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Yesterday I found a Peacocks bright green and blue iridescent feather by my front path. It surprised me at first and then I smiled as I realised that it must have blown out of my parked car sometime over the previous week. I have picked up many Peacocks feathers on my weekly writing trips to Monkshill Farm. Recently the Peacocks that normally loudly announce their beauty have been silent, skulking away from visitors as they moult and shed their wonderful coat.

Found peacocks feather on my new book.

The happiness I felt when I saw the incongruous feather in my street was linked directly to the wonderful memory of the place that Monkshill Farm is located. Before its recent reincarnation as 'Farm Work Play', the farm was the headquarters of the agricultural education section of 'Margate School for the Deaf'.

View from the window at Farm Work Play, co-working space.

My family, friends and I had regularly visited it when it was open to the public for official seasonal events, such as 'Lambing days', it had a wonderful café which was open most days, a farm shop and a play area. But to be honest what I mostly missed and what I am able to enjoy once again are the extensive beautiful views that are almost 360 degrees and the great sense of place that this location allows.

View from the summit of Monkshill, looking out towards the Thames estuary.

Today I read an article in 'The Guardian', that explores exactly this type of happiness. It suggests that contentment evoked by familiar and special places seem to have an even higher value than treasured objects such as photographs or wedding rings.

Dr Andy Myers is quoted in the article saying 'for the first time we have been able to prove the physical and emotional benefits of place, far beyond any research that has been done before. With meaningful places generating a significant response in areas of the brain known to process emotion, it's exciting to understand how deep-rooted this connection truly is.'

Being a Kentish lass, I love the Hop fields.

One of the lovely gifts that I was given this week for my birthday was a small book of 10 poems about home. It has a small but poignant collection of poems that captures 'the many ways in which we experience that unique sense of being at home.'

I do understand that home isn't always for everyone the place that creates happiness, but for me mostly it is and this poetry collection is evocative of just how special they are as 'vessels' to hold our own memories in.

North Sea mud, a love of mine on Tankerton seafront.

So, along with these poems, the indulgence of owning and loving my own home, having the knowledge of many special places which I understand inspire and make me happy, it really does pain me to know that this isn't common for everyone.

Migration.

There are many humans for whom this is an impossibility, many who are just surviving, 'on the road', without a base or a home, exiled away from the familiar places that once brought them joy. Many refugees are known to have picked up and carried a handful of earth from their home. Keeping it close to them for as long as possible. These are people whose lives have been torn apart by conflict, from family and loved ones. It is with this in mind that I remember how grateful I am for what I have and remember that I want others to share this feeling of contentment and well-being in discovering their locality. Creatively connecting people to place is my mission. This blog is part of it.

Gelli-print of Bluebells and William Blake poetry.

This weekend I will be opening the doors of my beautiful straw bale studio to exhibit my own and Alison Lees work as part of the Canterbury Festival, the theme is still 'The Spirit of Place' as it is an ongoing art project based in Kent.

You can keep up to date with our explorations and discoveries by looking at www.facebook.com/EastKentSpiritOfPlace

Open times are 11-5 daily on the weekends from 14-29^th of October. We can be found at house number 25 on the Whitstable trail. Please see the webpage www.ekoh.org.uk for more information.

My own personal art page can be found at www.facebook.com/RoseClarityArtist, do take a look!

 I can be contacted on 07432679164 or clare@people-to-place.co.uk