When I began LilliBean Designs I decided that I wanted this space to be one of whimsy and beauty. I wanted to inspire and delight you. I wanted to encourage you to dream big too.
After all LilliBean Designs exists because I wanted to inspire my own children to follow their dreams by working hard and following mine.
So in this space I talk mostly about my art, my family, a little bit about my struggles (both personal and creative) and share some of my aha moments.
I don’t write sensitive or inflammatory posts about the current ‘hot topics’, for likes and shares. That is not what I want nor do I want to send that energy into the universe. I don’t share about how I am constantly disappointed by our politicians, or how the social injustices in this world make me cry. That is for another spaces in my life. Even now knowing what I was going to write about I wonder if it is the right thing to do.
Because it’s hard to bring beauty and whimsy into the world when, in your own backyard there is such struggling and hardship and desperation currently happening. How do I look beyond it and pretend it doesn’t exist?
Some of you know that I live in central west NSW. I live four hours from Sydney, two from Canberra and currently our region has been, or about to be, drought declared. Last week we had a smattering of rain. It wasn’t enough. Well just enough for the weeds to grow in my garden apparently! Currently the hills look green, but I know that like my garden it isn’t crops that are growing strong and tall in those fields.
And growing up I have saw first hand how drought affected not just my immediate and extended families and my friends but also how it affected my wider community.
My family have been on the land for generations, and although I briefly lived on a farm in my earliest years, I consider myself very much a ‘townie’ – I understand only the very basics of farm life. I don’t remember those early years on the farm, but I do remember the years of drought we had in the 80’s and more recently in the 2000’s.
I remember staying at my cousins farm and having a bath in an inch of water that we shared with all the kids because there was no water in the tanks. Big baths and long showers a luxury they literally couldn’t afford.
I remember the local damn being so empty it took 45 minutes to walk from the kiosk to the 
shoreline. (The kiosk usually sat on the water line!). The once vast expanse that is bigger than Sydney Harbour and littered with boats and skiers now quiet and still. That kiosk ended up closing down because there weren’t enough visitors to the park.
I remember the stench of dust in the air, having the smell stuck in my nose, and seeing big red dust storms descend on our town and smother us like a dystopian apocalypse movie. Shouts of ‘shut the windows’ sometimes a daily occurrence.
I remember hushed conversations about money, and tax bills, and the price of meat, fuel, groceries and life in general.
I remember being disappointed when something I was really looking forward to would be cancelled due to rain, but feeling terribly guilty and ashamed for complaining about it because every little drop helped.
I remember businesses closing, people moving away, young adults leaving straight after finishing high school because there were no job prospects.
I remember people looking broken and people being so desperate that they took desperate life altering measures.
Drought is insidious. It creeps up on you. Two years ago we were flooded and abundant. How quickly it all changes.
The outpouring of support for our farmers and their families at the moment is amazing. Fundraisers, Feed Deliveries, Food donations, telethons and mufti days, I am sure I am not the only one to be inspired by the generosity and support of our country. This support is amazing. It is needed. It is incredible.
Today my children went to school dressed as farmers, raising money to buy bales of hay for farmers to feed their stock. And while they looked more like mini fashionista’s rather then farmers, even at 10, 8 and 5 they are very aware of what is happening in our community and how everyone is being affected.
And I guess the reason I felt so compelled to write about this today was sparked by all of this generosity, but also from a conversation I had with a friend earlier this week.
There are small rural towns and communities all through out rural New South Wales (and Queensland) that are desperately struggling too. And we were talking about how we are all affected by the drought, especially those of us in these small and rural towns, and how by supporting our local businesses maybe could help in our own small way.
And I am hoping by writing this maybe you could too?
We could buy some of our food from the local green grocers, bakeries, butchers or the farmers market. Even in the city people travel hours to sell their produce at farmers markets and it may help in a small way.
We could buy our newspapers, magazines and stationary from our newsagents which may help in a small way.
We could buy our take away from the local take away restaurants it may help in a small way.
We could go out for dinner at a local restaurant every couple of months, which may help in a small way.
We could buy our presents, our birthday cards, our clothes and home decor from local boutiques instead of larger corporations and chain stores which may help in a small way.
If we are traveling through a small town, we could buy our coffee and lunch from a local café instead of the drive through it may help in a small way.
If you are from the city and planning a weekend away try one of our smaller country communities. Why not go west of the Blue Mountains? Stay at a small motel or B&B and have dinner out, browse the local boutiques and art galleries it may help that community in a small way.
While your there visit the local tourist attractions – I am surrounded by wineries, the Japanese gardens, Wyangla dam, historic towns and sites and amazing bush walking tracks all within 30 minutes of my house.
With Christmas coming up (I know right!?!) plan ahead and visit rural markets and buy local, buy handmade, buy from makers and creators and artisans it may help each of those families in small ways.
I know we can’t do everything. Believe me I know. Sometimes there is a very real choice between eating and having electricity and gas.
And hands up – I’m very guilty of not thinking about the little things I could change which could help my community until I saw and heard how my family, my friends and my town are being impacted. Friends on the land. Friends in business in town. Friends in cafes and restaurants. Friends of Friends.
I have been guilty of shopping for convenience – it is so much easier grabbing a coffee from the drive through than finding a parking spot to go into my local café. Or shop in just one grocery shop rather than using grocers, bakers and butchers. But I am choosing to change that when I can.
And I believe that every little bit helps and every dollar spent in a local capacity may help in small ways.
And what if we chose just one thing from this list to do differently? Is there something else you could do? Even if it is a very small thing, know that we in the small rural communities are grateful for your support.
Much love and gratitude!
BUY A BALE [LINK] RURAL AID [LINK] DROUGHT ANGELS [LINK] AUSSIE HELPERS [LINK] THE RED CROSS [LINK]