Featured Author and Artist;
Ann Bromley

How did you connect/begin with writing?
Hello Marisa, thank you for this opportunity of reflecting once more on how ‘Opening’ came into being, or rather came into physical form. I say this because the book existed at some level that we were each aware of, perhaps it could be described as a stream of consciousness and our creative task was to ‘download’ it into a physical reality whilst maintaining its energetic integrity.
The first time I connected with the potential of the book was actually four years before we actually had it ready for publication. At that time I was living very quietly, in semi retreat, and had come to a stage in my life where I really trusted my intuition. So when I was sitting at my kitchen table one day and saw the images and personal invitation of this book, heard its title ‘Opening’ and glimpsed the deeper purposes of its creation, I had no hesitation in saying YES.
The structure was so clear: photographic images of the natural world with accompanying passages of writing (both created at a soul level) and more significantly a space between the two, which would offer an invitation into new levels of consciousness. ‘Opening’ would act as a bridge between soul and human. So I began.

Could you talk about the “space” you are in when your words come to you?
When I first experienced the book in its unwritten form, I saw how the symbol of the vesica piscis would be both part of its creation and an integral part of its final structure. For those who are unfamiliar with this symbol, it can be drawn as two intersecting circles. At the intersection an almond shape is formed. The two circles represent two different energies and the space where they meet, represented by the almond-shape, is regarded as a divine gateway, an ‘opening’ into divine consciousness.
I saw from the beginning that between our photos and their accompanying words, such a gateway existed and that this was the greater purpose of the book: a profound invitation to those who are ready and willing, to shift consciousness, to connect with who they truly are. From the beginning we knew that it hardly mattered which pictures or words were finally chosen to form the book, for they were but the guardians, the inspiring attendants at the threshold, the rest was magic, nameless, beyond even what we needed to understand. Our choice was to create it all with simplicity and joy, and for beauty to be our guiding principle at every stage.
So when you ask about the ‘space’ I was in, I could say that the vesica piscis became a model for creating congruently with what we had glimpsed this book was about. When I was taking photos, I was aware that I and the landscape were the two energies meeting and my camera sat in the so called almond shape, the divine gateway. It was the same with writing. The words arrived very easily and naturally into the ‘space between’ me and my paper. I did not always understand what I wrote, or even which photo the words were connected to. Some of the matching up came later. I did trust the process implicitly though and one of my delights is that I am still uncovering new meaning and inspiration from the passages in our book, even now.
Conscious breath became part of the discovery for ourselves of how to access our souls and connect profoundly with who we truly are. This showed us how ‘Opening’ would work for others too.

What was it like collaborating with others to create your book? If there were “disagreements”  or differences how did you deal with this? My niece, Sarah, and my daughter, Charlotte, were already easy companions in my life. I saw from the beginning that they were both supposed to be involved. They both loved photography, what could be simpler and yet I also knew that by accepting my invitation, their lives were likely to change in unpredictable ways.

I was moved by their immediate agreement and their inner sense of rightness about being involved, although both of them at the time had little interest in anything spiritual. Being co-creators of this book has indeed changed their lives, for they have each awakened spiritually. Their individual processes were inevitably interwoven with our creative project and for me it meant opening to new levels of awareness and patience myself, as I accompanied them and facilitated where appropriate. This was a bigger part of the journey than I had anticipated. The title of the book has been relevant in so many ways.
We spent a lot of time together and laughed and talked a great deal. There was nothing at stake for any of us, we were having fun. The book itself informed and led us, we followed and learnt much. It was like having a beautiful child take you by the hand and lead you into a magical garden. As the process was intuitive, rather than rational, there was little to create disharmony.
The respect and love we each had for the other two existed long before the project began. Our level of emotional maturity and self-responsibility meant that the creative partnership was little burdened with personal issues. Sometimes at the later stages, two of us would favour a particular decision and the third differed. This required patience, breath, trust and either the third would find a way forward which aligned with the proposed decision, or a new possibility came into the space we left open.
However, when we got to the very final weeks of preparing the book for the printer and were working within a time frame, having chosen a date for our book launch and having accepted an invitation to do a live web cast, then it was much easier to get stressed. There were so many things to consider and organize at a worldly level and all of them new to us. Fortunately one of us usually managed to keep a perspective and offer a calm presence to whoever was feeling overwhelmed.
This was also a point when each of us had personal adjustments to make. Our book was really happening, it would soon be in print, our names would be on the outside…  We required lots of conversations during and after that period and only got clarity about some of the processes with hindsight.
I am profoundly grateful that we were each able to trust that whatever was going on at any moment was also part of a bigger picture and that a deeper meaning was available, if not immediately, then in time. It is a great joy to work with others in such a framework, truly inspiring.

You wrote in the introduction of the book- “We are discovering that being new energy artists involves a willingness to grow and expand in unexpected ways with our creations.”  What sort of experiences has “Opening” brought to you that you never expected?
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that I bought a camera and became a photographer! That was unexpected and is now one of my passions. Many of the photos in the book are mine and I am beaming as I say this, because taking photos is such an important part of my life now and my fourth camera is on its way this week!
We discovered how to create without limits, so that what you end up with is better than you even dreamed of! When you create in this way, everything you need arrives easily, sometimes before you recognize how it will serve you.
There were often unexpected discoveries about the creation itself. For instance when I came to write the introduction a few weeks before we were going to print - it could not have been written any sooner because ‘Opening’ needed to be created before we could introduce it to anyone - I learnt that the book would never be finished, it would always be ‘open’. It would evolve and grow in presence as people interacted with it. It would also be qualitatively different for each person. Each time the same person came to their copy, they were also likely to have a different experience. Somehow this didn’t surprise me, although it was unexpected. I realized that ‘Opening’ was not a book about transformation, but was transforming by nature and by essence.
Unexpected too has been the unconventional way the book has gone out into the world and also how it has been received. We have been very moved by the stories we have been told. We have also discovered that copies are very personal, sometimes not able to be shared even with loved ones and that someone buying a copy is able to recognize theirs from a pile on a table.

Although it took time, it actually turned out to be easy because Sarah discovered a whole new part of herself. She absolutely loved the technical task and is now laying out books for other creators.
Self-publishing also gave us autonomy with regard to marketing and distribution. We could go at our own pace and continue to be intuitive about where and how ‘Opening’ went out into the world. We chose to create a website ourselves www.beyondthespacebetween.com and have that as our main interface. Now we also have books on sale in a few small book stores, where we have some personal contact. Getting a quick return on our financial investment has not been our focus. Money appears to arrive more indirectly. Our own lives continue to evolve as a direct result of having created ‘Opening’ and each of us keeps ‘opening’ personally to new dimensions of creativity. 2009 looks like being an exciting year.
To conclude, I would definitely recommend self-publishing and also add that the process may not be at all what you expect, or like anyone else’s experience, but go for it anyway.
I am also aware that the qualities of ‘Opening’ go out into the world from the boxes of books stacked in my home, without me doing anything, but it is amazing to see a copy in someone’s hands and witness their tears or smiles as they thank you for what you have created.

To purchase 'Opening' please go to www.beyondthespacebetween.com
To sample the beautiful photos and words of the book the artists have created some YouTube videos which can be seen at;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOAxbgvTj4g&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2I_IPMDIpU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LAEcCzDVtg