Bells Between Barga
A poem that reflects on cross-cultural love using soft, impressionist imagery and intentional symbols across nations. Partly inspired by Giovanni Pascoli’s L’ora Di Barga. Continue reading Bells Between Barga
Tag: writing
The Bird of Madonna
Ailsa Gillies reflects on the mother-child bond through the eyes of a bird after visiting the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence. The Bird of Madonna is a soft reflection on how a mother’s devotion can become self-sacrificial, until the child learns to tend its own wounds. Continue reading The Bird of Madonna
Inherited Goods
Is it better to be good or honest? Ailsa Gillies reflects on the lineage of ‘good’ people that have come before her, noting that self-sacrifice is not romantic, but a quiet stirring of resentment and grief. Continue reading Inherited Goods
I almost abandoned myself
“If I can’t find where I belong in the world, then I’m going to create it.”
An honest account of almost giving up, of fear, doubt, and the quiet resilience it takes to walk a path of your own making. Continue reading I almost abandoned myself
Is Milky Chance bringing back the 2010s?
Feeling nostalgic? Milky Chance’s Trip Tape III is a sun-soaked, folktronica-filled trip back to the 2010s. Ailsa Gillies advises sunglasses for this — even if it dropped in September. Continue reading Is Milky Chance bringing back the 2010s?
5 Rothesay characters you’ve never heard of
Step back to 1800s Rothesay and meet five of Bute’s most unusual characters — from the mischievous Daft Jock to the mysterious ‘O’ Man. Unearthed from a 1913 article, these stories bring the island’s forgotten personalities vividly back to life. Continue reading 5 Rothesay characters you’ve never heard of
Bargaining My Soul
This poem captures the tension experienced on what Robert Frost called ‘The Road Less Travelled’. Ailsa Gillies dialogues with the soul when she takes it to auction. Continue reading Bargaining My Soul
Checkbox liberalism is ruining film & TV
Can liberalism ever go too far in art? Ailsa Gillies explores the counterproductive consequences when storytelling is confined to the safety of checkboxes in TV shows such as You. Continue reading Checkbox liberalism is ruining film & TV
The Price of Pomegranates
Transformation. Death and rebirths. The duality of beauty and pain. The messiness that comes with ‘pomegranates’, the metaphor for a life rich with experience.
These are all the things that Ailsa Gillies explores in this visceral and raw piece of lyrical prose. Continue reading The Price of Pomegranates
How a dream led me to leaving my corporate job
At 24 years old, Ailsa Gillies had everyone questioning if she’d lost her mind after giving up her high paying job and her flat in the city in the wake of a strange dream.
After what appeared to be a spiritual awakening, Ailsa began pursuing a life of service and embracing a role of a compassionate leader of a ‘soft rebellion’ movement, which led to the publication of her poetic manifesto: Conversations with Nature. Continue reading How a dream led me to leaving my corporate job
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