guest on the podcast today. Peter lives on the Granite Belt in the Southern Downs Region where he's surrounded by bush land that's a habitat to a diverse range of vegetation and wildlife, including many birds which you might hear as you listen to this episode. For Peter, writing poetry is a catalyst for self-expression and creativity. He shares one of his poems with us today that conveys the relief and the despair of returning home after the bush fire in September 2019. Peter also shares with us the vital importance of preparation and being proactive, including asking for help of any kind, if you need it.

Listen to the podcast conversation to hear Peter share:

• his connection with the Southern Downs including what attracted him to the area
• one of his poems “Returning Home” that was exhibited in the Hope + Growth Photography Exhibition
• how his poems include elements of emotional expression and education
• the agricultural community deals with stress each year such as hail, flood, fire and economic issues
• part of the strength of the community is that support is available
• it’s important to acknowledge when you need support
• you can access formal help and connect informally with others
• the Blue Tree Project is an awareness-raising initiative that encourages people to acknowledge difficulties and work towards solutions
• there’s always a solution
• preparation for troubles such as bushfires is vital and includes mental preparation and practical action
• the bushfire provided him with an opportunity to simplify, put things in perspective, see the silver lining and reduce risk for future events, all of which enabled him to deal with loss and bounce back better
• dealing with loss is not about moving on and forgetting, but moving on knowing you survived, recovered and identified ways to reduce your future risk
• there is great value in taking the step of asking yourself how you can fix a problem or issue and then being proactive and taking action yourself  - don’t expect recovery to come to you
• poetry is his preferred form of expression but other people might use painting, drawing or planting
• be prepared for ongoing cyclical seasons of dry weather, fires, wet weather and growth

RESOURCES and LINKS
Download a handout which includes a summary of the episode and a full list of the services, organisations, events and resources mentioned

Read the transcript of the episode

View the Hope + Growth 2019 Bushfire Photography Exhibition online

Contact Kathryn Walton from Kathryn Walton Consulting and Outdoors is my Therapy

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Series 2 has been jointly funded under the Commonwealth and State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (2018)