Australian calligraphy artist Gemma Black was recently in western Canada teaching a variety of workshops, including one named Art Deco. I first learned about it a couple of years ago and wanted to take it soooo much. I talked about it with the local calligraphy guild’s workshop co-ordinator and wonder of wonders, she and Gemma chatted, the workshop was booked and I registered. I was a very happy puppy! And then, one of those health “blips on the screen of life” happened and I had to withdraw. I was no longer a happy puppy.
One afternoon, feeling very sorry for myself <silly me!>, I decided to surf the net and see what I could find about art deco. I didn’t find very much but decided to play around with some watercolours with what I did find, only to realize that my fingers weren’t very steady with a brush any more. I was going to stop and then had a good talk with myself and continued on.
The result – in carrying on with the project, I learned some things I’d learned a long time ago, but somehow had forgotten. Simple lesson, really – never stop playing!
As the watercolour went on the Arches Text Wove paper and then the card was mounted on red, then white, then red cardstock and a birthday card for a special friend evolved. If you are dealing with physical pain, let me be the first one to encourage you to find something creative to do within your range of physical abilities and dexterity … make a card, bake a cake, make paper beads, write a letter to someone, play with watercolour … whatever! And oh yes, while I was creating, I not only experienced the pain less intense for a bit, but a peace, deep within.
Ahhhh, Soulistry’s combination of creativity + spirituality rises to the surface. Again. 🙂
As Holy Week continues for Christians around the world we pray to you, Mirroring God. As we look at the face of another at work, at the bank, crossing a border, panhandling, in Hospice care, passed out on a street, at a meeting, in traffic, in the Emergency room on tv, in a political rally, in the shops, in a line-up, awaiting/recovering from surgery with different coloured skin, different political beliefs, a foreign name, an accent , wanting to be in relationship with someone of the same gender, not speaking our language, wearing unfamiliar (to us) clothing, may we see You, reflected, as in a mirror.
Mirroring God, may we mirror your compassion and unconditional love this holy day, in this Holy Week. And may we mirror your compassion and unconditional love, every day, in every week. Amen (which simply means “So be it.”)
“Soulistry – Artistry of the Soul” is about making the connection between creativity and spirituality and last evening, trying to find a youtube video that would show me how to make cotton/silk flower broaches (creativity), I re-discovered the importance of patience (spirituality).
No matter what I put into the search line, while I found some delightful broach-making, hat-pin, etc. videos, I didn’t find what I was looking for. And then, after making a cup of Crystal Tea (aka “boiling water served in a china cup/mug” <g>), slowly sipping it and “letting go”, I came across a little video that gave me the basic instructions and I was able to make these broaches.
While I didn’t save the youtube video or its link and can’t go back and review the process, I learned a new word – Kanzashi, the Japanese art of folding delicate squares of silk into three-dimensional flower petals. Once I learned about that and viewed the video, I was on my way to demystifying the Japanese art form into something I could do with supplies-on-hand.
So why share all of this here? It’s a reminder to myself (and might be of help to others) to continue making connections between spirituality and creativity.
a) welcome the gift of patience with self when learning something new … spirituality
b) “let go” of rules, regulations, “steps in a process” when in a creative mode … creativity
Who says Kanzashi has to be made only of silk? Or that fabric flowers only have to be made out of cotton? Or that all such flowers have to have five or seven petals; or only single layers; or can’t have both cotton and felt in one broach; or must all be the same ‘petal design;’ or …
aka … “play”!
Hope you make time this week to play in some way — perhaps with fabric … or paint … or paper … or yarn … or wood … or a new recipe … or a new garden design … or calligraphy pen and ink … or sketching pencil … or a new blog post.
A story … some realizations … a tender ‘memory … and some conclusions.
Faith: One day, in a town troubled by drought for many months, villagers decided to gather and pray for rain. On the appointed day, the people gathered. One little boy came with an umbrella. Faith. That’s faith. Trust: Have you ever noticed that when you toss babies up in the air, they laugh? That’s because they know you’ll catch them. Trust. That’s trust.
Attitude: When my husband turned 85, he delighted in wearing a shirt that read “I am not 85 years old. I am sweet 16 with 69 years of experience!” Attitude. That’s attitude.
Humour: When we were children, naptime was often regarded as punishment. Now an afternoon nap is like a mini-vacation. Humour. That’s humour.
Hope: Each night, we go to bed without any assurance that we’ll be alive the next day. And yet how often do we still set the alarm to wake up in the morning? Hope. That’s hope.
Confidence: In spite of zero-knowledge that there will be a tomorrow, we still plan events, meetings, appointments in our agendas / daytimers / phones. Confidence. That’s confidence.
Love: The world is suffering and many consider the future to be bleak. Yet people still marry and have children. Love. That’s love.
May we live each day with Faith, Trust, Hope, Confidence, Love, Attitude and Humour. 🙂
A sunset – yes, a sunset! And no, it’s not a black and white photo. That’s just how it looked that particular night at Yellow Point on Vancouver Island – expansive, beautiful, and breath-taking. The beauty of the sunset with its stark sky, water and land reminded me of a phrase our Jewish brothers and sisters use: Tikkun Olam.
Tikkun Olam describes how humanity is called to respond to a world by participating in repairing the world and mending what is broken. More than that, Tikkun Olam incorporates a call to make the world better than it was before it was damaged.
As I stood at the water’s edge that night, watching the sun set, images of our broken world because of climate change, pollution, environmental damage, anger, shattered relationships, abusive leaders, injustice, and more, flashed before my eyes. I wondered about the hope that is in the concept of Tikkun Olam. I remembered how collective actions can bring about repairing the earth through restoration, through reconciliation, through small acts (of love, kindness, solidarity with other people, animals, plant life, oceans, skies and other places on earth), and through larger acts (of social justice and environmental awareness). And I remembered that every person’s life provides an opportunity for tikkun olam … and that each tikkun has the potential to bring about change.
I thought of people like Malala Yousafzai… Martin Luther King Jr … Rosa Parks … Jesus of Nazareth … Joan of Ark … Jonas Salk … Florence Nightingale … Isaac Newton … Eleanor Roosevelt … Beethoven … Rachel Carson … Wangari Maathi … and the question arose within me: “Where would the world be today without each of them?” They and others, made an impact on this world. Each of us can, too. No matter how intellectually gifted, spiritually inclined, physically able-bodied each of us is or is not, we can contribute to the common good and to the creation of a world where justice, integrity, caring, compassion and peace are present in some way each day.
It was just a sunset that night, but it had me thinking – thinking about Tikkun Olam and how I can be more responsive to such a call in my daily living.
How can Tikkun Olam enter your thoughts and action?
When the busyness of life grabs us, or when we think we have no time, energy, creative juice or zest for life, perhaps it is time to ask ourselves “Where’s the balance?” Maybe we don’t allow ourselves to simply “be” and instead, we focus on ourselves as a “human do-ing” rather than a “human be-ing.”
Instead of doing things which drain us to the point that the passion-to-create or the desire to spend quality time with self/family/close friends is no longer paramount (or maybe even existent) in our daily activity, maybe it’s time to give ourselves the gift of Presence. A time when we nurture our Spirit … are gentle with ourselves … breathe in calm, peace and healing; breathe out anxiety, fear and pain.
Maybe it’s time to recognize that we don’t have to “do it all” … that saying “no” or “not at this time” is exercising wisdom … and that acknowledging our vulnerability isn’t weakness, but strength in self-awareness.
Giving the gift of Presence to ourselves can become the catalyst for the precious balance so necessary to a life where the spirit grows, personhood evolves and healing, health and wholeness can emerge. May we give ourselves the Gift of Presence this coming week.
