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Monday 6pm - 7pm Tuesday 6pm - 7pm Wednesday 6pm - 7pm

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Shae Spry, Portland (2026)

31/01/2026

Fiddy!

18/01/2026

This morning, finding I had an hour to myself, I had two choices: take myself for a walk or begin reading "Walking in this World" by Julia Cameron which is a self-guided book offering twelve weeks of "further steps along the Artist's Way."

It's been a decade, almost exactly, since I first picked up "The Artists Way" by Julia Cameron. The further steps have been waiting on my shelf for a year.

I made myself a peppermint tea, sat in the sun on the veranda, and read the introduction. Hilariously, the book told me to go on a walk. I guess the title should have been a giveaway.

Regular walks, maybe three or four a week, became a thing a couple of months ago. I was finishing a creative non-fiction writing course (I'm going to write about my Dad's life) and was walking as I listened to author interviews.

I'd drop my son at school and walk on. Calm, clarity and inspiration arrived. Exciting connections between my ideas and ponderings made themselves known and they felt obvious once I'd spotted them.

These walks went out the window with the beginning of school holidays, Christmas, trips away, more work than expected (funerals, weddings and yoga sessions). And I've been wondering whether I'm doubting myself and therefore delaying my writing, or whether I'm genuinely still in some kind of preparation phase.

I've recently helped to establish a new Writers Group in Portland, and it seems I can write anything but the actual book I want to write. So I've just not been writing at all, except for work, which has filled my quota of energy right up. "Be alert to resisting your resistance" Julia says on page 10.

After reading just the introduction I have realised that part of my "block" is that I have two books in me (well, probably more!). One of them feels like it's ready to flow out, which is no surprise because they're my own stories. The other one, about Dad, needs some more research and planning, and experimenting. The big revelation is that I can work on them both at once. I CAN WORK ON THEM BOTH AT ONCE. How obvious, now that I've spotted it.

Anyway... I may well share about my walks and writing process here. These are some pics from my walks.

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas and free Palestine 🌲🍉✌️

29/11/2025

Pinning this post here to say: yes, I am teaching yoga locally.

I offer mostly private and semi-private (small group) sessions. I also teach accessible chair yoga at Harbourside Lodge and Heywood Rural Health.

Sometimes it gets pretty quiet on my socials. I might not post for weeks or months. Or I might post, but it won't be about yoga...

That doesn't mean I'm not offering yoga.

I'm here. I'm happily practicing and facilitating. If you're interested in my services, please do enquire so we can see if it's a good fit.

05/11/2025

It's on! Opening night is here, and there are three perfromances to go after that.

🎭 DRAMATIC SHORT CUTS 2025 🎭

Six short plays, all comedies, presented by your local theatre group.

Thursday, 06 November | 07:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Friday, 07 November | 07:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Saturday, 08 November | 07:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Sunday, 09 November | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Portland Arts Centre, 4A Glenelg St, Portland, 3305

Adults: $30 (or $25 with discount code "SHAE")
Concession and CEMA members: $25
Students: $10

Tickets available online (link in bio) or at the venue half an hour before the show

More about the plays:

🎭 Don't Move - written by Charlie Bassett, directed by Paul Fimmel

Bennie knows he must keep very still while he waits for his friend Jade. Meanwhile, a funeral, a music festival and the birth of a child pass through...

🎭 One Night Stan – written by Adam Szudrich, directed by Janice Hauser and Brian Duro

This is the one I'm in!

Three women recount their dates with Stan simultaneously in rat-a-tat barrage of lust, self-doubt and questionable dance moves. A comedy about seeing the same things through very different eyes.

🎭 Only The Lonely – written by Janice Hauser, directed by Monica Treloar

What happens when a sock loses its partner? Where do they go? Welcome to a meeting of a lost lock support group.

🎭 Grammar Police – written by Jonathan Hobbs, directed by Lewanna Hayes, Karl Hatton and ME!

A mime steals letters from people in order to gain the ability to speak. The victims are left without the ability to make certain sounds, and chaos ensues.

🎭 There’s Nothing On TV – written by Lewanna Hayes, directed by Josh Meehan and Corey Williams

A stay-at-home couple who watch Netflix after dinner every night, decide to watch some free-to-air TV instead.

🎭 Lonely Luggage – written by Jennifer Cailer directed by Terry Cain

As a tired group of travelers wait beside a luggage carousel in an airport, they get involved in some intriguing conversations and stereotypes are challenged.

See you there!

03/11/2025

IT'S SHOW WEEK!

1. Wren at the Upwelling Festival with Brian Duro who does a fabulous job as the mime in 'Grammar Police" by Jono Hobbs, the farcical comedy I am co-directing with Lewanna Hayes and Karl Hatton.
2. Me with my bestie Britt, who is playing "Elizabeth," a rather unsupportive support group leader for odd socks in "Only the Lonely" by Janice Hauser.
3. My niece Charlotte, my friend Jill and myself are playing "Rachel" the influencer, "Holly" the boho chick and "Marie" the snotty business woman respectively in "One Night Stan" by - clearly not in costume in this particular pic!
4. All the info you need. Please come!

🎭 DRAMATIC SHORT CUTS 2025 🎭

When:
Thursday, 06 November | 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday, 07 November | 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday, 08 November | 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Sunday, 09 November | 02:00 PM - 04:30 PM

Where:
Portland Arts Centre, 4A Glenelg St, Portland, 3305

Discount available:
All cast and crew members have a unique discount code to share with their networks. Know someone involved? Simply ask them what code to enter at the checkout!

Prices:
Adults: $30 (or $25 with discount code "SHAE")
Concession and CEMA members: $25
Students: $10

Tickets available online, the link is in my bio.

31/10/2025

Wren is really into Halloween which was never a thing for me, other than the Simpsons Halloween Specials! Aaaaaand in the Southern Hemisphere we are seasonally in Beltane rather than Samhain. But we go with it.

It can be so gross and commercial and tacky and wasteful, like all the other holidays capitalism exploits.

So we are focussing on making some Halloween traditions in our fam that move away from the worst of that:

- I surprised Wren with some cookies. I made them with the recipe Mum always used when I was a kid. I used the jack-o-lantern cookie cutter that belonged to my Mum's Mum (!) and served it on a plate that was Dad's Mum's. I'm pretty proud of my Nightmare Before Christmas Tree cookie swirls. An experiment that went right! If the "veil" really is thin at this time of year, I am happy to be honouring parents and grandparents with baking!

- Wren built his brave and went to the school disco, which was a bit much actually. We spent most of our time dancing outside because inside was dark, loud and full of running kids. He had a GREAT time enjoying the disco in the daylight.

- We had Mum and Dad (Nana and Pa) over for a Mexican tea that we called "Hexican." Marc made "blood" for us to drink (out of boiled down berries and sugar). Mum and Dad stayed for a movie night and you guessed it, we watched Nightmare Before Christmas!

- We put a few decorations up, but we only have ones that we can pack away and use year after year. I made orange bunting out of the packaging from a skull door knocker we added to the collection this year.

- Wren's skeleton t-shirt is part of a pyjama set that he can wear constantly for the next year. Marc made the hare mask I am wearing maybe seven years ago! Mum found her skeleton onesie at the op shop.

I'm not sure it's possible to get the balance right between enabling Wren's joy and turning away from consumerism, but we are certainly conscious of it.

☠️🎃🌕

29/10/2025

It's one week until opening night of Dramatic Short Cuts - Portland CEMA Theatre Group's annual season of short plays.

I am involved with CEMA not only for the fun of it, but because community connection is important. In particular, the arts make a vital, formative contribution to culture and wellbeing for those directly involved and for society more broadly. CEMA stands for the "Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts" afterall!

"Amateur" theatre doesn't mean it's low quality, but rather that noone is being paid! We are all volunteers. Some people have been involved for years and for some this is the first time. This year we are presenting 6 plays. We have 35 people cast in 42 roles. 9 of our actors are under that age of 18, with many senior actors and directors taking on a mentoring role.

I took this photos a few weeks ago, before I was "off book." Bridgewater Bay... not a bad place to learn lines, hey?

In addition to playing "Marie" in "One Night Stan" by award-winning Sydney playwright I am also co-directing a play called Grammar Police by local playwright Jono Hobbs.

Come along to see me having a ball, and to support your local community arts organisation.

Portland Arts Centre
Thu 6 Nov, Fri 7 Nov & Sat 8 Nov at 7:30 PM
Sun 9 Nov Matinee at 2:00 PM

Adult tickets are $30, but if you use code "SHAE" you get a $5 discount! The ticket link is in my bio.

See you there!

16/10/2025

I'm in a play with my niece Charlotte and good friend Jill 🎭

And it's saaaa funny!

Adam Szudrich is a writer and film director whose work has featured in over 200 international festivals, earning 69 awards. His plays have been published, licensed, and studied at universities.

His play "One Night Stan" has been selected for 40+ international festivals and voted the “Audience’s Favourite Play” at the world's largest short play competition Short+Sweet Sydney, along with similar awards at other short play festivals.

In this play, three women recount their dates with Stan simultaneously in rat-a-tat barrage of lust, self-doubt
and questionable dance moves. It's a comedy about seeing the same things through very different eyes.

Cast:
MARIE: Shae Spry (that's me!)
HOLLY: Jill Ackroyd
RACHEL: Charlotte Kenney

This play is showing as part of Dramatic Short Cuts 2025, in which Portland CEMA Theatre Group presents six new short plays.

When:
Thursday, 06 November | 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday, 07 November | 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday, 08 November | 07:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Sunday, 09 November | 02:00 PM - 04:30 PM

Where:
Portland Arts Centre, 4A Glenelg St, Portland, 3305

Discount available:
All cast and crew members have a unique discount code to share with their networks. Enter "SHAE" at checkout to get $5 off full priced tickets.

Prices:
Adults: $30 (or $25 with discount code)
Concession and CEMA members: $25
Students: $10

Tickets available online, link in bio.

12/10/2025

This is not a ceasefire, it's a land grab. And it was the plan all along. Today we joined for a walk from the river to the sea. We don't stop until liberation. Sanctions now.

29/09/2025

The bum of my pyjamas ripped recently, and the same thing had happened to my other set a few months ago. My rear end was a bit breezy!

This year I vowed that I wouldn't buy any new clothing, so yesterday I got the sewing machine out and I used the pants that ripped first to mend the pants that ripped second.

I've had both pairs of PJs for about six years. I intend to keep mending them until they're only good for cleaning rags.

At first Wren was concerned that the fabric doesn't match, but he watched me sew and has decided it looks good.

We watched an episode of Story Bots afterwards and then an episode of Power Rangers. Coincidently, both were about how bad landfill is and about the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle.

What I did is a tiny gesture. Barely a blip. But if everyone changed their attitude around consumption it would make a huge difference.

It's been enlightening to go without any new garments this year. I highly recommend it!

24/09/2025

This circle punch is my favourite art tool. I bought it in Amsterdam ten years ago (along with these scissors actually!) so I could collage while I was travelling.

I'm in love with this page on my smash book / junk journal that I made this morning.

Flipping through magazines with the circle punch in hand offers a new lens through which to see the colours, patterns, images...

In recent months I threw out my practices and routines entirely, partially as a deliberate act to reevaluate my relationship with yoga, partially because we travelled overseas for a while, and partially because of Dad's health crisis (he's doing well now).

Now, I'm feeling around with what will help me to feel good on the daily, and making playful no pressure art is the first thing I'm deliberately introducing.

A few of you have asked for an update on what I'm doing with this book, so for now here ya go!

Shae Spry

31/01/2026

18/01/2026

24/12/2025

29/11/2025

05/11/2025

03/11/2025

31/10/2025

29/10/2025

16/10/2025

12/10/2025

29/09/2025

24/09/2025

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