Stretching Creatively

I guess it’s been almost 20 years since I tried writing a poem longer than a Haiku.  For some reason, the words never seem to flow as easily as images in my visual art so when the opportunity to take a one-evening workshop on creative writing came up, I seized it.  While I could easily slide into a groove, producing a body of artwork that is distinctly mine & similar in style, I like to stretch creatively– pushing the boundaries of my imagination & ability, growing as an artist.

The writing activity that inspired me the most was one called “If I were…”  The facilitator finished the phrase with words such as “a piece of furniture”, “a sound”, a color”, “an animal”, ” a food”, & “a place in nature”.  We numbered a piece of paper from 1-16 & finished the phrases as quickly as possible so our subconscious could override our active, logical, over-analyzing minds.  From words including “rocking chair”, “purr”, “lapis blue”, “lynx”, “chocolate fondue” & “a bed of moss under a tree”, I shaped nonsensical sentences then turned those sentences into a poem.  Here’s the result of that exercise…

The Odalisque

Lynx languidly reclines on her mossy bed beneath the firs.

Holding court, she coyly swirls figure eights

in the melted chocolate with her lustrous tail.

“Infinity”, she purrs, “Infinity.”

 

 

Dainty paws pluck from her plate

fears carefully considered then…

Dunked in decadent darkness & swallowed with satisfaction.

Demurely dabbing at puddles of chocolate caught in the corners of her smile,

“Fearless”, she purrs, “Fearless.”

 

 

Lynx stretches luxuriously in lapis-tinted twilight.

Harpsichord hammers out a haunting refrain

as rocking chair sways in time.

“Sing your song”, she purrs, “Sing your song.”

 

 

Her seductive Siren call lures me into the fondue.

Like amoeba evolving from primordial ooze,

I emerge from my chocolate baptism,

enveloped in warmth, reborn & reminded,

“Simply be”, I purr, “Simply be.”

What Makes a Perfect Day?

What makes an ordinary day more extraordinary?  What makes a typical Saturday perfect?  BALANCE.  Just the right mix of work & play, activity & inactivity, movement & stillness.

We woke to a brilliant sun suspended in a turquoise sky.  Instead of the usual rush, we took our time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast & an extra cup of coffee as the birds soared around the backyard, looking for their breakfast, too.  We agreed that we wanted to get our errands done as fast as possible so we could get back home & get outside.  That we did… in record time!

The garden was calling as it tends to do on a 70 degree spring day.  “Play with me!  Nurture me!, it beckoned.  I played in the dirt, weeding flower beds until my fingernails were full of dirt & my arms tingled from a slight sunburn.

Then, the lawnchair began calling as it tends to do after a few hours of yardwork.  “Sit with me.  Keep me company!”  How could I resist?  I grabbed a novel & a glass of wine, reading in the shade until the next voice called.

My dogs, dozing in the grass, grew restless as they tend to do after too much time lying about.  “Walk with us.  Pet us!”  I stretched lazily then rose to get their leashes.  We had a wonderful walk, enjoying the neighbor’s yards where daffodils & tulips of every color danced in the sunshine.

When we returned, my boyfriend was calling as he tends to do on a Saturday after too much time apart.  “Eat with me.  Spend time with me!”  We made a delicious stir-fry veggie dinner & sipped some more wine as the sun began to set on our perfect day.

There’s nothing better than a day spend doing what I love with those I love the most.

Distant Healing Circle

When dear friends shared the stunning news of their son’s serious health challenge, I reacted the way you probably would by saying “I’m so sorry.  Is there anything I can do?”

Instead of the expected “No, but thank you.”, his mother said, “Yes, actually there is.  Let’s form a healing circle for him.”

A healing circle is a gathering of people who combine their individual power to send intense healing energy to the person in need.  While we set the intention for our desired outcome, we surrender to the knowledge that healing takes many forms & the outcome is not ours to control.  In the ceremony, I often say a prayer that includes a sentence such as- “May this healing energy be used for the person’s highest good.”  Under no circumstances do we imply that this replaces medical care of any kind.  Energy healing complements medical treatment but does not replace it.

When designing a distant healing ceremony, I ask several questions including–

1. Does the person give us consent to perform the ceremony?
2. Is the person willing to attune to our efforts on the specified date & time?
3. What do I need to know about the person to facilitate the healing session?

I ask these questions because, first & foremost, the individual has to want the healing.  Second, the person has to be an active participant , doing everything in his/her power to affect change.  Third, details about the person give us a single-minded focus for the work we are about to perform.

All aspects of the healing circle are created with a combination of intuitive insights & good old-fashioned hard work & planning.  On the surface, I design & facilitate rituals & ceremonies.  On a deeper level, I co-create them with those involved, making each experience beautiful, meaningful, & extremely personal.  Customized rituals & ceremonies alter the participants in profound ways– inspiring, connecting, & reaffirming the inherent worth of each of us.

Ceremonies & rituals honoring our special moments should be as unique as we are.

Birthing My Self

Although I’ve chosen not to have children, I view a period of desired change & dramatic growth as a pregnancy of sorts.

In this metaphorical pregnancy, the intuitive self senses the stirring of a new idea, the need for a career change, or the desire to live somewhere else.  We prepare by doing all that’s in our power to make the transformation a positive experience, fear & doubt mixing with excitement.  We practically sizzle with anticipation.  As the desired change comes closer to becoming a reality, we feel an escalating impatience for the process to be over so we can settle into our new “normal”.  While labor can be induced, we recognize it’s better to let creative ideas, experiences, & relationships unfold naturally… at their own pace.  When the time is right, we’ll birth our authentic Selves & accept the changes with strength, confidence, & a positive outlook.

WAITING

READY

Take a look at my Art Gallery page to see all my recent work. 

Check out the pieces for sale at www.etsy.com/shop/PureSusan

A Splash of Color

My heart practically bursts with joy, wandering my back garden in early spring.

Beckoning Birdfeeder

Daffodil in Bloom

Flowering Forsythia

Inhale deeply… can you smell the sweetness?

Beautiful things come in small packages.

Delicate daffodil

Dogs napping on the deck… sure sign of warmer weather.

Luscious, succulent sedum

Took a Tech “Time-Out”

I deliberately took a tech “time-out” for several days because I found myself paying more attention to my blog, email, & texts than who I love & what I love.  I was writing about life so much that I wasn’t living it.  So, I took a break to realign with Source & took steps to be more present in the present.  That meant…

Connecting:  spending time with people I love, doing things I love.  We hiked a nearby park along a beautiful lake, enjoyed a cookout with beloved friends, & went on a day trip to Washington DC.  I have to say the National Museum of American Indians is phenomenal & a must-see for anyone curious about early Americans (South, Central, & North).  Reading their creation stories, seeing how they lived felt Holy somehow.  The architecture alone is worth the visit.  While most buildings are harsh & angular, this museum is a hushed whisper, curving to mimic a stream, a breeze, or possibly the curves in a landscape.  Beautiful!!  The Blossom Kite Festival on the Mall also took place the day we were visiting.  I felt pure happiness, almost giddy, watching the brightly colored kites dance against the pale blue sky & marveled to see everyone smiling & laughing.  Kite flying is obviously one of life’s simple pleasures, turning everyone into a kid again. 

  Grounding- aligning myself with nature & all that is.  Now that the weather is warming up, I can lay on the ground or sit with my back against a tree to meditate.  It really soothes my spirit & reminds me of the interconnectedness of all things, allowing me the use of all my senses to recognize the changes Spring brings.  I got dirty, too, by picking weeds, raking out flower beds, & planting seeds in tiny pots for transplanting outside in a few more weeks.  For me, getting dirty while gardening is mystical, too, as all my time in nature is fast becoming.

Decluttering-  cleaning out my house & my Self.  I clean out winter clothing & household goods that could serve someone else & give things to charity.  I reevaluate how I spend my time, keeping what serves & eliminating what doesn’t to make way for the new.  Over time, we all outgrow jobs, hobbies, committees, & other interests.  Let them go & see what fills the space.  I recently had to acknowledge that I was holding onto experiences that weren’t mine to hold– a friend’s divorce, a cancer diagnosis, an acquaintance’s termination from work.  I can support, love, & encourage but cannot & should not control.  When I get too immersed in someone else’s experience, it’s time to surrender to what is greater than myself.

Pause when you hear that little voice inside tell you to pause.  It has your best interest at heart.  After all, that small sacred voice IS your voice.

Here are links to the National Museum of American Indians & a video clip of the Blossom Kite Festival (thanks to YouTube).  Enjoy!!

http://nmai.si.edu/visit/washington/

Rhythms of the Year

If we are sensitive to the messages from the natural world,

we’ll recognize great truths that hold meaning for our own lives. 

That’s the message of Rhythms of the Year, a workshop I’ve designed that draws on a variety of earth-based traditions that respect the cycles of nature-  from the seasons of the year to the phases of the moon.  This new workshop is a year-long study for women who requested “something more” after attending almost 2 years of other workshops I facilitated.  I understand that not everyone can make this kind of a time commitment so I’m also designing a distilled version so the most important concepts can be explored in a shorter time period (maybe a week-long retreat or weekend introductory experience?  Who knows what will evolve!)  Rhythms of the Year teaches us to honor nature’s cycles & recognize how they impact the cycles in our own lives.  I truly believe that the rhythms in each of us mirror the rhythms in nature.

As the facilitator, it’s my responsibility (& privilege) to hold a sacred space for self-discovery & exploration… a safe, inviting, nurturing environment where participants can comfortably explore their own journey in the company of others doing the same thing, in their own way.  There’s laughter, tears, times to be serious, & times to be silly.  It’s who we are, where we are, at that moment in time.

Rhythms of the Year is a workshop that incorporates creative expression, spiritual exploration, & intuition to enhance self-awareness & understanding of the interconnectedness of all things.  Activities include the creation of vision boards, mandalas, & prayer flags; forms of writing; musical expression through dance, chanting, & drumming; mediation; prayer; & energy work.  I ask participants to “come with open minds & open hearts.  Take what resonates with you & leave the rest.”  This isn’t about adopting another person’s belief system; it’s about creating a more spiritually-meaningful, self-empowering life experience in whatever way works for you.

I’m excited about this workshop because it incorporates many of the practices that hold meaning for me & allows me to share them with others.  What I love about the workshops I lead is how they take on a life of their own.  Even though I can offer the same workshop multiple times, it inevitably evolves into something unique depending on the participants & what they bring to the experience.  We’re co-creators.  I’m really looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me & hope to share more with you soon.

Haiku Inspired Art- Part 4

As Winter makes a last futile attempt to delay the coming Spring, I sit with a hot cup of coffee & my art supplies, watching snow blanket the blooming crocuses & daffodils… being present… & being still.

Rising early,

crocuses cheer.

Contagious optimism!!

Arms open wide-

twirling & swirling.

Daffodil dervish.

March snowfall,

wet & heavy.

Spring gets one last nap.

Spring Beginnings

Mourning doves coo from rooftops & robins happily chirp on bare branches, announcing the arrival of Spring.  “Welcome back, everyone!”, I say with a smile, always glad to see animals return to the area.

Smaller birds are gathering straw & twigs for the nests they are building in my 14-room bird “palace”.  Soon, baby birds will be heard calling out to their mothers, “Feed me!”  Last month, my boyfriend took down the birdhouse, cleaned out last year’s abandoned nests, replaced rotting wood, & raised the birdhouse back on its post to make it an inviting space for expectant moms.

Look closely, the middle room on the upper level is already someone’s new home.

Bright greens, yellows, & purples replace the greys, browns, & whites of winter, brightening my mood as well as my yard.  After months of drab neutrals, pops of color dance before my eyes.

I can’t help it; I’m excited!!  I want to clear away the dead plants that no longer feed or shelter wildlife.  I want to throw open the windows so the brisk breeze can deliver freshness & positive energy to my home.  And, I want to give myself a thorough “spring cleaning”, too.  For me, this means releasing thoughts, habits, & experiences that no longer serve the greatest & highest good.

What has been outgrown?

What should be nurtured?

If we tune in to nature & tune in to ourselves at the same time, we’ll find that what’s happening around us is happening in us as well.  New ideas flow like sap.  Dreams blossom into reality like crocuses rising from the decaying leaves.  Seeds planted in our lives mirror the seeds planted in the soil.  The interconnectedness of all things…

My First Kirtan

Music unites people in a way that no other form of communication can.  The rhythms & emotions cross all racial, ethnic, religious, & political lines & I wholeheartedly celebrate that!

“One Love” gets it.   This 4-person band uses kirtans to repeatedly chant names for the Divine that cross all faiths.  The night I attended their performance, I soon learned it wasn’t a “performance” at all.  The band & audience members joined to chant various names for Source, including Espiritu de Dios, Allah, Krishna, Sita, Ram, Red Tara, Ganesha, Kali, & Sarasvati.  One Love believes that “each repetition of the Name is a sip of that sweet nectar that is the Divine Presence.  The interesting paradox is that through chanting the Names, we deepen into the experience of the Nameless.”

Before joining their global ecstatic chant last weekend, I did a little research to find out “kirtan” is call & response chanting.  It is a Sanskrit word meaning communicate, celebrate, & praise.  These hymns or mantras are accompanied by a variety of instruments from guitars to drums & flutes.  I found it sublime.

My personal favorite was a chant inspired by a Navajo prayer…

Beauty before me

Beauty behind me

Beauty beneath me

Beauty above me

Beauty beside me

And all around me

Beauty encircles me with love.

I loved being in the company of like-minded individuals who value the interconnectedness of all things & respect spiritual traditions from cultures around the world.  For a couple of magical hours that night, we deepened our connection to the Divine & one another.  It was a profoundly beautiful & unifying experience.

Please check out One Love’s website… http://onelovechant.com