Joyous Moments of Cosmic Recognition

I can almost hear the question being asked.  What are joyous moments of cosmic recognition?  It is that amazing day or time where everything goes your way.  It can also be an experience that even when things are not quite going your way, everything works out and often leaves you in a better place than where you were before.

In the sixth book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, there is a potion called “Felix Felicis” or  “Liquid Luck.”  Harry has been given a task by Dumbledore, to get a memory from Professor Horace Slughorn.  Harry had been trying for weeks to get alone with Professor Slughorn to ask him for this memory to no avail.  He had won a vial of the potion “Felix Felicis” in a competition during potions class.  One day in desperation, Harry drinks the potion.  Ron and Hermione urge Harry to go see Professor Slughorn.  Harry, under the influence of the potion, decides that he needs to go see Hagrid.  It is through his visit to Hagrid that he is able to talk to Professor Slughorn and convince him that this particular memory is necessary in the fight against Lord Voldemort.  Professor Slughorn gives this memory to Harry and in turn, Harry gives it to Dumbledore completing his task.

In my creativity classes we call this synchronicity.  The definition of synchronicity is the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.  When connecting with your creativity, you may notice that there are things that you need to continue your creative work.  You may need a teacher or individuals to collaborate with.  You may need a new job or a space for a studio.  Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.

One of my first experiences with synchronicity had to do with a search for a very specific type of paper for a series of collage pieces I was trying to complete.  I needed a very specific red hue of paper that had poppies on it.  I have a lot of paper in my studio and I went through every single piece looking for the right poppy paper.  But I didn’t find anything even remotely close.  This was at a time in my life when I didn’t have a lot of extra money.  And as you may know, art supplies are not cheap.  I went through and collected the change at the bottom of my purse and found a forgotten five dollar bill.  With luck may be I would find a sheet or two of poppy paper.  I left my studio and went to Michaels.  I thought to myself, “why not check out the clearance section?”  In the clearance section was 2 pads of poppy paper that was the exact colour I needed.  And I had enough money to purchase them both.  Which I did and I finished the series of collages.  Synchronicity!

Art series featuring the poppy paper

These moments can also manifest themselves in what I would consider to be a perfect day.  The featured image for this blog post is a leaf on the window of my car.  I captured this photo on what I would call a day as close to perfection as possible.  It was in October 2022.  I had contacted my friend, Faith and we were meeting at a spot along the Flathead river to do a bit of plein air painting.  We had mango smoothies from City Brew.  (Mango smoothies are like drinking liquid sunshine, in my humble opinion.)  The colours were changing and the river bank was a riot of every fall hue.  It was warm but not hot.  I finished one canvas and got a good start on a second one.  I enjoyed the time spent with my friend, sunlight on my face, time doing something I love and being out in nature.  It was the perfect day.

When you trust the creative process and are open to positive possibilities, no matter where they take you, anything can happen.  You may be surprised at all of the amazing opportunities that open up before you.

Why So Fearful?

I had read an interesting article many years ago about culture.  This was in college so forgive me for not remembering the author or name of the article.  The premise of it was that the fears of a culture are more telling than the achievements.  Blew my socks off.  The idea is that what scares us tells more about us than all of the accomplishments.  Ponder that for a moment.

Fear is very powerful.  Franklin D. Roosevelt said that we have nothing to fear but fear itself.  In the novel “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” the boggert caught by Professor Lupin would turn into a dementor when Harry approached it.  Which meant that Harry was more afraid of fear than Lord Voldemort the most evil wizard of the time.  Harry’s best friend Ron was scared of spiders.  Other people in the novel were afraid of snakes, full moons, etc.  What students of Hogwarts learned by facing the boggert was to face their fears and overcome them.  Well, at least make them less scary.

Thinking about the article for a moment, as a culture or society that expresses so much through the internet and social media, could these outlets become amplifiers for our fears?  Just as the “boggert” of Harry Potter stories reflected fear, could the internet and social media be doing the same thing?  I remember when the internet was beginning.  One of the things that was said in praise of it was that you could find anything on the internet.  And when social media started, it was said that you could find anyone or any group you could ever want to identify with on social media.  It could be said that there is good and bad aspects to both of those things.  And I am not going to go into what is on television and the news.  (War, inflation, disease, hate.)  Scary things happen in the world.

Believe it or not, there are benefits to fear.  What might those be, you ask?  Don’t worry.  I have a list:

1. Fear keeps you safe.  You have an internal danger alarm.  It notifies us of dangerous situations and compels us to take action.  Helps you make a wise decision.  For example, if you are crossing a street and a car comes toward you, your inner alarm urges you to get out of the street and away from the car.
2. Fear helps you lose weight.  Feeling a bit of fear helps burn calories.  While walking through the haunted house a ghost jumps out at you.  Your body releases a surge of adrenaline.  Adrenaline causes your metabolism to go into high gear, causing you to burn more calories.
3. Fear temporarily boosts immunity.  In 2009, Coventry University in the United Kingdom did a study where Scientists tested white blood cells in participants.  They then scared the participants and measured the number of activated white blood cells.  Activated white blood cells are the ones that help fight disease and repair the body.  After being scared, the participants had an increased number of activated white blood cells.
4. Feeling fear can be exciting.  Feeling fear, in the right dose, makes you feel alive.  Stepping out of your comfort zone can be exciting.  Have you ever given a speech or had a role in a play?  Feeling nervous before you start speaking or the play starts leads to the feeling of excitement and being alive after the speech or play has ended.
5. Fear gives you a natural high and sense of empowerment.  Not just adrenaline, the body releases dopamine and the endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin.  Serotonin helps the brain work more efficiently under stressful situations.  Fear is energy.
6. Fear relaxes you.  That’s right.  You read it correctly.  The adrenaline has surged and dopamine has been released into the body increasing blood flow.  After the fear or situation has been faced.  You are now in a safe location and there is no danger.  Your body has had influx of oxygen to the heart and muscles.  When the body comes off of this natural influx, it relaxes completely in a healthy way.
7. Fear helps you stay in the moment.  Focus.  The hormone norepinephrine helps keep you focused instead of panicking in stressful situations.
8. Fear helps you socialize and bonds you to other people.  If our ancient ancestors had not bonded together and helped each other survive, our society would not exist.  It is in our best interests to help one another.  The hormone Oxytocin produces pro-social behavior.  Bonding.  Every see a race, like Ironman, and notice that the contestants competing against each other also help each other by encouraging each other.  The hormone Oxytocin in action.
9. Fear allows you to live life to the fullest.  Fear tends to cause people to make one of two choices.  They can either stop and limit themselves or face their fear head on and expand the possibilities of their lives.  Personally, I am in favor of the second option.
10. Fear gives clarity on what is important.  Fear makes one realize that the only time is now.  How often a terminal diagnosis or finding out about a disease like cancer causes people to live their life fully.  Spending time with those they love and doing things that they have always wanted to do.  The fears they had before become less important than spending the time they have to the fullest.

Maybe fear can help us as a society.  Help us be better people.  Learn from our mistakes.  Make the world a little less scary.  I certainly hope so.

Featured Image is from the above listed company

Starting Something New

In the movie “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” there is a scene where Harry is teaching other witches and wizards about defense against the dark arts.  He tells them that every great witch and wizard started where they were, that they had been students.  Every great witch and wizard had to learn.  It is only through practice and mistakes that the students will become great too.

Think about this concept for a minute.  Do you remember when you were learning to walk?  Toddlers are called toddlers for a reason.  They don’t have the best balance and often toddle over.  They are learning how to keep their balance and put one foot in front of the other.

Think about how you learn new things.  Where do you start?  Some things are easier to learn with a group or in a class.  Sometimes it is easier to learn things on our own through trial and error.  Some skills are best learned from one-on-one instruction by an individual who has mastered a particular art.  Sometimes you can read a book and figure out how to do something.  Another way to learn may be by watching a video.  What I am trying to say is that there are lots of ways to learn things and we all have unique learning styles.

I have been teaching art and creativity classes for almost 20 years now.  Every couple years, I encounter an individual who after their very first experience painting, drawing, etc. give up because whatever they were working on did not turn out like what they had pictured in their mind.

As an artist who has worked on her art for over 20 years, I can tell you that the finished artwork rarely looks like the image you first had in your head.  Usually, the finished piece is way BETTER!  Better than you could have possibly imagined.

That kind of better doesn’t happen with your first canvas, watercolour or drawing.  It takes time and practice.  I have entire sketch books of awful, marginal and just okay.  I didn’t think of them as awful, marginal or just okay at the time I made them.  I thought they were pretty good or at the very least a start of something that could be good.  But when I compare them to what I can do now after years and years of practice, the improvement is quite noticeable.

“Have no fear of perfection – You’ll never reach it.” -Salvador Dali

Go ahead and imagine.  But be prepared that things may not turn out the way you imagined.  There is a distinct possibility that things will be different.  An even better possibility that you will do even better than you imagined.  Have faith and let the creative process work its magic.

Featured image courtesy of pixiby.com.

little

“The little things?  The little moments?  They aren’t little.”                            -Jon Kabat-Zinn

It is amazing how something small and simple as a smile has the power to change and make your day better.  That smile with some kind spoken words is even more powerful.

While attending college my sophomore year in Billings, MT, I had been having a really bad day.  My alarm didn’t go off and I woke up late.  I didn’t do as well as I thought on test that I studied really hard for.  It just seemed like everything I did wasn’t working.  While walking to work at McIntosh Art Company when it was on Grand Avenue, I passed two little girls playing.  One of the little girls came running up next to me on the sidewalk and said, “You are really pretty.  I love your red hair.” And she gave me the biggest beautiful smile.  She made my day.  I smiled back and thanked her.  From that moment on, my day went so much better.

You have probably heard the saying “It’s the little things.”  Just like pennies in a bank account, the little things add up.

I am working on an Artist’s Journal project.  One of the things that I am working on is observing little moments of beauty and document them in my journal.  The bright red of blooming poppy.  A spider web caught in dew and early morning sunlight.  Hints of changing colours creeping into the autumn landscape.  Little things.  Small things.  Things that would easily be missed.

I recently watched again the movie “The Crow.”  There is a scene where Eric Draven’s spirit is talking to the police officer about his dead fiancé and how the little things always mattered to her.  He continues saying that he sometimes thought they were trivial.  Nothing is trivial, he goes on to say.

Here is what I want to leave you with.  Little things are important.  Especially when it comes to how we treat one another.  Notice things.  Notice the little things.  Take time to experience and appreciate them.  The little things… they aren’t little.

Blank Canvas

“It is so fine and yet so terrible to stand in front of a blank canvas.”  Paul Cezanne

Every artist and creative person understands Paul Cezanne’s quote about the blank canvas.  What can I paint?  What does my artwork say?  How can I explore this subject in a way that feels new and fresh to me?  These questions can be asked by any creative person: writer, dancer, poet, chef, musician, weaver, photographer, etc.

The creative block in the quote does not necessarily relate only to canvas.  The month of January has been a challenging blank canvas for me.  The art classes I am teaching start in a couple weeks and I did not want my classes to be the same as they were before.  All month I poured over previous lessons, new art books and supplies in fierce determination to make my classes even better.

Last night at 8:30 p.m., I felt like I accomplished my goal for all of the classes.  I think my students will learn new and interesting techniques, try new art supplies, and learn fun facts.  But I couldn’t have gotten to that point without facing my blank canvas. 

To all artists and creatives feeling the challenge of the blank canvas, you will make it through.  It is only through facing our blank canvas moments that we become stronger, better artists.

a – ha

Two years ago, this month, I flew to Belfast, Northern Ireland to see the band a-ha play in concert.  It often amazes me when and where the universe chooses to teach me life lessons.

You see, I have been a fan of a-ha since I was eleven years old.  To see a-ha live, had been a dream of mine my entire life.  Living in a rural community of North Central Montana, there were not a lot of people who were into the books, movies or music that I was into.  I often felt very different and excluded by my peers, because I did not have the same world view that they did.

In fact, had I quite telling people that a-ha was my favorite band because I was tired of being teased about it.  I just quietly kept listening and loving their music.  And finally after all of these years, I got to see them in concert.  And it was amazing!!!!

Here comes the life lesson.  Don’t let anyone make you feel ashamed about the things that you love.

The stadium was almost completely full and everyone there was singing and enjoying the music as much as I did.  I even met an amazing woman from Brazil who had seen a-ha in concert dozens of times and met Morton Harket.

My “a-ha moment” was that I had allowed people to make me feel ashamed of my love of this band and their amazing music.  I had allowed it.  It was my choice.  But no more!  And I let those feelings go.

Now I eagerly tell anyone who asks about my favorite band a-ha, as I proudly wear my concert t-shirt!

Between the Folds

I recently watched the documentary “Between the Folds” from filmmaker Vanessa Gould.  When I reserved the film I knew it was about Origami.  What I was not prepared for was how much more than just Origami this film is about.

The documentary was released in 2008 and runs for 55 minutes.  Less than an hour long, this film is full of interesting information and beautiful images.  Like the origami polar bear above.  

Archival footage of Akira Yoshizawa shows the grandmaster of origami working on his art.  He is credited with the elevation of origami from a craft to a living art.  Akira estimated in 1989, that he had created more than 50,000 models of which only a few hundred designs were presented as diagrams in his 18 books.

The film talks to artists about the fine art of origami.  One of the artists makes the paper that he uses for his origami creations.  Others talk about the evolution of the art over time and their inspiration.  This documentary features the following notable origami artists: Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Tom Hull, Eric Jeisel, Satoshi Kamiya and Robert J. Long.

“Between the Folds” talks about how the art of origami inspires teachers and helps their students with mathematical challenges and creative solutions.  Several very cool math teachers, who use origami in their class rooms were featured in the documentary as well. 

One portion of the film that I found incredible and fascinating, was how the art of origami enabled scientists to solve problems not only in mathematics but other areas of science like physics and medicine. 

Between the Folds was given the Peabody Award in 2010.  An award that I feel it greatly deserved.

An amazing illustration of creativity over vast areas of the human experience, I highly recommend the documentary “Between the Folds.” 

6th Anniversary of Cats Out of the Box

Last year was tough.  I think most people would agree with that statement.  It wasn’t just one thing.  It was watching the surrealistic events unfold all over the world.  It came to a point where I just could not process it anymore.  I had to pause writing my blog while I watched and worked through what was happening.

In December, I started blogging again.  Slowly, with one blog post a month and most of them being book reviews to get back into the rhythm of writing.

I want to thank everyone for their support and encouragement as I continue to stumble through writing my blog this year.  I’m still not sure where things are going with my blog and writing.  As with any creative endeavor, it will continue to evolve and change.

• To my family there are not enough words to express my gratitude for your assistance, patience, feedback and support.  I know that having me in your lives can be a challenge.  You help me to be the best artist and creative person I can be.  I am truly grateful for you.
• To my friends, so often the conversations we have are the creative sparks for a blog post.  Thank you for your emotional and creative support.  You help me be a better writer, artist, creativity coach and teacher.  I am grateful for all of you.
•  My friend, Eric Hanson, is an amazing poet and I have used his poems in my blogs off and on over the years.  Thank you for letting me share your beautiful creative work with others.  Eric has also let me bounce ideas for blog posts off of him.  Some are definitely a lot better than others.  Thank you for listening, making suggestions and not letting me embarrass myself in the written word.
• I would also like to send a special thank you to the students who participated in the Art Sampler, Beginning and advanced Acrylic Painting, Fine Art of Book Making, Printmaking and Mixed Media Collage Classes.  You have inspired me with your stories, questions, and amazing creative work.  You are all amazing creative people and I am excited to see where your creativity will take you.
• To my readers and blog friends who follow my blog as part of the WordPress community, I am grateful for your support.  I am continually inspired by all of you and the creative work that you are doing.  No matter where you are located on this planet or what your blog is about….. your creativity, bravery in sharing feelings and ideas, and support make me proud to be a part of the WordPress blogging community.
• Thank you to those that like my posts.  I appreciate you taking the time to support my creative work.  You motivate me to keep writing.
• Thank you to those that post comments and provide feedback.  I enjoy hearing your thoughts about my work.  I am so proud when something I have written inspires others.  Your words mean the world to me.

I am looking forward to another year of blogging and creative explorations. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!

Enjoying the Possibilities

There is a lot of hype around New Years Eve and the ushering in of a new year.  (Even more so this year.)  I get that for some it is a time to party.  Others see it as a time for reflection and sending well wishes to friends and family.  Many people make new year resolutions.

The word resolution means a firm decision to do or not to do something, or the quality of determination or resolve.  But this is not a post about resolutions.  It is a post about possibilities.  A possibility is a thing that may happen, a state of being likely and/or a thing that may be done out of several possible alternatives.

Where resolutions are determined, a possibility is a maybe.  Resolutions are guidelines to getting things done; possibilities are open ended options.  Resolution is an exclamation point.  Possibilities are question marks.

There is nothing wrong with resolutions.  And to those who accomplish or keep them, I say, “Way to go!”  Making and keeping goals is part of the creative process.

But sometimes one doesn’t need resolution.  Nothing so firm.  A possibility, however, is just right.  Options.  Ideas.  Could be and may be.  Optimistic hoping and wishing.

The idea for this post came about from a conversation with a friend about receiving new art supplies for Christmas.  We are both in the process of organizing the spaces in which we create art and our supplies.  While I was going through a box, I found some paper that I hadn’t looked at in ages.  I went through the box touching each sheet of paper, enjoying the possibilities.

When I purchase paper I don’t always use it right away.  But I don’t want to miss the opportunity to purchase this sheet of paper.  I may not know right now what I am going to use it for, but I will use at some point in my artwork.  I am very aware of the possibility each sheet of paper holds.  A new tube of paint.  The purchase of a printing press.  The blank page or the blank canvas.  A yard of fabric or a skein of yarn.  A new herb or spice.  These all have possibilities!

Good and or bad outcomes may happen.  The paint may become part of a stunning landscape.  The story written on that blank page may fizzle out.  The printing press produces many beautiful prints and some major flops.  The dish made with the new spice is not to your tasting.  The socks you knit from the skein of yarn fit perfectly.  Yes any and all of this could happen.  But right now, in this moment, there is nothing but possibility.

And this brings me back to the beginning and perception of the new year.  One could think of this as a very negative time or could look at it as a opportunity for possibilities.  It would be very easy to get caught up in the negativity of the current state of our world: isolation and masks; lockdowns and travel restrictions; censorship and unrest and much more.  This is enough to cause depression in the most positive people.  If we allow it, these critical and negative thoughts will take control.  That is why enjoying the possibilities is so important.   Yes, the possibilities or outcomes could be a disaster, but they have just as much chance as being something wonderful or amazing.

I would like to leave you with this quote which has been accredited to Eleanor Roosevelt.   “Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That’s why we call it the present.”

Take the gift of today.  Be in this moment.  Enjoy the possibilities.

2020 – Haiku May #8

Strong, dark, liquid joy

Motivation in a cup

Glorious coffee!