Two epics, two archers — one strings his bow, one lays it down. Both are trying to get home. Neither is a straight arrow. "Tell me of a complicated man." — The Odyssey Recently, I watched Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. There were moments when I was watching the epic tale where I found myself on the brink of crying. But the tears never came. There were numerous times when the film touched on the fragility of being human and the perpetual sorrow that a long life brings. There were moments...

There is this strange (well, I certainly think so) notion in the wellness movement and psychology that says we need to “find our purpose”. “Be true to ourselves”. “Be on the right road”. It’s as if there is a beautiful mountain road we should be walking down, lined with cherry blossoms and roses, leading us to a mythical garden of delight with mandalas and morning tea, beauty, connection and love. We just need to find it. I’m not convinced this is the case. As Jim Morrison sang, “Streets are...

I have been thinking a lot about music recently (recently, as in, all my life). Music poignantly frames the images of our lives, providing soundtracks that catalogue moments of heartache, joy, profound insight, insouciance, indolence, eroticism, energy, and enquiry in a way that not only allows us to recall, but allows us to deepen and process. Music shows us the universality of the human condition, the shared experience, art mirroring life. The uniting of the lyrical with the melodic, the...