Moments of Pure Presence

moments of pure presence

these are the ones that matter

the ones that stick

the ones that bring us fully alive

 the ones that bring us back

the ones that beam through the dailyness

the ones that deliver joy

and connect us with the divine

thanks so much for visiting.....

 i hope you are enjoying some moments of presence in your little piece of paradise!

Inside Out - Reflections

"Inside Out - discovering what's inside and bringing it out"

“Each of us has a spark of life inside us, 

and our highest endeavor ought to be

                     to set off that spark in one another”.                        

 Kenny Ausubel

 as most of you probably know by now, i am the fortunate recipient of a grant from the kenneth a. picerne foundation which allows me to work with a group of women every week, teaching them creative expression, journaling and art journaling in particular. my project is called "inside out".

 i knew this would end up being a huge stretch and learning experience for me.  i have not taught much in the way of art… and every week i need to come up with a themed lesson and activities that are not only relatively simple and fun but meaningful as well. 

 i jot down ideas all the time – inspiration is literally everywhere, but i don’t plan each week’s activities until the previous lesson is finished.  i want them to evolve and build on whatever happened in our time together. 

sometimes we take photo-walks

 the group is constantly changing.  only 1 girl who was there in the beginning is still with me.  often there are new participants, and many times they don’t last in the program for more than a week, due to all kinds of circumstances and situations. 

 when i first conceived of this art journaling idea, i thought if i could just make the journals and get the materials into the hands of needy women with a few prompts, they would take the ball and all would be well.  but i’m learning how important the consistency and longevity is.  every week.  rain or shine.  good mood or bad.  that’s what has the greatest impact. 

 i’m also learning the great value of acceptance.  these women have been through so much.  they haven’t always made the best choices.  but during our time together, there is complete acceptance and i am always amazed at what they are willing to share. 

 i’m also blown away by the diversity of the creative spirit!  i throw an idea out there and either provide an example or a demo and the girls take it where they want to – always different, always interesting and always beautiful! 

seeing these women grow and start to show their own inner sparks is s a very rich experience that i am lucky to be involved in... and it's getting better all the time!

It's All Inside

peel the onion

round and round

underneath

guess what i've found

with the layers gone

and the pretense too

what matters most

comes into view

 the essential me

emerging light

transparent blue

fused with crystal white

the life force

the beating heart

the creative impulse

at its start

 raw energy

joy to share

unencumbered

waiting there

 a brief encounter

a flickering flame

the moment passes

i’m not the same

I Showed Up...

ive been pretty jazzed about doing the bailey’s barn sale. in general, i don’t do art shows any more, but this is such a fun and amazing place, i know the baileys, and i sold some art up there last year…so i’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into creating some special pieces just for the sale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it was yesterday.  i met some lovely people, took pics of some cool stuff and even did a little sketching and watercolor while i was hanging around.  but, friends, here is the cold, hard truth.  i stayed the whole day and sold nothing. nada, zip, zero, not even a card….  i had to pay for my space and it’s 2 hours worth of gas to get there and back. 

 

 

 i have had this experience before a time or 2 and it all started feeling very déjà vu…but i’m determined not to let this plunge me into a negative spiral (as has happened in the past..)  there was not a large turnout.  i was not in a good spot – it was dark and difficult to see my work.  even so, a lot of people admired it and said it was like nothing they had ever seen before.  so i’m good with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i actually enjoyed the day in many ways, gave out some postcards for my upcoming workshop up there next month and tried to stay present throughout the day.  and you know what?  i’m confident that the energy put into this venture will have some kind of positive outcome in the long run…because i showed up. and did so with the best of intentions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i wanted to share here because maybe you have had a similar experience and can relate.  and because earlier in my creative journey, this experience would have been quite devastating.  now i feel like i’m glad i did it, yet equally glad to have this extra “gift of a day” today (because i’m not going back as i had originally planned).  all part of the creative ebb and flow….

 
 
 

 thanks for visiting.... and for listening!

 

Life Goes On...

thought it might be time for a “what’s shakin’” type post....

where to start?

well, we are back in major home improvement mode over here, but this time it’s outside.  it’s still noisy, dirty and kinda crazy all the way around, but nothing like the inconvenience of our last project, which was the kitchen!  hopefully i will have some “after” pics soon!

i’m gearing up for bailey’s barn sale up on palomar mountain this coming weekend.  not only am I selling mixed media pieces and cards (many with a palomar theme) but my contemplative photography group is coming up for a photoshoot.  Should be fun!

"Wonder Washer" photo taken at Bailey's Resort

Oregon Barn

 i’m so enjoying working with my “inside out” group.  these women have been through so much – yet they are open, ready to share from the heart and appreciative of the time that i spend with them.  it’s challenging finding just the right activities each week, but they seem to be thriving, so it’s all worthwhile. loving the work they are creating!!

Creating Art Journal pages

 i’m (supposedly) taking 2 online classes…. one is all about teaching – teach now with jen louden and michele christensen (really good stuff!) and the other is sketchbook delight  with alisa burke (very fun!) – a gift for retreat participants.  i say “supposedly” because i can’t seem to find the time to get into them in a big way.  still trying….

i’m involved in organizing a very special art exhibit at artbeat which will be coming in the fall….details to follow.

My Little Wall at ArtBeat

 trying to get into my studio when i can to create new art.  kind of a challenge sometimes… 

 still doing my photowalks every morning.  a chance to breathe and reflect before the day begins…

we likely won’t be doing any major travel until august – that’s when we’ll want to escape the heat.  then there will be 3 trips in a row (again) just because of family stuff, timing, etc.  oh well – it’s all good.  look forward to catching up with each of you!