I hope you will take a peek at my new blog, The Soulful Art Journal. For a number of years, creating art journals has been one of my favorite forms of self-expression. It has been an outlet for the creativity I didn’t realize was waiting to be born. Working in a journal is really play, but it is also serious work. Art seems to be the junction point between work and play where the two can join in a satisfying and joyful mix.
Mixed media helps me to express myself in so many ways that surprise me. Today, there are so many wonderful artists who have been creating personal art journals or who simply enjoy looking at them. They feed my inspiration and their creative spirits help to keep me focused on my creative work.
I’ve been inspired to begin a workshop, The Soulful Art Journal, for women. I plan to post entries of my journal, entries about the process of creating my workshop. If you are about to embark on this kind of adventure yourself, I hope this blog has something to offer you in the way of ideas and inspiration.
I’d love to share the art journal pages of other journal enthusiasts on my blog. Also, I would love your feedback.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Often, books find me when I need them most. They jump off book shelves into my arms, friends pass them on to me with raving reviews, or they stand out on library shelves and something inside me demands I pay attention. Recently, such a book, Fear: Essential Wisdom For Getting Through The Storm by Thich Nhat Hanh, called to me from a garage-sale table, insisting it was meant for my eyes and would open my heart. It was a lovely hard covered edition costing only a dollar.
I’d just been laid off from my job of six years, and was starting to feel moments when fear bubbled beneath the surface of my confident and optimistic surface. “I trust the universe,” I told myself and my friends,” and I do, sort of, sometimes, except when I don’t, and become afraid.
So it seemed Zen Master and Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh had some wisdom and practical advice on how I could deal with that powerful and challenging human emotion that we all face on a daily basis – fear.
Whether we’re fearful of what is happening in the present or afraid of what could or will inevitably happen in our future, we all struggle with the demon of fear. We try to stuff it down and frighten it with our bravado. We try to ignore its demands for attention by eating Oreos, or watching mindless television, or shopping, or whatever drugs of choice temporarily distract us away from our disturbing feelings.
Thich Nhat Hanh invites us to start a practice of mindfulness by saying “hello” to our demon fear and inviting him in for a hug, for a gentle embrace along with a bit of non-judgmental chit chat: Hey fear, tell me more. Why is my sky falling? What am I really wound up about? Will death really kill me? Let’s get to the heart of the matter.
The first part of looking at our fear is just inviting it into our awareness without judgment. We just acknowledge gently that it is there. This brings a lot of relief already. Then, once our fear has calmed down, we can embrace it tenderly and look deeply into its roots, its sources. Understanding the origins of our anxieties and fears will help us let go of them. Is our fear coming from something that is happening right now or is it an old fear, a fear from when we were small that we’ve kept inside? When we practice inviting all our fears up, we become aware that we are still alive, that we still have many things to treasure and enjoy. If we are not pushing down and managing our fear, we can enjoy the sunshine, the fog, the air, and the water. If you can look deep into your fear and have a clear vision of it, then you really can live a life that is worthwhile.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
The book draws on the author’s years of spiritual practice of mindfulness in action, a practice that invites us to live in the present moment, acknowledge and embrace our fears, recognize their origins, and render them powerless. Never trite or simplistic, it offers a deep exploration of the facets and origins of numerous aspects of fear – from childhood abuse and psychological traumas to the universal and existential varieties.
I first learned of Tich Nhat Hanh a number of years ago when I stumbled upon his beautiful book, The Energy of Prayer: How to Deepen Your Spiritual Practice. A Vietnamese Buddhist Zen Master, poet, scholar, and peace activist who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. he offers simple and powerful practices to move us into a more peaceful way of living in the world and facing our adversaries. All of us confront those adversaries, sometimes called human weaknesses, such as anger, hatred, and fear in unique ways often determined by our backgrounds and upbringing. This gentle, strong, and humble monk offers profound insight our potential to transform our pain, embrace fearlessness, and discover joy in living in the now.
A few years ago, a friend read me a passage from Thomas Moore’s Care of the Soul, A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life. Thomas Moore
To care for the soul of the family, it is necessary to shift from casual thinking to an appreciation of story and character, to allow grandparents and uncles to be transformed into characters of myth…
Thomas Moore
I was so moved, I immediately went to our local used bookstore and restaurant, Revelations, to find a copy. A second home to many residents of Fairfield, Iowa, Revelations has become a community icon, offering both new and used books in all genres, and an especially diverse, eclectic selection of spiritual and self-help books. The bounty of fascinating books isn’t surprising considering Fairfield, a small town in the middle of cornfields, is abundant in spiritual seekers and avid readers. In fact, in 2012, Opera Winfrey flew into town on her private jet to meditate with other TM mediators on the MUM (Maharishi University of Management) campus. The Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore
So I was delighted, but not surprised, to see several used copies of Care of the Soul on the shelves. I keep a copy of this book close at hand and refer to it often. A contemporary philosopher, activist, and intellectual, Thomas Moore lived as a monk in a Catholic religious order for twelve years, has degrees in theology , musicology , and philosophy, and has authored many extraordinary books.
“Disappointments in love, even betrayals and losses, serve the soul at the very moment they seem in life to be tragedies. The soul is partly in time and partly in eternity. We might remember the part that resides in eternity when we feel despair over the part that is in life.”
― Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul: Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life
At the time, I was scheduled to fly to Washington state to visit my brother and his wife – my brother and I were in the process of mending many years of estrangement. Our relationship had been heavy baggage and I was releasing years of anger, resentment, and fear. I had even considered canceling my trip because I was concerned we would resume old patterns of behavior and our egos would become locked in battle. However, I was highly motivated to heal myself and to offer my brother the opportunity to heal as well. We’d had many phone calls and our talks held the promise we were on the brink of a breakthrough. I was feeling the need to come to terms with unresolved issues and find peace with the brother I’d demonized. I’d been preparing myself to experience forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. And, after years of meditation and talking the talk of love, it was time to transcend my attachment to my judgement and pain.
As I sat on the airplane, I pulled out my copy of Care of the Soul and opened a page to these words:
“At a certain level, it doesn’t matter whether one’s family has been largely happy, comforting, and supportive, or if there has been abuse and neglect. I’m not saying that these failures are not significant and painful or that they do not leave horrifying scars…In my practice I’ve worked with many men and women whose families were intolerably violent and abusive, and yet all of that pain has been redeemable, able to become the source of much wisdom and transformation. When we encounter the family from the point of view of the soul, accepting its shadows and its failure to meet our idealistic expectations, we are faced with the mysteries that resist our moralism and sentimentality. We are taken down to the earth, where principal gives way to life in all its beauty and horror.”
In that moment, I experienced synchronicity – the certainty these words were a gift from the universe. I was being presented with the insight I needed to propel me forward on my “hero’s” journey. The journey wasn’t about finding a false experience of perfection. It wasn’t about righting past wrongs. It was about being open-hearted, trusting that an intelligent universe was guiding my soul, about my willingness to see myself and the characters in my life as evolving beings full of complexity. I understood, we’re not entitled to perfect sentimentalized versions of idyllic family life. It’s more common for families to express both a “facade of happiness and normality, and the behind the scenes reality of craziness and abuse.”
I was clear this was a path toward greater awareness and consciousness. I understood we’re all pilgrims on this earth playing many roles – we’ve all been perpetrators and victims, and none of us are without stain. We’re complicated composites of many archetypes – some roles we judge to be praiseworthy and others cause us shame. Our families are made up of flawed people born of other wounded people who also struggled with their demons and pass their pain on to us. We’re part of it all – the mess, the chaos, the guilt and also the opportunities for reconciliation, forgiveness, and love. My job was to be present, not a slave to history – to see we are all in this together.
I’ve recently come upon a wonderful read I want to share with other bibliophiles. Lately, I’ve been so busy and focused on the details of my little world, I’ve not made time to blog. But, I love this book, so I’m dashing off a few words to inspire you to read it.
The Dog Stars takes place in the future after a viral flue epidemic wipes out most of the world’s population. Climate change has ravaged the balance of the earth’s ecosystems and the trees are dying, the rivers are drying up, and the earth is warming. Civilization as we know it, has been destroyed and human beings are reduced to life in survival mode. The values, ethics, and codes of honor that had sustained society have been replace by the brutal behaviors of the physically strong. Survival now depends upon people’s ability to scavenge for food, weapons, and resources. Killing and stealing, raping and terrorizing others is now the status quo.
The world has become a post apocalyptic hell where all demons have been unleashed.
Yet, Peter Heller’s main character and narrator, Hig, is moved by the sight of the earth’s remaining birds, and is still thrilled to see the remnants of beauty found in nature. He and another survivalist live in a deserted airport in Colorodo where he’s found a small plane he uses to scout his territory. Hig loves his dog, Jasper, a blue healer, who is his healer and best friend in the literal sense. Jasper offers Hig the loyalty, the camaraderie, and the deep connection of one sentient being to another. Hig has lost his wife, his friends and family, and Jasper is the one connection that remains of his previous incarnation. It is this connection that nourishes his soul and offers him relief from the prevailing brutality of daily life. The real Jasper – Peter Heller’s Blue Healer
Hig, once a star gazer who was mesmerized by constellations, continues to gaze at the night sky, making up his own constellations of animals – including Jasper. Yet, he has his feet on the ground and his heart in the sky. He continues to hunt far up in the Colorado mountains where he’s still able to find elk. He continues to fish even though the the once clear streams are now muddy and the trout are gone – only carp have survived the warming of the mountain streams.
I sometimes ask myself, “Who would I be if the world falls apart?”
I became hooked from the first page of The Dog Stars. I soon became invested in Hig’s inner life, inspired by the flame of love that failed to be extinguished in the face of the darkest night of his soul. Having read Cormac McCarthy’s, The Road, also a great novel and fascinating read, it’s interesting to compare how each author tells his apocalyptic tale. This subject fascinates us because we’re invited to consider how we would be, who we would become should the world crumble and we are forced into a chaotic and unfamiliar abyss. Would we become victims or perpetrators? Is there a righteous middle ground? Could we still be capable of love, of the finer feelings that define humanity? Would we simply give up or continue the fight for life?
The end of this novel does not disappoint. There is an optimism, a reminder that the narrative of our lives, however bleak in the moment, can still offer new chances to find love, to discover friendship, and to find redemption. Peter Heller
“Extraordinary. . . . One of those books that makes you happy for literature.” —Junot Díaz, The Wall Street Journal
“This end-of-the-world novel [is] more like a rapturous beginning. . . . Remarkable.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“For all those who thought Cormac McCarthy’s The Road the last word on the post-apocalyptic world—think again. . . . Make time and space for this savage, tender, brilliant book.” —Glen Duncan, author of The Last Werewolf
“Heart-wrenching and richly written. . . . The Dog Stars is a love story, but not just in the typical sense. It’s an ode to friendship between two men, a story of the strong bond between a human and a dog, and a reminder of what is worth living for.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“A dreamy, postapocalyptic love letter to things of beauty, big and small.” –Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl
A dinged up piece of cardboard that’s been discolored by the elements can ignite a creative spark in me as easily as looking at another artist’s work or hearing a song that sends chills up my spine.
Quote by Baby Smith from Masters of Collage – collage, mixed media artist
It’s Saturday morning – Joy! I will soon be on my way to the “Flying Leap Art Studio.” This is my routine – at the end of my work week, the rejuvenation of my artist begins with a day making collage and allowing myself to relax into the energizing spaciousness of the right side of my brain. I will work with others, usually a group of like minded women who “get it”, who are on the same page and whose sanity and sense of being right with the word depends on being able to be in the present moment – being in the space of creativity.
Creativity is really about being in the moment with the process. It’s about allowing ourselves to become submerged, willing to be present, fine with spontaneity, flexible, open to change, able to take risks, be silly sometimes, and have fun while being serious.
I found a wonderful book on collage, “Masters of Collage” by Lark Crafts. It’s a visual delight and inspiration to artists of all mediums. Perusing this book makes me fall even more in love with collage art. This medium has unlimited possibilities, offering us an immense arena in which to play, explore, and discover what we love. Mixed media artists are engaged in the world of objects, always looking for interesting, sometimes old and rusty things, things to recycle in order to create the new and beautiful. Collage and mixed media is all about arranging and rearranging objects and images, training ourselves to see things differently, urging us to experiment with shape and color, inviting us to explore and play with simple and mundane objects.
Compared to other art forms, collage seems a democratic and unthreatening medium. It requires few tools or supplies and practically anyone with an appreciation for found objects and a love a composition can do it. And yet, the process of creating a collage is not quite as simple as it seems.
– Randel Plowman, Curator
Mixed media collage by Kartika
Collage like other art forms helps us discover ourselves, our inner landscape, what we love, what we fear, and what we find important. We are inspired to discover our archetypes and symbols. We begin to find our thumbprint, or unique signature. What colors do we consistently choose to be a part of our palette? Do we plan ahead or follow our instincts in the moment? Do we like to work alone or with others? Do we find ourselves blocked by fear of failure? The process of self-discovery is endless. Collage and mixed media by Kartika
Learning to see – to become observant – is the greatest lesson an artist can learn. Working in the collage form has sharpened my perceptions of the world outside my studio.
Quote by Mitzi Trachtenberg from Masters of Collage – collage, mixed media artist
Colors produce a corresponding spiritual vibration, and it is only as a step towards this spiritual vibration that the elementary physical impression is of importance. (Wassily Kandinsky)
If you have fallen in love with the works of Kandinsky, you may be inclined to be mystical and musical and perhaps mathematical. You may also consider yourself an outsider, someone who finds a comfort Zone outside of the box. You may be fascinated delving into the esoteric or hidden teachings of philosophers and mystics. You may be a seeker, someone willing to consider alternate realities, and like Neo in the Matrix, willing to take the “red pill,” or like Alice, quite happy to venture down the rabbit hole. You probably asked lots of questions as a child (or wanted to), such as, “Is there a God? Why are kids starving in China? Are my teachers always right? How many stars are there in the sky? Why am I here?” I always found myself asking and wondering and living in my imagination. But, if you only like representational art and believe real art must imitate real things, that one must draw a cat to look exactly like a cat, Kandinsky is not your cup of tea, or coffee, or in my case a latte.
Kandinsky is my soy caramel latte.
Kandinsky, one of my favorite artists, speaks to me even though he died before I was born. He was part of an artistic revolution that took place in Europe before World War 1 in Europe, and spanned several decades. Unlike me, he was born into an Orthodox Christian family in a small town in Russia, and drew upon the Jewish and Christian stories of his childhood and the mythic themes and symbols of his heritage. He was a genius who drew impeccably and was a brilliant master of his craft. He took art and his insights as a spiritual seeker and mystic to a level where his inner vision fused with his art. He redefined the prevailing world view of what it meant to be an artist.
His paintings resemble the stuff of our dreams and imaginations rather than actual renderings of nature. To me, they look like sacred geometry. They look like language, like sheet music, like communication from outer space. He uses line and color as instruments and his work feels musical. Perspective is manipulated and the archaic laws of art making broken, as Kandinsky continued to experiment with new forms of expression and engaged in cutting edge artistic movements (such as the Bauhaus in the 1930’s), and with other artists of his time.
Kandinsky is believed to have had synaesthesia – a gift that enables a person to appreciate sounds, colors or words with two or more senses simultaneously. He was able to hear colors and painted marks that triggered particular sounds or musical notes and vice versa. Synaethesia is supposedly a brain wiring issue that is found in one in twenty people. This ability to hear color, see music or even taste words informed Kandinsky’s work. To those of us without this exceptional perception, this is miraculous, mystifying, and sparks our yearning to go beyond the limits of our own senses. Kandinsky brings us into contact with his extra-sensory perception.
The sound of colors is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with bass notes or dark lake with treble… (Wassily Kandinsky)
The Artist as Revolutionary
Like many of his contemporaries, some of his works were confiscated in a Nazi raid on the Bauhaus in the 1930s. They were displayed in the State-sponsored exhibit “Degenerate Art,” and then destroyed (along with works by Paul Klee, Franz Marc, and other modern artists). It saddens me that so much beauty gets lost or destroyed by zealot political leaders – tyrannical dictators fear that freedom of expression (art forms not created to support their propaganda) threatens their power. And, they are correct because art in its various forms – from the written word to painting – is powerful, and ideas are catalysts for change. A society is diminished without freedom of artistic expression. Without the joy, excitement, and energy of the archetypal artist energy, culture dies and the spirit languishes. Artists and intellectuals are always targeted as anti-social, subversive, and dangerous to the totalitarian regimes. Those of us who know this need to continue creating and making a stand to support the role of art and artists in society. And most importantly, be true to our own muse
Artists always push the envelope and must continue to break their own boundaries to evolve. Kandinsky believed the avaunt-garde of today will become common knowledge tomorrow. He saw himself as a kind of modern artist prophet who must often stand alone at the apex of a new discovery in order to usher in tomorrow’s reality. In this way, artists of today stand on the shoulders of the pioneers of the past who broke with tradition, whose work was often ridiculed, who were sometimes imprisoned or persecuted, but continued to remain true to their visions. These artist were visionaries who inspire us to follow our own visions, be true to ourselves, and follow our hearts.
Kandinsky
Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, and the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul. (Wassily Kandinsky)
There are many wonderful teachers on the planet who offer us a vision of a kinder and more peaceful world. They seem to be tuned in to some place where knowledge springs eternal and they touch and transform the hearts of many people – sometimes millions of people. These teachers do not teach religion or dogma – they respect all religions, they are speaking to us all, to their human family.
They are asking us to live lives of compassion, love, and forgiveness. They are speaking to our higher selves, our better angels. You could say, their religion is love. They are here to show us a more peaceful way to live and interact with each other. They are like flowers whose life’s purpose is to bring the world a touch of beauty, to spread the fragrance of higher consciousness to all of us who stumble along this human often arduous journey of life.
Our world is full of those would prefer the ways of war and conflict, where egos run rampant and ignorance and hatred fuel their violent actions, creating more and more pain and suffering. But these beings of light show another way, and those who are moved by them, also begin to choose the path of peace, and one by one, people begin to change and the world changes one person at a time.
In upcoming blogs, I will share with some more of my favorite teachers.
“Every colour has its own significance, but the real beauty lies when it unifies like a rainbow. Love is the centre of every relationship. The real beauty has its own sheen when love and unity combines, said Mata Amritanandamayi Devi at A.S. Raja College Grounds here on Wednesday.”
“In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.”
“In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.”