“Jo Malby is one of the most amazing, admirable and inspiring people on earth – afflicted with the worst kind of constant pain, she never lets her spirits falter, nor does she for a moment relinquish her quest to investigate potential healing modalities. I can’t recommend her highly enough: whatever she’s offering the world will benefit greatly from it.” ~ Barefoot Doctor
The What
A bibliophile writer on a quest to find ancient solutions for each creative conundrum, and share those solutions with you to inspire, edify and delight. I distil global wisdom, ancient and new, to empower writers and artists with tools to unleash their creativity by re-balancing mind, body and spirit.
Drawing from the many diverse paths to wisdom, wellness and creativity, Inspire Portal is about finding inspiration and offering it through these creative and healing practices, as well as through the work of other writers and artists to inspire your own. The focus is on wisdom, wellness, and of course, writing.
The Who
With a background in journalism and magazine feature writing, I am a writer, artist, poet, perpetual information-seeker, natural health aficionado, health advocate, meditator, yogi, soft martial artist, bibliophile, film-lover, arts-lover, human rights activist, protector of and traveller of our earth, purveyor of love and lover of life through all its challenges.
It would be inauthentic to omit that I also live with [and advocate for] a rare pain condition, systemic CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) but I shall not linger on that topic. Despite the pain, I’m filled with an uncontainable joie de vivre, that is unless someone pries away my books (or Kindle).
When I am not creating offerings for Inspire Portal, or The Princess in the Tower (my pain support site), I’m usually found writing, reading, meditating or twisted into a yoga asana, occasionally also covered in paint. I love writing and creativity in every form.
Fiction:
A prolific reader and writer of short stories and poetry, I adore writing historical fiction, a few more contemporary pieces, dark fairy tales and the occasional piece of fantasy. I also write vignettes and flash fiction, and am finally being less shy with that fiction. 2014 being the first year I submitted fiction that was published in literary journals. I am also now working on my first novel.
Non-Fiction:
Visit my LinkedIn profile here for more about my non-fiction work as a freelance writer and contributing editor. My feature articles have been published in the following magazines and publications:
The How
Because of a background in health and lifestyle magazines and 20 years of practicing yoga, meditation and the Taoist arts, I have a sagacious knowledge of global healing systems, nutrition, natural health and psychology, which is refined herein for writers and artists. The solutions are gleaned from: ~
- Many years writing features for national magazines and the incredible wisdom from the wisdom and wellness gurus I’ve been blessed to interview and meet.
- Two decades of fervent study and healing practice; from exploring altered states of consciousness through shamanism, Taoist inner alchemy, tantra and meditation.
- Traveling solo to all but two of the world’s continents, and from drinking of life deeply while always approaching it with my eyes wide open, no matter how she scars or enlightens.
- I believe that creativity extends far beyond the page or canvas, that everything in life can be creative just as everything in life can be a meditation.
Because inspiration can come from so many places, Inspire Portal also features artists, photographers, travellers, film-makers, vagabonds, and of course writers, to inspire your work. In light of the silly pain and even sillier limitations, shorter posts are mingled with a longer fortnightly piece.
The Why
I love learning the world’s wisdom from cultures as diverse as we are. Connecting systems together, fusing one path with the next, no matter how paradoxical or similar the techniques, and finding correlations that inspire, nourish, heal and allow our innate creativity to flourish.
I feel a responsibility to my fellow beings to relieve a little of the repression of human spirit, a commitment to helping others be the best possible version of themselves and allow their creatively to shine.
My intention is to twine a love of creativity, words and wisdom into celebrations of life, inspiration and healing offerings for writers, authors, artists and anyone who longs to awaken and liberate their creativity to lead more consciously creative lives.
In sharing the same tools that keep me content and creative, grateful to be living and loving this life no matter what, and making a positive difference in the lives of others, no matter how humbly, Inspire Portal exists to edify and inspire of us to each reach our creative potential through healing our inner being.
