Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson

I read this article by Danielle LaPorte, a life/career coach and all round motivator, earlier and it really struck a cord with me.

I subscribe to the idea of bright faith. Bright faith is a feeling so strong that it lifts away everything ordinary and pulls you towards whatever it’s focus is so strongly, that you can’t help but go there. It removes doubt, fear and apprehension and makes you brave. It is used in the divine sense by a fair amount of religions (notably buddhists) but I can find a place for it in my pretty atheist philosophy.

Bright faith is about gaining the courage to tackle what is hard, to leave what is safe behind and to expose yourself to risk. This is about letting the control go, taking a chance and losing the mask.

On a more mundane level, it could be interpreted as believing in yourself and not being afraid to look uncool. In a creative industry where things can get all a little cynical, the act of challenging the norm and being a little bit mad sets you apart.

Slightly closer to the stars, it could be considered that falling in love and letting someone close to your secrets is one of the biggest and scariest leaps of faith you can make. Which seems kind of relevant today.

My favourite kind of art works are light installations, such as Dan Flavin’s, so this is right up my street. I love the sense of depth and how the complexity builds. I suppose I also appreciate the geeky side of programming this kind of thing…

Totally transfixing.

I’ve taken a regular sponge recipe and added the zest of half a lemon. They are topped with lemon butter cream icing (add the zest and the juice of half a lemon) and a few pieces of crystallised violet petals.

Perfect for a hot summer evening served alongside earl grey tea. Take the tea black with a slice of lemon for full effect.

I loved loved loved parma violets when I was younger (still do now) and am a sucker for that perfume-like taste. these mini meringues captured that really nicely.

they are a basic recipe of egg white and caster sugar but with some crushed crystallised violet petals folded in just before baking. they have also given them flecks of natural blue colour too. I baked them for 45 minutes to keep the slightly chewy texture.

perfect with lady grey tea.