Welcome to Volume Four of the Lightkeeper’s List! 

This is a list of all the people and things that are my Lightkeeper’s – shining out there, keeping the light on for me. 

Today’s list has a focus on some amazing Australians! Let’s get straight into it!

• Lula Warming Eye Masks – One of my friends kindly shared one of these warming eye masks with me a few weeks ago and let me tell you, as someone with a lot of eye and face pain which is impossible to put heat on, these eye masks are GAME CHANGERS! Similar to heated hand warmers and heat patches, Lula Warming Eye Masks heat up in a few minutes and are comfy, cosy and warm to relax into rest. I have pain all over my face and neck, so I don’t just put these on my eyes but over my forehead, down the temples to the jaw, across my cheekbones and teeth, and lightly place it on my tight throat and neck. I have been looking for something like this for years but didn’t know what would work to relieve my pain without adding weight. I promptly ordered a few boxes, stashed a few in my bags to use after traveling and they have been perfect for flare ups when my face is super tight and painful. Easy to say it is the best product discovery I have had this year and I have been handing them out to friends to try if they too have similar symptoms!  

• Rachael Kable’s The Mindful Kind Podcast and Book – I came across Rachael Kable’s podcast The Mindful Kind about 5 years ago when I was starting my mindfulness journey and proceeded to listen to her entire back catalogue of podcasts (which at the time was probably about 50 episodes). Since then I have been listening to her podcast almost every week – they are short 10 minute episodes with mindfulness tips and actionable prompts to help you embed mindfulness into your everyday life. Not only is the content of each episode informative and relevant, but Rachael Kable is possibly one the sweetest and kindest people I have ever met! Rachael has a beautiful, kind energy that flows through everything that she does. Rachael has also released a book called The Mindful Kind which elaborates on mindfulness practices and research, and it is a book I highly recommend! Check out The Mindful Kind podcast here and say hello on Facebook and Instagram! 

• Jarrad Seng: The Story of Scars – One of my all-time favourite photographers is Jarrad Seng, and he has recently launched a new project of a collection of portraits about scars. It is a fascinating series and is a beautiful way to approach a topic that everyone has a story about but rarely shares it. The scars that we have tell multifaceted stories – of trauma, of resilience, of strength, of beauty, of acceptance. When each person tells their own story about their scars, it may not be what we first expect or assume it will be about. Listening to each story is vital to honour the experience, and I am so glad that Jarrad chose to do this project. He has shared these stories in a way that allows both the portrait and the person’s story to shine. As it is sponsored by Canon Australia, there is also a lot of behind the scenes footage of the project and the interview with the participants. If you want to see more of Jarrad’s amazing photography be sure to check him out on Instagram at @JarradSeng.

This isn’t a series intended to have shock value. It’s quite the opposite. In fact, there’s perhaps surprisingly little scar tissue visible for a project centred on scars. It’s a project about people, and the powerful stories behind the wounds we all wear.

– Jarrad Seng

• Jaimen Hudson: From Sky To Sea Documentary (ABC iView) – As a photographer myself, I adored watching this documentary made by Jaimen Hudson. I heard about Jaimen’s story a few years ago when his incredible drone photography started to ‘take off’ on Instagram and I have been following him ever since. Jaimen lives in Esperance in Western Australia, where this documentary takes place, a remote part of Australia that offers picturesque beaches and incredible wildlife encounters. From Sky To Sea Documentary is about capturing the landscape and wildlife encounters with drone photography, and really shows the extra amount of work and considerations that a disabled person needs to put in to be able to do a task or a project, and the access needs required to boost them up to an equitable level to a non-disabled person. People don’t ever stop having dreams or desires for their life, especially disabled people, and usually there is a higher level of risk to do those activities too. It is invaluable to have organisations that are willing to take on the challenge and create solutions that allow disabled people to experience the world, and it was so uplifting to see Jaimen experience the places and activities he loves the most. There is a full length version to be released in early 2022 if you want to see more!

I hope you enjoy these recommendations in this volume of The Lightkeeper’s List and if you have any recommendations that you would like to share, please leave a comment below!

Take good care, Readers. I’ll keep the light on.

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