Gentle Self by Denise Marron

Poetry, Selective Mutism and Finding Voice  A Journey From Silence to Voice This year marks 30 years since I first began the journey of “coming out” from silence into voice. It has been a path shaped by courage, self-kindness and the slow unfolding of words that once felt impossible to speak. For 14 years, throughout my teens and early twenties, I lived with selective mutism—a condition that meant my words were locked inside, unheard by the world around me except in certain circumstances. It was a time of whispers, of carrying language quietly, of learning strength in silence. Recognition at the 2025 CHARTS Awards On this anniversary year, I am humbled and proud to share that my poem “From Whispers to Words: A Journey of Silence and Strength”, written less than a year ago in early 2025, has been awarded Winner in the General bracket of the Poetry & Literature category at the 2025 Community Housing Art Awards South Australia (CHARTS Awards) ceremony which was held on Thursday...

This A–Z began as a gentle reflection—an attempt to name the rhythms that have companioned me on my simplicity journey. These aren’t rules or prescriptions. They are gentle signposts I’ve noticed along the way. Some came easily; others I had to learn slowly through trial and tenderness. I offer them here not as an expert but as someone who’s still learning to live with intention, to let go of perfectionism and to honour what truly matters. If even one word here echoes something in you, I’m glad. That’s enough. These words aren’t fixed or final; they are simply touchstones I have gathered along the way. I offer them here as an A–Z of what simplicity has come to mean for me. . . . The A-Z of Simplicity and Self-Care A uthenticity -   Living in a way that aligns with your true values, free from the complexity of pretense or external expectations. B e Gentle - Prioritise your self-care practices gently, starting small with tiny steps and kind words. C larity -   The result of foc...

Simple. Quiet. Companioning. One of my favourite aspects of simple living is digital minimalism and engaging in mindful computing and desktop organisation—I love having a good ol’ digital declutter! 😄 I always find it interesting to see how other people shape their computer desktop and many desktops I see are always cluttered with files everywhere and a gazillion icons pinned to the taskbar not to mention an overflowing trash basket leaving no room for their poor computer to breathe—I’d be lost—and frazzled! 🙃  So I wanted to share with you a glimpse of my own minimalist desktop—simple, quiet and companioning... Wallpaper I use a soft, blooming image that reminds me to take a break from my writing rhythm to pause and breathe. This image changes with the seasons of my life. My current wallpaper with the theme of Bloom reflects my Word Of The Year for 2025 which is Bloom. 🌱 No Icons I have removed all of my desktop icons except for the trash, which I empty at the end of each writ...

The Search for Quiet Digital Spaces I recently went searching for kindred writing communities online—quiet digital spaces for intentional blogging where presence mattered more than performance. What I found instead was noise. Monetised blogs, paid newsletters, affiliate funnels. Even the quiet corners seemed to echo with $$$. It’s not just online. The world feels louder now. Everything is branded, optimised, sold. Even simplicity has become a product—packaged, promoted and priced. But that’s not why I began this journey. When Simplicity Became a Lifeline Ten years ago, I stepped into simple living not as a trend, but as a lifeline. Towards the end of 2015 was when I first began to feel it, in the noise, the pressure, the performative swirl of social media. What once felt like connection began to feel like commodification. Every post, every comment, every “community” seemed to echo with $$$. That, combined with the rise of cyberbullying and an incident that sent me hurtling downward, w...

Self-care isn’t always scented candles and spa vouchers. Sometimes, it’s saying no. Sometimes, it’s sitting with silence. What Self-Care Isn’t: It’s not a reward for burnout It’s not a luxury item It’s not something to earn When I hear the phrase “self-care,” I often think of how it’s portrayed in advertising—spa days, scented candles and expensive retreats. That version of self-care never felt quite right to me. It seemed more like a reward for burnout than a sustainable way of living. What Self-Care Is:  Over the past 10 years , I’ve come to understand self-care differently. For me, it’s not something I schedule once a month or purchase as a luxury. It’s something I practice daily, quietly and intentionally. It’s built into how I move through the day, how I make decisions and how I relate to my body and my environment. Self-care is saying no to things that don’t align with my values. It’s choosing simplicity over clutter—both physical and emotional.  It’s adapting my movemen...