Olivia Harrison, author and producer, shares stories about her life with George Harrison including the importance of meditation and gardening. She discusses the healing power of poetry and the intimate exploration of emotions it allows. The podcast also explores the importance of mindfulness, meditation, and self-expression through poetry.
Writing poetry became a healing process for Olivia Harrison, enabling her to soften the rough edges of grief and find solace.
Olivia encourages others to explore their own creative passions and not hold back, emphasizing the importance of expressing oneself freely.
Deep dives
Olivia Harrison's Journey into Poetry
Olivia Harrison reflects on how she discovered her passion for poetry after experiencing a 12-hour amnesia episode. This surprising event prompted a neurologist friend to suggest reading poetry, which led Olivia to start writing her own poems. She found that poetry allowed her to express deep emotions and inner experiences that she couldn't convey through other forms of writing. Olivia's poetry collection, titled 'Came the Lightning,' explores her personal journey with her late husband, George Harrison, and reflects on themes of loss, time, love, and the transformative power of grief.
The Healing Power of Poetry
Writing poetry became a healing process for Olivia Harrison, enabling her to soften the rough edges of grief and find solace. Through poetry, she delves into intense emotions, memories, and reflections on her relationship with George. The process of writing poetry allowed her to face grief head-on and not shy away from painful moments. Olivia emphasizes the importance of not ignoring grief but allowing it to wash over and through oneself, ultimately leading to healing and growth.
The Liberating Act of Self-Expression
Olivia Harrison's journey into poetry was a liberating experience that allowed her to break free from the private and reserved personas she and George maintained during their lives. Writing poetry provided an outlet for intimate and personal self-expression. Olivia encourages others to explore their own creative passions and not hold back. She emphasizes that we shouldn't wait to pursue our desires and urges everyone to break through personal barriers and express themselves freely.
Embracing the Present Moment
Olivia shares George's mantra of 'be here now' and highlights the importance of living in the present moment. She acknowledges that while reflecting on the past and envisioning the future are important, it is crucial to find balance and be fully present in the now. Olivia believes that the past provides context and the future inspires goals, but it is the present moment where true joy and growth can be found.
How do you personally express love?Author, philanthropist, and award winning producer Olivia Harrison has a lifetime of memories with late husband George Harrison, the intricacies of which she felt compelled to write about in poetry.
In this chat with Fearne, Olivia recounts stories from her life with George – including how important practices like meditation and gardening were to them – as well as talking about the undulating nature of grief.
Olivia’s beautiful book of poetry, Came The Lightening, is out now.