Feel Free to Do Your ART

I was listening to public radio the other day and heard a couple of interesting programs.  They're noteworthy to me because they seem to back up an idea I have.  First I'll talk about the programs. 
One was a Terry Gross interview with Ewan McGregor.  She asked him what inspired him to act, and he talked about his uncle.  Ewan lived in a rather conservative, lovely little small town in Scotland.  His uncle was an actor, a figure of romance, and a breath of fresh air in that rather insular town who brought with him the scent of a wider world. Ewan left his village and went in search of the illusive "something" that he sensed in his artist uncle. 
The other program was about a small town in Mexico. I don't remember the name of the town, but it was unusual in that it, too, was an insular little place; but instead of the young people wanting to leave it, they wanted to stay.  The reason being that the city band was so popular. Everyone was either in the band, or had been in the band when they were younger, or were waiting to be old enough to be in the band.
The band played all the time, at all the town events.  Music teachers and instrument shops make a good living there. There is something for the young folks to do, but more than that, what they get to do is what they love to do: make music.
So here's a young actor leaving his home to seek his art, and young musicians staying home to be where their art is.  The common denominator: ART.
Here's what I think:  I think the pursuit of an artistic life helps one cope with "ordinary" life.  It does this because it encourages one to think more broadly and more creatively, and when you do that your life is filled with choices rather than obligations. Any feelings of being trapped in your life dissappear when you are engaged in the intellectual and emotional freedom that happens when you do your art.
Art gives the gift of  hope, because it shows us that life is full of possiblities.  We need to understand that in order to live fully and richly. THAT is why we need to encourage the pursuit of art as a priority for our children and ourselves. 
What if you're not an artist? 
We are all artists.  We may not know what our medium is, but there is creative work that we are specifically designed to do.  Look for that thing that you get lost in, that when you do it, you don't notice the time passing. That, that right there, that is your art!  Do that.  Feel free.
Love, Kristine

The King of Cups--The Perfect Olympian

The King of Cups is the diplomat of the Tarot. His throne on the water represents his ability to sift through the ocean of information and intuit the appropriate action. He's tuned into his feelings, yet able to articulate them with intelligence and understanding. His focus is on the art of life, the beauty possible when understanding and compassion hold sway in a discussion, and both sides are intent on the solution rather than the problem.

Solutions are what the King of Cups is all about. (I love it that "solution" is a word that also means a watery distillation.) He can chart an effective course through troubled waters (like the ship in the background), and understand how the baggage the ship carries might effect the outcome. If too much baggage gets in the way of the answer, he becomes like a fish, unafraid to go to oceanic depths to get to the bottom of any problem.

He also understands that art can free the soul, and that diving deeply into any artistic venture can save us emotionally, intellectually, and even, through sport, physically.

Watching the athletes at the Olympic Games, seeing their dedication, focus, and artistic devotion, we can see his point.  Life has focus, purpose, and devotion when you're an Olympian, and you can see the rewards of that life on the faces of these young people as they do what they need to do as best they can.  Even in defeat, there is a radiance there that's undeniable.  Through their sport, as any artist does through their art, they transcend the idea that they are alone in the world.  Their pursuit of excellence closely unites them with others involved in similar pursuits.

Stephen Cobert talked about the Olympics as part personality contest, part athletic event, and part war. The way I see it, the Olympics is the closest we come to Universal peace. Sure, we have the United Nations, but pure politics rarely gets us to that feeling place, to that heart center where peace lives, as easily as the Olympics.

In the Olympics we see each nation's marvelous young people doing their best at the sport they excel at. We pull for them, even it they're aren't on "our side". We watch their victories and defeats with love and admiration in our hearts. They give their best to us, and we, in turn, wish nothing but the best for them.

Art unites.  Sport unites. The reason these disciplines unite us with each other is that in order to be our best, we must find what our best is.  Finding what is good in oneself allows us to see the good in others.  If we never feel our own value, we have a hard time seeing other people's worth.  We'll be defensive and insecure, seeking differences to justify our angry hearts, sowing seeds of inevitable misunderstanding and, ultimately, confrontation.

In truth, there are no differences between us.  We are all drops of water in the sea of life, each one unique, but also a part of an organic and growing thing: the vast and diverse ocean that is our world. The Olympics show us how we can be with each other when we measure our differences as insignificant compared to the shared light and delight of the pursuit of excellence.

That is the visionary gift of the King of Cups.  He sees clearly, with his heart and mind, into your heart and mind.  He knows that he and you are one, and he sees your potential. He asks us all to polish up our act, seek knowledge, enlightenment, and our hearts desire.  When we focus on that, all good things are possible.

That's a true Olympic spirit.

Love, Kristine

Ignorance Just Might BE bliss

This morning I had an interesting half awake/half dream experience. I imagined myself as the first human being on earth. I felt confused and overwhelmed. How could I survive?

Thinking about it later, I was amazed that a creature as fragile as a human being with very limited means was able to thrive in what I imagined to be an extremely harsh wilderness.

I realize that we have this amazing brain that is able to learn so many incredible things so quickly. That's, I'm sure, what helped us survive; but we did have to grow it and evolve into thinking, problem solving, tool using creatures. What did we do at the beginning?

I remembered how my kids learned. As babies, they were master scientists, trying and failing all sorts of things. Since they didn't know what was possible, they tried the impossible. If it didn't work, they didn't beat themselves up, call themselves stupid, and not try it again. They experimented with life, played with it, and let their interest be their guide.

They were smart, but they were also ignorant; and thank god for that! Their ignorance of other people's successes or failures, or their own limitations kept them searching, seeking, asking "why", and trying new things, unafraid of failure.

I think this is the "beginner's mind" that we hear about in martial arts and Buddhist philosophy. It's the mind that knows that it doesn't know, is not ashamed not to know, is eager to learn, and is patient with the process. It never gives up, gives everything a chance, and sees everything afresh. What bliss to begin each day with beginner's mind! What a blessing "ignorance" can be.

The only thing one needs to "know" is how bright and full of potential the world truly is. When we approach our life with beginner's mind, we don't worry. When you worry it means that you're making the assumption that the past and future are real and have impact on the present. They aren't, and they don't. The present just IS. Pay attention to only this. Ignore what's past, and ignore what hasn't happened yet. Be ignor-ant and live a bliss-full present!

Love, Kristine

The Wisdom of Making Mistakes

I've been watching the Olympics, and seeing the tiny details of performance or fractions of seconds in timing that seperate gold medals from silver, it looks like these atheletes are as close to perfection in their sport as they can humanly be. 
It seems like we all want to be perfect.  Perfect grades, perfect body, perfect hair.  We all want the gold medal in something, yet perfection is such a brittle and unachievable goal. 
When someone criticizes us, or we make a blunder privately or publically, we feel as if we are less than we are.  Sometimes we might be so embarrassed by our actions that we can't sleep for shame, or harbor feelings of self doubt that last for years. 
How can we deal with our mistakes more productively?
The answer lay covered in mud at my feet.  I picked it up and wiped it off and here's what I found;

It's an eraser with a basketball on it. 
What it meant to me was that we need to be more playful with our mistakes.  They are usually momentary events in time that we take more seriously than we should.  Like a misspelled word that we rub out and rewrite, we can correct what was done and move on, letting go of shame and doubt.
As Morihei Ueshiba says:
"Failure is the key to seccess; each mistake teaches us something."
What are your mistakes teaching you?
The word "mistake" is interesting.  It reminds me of the movies.  Take one, take two, and with each "take" the search is for the dramatic action that works the best, It's not the one that's perfect.  The takes that don't work are merely "mis" takes, that help the director find what the artistic action he is looking for.  They are a productive part of every movie, and they can be a productive part of every life.
Even a sin is a "mis-take".  Sin is an archery term that only means "to miss the mark"' yet we pile all this heavy moral weight on sinning, or being mistaken, or making mistakes. 
Mistakes are really a result of our inner wisdom guiding us towards our true paths.  When we miss the mark, or make a miss-take, that provides us with the information we need to begin anew and forge a result more in keeping with our heart's truth.   Be playful about all this.  Whoops, you made a mistake.  Great!  What did you learn? I'll bet it's something that will make your future shine all the brighter.
Love, Kristine 

How to Effectively Use Your Words

My attendence at a lovely evening tea (really, more like an elegant supper) took me beyond the time I usually walk my dog.  When I returned home, I rescued my eager pup and we set out on a late walk.  It was a lovely evening and  I welcomed the quiet night as an opportunity to think about my next blog.
It was dark, and I had forgotten my flashlight.  I noticed Pixie sniffing away at something in the grass.  I reached down to see what it was (gingerly, since you never know what a dog will find interesting) and my fingers touched something long and smooth.  Here's what I found:

It's a charming little magic wand that is also a pen!  I realized right away what the message from the Universe was
"Write about the creative power of words".
I don't think of myself as a Christian, now or ever, really, but I was raised as a one.  My folks kept changing churches, but always of Protestant denomination. (Wow, I just noticed that the word "Protest" is a big part of Protestants.  I guess that name got coined because Martin Luther was protesting against some of the Catholic interpretations of the bible)  Anyway, the folks moved through a number of sects, and, suffice it to say, I sat through quite a few sermons and Sunday schools as my folks searched for their spiritual home. 
Some of what I learned stuck to me like glue, for good or ill.  A few of the phrases and poems come back very strongly, like the Lords Prayer and the 23rd Psalm.  The Song Of Solemon was also a big favorite of mine. 
Among the things I remember is the phrase "In the beginning was the Word . . ."
As I live my life I'm beginning to realize how profoundly true that is.
Everytime we begin anything, our words define what ever it is and who we are in relation to it.  Sometimes our definitions are old constructs that no longer serve us. 
For example, as small children we might have been teased when we wore something different then the other kids to school.  That small fear may still be with us when we shop for clothing as adults.  Fear of rejection is the unconscious phrase that haunts us as we look for an outfit--with growing frustration.  How can we choose what is best for us when an old fear keeps getting in the way?
Well, we can use more positive input at the beginning of our search.  For example, we can imagine that we will find exactly outfit we need, and that when we try it on it will make us smile.  We can insist that what we find will feel good on our bodies, and that the colors and textures will be perfect for us.  We will assume that we will know it when we see it. 
You see, Instead of repeating old tapes that reflect past failures (I never know what to pick out, nothing looks good on me, no one likes the clothing I choose) we use our words to frame and create the outcome that we wish for: in this case to find an outfit that is perfect for us.
This is a small example.  I'm sure that you can find many others that would benifit from this approach. 
If you begin to work with this, it's essential to listen to your emotional guidence.  When you start to feel bad, that is a sure sign that whatever you are thinking about is an old , no longer useful mental tape.  Stop and ask yourself: "what am I assuming about this brand-new situation or person that is creating this bad feeling?" 
Remember that ALL situations and people, no matter how familiar they are to you, are brand-new at every fresh encounter.  You can force them into an old familiar pattern by repeating your outdated thoughts, or you can chose more productive and positive thoughts in order to create a different outcome.
With a little attention, patience, and consciousness, you can outwit your old negative self and create a life more in alignment with your dreams. Abracadabra!  It's just like magic.
Love and best wishes,
Kristne

Negotiating Through the Opinions of Others

My husband and I have been working on a web site for his real estate business.  We've been enjoying the process and  feeling very creative in our choices and our ideas. 
What we're doing, for the most part, is borrowing from our own and our friends experiences.  We're people with grown and (almost) gone children and we're using the excitement and challanges of this new living arrangement to understand more clearly the needs of "empty nester's".  We want to help them (and us) transition from the new and sometimes eerie experience of  a strangely quiet house into a sense that this is the beginning of an exciting new phase of life. Many of us put a part of our lives on hold when kids came on the scene.  Perhaps we can revitalize those old dreams and desires now that they're gone.  But I digress.
One of the symbols we had on our prospective site were geese.  Geese are all over Berkeley, so it works on that level.  Also, geese help each other fly.  When they make that V in the air, they are making the most aerodynamic formation for wind resistent flight.  When the leader gets tired, a new leader takes his or her place.  That is so cool, symbolically, and it's just what we're about!  We want an exchange of views and ideas to keep us flying free despite the winds of change that might blow us off course.  We love that feeling of community, the sense that even if our kids are gone and our lives are different, we have, as a generation, each other.  We think that's something to cherish and celebrate.
So we got involved with putting geese doing various things on the site.  The drawings were classy and cute, and we felt it added a different look to our offering. 
Our business guru felt differently. 
We had a real struggle with our ego after our review.  We had to admit that most of what he said had merit, and we went about implimenting the changes requested . . . but what about our geese!  Could we incorporate them and still have a sophisticated and professional enough web presence? 
I mulled it over as I took my walk that day.  I ended up going in a direction I don't usually go.  When I reached an open area I realized I had been lost in thought and not paying attention to where I was.  I glanced around to locate my unleashed dog and noticed an odd shape on the ground.  Here's what I found:

Is that not cool?  The Geese STAY!

Ask a question, and the Universe answers in the most interesting and wonderful ways.  It encourages us, too, to walk a line between what an expert tells us to do and what our instincts and heart say. 
We all need to be who we are.  That means we need to KNOW who we are, and we do that by feeling our way into our true selves.  We have to hold any advice we get up to the litmus test of our emotions.  Does what we're hearing feel right?
Or does it feel wrong.  We have to step away from our egos on this.  They will defend us strongly and reject even good advice if we're too attached to who we think we are and what we've created.  We really need to step back and look clearly at what others say, and trust that the right message will naturally filter to the top.  You can tell when someone's opinion is "right" because it will feel right, even if it is one we didn't think of ourselves. With a little patience and clarity, we will find the way through the maze of opinions, advice, and our own fixed ideas and find the path that leads us to our true home. 
Love, Kristine

Lost Hearts on the Pathway Home

The messages from the Universe came thick and fast this morning.  I found them at various places along my walk. Like the trail of stones leading Hansel and Gretal home, I received hearts.

Seven of them.  A bit of love, one for each chakra. 

I like the colors too;  Green for healing, Yellow for happiness, Orange for originality. 

I read something interesting some time ago.  I wish I could remember where I read this.  All I know is that it was a book about raising girls.  I had just had my daughter, and was eager to learn all I could about helping my brand-new young female move through the world with confidence. 

This little factoid caught my attention:  It seems that young girls, after they get over their affair with pink and lavender and head for the pre-teens, love the color orange; but as they move into puberty they start to hate it.  

This is probably painting with too broad a brush, and times have changed, but I do remember feeling that way myself.  It was just as my body was changing, and I think I was looking for some sort of stable shelter in the confusing storm involved in growing up. I wanted to fit in with my peers, to feel at home with those who were experiencing the same things I was. Therefore, "original" was not what I wanted to be. 

I believe women are carefully taught that they need to please others to be accepted.  It's kind of their job.  We get fired if we do not please. Your body has to be a certain size and shape, your age: young, your hair and clothes a certain style. Any anger is considered very inappropriate.  We're allowed to be sad, but not angry.  Deviation from any of this invites derision and isolation.  Ouch! No home there.

Originality in a woman can get you shuned in this culture. And it's not just women who suffer. Men, too, suffer from ridged gender identity. They're taught to seperate from their feelings and to reject anything within themselves that might be perceived as a weakness.

Since I found the trail of seven hearts scattered on the road, I'm understanding that we all need to heal, in every aspect, from the damage our true selves experienced in trying to fit in with and adapt to the painful distortions we've been raised with.  We need to find our way back to our vital, original, orange-loving selves, our true home. 

Start by compassionately opening your heart to yourself and others. See through the unoriginal and often negative behaviour we all exhibit when trying to "fit In".  Discover what's really behind it all: the need to love and be loved. When we follow the wisdom of the heart, it will unfailingly lead us home.

Love, Kristine 

Why We Get High

Drugs, alcohol, spinning around in circles till we get dizzy, the feeling of connection with fellow humans at an exciting concert, sports event or religious service are all ways that we go beyond the arid dayliness of much of our lives and into a different rhelm.  Sure, people tell us all the time that getting high is unhealthy, wrong, sinful, unenlightened, etc. etc., but we still do it.  We break laws if we have to, create toxic relationships for the high of forbidden,illegal, even violent love, all for the excitement of that high.  Why?
I was listening to a radio program where folks were bemoaning the rash of binge drinking among high school and college students.  They talked on and on about how bad it was for their bodies and minds, and how they were wasting the best years of their lives loaded on alchohol, and wondered what could be done about it and what was being done.  No one in the whole program asked why students did the deed to such excess.
I remember when I was in high school.  Ah, it seems like a paradise now compared to what kids experience in public schools this day and age, and the reason is that we had so many creative programs.  Band, chorus, P.E., art, shop, and home economics were all offered.  (I know, how is P.E. creative? we'll because if you're good at a sport, you make it an art.  Think of Magic Johnson and you'll see what I mean. And in my public school in the age of the dinosaur we were taught gymnastics and dance as well as team sports in P.E.)
In today's schools, the culture is so worried about "getting ahead" that the focus, and the budget, only take core curriculum subjects seriously.  The arts are a frill.  A FRILL!
I heard today on Carolyn Casey's program the author John Burdett say something like the arts are food for the soul.  They take what's toxic in a culture and transform it into spiritual nourishment.
Spiritual nourishment is what we're all yearning for.  Without any kind of introduction to the transformative power of art, how can young people, or any of us, discover their/our own power to create?  How can they and we nourish our souls, enrich our lives, and see the world with new eyes?
Well, we can get high.
We can also tap into the undying creative spirit of us all.  Let that spirit go.  We need it, all of it, to show the way to a brighter, happier, and more fulfilling future.  Save the World. Do your ART! 
Love, Kristine

How Curiousity can lead to Trust

I recently had a birthday, and I decided to dedicate this year's journey around the sun to "curiosity".

In doing the Messages from the Universe blog and by actively playing that game I've discovered how random and seemingly minor occurances can teach me how to make my life happier and more fulfilling.  I've learned to trust in circumstance.

My habitural stance in regard to most of the situations I find myself in is a sort of wariness.  I need to feel my way slowly, to examine and process the new experience or person in the hope that it, or they, will not hurt me and perhaps be of value to me.  My immediate reaction to any sort of novelty, in short, is suspicion.

As I've been gathering bits and pieces of debris I've found in the street, or overheard snatches of conversations, I've come to see that often the most unlikely object or comment has resonated with meaning when I look at it with curiousity combined with the willingness to see it as a message.

My approach has evolved from suspision to the assumption that everything I experience has meaning and value.  All I need to do is look for the connection and I will find one, since I'm learning that I attract to myself exactly what I put out there energetically.  With that in mind, I see that everything in my life is a reflection of who I am and what I'm feeling.  My job, therefore, is to find the meaning in each occurance and aquaintance.

I see that what I'm really saying here is that I'm beginning to trust in life.  I'm discoving that I believe in a benevolent Universe, one that wants us to be happy, wants us to feel good and, above all, wants us to express our true nature.  Not only that, it's generous enough to supply us daily with guidance towards our dreams.  All we need to do is look at our world and at each other with curiousity, and with the willingness to believe that everything we experience has enormous value if we simply examine it with an open heart and mind.

Love,
Kristine