Friday, September 5, 2014

I have moved to The Creative Kind

Greetings Everybody :-)

It's been a really interesting year, one that has seen me make a much needed tree change, graduate from Centre for Sustainable Leadership - which was on the tail end of The School for Social Enterprise and complete new books in the series of children's books I am working on in collaboration with the wonderful Cathy Quinn.

As I have moved forward in the last few years, creatively and otherwise new beginnings unfolded. There have been times it felt like unraveling which is ok, I made peace with the organic process of growth and its associated growing pains a long time ago.


Like Friedrich Nietzsche said—
 'You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.' 

You will know find me more often than not here - see link below




and here where I have recently co founded The Creative Kind http://thecreativekind.org


Visit the links above to stay in more regular contact and up to date :-) and if you are interested in buying copies of any of the books please visit online store here...http://thecreativekind.bigcartel.com

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

My Vision for a Sustainable Future…Melanie Lee



My vision for a sustainable future is one in which love, kindness, compassion and respect for self, others and all living things is the foundation beneath everything that we do in our lives and our world.

Always when thinking of sustainability issues, whether its related to poverty, water, energy, air quality, wildlife, petro chemicals, heath, agriculture, food systems and wellbeing, the state of the ocean, the worldwide economy, deforestation, human rights, animals rights, the lack of sustainability focus and the loss of thriving habitats …whether its environmental or humanitarian…

I’m always considering the impact on the next generation and how little and ill prepared they are at every junction. For me, it always comes back to children, they are our future….and they live in a world where their future is being hijacked by the agendas of those who’s primary aim is to serve themselves and the financial bottom line.

I want to envision a world where children are not homeless, starving, no longer dying from preventable diseases, used and abused sexually, sold into slavery and treated as disposable as I know is the case in so many parts of the world both near and far. 

I want to live in a world where the rights of children are upheld everywhere in ever corner of the globe, a world where children are valued, and respected and have a voice. Where the rights of the child, the world most ratified of human treaty are not just words on paper, but actioned in every possible way throughout the world.

I envision a world where children are nourished, every part of their being is awakened and excited, explored and enjoyed, where education is a fundamental right of every child everywhere and that education full of imagination, creativity and innovation and is all about empowering them to be the very best human being that they are capable of becoming.

A world where all children have free access to an education that serves children and the communities they are growing into. An education that draws on the wisdom of indigenous cultures, wise elders and enlightened visionary leaders to preserve the environment and pass down ancient knowledge that benefits the world as a whole. An education that inspires children to learn and raises their awareness of their capacity to love, understand and care for themselves, others and the world around them.

I envision a world where children are connected to their emotional, mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing and live their lives from that place and space of connection. That children grow in understanding that at the deepest part of their being everything and everyone is connected and what we do to others, animals and the environment - the world out there… we do to ourselves.

My vision for a sustainable world is a world where children are loved and adored for the miraculous beings that they are. A world that has children revered for their spirit, their innocence and their enormous and enduring capacity for love.

I dream and plan for a future where children are cherished for the hope and promise that they are and that they bring with them into the present, our presence and into the future. I envision children being bold creative inspiring capable leaders across all areas of humanitarian and environmental sustainability platforms. I see them creating a world where they are thriving and empowering all else to thrive in the process.

If we educate rather than shield our children from the inhumanity, injustices and environmental destruction involved in the challenges and issues we face in our world today, we open the doorway to the possibilities that they may in fact make very different choices in their lives.

If children knew the power that they held, if they understood the true cost of things, the production processes involved, where stuff comes from, how things are made and the cost to others, to other children in the world, to animals, to our planet…would they choose such destruction?

If one whole generation of children were empowered from the beginning of their lives to feel, to know, understand and take responsibility for their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing, to comprehend that it is in their hands, and that everything they do, every choice they make has an effect and an impact out there…imagine what the world would look like.

Children are a gift, a force and the potential to empower them in a meaningful way is still so untapped. I have experienced first hand the difference it makes when we raise the awareness of our children as we raise them…

The Dalai Lama has said “If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”


I would love to see this happen as part of my vision for a sustainable future.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Melanie Lee at Carnival Of The Bold


I am very excited to be involved in this wonderful event Carnival Of The Bold
http://carnivalofthebold.coalitionofmischief.com
Carnival of the Bold
Eight artists lead the ranks on the quest for social change with works that highlight cultural awareness, indigenous rights, consumerism, sustainability, peace and racism. Carnival of the Bold presents a lineup that will captivate, challenge and inspire you.
Carnival of the Bold holds its inaugural event at the Changemakers Festival this year. Showcasing a mix of performances and work by various artists, the night will touch, entertain, humour and provoke, and also connect you with changemakers and others who care about a better world.
New Theatre, 542 King Street Newtown
Saturday, 9th November 2013
7.15pm pre-drinks for an 8pm start.

Here's the line-up:
Simon Hunt aka Pauline Pantsdown: Political Satire Artist
Adam Hill aka Blak Douglas: Indigenous Artist & Activist
Ande Kindryd: African American Storyteller
Mikey Leung: Social Change Photographer
Chris Wright: Slam Poet & Political Ecologist
Melanie Lee: Children's Book Illustrator & Speaker
One World Choral: Culturally Diverse Choir
Plus an opportunity for a Q&A with the artists at the end.

To purchase tickets to this event visit http://carnivalofthebold.coalitionofmischief.com

Monday, July 15, 2013

The Story Behind the Story



The Story Behind the Story…Melanie Lee author & illustrator of A Girl In The World

As a child I experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect, subsequently I spent years feeling ashamed, worthless and un-loveable. I felt as though I had no voice to speak of it and nowhere to turn. I felt vulnerable and alone for the most part of my childhood, vast amounts of time and space where filled with imagining myself to be anything or anyone else other than who I was.

Feelings of shame, unworthiness and being un-loveable permeated every area of my life and were carried through my childhood into adulthood. My only means of defense was to shut down and avoid my reality wherever and however possible. I learned to escape into my imagination; in there I could create a totally different experience. I feel that it kept me alive at times and sustained me until I was able to get the help I needed to recover from the abuse and trauma.

The birth of my children was in many ways the rebirth of me. I fell utterly and completely in love with them and in learning how to love and nurture them I learned to love and care about myself. The innocence of children is the epitome of bliss itself and their trust one of life’s greatest gifts to be treasured and honored.

Becoming a mother opened me up to the life within more than any other experience. It brought to the surface all of the parts of my self that needed healing. It has turned me inside out, upside down and right way up again. My children put me and keep me in touch with my own emotional landscape. Parenting them, as they have grown through every age and stage of their development has tugged upon every vulnerability I held as child. It continues to bring me face to face and heart to heart with my own issues and challenges me to grow and heal in every area as I respond to their needs.

I cannot and have not been able to shield my children from experiencing pain and some of life’s harsh realities and that at times has been heartbreaking. What I have chosen to do is take all of my experiences and learn from them, and to share the wisdom that comes from that. To be honest and open in my life and with my children, to support and allow them to have a voice in every situation and encourage it in every experience they face in the world.

I believe that our children come to us and through and into the world as their very own once in a lifetime unique expression. I feel it’s our responsibility to protect them from anything that stands in the way of being and creating who they are here to be.

It is true that whilst my life has been full of many painful experiences it is also full of overcoming them. Creativity has played a significant part in that. I lose and find and lose myself in creative expression almost daily. Whether it’s writing, painting, illustrating or sharing stories, I seek creative ways to express and connect with myself and others. Through my creativity I have learned to tell my story, through that journey A Girl In The World came to life.

The freedoms, creativity, love and nurturing I aspire to and my want for my own children, I want for every child. I hope to inspire children to understand that they are the hero's of their own lives…

Thursday, July 11, 2013

I Am Here In Spirit




I have no religious affiliations, I am a spiritual being. I believe in kindness, creativity and connections. The foundation of my hopes for any and all work that I do with children and adults lay in the simplicity of sharing lessons that I have learnt through being conscious of my spirit and journey.

Hope, open mindedness, honesty, understanding and healing have all played most important roles in my life journey so far. When I think of how vital it is to share and teach children about spiritual philosophies I think of many including…

Love
Awareness
Kindness
Compassion
Integrity
Fairness
Honesty
Gratitude
Faith
Peace
Rhythm
Service
Humility
Willingness
Forgiveness
Courage
Open mindedness
Perseverance
Surrender
Appreciation

We all have access to them, they are universal, the very essence of our spirit. Although they may or may not be taught as part of any religious beliefs, they are spiritual in nature. We are home to them and how and if we practice them in our lives often depends on being aware of them.

Whether with a little person or big person, sharing what I have learnt seems the same to me, I share according to the capacity and desire to receive, and according to the hearts intelligence and the minds openness, and all that’s good.

Rather than generating concepts that might obstruct or hinder my ability to share, 
I feel it is better to honor myself and share what and how I can whilst allowing the play of the 
Creative Spirit in the sharing.

I feel that there is a deeper part of our being that knows exactly what to share and how to share it, if only we can trust the love that is in us.

Melanie Lee

Never under estimate the power of a single act of kindness, it has the potential to save a life...



A few weeks ago I had the pleasure and discomfort of speaking openly and honestly at Vivid Sydney as part of the wonderful launch of This Place is Yours, a storytelling initiative that celebrates the human experience. I was asked to join a group of amazing people doing brilliant and inspiring work in the communities and in the world at large. I felt honored, humbled and most definitely inspired.

We all have a story to tell and we all tell in our own unique way. I continue to choose the path of least resistance and made a decision a long time ago that in any and all speaking engagements the very best and most authentic thing that I can do for others and myself is to simply show up and speak from the heart.

Speaking my truth at this inspiring event was centered around this one re-occurring sentenced that was whispered into my ear straight from my heart and my very own life experience…”Never under estimate the power of a single act of kindness, it has the potential to save a life"

I spoke about my childhood and the abuse I suffered throughout. This isn’t new to me but each time I speak out it’s feels very new for each audience to hear about such a life experience, unless of course I am speaking to the minds, hearts and souls of those who have also known childhood abuse.

As I shared a very personal story about the time I had planned to end my life at age of 13, I knew that there were others in the room that knew of how I felt, there always is. There are many, many others out in the world and many I know personally. This needs to be talked about. The dirty little secret of childhood sexual abuse and the damage it has caused countless numbers of children from one generation to the next, continues still. I will not allow the discomfort, mine or other peoples to silence me as it did in my childhood.

For what felt like a long and unbearable childhood I suffered one abuse or another over a period of days and years. It left me feeling deeply unworthy and unlovable. Child abuse breaks children hearts, literally and no more so than when it’s carried out by the very people who are supposed to love and care about us the most, the people that are supposed to keep us safe and protect us from anything bad ever happening.

And sexual abuse, well it just crosses a whole other line. I will continue to speak up and speak out and to all the women and men along the way who have thanked me for my honesty and shared your truth and experiences with me I thank you for your honesty. I no longer carry the burden of shame that was never mine to carry; I gave it back to whom it belongs. I no longer feel unworthy and unlovable. My heart, my mind, my soul now holds the light and experiences of healing that grow everyday I nourish it. It is a brave and courageous journey; full of falling down, falling apart, rising up and putting myself back together again.

My heart is strong in all the broken places and stronger for every time I share and honor my story and know that it makes a difference in the lives of others.

Melanie Lee

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Normal, NO thank you




Anybody out there struggling to be normal, please stop and question that…

Are we really here to be someone else's idea of who they think we should be? To conform, be standard, usual and typical as defined in the dictionary. To do what’s expected according to them…whoever they are? Personally I don’t think so. I believe that we are here to discover and create ourselves. And we do this by knowing, understanding, loving, honouring and embracing who we are. I feel we are here to connect to the very deepest parts of our-selves, others and the world around us.

I do not say this lightly and I have had many of my own struggles with “normal” in my life but I am happy to say I choose to keep leaving them behind. I have shed many skins burnt by the fires started by significant others. All layers put upon me in one way or another. What is normal for a child who has learned that there is no-one to trust, no sense of safety in their world? What is normal for a child who has been abandoned by those they need the most when they most need them? What is normal for a child who cannot open his or her mind to learning because day-to-day life feels like a matter of survival and nobody is helping her with that?

I struggled for a long time to know and care about me, to come to terms with a painful childhood and childhood abuse well into my adult life. This affected me in many profound ways, one of the most significant being that I had no idea who or how I could have ever been had that never happened to me…and I will never know, that I let go of a long time ago. Then I went within and found my out the other side.

I have discovered this…One of the greatest joys in my life is a deep sense of connection in my heart and spirit to all that I am because of all that I have been through. I have learned to walk with myself in my darkest hours in a way that paves my path forward with love and courage and lets the healing in. Sharing that journey and experience with others not only sets me free but others also.

So I will continue to live and share my truth, my story, I will continue to feel my feelings, think my thoughts…The good, the bad and the ugly, the beautiful, brave and scary, I will leave no parts of me behind for fear of being judged, I will not hide pieces of me away because others do not understand. Instead I will continue to embrace all of who I am, how I am and why I am…Me.

Choosing to live with an open mind and an open heart and to acknowledge the things that make us different, respect the diversity amongst us and the cherish the gifts of humanity that come in all kinds of packages. I will honour every part of me and encourage others to do the same, and I will never, ever be normal, no thankyou! 

Melanie Lee  visit me here also...http://agirlintheworld-org.blogspot.com.au


Sunday, March 24, 2013




Greetings Everybody, A Girl In The World is crowdfunding  :-)

Our project just went live on StartSomeGood!

 Check it out, share with your friends and contribute if you can so we can continue to on our journey…

A Girl In The World is creating a series of children’s books, digital apps and workshops that inspire connection through creativity.

We only receive funds if we meet our goal: 

You can buy a book and support our crowdfunding by

following this link below






Sunday, January 27, 2013

My Creative Flight


A Girl In The World…Creative Flight 

The story of my creative flight...When I was a child I felt invisible, like most of the time I didn't matter. It seemed to me as though nothing I thought or felt made any difference to anyone. Half of the time it was as though I didn't even exist, the other half of the time I spent pretending I didn't.

Vast amounts of time and space where filled with imagining myself to be anything or anyone else other than who I was. Feelings of unworthiness and being un-loveable were carried through childhood into adulthood.

Without any way to express myself as a child I felt trapped in the pain and difficulty of being me. I had no way of talking about my thoughts and feelings as a child and felt there was no-one to talk too, nobody to listen. Speaking about childhood abuse would have been so incredibly difficult under any circumstances, but the fact that it was happening in my own family made it all the more impossible.

Through my own creativity I have learnt to tell my story. Creativity is also a way that I forget my story and go to some other place where I find freedom and peace. Sometimes there are words...other times, words are simply lost to me.

I created A Girl In The World because I believe that children need to know they have a voice and a right to speak up and speak out, to understand that they are the hero's of their own lives. Children need to be able to share what’s going on for them, their happiness and joy...their sorrow and their pain and the river of emotion in-between. Empowering children with the tools, space and freedom for self-expression is vital to their mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well being.

Creativity isn't in the thing we do, it is inside of us. It is not just in some of us, it is inside all of us. How it comes out to play in our life is as unique and individual as we are...it's about self-expression, understanding and sharing, even if that sharing is only with ourselves...

When I am in creative flight I feel free to be me, to see and hear and feel all of who I am. To be able to share that with others is a gift :-) 

Melanie Lee-A Girl In The World

Into the Deep



Creativity for me is the adventure of living from the inside out. It always brings me back to life when I feel a little lifeless, allows me to I lose and find and lose myself. My creative wandering, takes many paths but always in any expression of it, whether it be writing, painting, drawing, playing, time stands still. I catch up to me and then I feel free to follow myself on another adventure...

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Wall of Freedom



This is my loungeroom wall :-)

I decided I needed a wall space. 
So this 2 and n half by 2 metre wall in my lounge room was perfect.

A space to wander and roam,
 through my abstract feelings and expression.
My freedom wall, my place to play.

Play with colour, play with scope.
A creative space to find freedom from self.
Turn off my brain, tune into my spirit.

I love colour, love the feelings it evokes.
I especially love the freedom of abstract painting.
It has more a life it's own than any other, particulaly a wall work of art.

My whole body is involved, bend and stretch, reach for the stars'
This is a work in process, a process that involves play and more play.

Play is such an important part of component of creativity...
and so I give myself to the wall.



Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A Girl In The World In Africa







So very happy to see A Girl In The World in the lovely hands of the beautiful girls and boys on the other side of the world...seems it's not so far away after all. Let's encourage our children to think globally and see each other as brothers and sisters of the universal family.

Children have the enormous capacity to understand what's fair and what's not, we only need open the discussion and then the pathways for them to help affect positive change :-) Some of the most inspiring stories of sharing and caring come from children living amongst and with extreme poverty....

There is so much to learn from each other. A Girl in The World looks forward to encouraging children to share their thoughts and feelings, have a voice, go below the surface, think of and connect to others, empathise, share kindness and take positive action where and how they can.

To find out more about A Girl In The World please visit




Please visit OrphFund and see how you might like to help



Monday, October 29, 2012


A Girl In The World is here...

Ta Daaaaaaa spring has sprung and brought with it the arrival of

A Girl In The World...I'm so excited and happppy.

Everybody who helped bring this wonderful project to life I thank you.

If you would like a copy please visit the website... 



We will be adventuring out and about soon with launches planned...

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE In Australia.

If you would like us to visit you at your local library, school, hospital...bookstore?

Feel free to contact us and we can chat about it.



You can also visit