The Power of Gratitude

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I'm vibrating again. I think it's a good sign.

Someone suggested gratitude journalling, again, and this time, finally, I've begun. 

Only Day 3, and my life has changed dramatically.  I'm literally operating on a higher wavelength.  I've been able to see that every thing that happens to me leads me a little further down my road.  I must admit to running into road blocks lately, up against the wall, not knowing which step to take next.  Feeling stuck isn't fun.  He hears and answers prayers.  I put Him first... you know... Seek 1st the Kingdom of Heaven, and all else will be added to you.  I feel like the "all else" is being added.  And, not much has changed on the outside.  It's all an inside job.

A lady called into my day job today and as I took her application for a medicare supplement we expressed our amazement at getting older, the frustration, the feeling "What happened to my life?" that I'm beginning to know most people feel as we get to a certain age.  I think I'm a little early.  She was just getting there at 65.  She told me she felt alone and afraid, and her kids blame her for their unhappiness.  I was able to love her and share with her some of the things I'm learning, and not the old way I used to, rushing around with my band aid, my one-answer-fits all, saving the world (even if it does).  The compulsion was gone.  I didn't need to fix her.  I did want very much to ease her pain, to help her feel not so alone anymore.  We exchanged phone numbers and will talk tonite.  I guided her to www.reallove.com, told her about the conference calls (tonight at 8:00 p.m. est with Karen) and shared a little about my story.  I was in tears with so much love for this woman that I have never met, and care for so deeply, for her pain, her path. I was able to honestly tell her that she need never feel alone again.

I am, indeed, grateful.  For so much.  So many opportunities to be His Hands, His Heart, to feel His Love and share it with those in need.  Not much needs to change on the outside, when everything has changed in me.

The Power of (Sincere) Praise

I have learned that (the search for) praise when it is something we live for, is destructive, because it keeps us from feeling loved even when we believe we are less than what we want to be.  But if one is happy, has found the path to feeling loved and loveable, then praise is just... well, juicy!  I am loving posting my artwork online and getting praise!  I have a degree in art, have looked at 1000's of images, many beautiful, some horrific, and some seemingly pointless, arguably so.  I have come to somewhat of a conclusion that the point of art for me is exploration and expression... in a word, "delight!"  I am so grateful to all those in my "circles" of friends and artists who have expressed their encouragement... and lived by their example... along with those previously mentioned is a new one, Angie Fraley.  She's rather amazing.  Check  her out here

www.om2art.com

Latest Painting

Ok.  So, if I can't take an immediate workshop with Flora Bowley or Tracy Verdugo, I'm gonna fake it.  I am a trained intuitive massage therapist, so I applied what I've learned over the years to painting.  It isn't really that different.  My hands are sensitive to changes in warmth and texture within the human body which signals tension or pain.  I think that's why this type of painting is so appealing to me.  I like the flowing movements that leave trails of color on the canvas the way my  hands have left trails of relief on the canvas of the body.  I have always felt like the Creator flowed through me as I massage, pouring out His Healing Power through me, I just had to remove my self or my ego and allow The Flow.  So, the other night, I tried that with painting.  I liked the results.  I don't feel like I'm anywhere near finished, and there is an art show in town this weekend where I really wanted to display some paintings... it may happen, it may not, but I'm painting now, and that's everything.  If I can figure out how, again, I'll post a pic of the painting in process here.  Please feel free to leave comments, and I welcome constructive criticism, hm... you know, I really don't.  I think I'd only like to hear praise, lol!  (Grin).

Something Funny and Uplifting: 8 Steps to Be Happy

Something Funny and Uplifting: 8 Steps to Be Happy: 1) Be optimistic . In the 1970s, researchers followed people who'd won the lottery and found that a year after they'd hit the jackpot, th...

LKTV67 - My Son. My Inspiration.

Haven't posted in a while.  Too much going on with The Holidays:  Thanksgiving... well, I know, not much of an excuse.  I guess I don't have the habit and I'm plagued with doubt.  Ever have that happen?  Well, I just learned, again, an important lesson from my son.  He has his own youtube channel:  LKTV67, and he is always making videos and uploading, and getting ideas.  http://www.youtube.com/user/LKtv67?feature=chclk#p/u/0/CR3B18zrzBQ   He is following his bliss!  He does it because he enjoys it!  Imagine that.  Now, I think I'll get on with doing what I enjoy... and it isn't housework!  Let's go sling some paint!  Thanks! 

WORK!

My First Art Journal - Altered Book

These are pics of the pages of my first art journal, which is a children's book I've altered.  This is just the initial phase... a beginning layer of quotes, collaged pics, some paint... they have a long way to go... down this road of Life. 

I was in such a rush to get these up and running on the site... after all, what good is a blog about art with no art.  My pics leave a lot to be desired, and my cropping and all that's going to improve... it's all about process... journey, not destination!

My earliest exposure to art journaling, and zendoodles came as I discovered Milliande on youtube.  She has a wonderful website where she has created a community of women artists.  Thank you Milliande for all you have done to inspire and educate and connect me with so many beautiful, inspiring artists, including yourself!  http://milliande.ning.com

All of the words in my art journal are very important to me.  On the right is a part of "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran.  One of my very favorite peeps in the world, my 7th grade literature teacher, Mrs. Mildred Greear gave me a beautiful gift of this book way back then.  For many, many years, one of my most prized possessions, and the memory is still one of dearest.  Wonderful book!

"We" are all in such a hurry, checking off items on our to do list... I have to take time to just BE!

By the time I post the "new, revised" editions, I promise the pics will be better quality!

 

 

This page has an exercise that my high school art teacher, Mr. Bill Amos, gave a bunch of his grown up students on facebook!  Thank you, Bill, you are the bestest! 

Well, must get off to my second "day" job.  I am most grateful you joined me here.  Please leave comments.  I would love to hear from you!  And, feel free to post links to your blogs and websites.  All are welcome here!

The Heart of the Matter

I am grateful for the technology that allows us to connect with kindred souls and spirits.  This blog is all about healing our hearts.  Two beautiful women: Flora Bowley (www.florasbowley.com) and Tracy Verdugo (http://artoftracyverdugo.blogspot.com) have posted pics of their artwork on their sites that have stirred my deepest innermost desires to "sling" paint! The pic shows Flora at one of her workshops. 

As I looked at photos of artists with paint on their hands, I remembered a scene from one of my favorite movies, "Benny and Joon."  If you've seen the movie, you already know the scene I'm thinking of, and if you haven't, you need to!  Up close and personal shots show Joon expressing her memories of the loss of her parents, her abandonment, by moving the paint around on the canvas with her hands, massaging her aching heart on canvas.  It's like someone is doing heart surgery, prodding and probing my sensitive spots... and as I looked at the photos, I remembered. 

The Beginning.  I had bought an oil-painting kit at a bookstore in a mall. I carried that kit with me as I moved from location to location, from one part of the country to another, in search of my bliss, but I never opened the tubes.  Art was something others created.  When I finally was abled to face my fears and open the tubes, the paint had dried the caps on and I had to use pliers!  The company where I worked relocated to the other coast (the one I had just left) and I took advantage of that moment in time to go down a different path.  A chance encounter with a professional housepainter at a paint store (I was going to paint a metal bedframe that belonged to my grandmother) afforded me a chance to apprentice as  a painter.  He taught me how to paint walls.  I learned sponge painting and faux marble when the craze was peaking.  I had a few clients (I can make up flyers and market myself well)...  but where I am going with this... my painting encounter with my own bathroom... 1/4 bath really.  I poured puddles of paint on a plastic drop cloth: beautiful hues of greys, blues, deep lavenders, and dipped my roller in...  I had a blast rolling that little bathroom with all those gorgeous colors!  Then, the coup de grace was when I sponged on top of that with oranges, yellows and reds.  I topped it off by hanging a poster of a Monet, waterlilies or something.  I was so thrilled with my creation.  Unfortunately, my significant other of the time wasn't... shoulda been a red flag.  I allowed myself to be derailed instead of following my bliss!

So, here I am, getting another chance.  Stay tuned for pics of my hands in paint!  Please feel free to leave comments about your own journey to paint!

Getting Older and More Forgetful

My brother-in-law seems to have come up with a new anacronym (I almost wrote anachronism, and there, folks, is an excellent example of where my brain is going) for the way our minds have begun to work (shall I stop before I say the dreaded words "in our old age?"):  "CRS" or can't remember squat, only I think he put a different word in for the "S."  Sometimes I think my worst nightmare is that I will remember only the things about my life that I don't want to!  Or that just as I begin to figure out Life, I will forget what I figured out. 

Anthony deMello was a Jesuit priest, author, speaker, and if you haven't read "Awareness,"  you should think about it (I'm trying to quit saying "You SHOULD").  It is a collection of his writings and talks.  He is amazing.  In "Good, Bad or Lucky" (p. 30), he passes on this wisdom from someone else, "The lovely thing about Jesus was that he was so at home with sinners, because he understood that he wasn't one bit better than they were."  He went on to say that "We differ from others--- from criminals, for example-- only in what we do or don't do, not in what we are.  The only difference between Jesus and those others was that he was awake and they weren't."  "The Pharisee wasn't an evil man, he was a stupid man."  That's us, stupid, thinking we are better than others... we're just lucky, maybe, to be awake or aware, or becoming a little more so that way every day... maybe a little more like Jesus?

See, this is good stuff, and I don't want to forget it.  I just want to forget all my stupid mistakes, and hope everyone else concerned does, too.  When I need to remember something important, maybe someone will direct me back to my blog.  From deMello:  "I dare not stop to think, because if I did, I wouldn't know how to get started again."

Real Love

In my first post, I alluded to Real Love and how it had changed my life.  Greg (Dr. Greg Baer, author) says that "It's ALWAYS about Real Love."  And, that's been my experience, too.  Whenever I am angry, sad, or scared, I'm not feeling loved.  I was introduced to Greg by someone from my church. I was confiding my concerns over the possibilities of the failure of my marriage.  He recommended that I call Greg.  I was already seeing a counselor, but this guy insisted, plus, Greg was located in my home town, just an hour's drive away.  The first time I spoke with him on the phone, giving him a cliff notes version of my situation, he said, "You only have one problem."  Well, of course, I replied, "Ok, what's that?"  He said, "You have never really been loved."  It was one of those life-changing moments.  I had been telling all those around me all my life that they didn't really love me, and here was this guy telling me I was right!  One would think that would be sad, but it wasn't. It was validating!  One of the worst things that is done to kids is telling them "I love you" instead of "I'm really sucking at being a parent."  Only recently have I begun to get specific with my own offspring.  "Let's tell the truth.  No need for apologies."  Saying "I love you" is one way we say many things:  "I screwed up, please don't be angry... do you still love me?"  So, when we screw up, which is often, we say something like "Wow.  I just got angry again, and, of course, that's wrong."  Because if our goal is to be happy... angry (or sad, or scared) is always wrong!

I won't go much further into this today, other than to urge you to go to the website:  www.reallove.com and check out everything that is available there.  Greg (and his wife, Donna) aren't trying to get rich or become the next self-improvement gurus.  They have discovered the formula for happiness:  loved, loving, responsible, and their efforts fit right in there.  Get the love you need by getting on the (FREE) forum located on the website, reading the books, getting on (FREE) conference calls, making connections with people who have agreed to love you the best they can, and to tell the truth about it if they can't.  It's quite refreshing.  Even FREEing.  Happiness making.  You can never have too many Real Friends.  I once studied with a spiritual woman, and she said that if someone is claiming to have the truth and selling it, it ain't the truth.  Greg makes so much available... for free!

Purple Bird Studio

Did you ever get ideas so fast you can't write them down fast enough?  Did you ever get so excited you thought might explode?  Well.  What fun!  Synchronicity, wavelength theory, serendipity do dah!  I thought I might be losing it lately, when everything thing I say is a line from a song.  I reply to people by singing songs!  This morning I woke at 3 a.m. wide awake, again.  But far from being grumbly about it, I literally leapt from the bed!  I heard my son grumbling the question, "Is it time to get up?" (He hates to miss the bus!)  "Nope, just God talking to me, so I'm getting up and taking notes!"  I had 3 different kinds of chicken cooking by 5:15!  I had taken 6 pages of notes and had to just put down the pen and paper!  If you have never had this happen, I'd like to recommend a step to take to get here!

Start out by making a gratitude journal.  Every day write down 10 things you are grateful for and why.  Share it with a friend.  It didn't take but a day or two before I was literally buzzing.  I realized that I grumble from sun up to sun down about the one thing I think I need in order to be happy that day... the one thing I don't have!  So I'm always focused on the lack in my life.  I love the quote that says blessed is the one who has, for that one will be given even more, the converse is true too, the one who has not loses the enjoyment of what that one has.  So, for today, for right now, think about what you have to be grateful for, and keep thinking on that... but only if you want to buzz, and be awakened full of life at 3 am! 

And, what does all that have to do with "Purple Bird Studio?"  My son, who takes after me (did you know there is a gene for creativity?), and loves to create company names, logos, slogans, I know... shoulda been in advertising, (NOT), came up with PB a few years ago.  Now he has his own youtube channels under another name, complete with linking facebook pages (and he's helping me do the same thing here!)... the younger generation doesn't need a class in media marketing, they are writing the book!  So, I decided, without his permission (yet) to use the first one he created as "our" production company!  And the videos are just a few of those ideas that came to me this morning.  More on this later, go get your own ideas!

Wishing you a very creative day!

The Genesis - The Beginning of Whole-Hearted Art

I want to share with you what I am learning about peace and happiness. 

These two words are used to the point of having no meaning, and yet, they are what we yearn for in the deepest parts of our beings.  On a good day, I am so much further along the path than I have ever been... and, what good is that, if I can't share it with you?  I hope you will join me on the journey, to becoming who we came here to be, together, having loads of fun along the way. 

You are welcome here.  You are wanted.  You are loved.  I don't have to know everything about you to love you.  I know the single most important thing I need to know:  You want to be loved.  You deserve to be loved.  You ARE loved.  I am not perfect, and neither are you, AND, we don't have to be in order to be loved. 

We will actually feel the love that is here, as we share our fears, flaws and mistakes.  "Real Love," by Dr. Greg Baer (www.reallove.com) has been the major turning point in my life, and I know it can be in yours, too.  Real Love is the essence of what we will be sharing here. 

Stay tuned as I get this website and this Project underway.  I have a lot to learn about putting this all together, let's do it, all-together!  I will be sharing, through videos, pictures, stories, lessons and workshops (art, movement, music, creative writing), all of me and my journey in hopes we can support each other as we go along!