Beastly Ideas: Put the ‘grrr’ Back into Your Wardrobe with this Unbeatable Sale!

“I just found out it takes 5 sheep to make one wool sweater. I didn’t even know they knew how to knit.”  – Anon, coolfunnyquotes.com 

I’ve just launched my Cherie Roe Dirksen Designs TeePublic store and to celebrate, my tees (and other products) are on SALE. Get up to 35% off all products! Grrr, baby!

I’ve chosen some designs from my beasty collection to whet your appetite. ALL TEES ARE $14 UNTIL TOMORROW EVENING 4//11/2022.

From Zen baboons, bee’s with attitude and cute chubby pandas to feisty chickens, Schrodingers cosmic tortoiseshell and big cats on the prowl, there’s something for everyone’s taste. And at $14 a pop, why not take advantage and get yourself a new summer look? Not forgetting that Christmas is just around the corner! Click on the picture below to take you to my store:

ENTER THE STORE HERE

Do you have a favourite design? I’d love to know. Please leave a comment in the box below 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

Other topics you may enjoy:

Did You Know that the 21st October is Back to the Future Day?

Dust Off Those Nike’s and Don Double Denim

I know I’m not alone in absolutely loving the Back to the Future Trilogy. Everything about these movies transports me back to my youth and the wonder of time travel being a possibility in the future (and the mind-bending dichotomous perils that doing so implies).

What is your favourite scene from this trilogy? I’m going to reveal mine later on in this blurb.

But let’s get back to…er, the future? Why is the 21st of October Back to the Future Day?

Well, because that is the date Marty McFly originally travels to the past and catalyses this epic existential time-traveling adventure.

The quintessential moral behind the trilogy revolves around Marty’s pride and caring too much about what people think of him, which get’s him into a heap of trouble. He ultimately relinquishes this egoic pitfalls and becomes self-realized (in an 80s adventure movie kind-of-way).

Read related article: 7 Ways to Tame the Ego and Become Instantly Likeable

Another more touching aspect of the movie is the love-across-time theme. And who could forget Huey Lewis and The News’s gigantic hit, The Power of Love? Well, let me tickle that memory just a little bit with this video:

I recently collaborated with UCS LLC & Amblin and Redbubble to come up with an illustration/ digital design for the Back to the Future franchise and I picked my favourite scene of the movie, which just happens to be the opening scene.

Yip, you guessed it, it’s Marty plugging into Doc’s amp and blowing himself away. I can’t help wetting myself every time I see it. So, I chose that to be the main element of my design, with one tweak — the amp had to be the flux capacitor, seeing that Marty was just about to embark on his epic life-changing journey.

Here it is, what do you think?

Here’s the scene to refresh your cache:

Don’t forget to let me know what your favourite scene is in the comment box below!

Here are some of my favourite products with this design:

Prayer Flags of Hope Set to Soothe Community Anxiety

A recent initiative to rekindle hope and celebration in our beautiful community of Barrydale, South Africa, has resulted in 944 prayer flags being made by the children of our disadvantaged community along with residents and local artists alike.

In combination with this uplifting flag installation, the team at Net vir Pret worked with the University of the Western Cape and their Centre for Humanities Research to bring the world, Reboot Eden: Celebrating Ten Years of Puppetry in Barrydale.

Reboot Eden will be an online program of four new puppet performances that will be available online from the 16th -19th December 2020, so follow their Facebook account to tune in and watch these incredible life-size puppets in action!

The prayer flag committee first met early August of this year to brainstorm a way to bring the community together in a creative and positive way, and this is what transpired…

Article below published by News62 by journalist, Mickey Mentz.

Barrydale streets to be decorated with 944 Prayer Flags of Hope

Photo courtesy of Mickey Mentz, News62

They set out to create something positive, something artistic, something creative, something that the whole community could be involved in and as a result of an astounding group effort, 944 Prayer Flags of Hope will line the streets of Barrydale from 14 to 19 December.

The children and interns of charity orginisation Net vir Pret painted most of the flags under the guidance of their teacher, Cherie Dirksen, while the rest of the contributions came from local artists, businesses and villagers.

In fact, to illustrate just how village-focused this initiative became, we can today reveal that radio presenter turned axe-man Rueben “the screwman” Hart serves on the hanging committee.

Earlier this year Rueben played his axe in the Dung Beetle and Country Pumpkin restaurants and he is now part of the flag hanging committee that will in charge of decorating the Karoo Art Hotel and other places of interest.

The project is the brainchild of the prime genial Mez Karoo Kitchen owner Michelle Berry who, during the early days of lockdown, rediscovered a box of prayer flags she had made for a Barrydale in Bloom celebration of years gone by.

She instinctively knew it would be of great value and relevance as the world entered a strange space in time.

With her foresight a group of about 40 people united and focused their energy on sending out a message of optimism during the most uncertain winter in human history.

“A prayer flag has a positive connotation and during this time we thought it would be appropriate to do something that brings hope and reminds of the dreams we have,” said Michelle.

She was quick to point out that everyone she had approached to help with this idea had jumped at the chance to contribute. One of the first persons was Cherie and subsequently her under privileged art students became involved.

From sometimes unsung heroes at Net vir Pret like Herman Witbooi and Clarisa Esau to seaming sensations Richard Panaino and Katye Lovegrove, the willingness to contribute was overwhelming.

Businesses support worthy cause: Picture: Cherie Dirksen

Even the local poetry society pitched in and their work will form part of the 10 flags from the town’s artists that will be on display at the Karoo Art Hotel in what is a very fitting reminder that the Barrydale Art Meander will also be in full swing during this time.

“It was a real community effort and we owe a lot of gratitude for a lot of people,” Michelle added.

She highlighted that a donation of table runner material by Arran Bastable of Barrydale Hand Weavers was very generous indeed and with the contribution from Colour Screen Fabric Paint in Cape Town they were all set for action.

As always, Ant Chidrawi of The Hub also contributed in his unique way by providing stencil work at no charge.

Flags of Remembrance

He will be missed. Gari Crawford. Picture: Facebook

Just a few weeks prior to the finalisation for the Prayer Flags of Hope, Net vir Pret and the community of Barrydale suffered a huge loss when beloved and respected music teacher Gari Crawford passed away following a stroke.

Gari had just completed a compilation of 10-years of music Net vir Pret created as part of their annual Puppet Parade.

“There was a general consensus that we wanted this project to be about hope and celebration of last 10 years of Net vir Pret, but we did not expect this sad setback,” Cherie explained.

Cherie made it her task to ensure that that flags representing the love that exists for the mentor Gari were created and that in doing so, the music maestro’s life would be celebrated.

She fought off her tears when she explained just how moving this final tribute to a much loved turned out to be.

A final tribute to the inspirational Gari Crawford. Picture: Cherie Dirksen

Flags can become part of annual event(s)

Due to Covid related reasons the annual Puppet Parade was cancelled, although some of the the puppets that donned the streets of Barrydale over a decade will be on display in pre recorded puppet shows that will be broadcast online at certain times as part of the Barrydale Art Meander (BAM).

The 944 Prayer Flags of Hope that were created will be sold in bundles of 20 from the Magpie Art Gallery on December 19 and should any of these reasonably priced items go unsold, they will be utilised for 2021 celebrations.

All proceeds wil go to Net vir Pret.

Michelle noted that the flags will not be expensive and that Cherie might as well brace herself for the pressure related to producing such great volumes of excellence.

Inspirational Prayer Flags of Hope

Cherie unofficially confirmed that they would double the number of hand crafted flags next year and fully supported the idea of creating these decorative gems annually.

“I was taken aback with Michelle’s idea and I immediately thought this could become a yearly event.”

“What a lovely theme for attracting tourism back to Barrydale. It is something positive, something artistic, something creative, something that a whole community can be involved with.”

                                                               Cherie Dirksen

Article by Mickey Mentz and published on News62

Now wouldn’t it be great if YOU could start a prayer flag initiative in YOUR community? Let prayer flags and messages of love, hope and unity go viral globally!

Below you’ll find some more pictures of the giant puppets and some of the flags that will be on display:

Image may contain: 2 people, text that says 'The Centre Research the University the Western Cape Partnership with Net Pretpresent: Reboot Eden Celebrating 10 Years of Puppetry Barrydale Centre Humanities Research the University Cape with Net Pret years puppetry Barrydale will ba four puppet streamed between 16th-19th December Starring some puppets created the by residence, Ukwanda program willb streamed dN puppetry online platforms. new various December will also bet the launch the long album Celebration:1 years the Barrydale Puppet Parade. 16th-19th December Join us online Centre for Humanities Research: Instgram:ch _lagship Barrydale Parade: barrydaleparade og:barrydaleparade.wordpress.com Humanities RMB Kindly supported The Handspring Puppetry Arts'

Image may contain: text that says 'DEC 19THDEC BE TOONE KiND HOPE FLAGSOFHOPE 19TH BARRYDALE OF DEC- ANOTHER FLAGS 16TH 从 #BARRYDALEPRAYERFLAGSOFHOPE'

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Image may contain: one or more people, people sitting, table and indoor

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Image may contain: 1 person

Image may contain: one or more people, people sitting, table and indoor

Image may contain: text that says 'For the future'

Thanks for looking!

Cherie Roe Dirksen is a self-empowerment author, multi-media artist and musician from South Africa.

To date, she has published 3 self-help and motivational books and brings out weekly inspirational blogs at her site www.cherieroedirksen.com. Get stuck into finding your passion, purpose and joy by downloading some of those books gratis when you click HERE.

Her ambition is to help you to connect with your innate gift of creativity and living the life you came here to experience by taking responsibility for your actions and becoming the co-creator of your reality. You can follow Cherie on Facebook(The Art of Empowerment — for article updates). She has an official art Facebook page (Cherie Roe Dirksen – for new art updates). You can also check out her Facebook band page at Templeton Universe.

This article (Prayer Flags of Hope Set to Soothe Community Anxiety) was originally written for and published by Conscious Life News and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author Cherie Roe Dirksen

Relax: Let Me Take the Stress Out of Your Holiday Shopping

  • Are you in an area affected by limited shopping avenues?
  • Do you feel like you want to avoid any unnecessary stress or outdoor trips this festive season?
  • Concerned about how to get your Christmas shopping done?
  • Looking for unique, tailor-made gifts for that someone special?

I’d like to share my Christmas 2020 catalogue with you.

With unbelievable savings this Black Friday, all you’ve got to do is point, click and get ready to receive your delivery!

And you get to feel all warm and fuzzy inside as supporting products like this is supporting independent artists like myself 🙂 PLUS the fact that all products are made to order and not in bulk, reducing the festive carbon footprint exponentially.

Let’s start off with prints. Get a whopping 41% off when you buy 5 or more metal prints at Displate — I have a great selection to choose from:

Here are some fun and funky ideas for the babes, kids and tweens in your life — from Llamageddon comforters, Ninja Santa backpacks to Mary Christmas and Santa Claus jigsaw puzzles:

            

                     

For more gift ideas, please click HERE.

Here are some gift ideas for that special lady in your life; be it your gran, mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, colleague or friend. Spoil her with something different:

                                                                    

See more products you may like by clicking here.

It’s really hard to buy for the men in our lives, isn’t it? Here are some unique gift ideas for those grandpas and distant uncles you see once a year. Or perhaps it’s closer to home; your fathers, husbands, brothers, friends and fellow workers:

                                                                                            

Need some more shopping inspiration? Click here 🙂

And, lastly, you’re going to need some gift bags and Christmas cards!

           

Don’t forget that tea towels make great wrapping paper too (and a little extra gift!)

 

Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this years collection selection and may it take some of the legwork out of your Christmas shop this year.

 

The Secret Lives of Cats

I took this photo of my sweet little furry child, Tilly. Little did I know I was about to experience that moment…

Batman Cat - Cherie Roe Dirksen

Big Announcement: I’m the New News Reader (CLN Headlines) for Big Indie Giant Radio

CLN on BIG

Cherie CLN

I’m really pleased to announce that I’ll be reading highlighted news headlines taken weekly from Conscious Life News on Big Indie Giant radio!

Conscious Life News was recently taken down from Facebook with no valid explanation — they had over 1 million fans so I guess they were too big of a threat with their integrous reporting.

Facebook has been censoring and taking down many facebook business pages in an outright infringement of our right to discern information and ‘alternative’ (meaning not what the mainstream media wants you to see) world news.

You can catch the news bulletin at 6am, 1pm and 7pm CAT every day with new content updates every Friday on Big Indie Giant (click here and don’t forget to bookmark!).

Authentic Content, Great Music (No Conveyer Belt Mainstream Music)!

BIGI’m also reading out a few select inspirational articles on B.I.G. radio so please mosey on by to the station and stay tuned in (100% FREE – all you need is an internet connection).

There is an absolutely amazing amount of talented musicians from all over the globe being played on B.I.G. and they are all — unbelievably — unsigned!!!

You’ve got to hear it to believe it! Support these indie unsigned artists by tuning into B.I.G.

 

Finding Beauty in Chaos Art Workshop and Soul Retreat

It’s my great pleasure to announce my first art workshop!

The workshop will take place between the 27th July 2018 and 29th July 2018.

FBIC workshop advert - new venue

The event is going to be held at Ruth62 Guesthouse, Barrydale (see photo’s below).

Details of the course:

This is an exclusive 3 day art and soul retreat for those of you who are serious about exploring, playing with and — most importantly —unleashing that inner artist!

misery and mercy scaleI’m going to show you some of the techniques used in the backgrounds of my ‘finding beauty in chaos’ painting series (see picture to your left for an example). It’s a whole lotta fun and I can’t wait for you to experience what it feels like to let rip on the canvas!

Then we are going to create something beautiful in the foreground.

I will also explain the magic behind the concept and how you can apply it to any situation in your life…you’ll just have to wait to hear more about that.

What You Get…

Every day you will be served a wholesome, country lunch and tea/coffee/biscuits throughout the day.

This event is an opportunity to gift yourself an experience that will spark the creative within.

You will also be gifted with a:

  • light-weight aluminium fold-up standing easel (with carrier bag),
  • all paint and brushes,
  • the canvas that will house your amazing creation,
  • and my book, ‘Creative Expression — How to Find Your Inspiration‘ for those moments where you may need to poke your motivation.

Because I want to offer a one-on-one experience, I can only facilitate 8 people (and bookings have already started!) , so please secure your place now by e-mailing me at cheriedirksen@yahoo.com.

Price: R2950 p/p (approx. $250)
Pay
Daily program: 10:00 – 12:00 (painting) 12:00 – 13:00 (lunch break) 13:00 – 15:00 (painting)

Extra’s (not included): accommodation at Ruth62 Guesthouse can be arranged at a discounted rate over the 3 day period if you are not a resident of Barrydale. Please enquire at Ruth62 Guesthouse Site (click here) and don’t forget to mention that you will be a participant at the workshop to claim your special rate.

Subscribe buttonArt blogs you may enjoy:

If You Love Trees, You Simply Can’t Miss Out on This New Painting!

New Photographs of Painting ‘Iceland Poppy Mix’ and Art on Duvet Covers!

De-Stress with Free Colour Therapy for You and Your Family

Templeton Universe Invites Your Ears Down the Rabbit Hole…

With the release of my indie rock bands new album, ‘Between Lies’ (Templeton Universe) — we decided to bring out a lyric video of the first track. It’s got an Alice-in-Wonderland/Oz feel to it. Let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you 🙂

 

You can get our new album by CLICKING HERE.

 

Follow us on Facebook and get ALL our updates, news and music – CLICK HERE!

A Reminder That Your Soul Mate is Always Closer Than You Think…

Broken Hearted Quote

You can hear this song by clicking HERE.

Our latest album is due for the official release at the end of the month – please help us with the production costs via our crowdfunding campaign. Even $1 will help us!!! And every pledge gets you music 🙂

Templeton Universe FACEBOOK

Other articles you may enjoy:sub button

Do You Want INSTANT Fame and Glory?

10 TOP Tips to Keep You Happy!

How to Create Opportunity

Templeton Universe Officially Releases Album Art

Have You Got $10 For Switched-On Music?

How Long Are You Going to Stay Stuck in the Funk?

Do You Want INSTANT Fame and Glory?

As many of you may know already, my band — Templeton Universe — are doing a crowdfunding campaign to raise $1000 for the production costs of our latest album, ‘Between Lies’ (you can CLICK HERE to hear and see what we’re about). We are so thankful to have raised 43% of our total goal over the last 3 weeks but we need some help in the final push.

We’ve just headed into the last 7 days of our campaign and we had an epiphany! We decided to add the FAME AND GLORY package (please click on the picture below to read all about it).

Why You Can’t Miss Out on This – Only 2 Available!!!

Suffice to say, this package gets you your name/business name/brand on the inlay or back of our physical CD for life! Plus you get ALL the perks of ALL the other packages (which includes 5 instant album downloads and a physical CD). If that wasn’t enough — you get 10 shout-outs on our Facebook page (which is also linked to our Twitter account — another added bonus) as an amazing sponsor and supporter of the arts! We have over 12 000 fans on Facebook check it out HERE.

If this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, please act now before it’s too late!

TU promo

Here’s an acoustic performance of us doing ‘Anticipation Frustration‘ of the last album, ‘Headspace:

 

sub buttonOther articles you may enjoy:

Have You Got $10 For Switched-On Music?

How to Create Opportunity

Truth Seeking Through Music

Templeton Universe Officially Releases Album Art

How to Turn Disappointment into Opportunity

Have You Got $10 For Switched-On Music?

ad 1

Ever feel you’re alone in your awakening experience?

I remember when I first had my wake-up call — I scouted for music to help me through. After all, music speaks where words can’t go, right?

I recall stumbling across bands like Muse — who opened my eyes to MK-Ultra and HAARP — and Radiohead that spoke of the insane society we live in.

All these songs got me through a rough time and I still turn to them on a daily basis.

When I agreed to join Templeton Universe (indie rock band) as the bassist, I did so because I totally believed in his music. This man writes from soul and about things that MATTER.

Don’t take my word for it though, take a listen — click on the pic below (we’ve got a load of videos you can watch to get a feel for what we’re about). We’re closing in on the end days of our crowdfunding campaign to release our new album, ‘Between Lies’, out into the world. The theme of the album is ‘the truth will set you free but it will piss you off first’. I think you’re going to like it…$10 gets you an instant download of this new album, $25 gets you the 3 albums and $50 gets you all 5 albums with a bonus gift.

Between Lies - Templeton Universe CD cover

sub buttonRead related articles:

How to Create Opportunity

Templeton Universe Officially Releases Album Art

Truth Seeking Through Music

Can Music Jump-Start Humanity’s Awakening?

Templeton Universe Officially Releases Album Art

TU campaign 2Our (TU) latest album, ‘Between Lies’, has a cover!

The official global release is set at the end of April 2017 but YOU get to hear it first when you CLICK HERE.

The cover art has been taken from the beginning stages of my painting, ‘Guiding Light’ (see further on in article).

Here is the cover:

Between Lies - Templeton Universe CD cover

What do you think?

The albums theme is along the lines of, ‘the truth will set you free but it will piss you off first’. Savvy? I think a lot of us feel this right now.

Get the album HERE and sing out your frustrations!

Here is the painting in its early stages (which is what we’ve taken for the album cover design):

Guiding Light early stages

Here is the finished painting…see the difference? The original is still available for $360 (incl. shipping) – prints are available too (CLICK HERE):

Guiding Light

We’ve still got around 2 weeks of our crowdfunding campaign left – please help us to reach our goal of $1000 to help with the final production stages of our album (every pledge gets you the new album!). Click on the picture below to read all about it 😀 – we want you to become part of our journey:

Templeton Universe Crowdfunding Header 3

Make Money Creating Beautiful Recycled Goodies Today!

Garbage for Energy!

I want to start this article off by giving Sweden a big pat on the back for being huge trend setters when it comes to effective recycled waste management. You can read more about their initiatives here: Sweden Is Recycling So Much Trash, It’s Running Out

Turning Trash into Treasure

I’m a big fan of upcycling and getting people to reuse things they would otherwise throw away (which either leaves our streets dirty, our oceans polluted, our tips full to brimming or — the lesser of the evils — recycled into something else via a recycling depot).

But how about actually earning an income selling your beautiful recycled wares? It’s cheap as you don’t have to lay out much money for materials and the finished products are amazing!

I started running a weekly craft class at the beginning of last year at our local youth upliftment center (called ‘Net vir Pret’ — Afrikaans for ‘Just for Fun’) here in South Africa and it’s been a great journey of discovery. Not only is it a pleasure working with these talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds but I’ve discovered loads about turning trash into treasure (picture to your right is my class making beads out of magazines)!

They are now selling their wares at our local market and this is how you can too!

Life’s All About Learning, Caring and Sharing

We’ve got a bit of a problem here in South Africa with litter. It’s a subject close to my heart ’cause, let’s face it, nobody thrives in an environment strewn with garbage. So, I wanted to offer these kids a fun way to, not only clean up the environment, but to make money with the crafty things they can do with it.

Pinterest was my saviour! You can check out some of the ideas I’ve collected on my board HERE.

I’ve been scrolling the many ideas on Pinterest, in my free moments, gathering a treasure trove of ideas to implement. I want to share these ideas that I’ve tried and tested with all you creatives out there wanting to make a bit of extra cash whilst letting the inner child out to play!

Read related article: 5 Amazing Super Powers You’ll Develop When You Get Creative

Below I’m going to share some of the crafty recycled tit-bits I’ve been making in my classes to give you some quick and easy ideas of how you can turn your garbage into gold. Not only can you sell these but you can give them as gifts or make useful things for around your own home.

Polystyrene and Magazines

These cards were made out of magazines and polystyrene.

Find a picture you like for the main focal point of the card and glue it to some polystyrene.

Then cut it out and glue to the card for a great looking raised effect.

These really look super in real life and a great way to impress friends and family at birthdays!

Bottles and Bottle Caps

Old soda, beer or wine bottles are great for making these vases or candle stick holders.

(Left photo) I apply my design with an acrylic glass paint tube — let that dry — and then fill in the color with acrylic paint. When that is dry I use an epoxy to glaze over the bottle (now you can safely hand wash it).

These are good sellers and make excellent gifts.

(Right photo) This project is done using any glass jar (this one happened to be an empty olive jar).

You glue the entire bottle with craft glue and then wrap twine or string around the bottle.

Then, to decorate, get some old bottle caps and cut out pictures
from magazines, old cards or wrapping paper — stick them inside the caps and glue them to your jar.

I use a bit of varnish or epoxy to glaze the pictures inside the bottle caps — it gives it a nice finishing touch.

The card is also made using bottle caps.

Magazine Craft

This is an old trick I learned when I was young — recycled magazine beads (see photo to your left).

This is done by cutting magazine pages into strips. The strip is done from the top to the bottom of the magazine page — start cutting at 2cm width and taper to a point.

Apply glue to the one side. Now take a match stick and — with the widest part of the strip — start rolling the strip onto the match stick. Keep guiding the strip towards the center as you are rolling to give the bulbous ‘bead’ shape.

You can dazzle your mates with the fabulous jewelry you can make with these super easy beads.

The white bracelet (also in the picture to your left) is made by braiding a plastic bag and then taking a glue gun and sealing the edges to form a bangle. It doesn’t get easier than that!

Plastic Bottles

This is by far my most favorite thing to make — flowers!

I stick these in my garden and use them in vases.

They are made by cutting a plastic soda bottle in half and then cutting leaf shapes and bending them to form a flower.

You use both sides of the bottle to accomplish this and then glue them together. I also use the bottle cap for the center of the flower. You practically use the entire bottle! How cool is that?

I then use acrylic paint or spray-paint to decorate.

That’s all the recycled stuff I’ve done to date. I hope I’ve given you some ideas about turning your trash into treasure!

Happy crafting!

Cherie Roe DirksenCRD is a self-empowerment author, multi-media artist and musician from South Africa.

To date, she has published 3 self-help and motivational books and brings out weekly inspirational blogs at her site www.cherieroedirksen.com. Get stuck into finding your passion, purpose and joy by downloading some of those books gratis when you click HERE.

Her ambition is to help you to connect with your innate gift of creativity and living the life you came here to experience by taking responsibility for your actions and becoming the co-creator of your reality. You can follow Cherie on Facebook (The Art of Empowerment — for article updates). She also has just recently launched her official art Facebook page (Cherie Roe Dirksen – for new art updates).

Cherie posts a new article on CLN every Thursday. To view her articles, click HERE.

This article (Make Money Creating Beautiful Recycled Goodies Today!was originally written for and published byConscious Life News and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author Cherie Roe Dirksen and ConsciousLifeNews.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this Copyright/Creative Commons statement.

 

Rocking Art Exhibition and Musical Show Photo’s (You Won’t Believe Who Turned Up!)

rocking-art-logo

Goodbye 2016! We Rocked You Out…

Last year (2016) was — numerologically (gawd…that was a tongue twister! Does that word even exist? It does now) speaking — a year of cyclical endings (2+0+1+6=9 and 9 is a number of completion). So, it was befitting that my Rocking Art Series was to finally be exhibited in all its glory!

The event took place on the 23rd December at the funky Karoo Art Hotel and we all had a blast!

Big Shoes to Fill (I almost didn’t make it to my own show…lol)!

A big THANK YOU to my gorgeous, Templeton, for agreeing to do the aftershow with me — we rocked out to a song from each artist in the exhibition (unfortunately no video footage was taken but see the photo’s at the end).

The list was a tall order to fill but we somehow made it through and played to a packed-like-sardines audience.

The playlist went like this:

  1. Come Together (The Beatles)
  2. Yard of Blonde Girls (Jeff Buckley)
  3. Young Lust (Pink Floyd)
  4. Lately (Skunk Anansie)
  5. On a Plain (Nirvana)
  6. Anticipation Frustration (Templeton)
  7. Karma Police (Radiohead)
  8. Heroes (David Bowie)
  9. Uprising (Muse)
  10. Ending off with a Queen Pastiche consisting of We Will Rock You, We are the Champions, Radio GaGa, The Game and (because we are musical masochists) — you guessed it — Bohemian Rhapsody (can you see why I almost bailed!?)

Here are the photo’s of the evening starting off with the exhibition:

 

And here are the shot’s of the show 🙂

 

To recap on the whole Rocking Art Series — please CLICK HERE

To view the originals still available and print catalogue list — please CLICK HERE

Here’s a YouTube clip of Templeton and me playing ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ — just so you can get an idea of what we sound like 🙂

Other blogs you may enjoy:

Ditch the Resolution, Start a Revolution! Odyssey Digimag Issue 5 Now Out

‘Exploding This Reality’ with Queen — The Last Rock(ing) Art Painting in this Series!

Be the Inspiration You Seek (Odyssey Mag – Issue 4 – Out Now!)

David Bowie: Painting no. 9 of My ‘Rock(ing) Art’ Series — When Synchronicity Reveals Ludicrous Revelations

Did You Know That ‘Abracadabra’ Really is a Magically Loaded Word?

Why We Detest Indifference (Odyssey, Issue 3 — Out Now!)

Issue 3My first published article in the fabulous holistic mag, Odyssey (Issue 3 2016), has just come out. For a taste of what you can find in there (and it’s all FREE), here is an excerpt from my article:

It’s one of the biggest pet hates in the world. it’s something most of us have come up against at some point in our lives or even deal with on a regular basis. it’s something that most flesh and blood human beings just cannot handle: being ignored!

Written by Cherie Roe Dirksen

I was astounded, back in 2006, when I watched that metaphysically mind-blasting documentary, ‘What the Bleep Do We Know!?’ Do you remember it? Its abstract concepts about reality and beyond begged me to stop and rethink my whole life — something I’m sure most viewers had to undertake to some degree.

What really struck a chord were the experiments on water by the now late Masaru Emoto — I was especially awed by the three bottles of rice trial.

In this particular test one bottle was marked ‘I love you’, one marked ‘I hate you’ and the third bottle was just ignored. In the experiment the one marked ‘I love you’ endured whilst the bottle labeled ‘I hate you’ decayed but not to the effect of the bottle that was disregarded completely — which was the most ill-affected jar as it started to rot first.

This test reiterated the widespread belief that even being hated is better than being unnoticed.

“Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.”– J.K.Rowling

You often find this with children – particularly in the case of the middle child (but not isolated to) who lacks the attention of the first born or ‘baby’ of the family. This child tends to strike out in a negative manner because even this type of behaviour is receiving a response from the parental figure albeit an undesirable reaction.

Why? — Because we humans tend to recoil at the thought of alienation more than anything. Loneliness or the fear of being alone is one of the top causes of depression.

Origins of the Effects of Aloofness

Some say the fear of indifference dates back to prehistoric man for the reason that when a member of the clan was shunned, it meant certain death to the individual. Ergo we all have a strong innate sense to stay alive.

However, barring our primitive instincts to survive, it’s just darn-right annoying to deal with people who display the traits of indifference — which is also disguised as apathy, disregard, insensitivity, disinterest, negligence, nonchalance, coldness or detachment. This is especially irksome when you’re trying your best to be in your integrity and treat others with the antithesis of indifference — such as attention, kindness, compassion, concern and interest.

I’m sure most of you know at least one person who never seems to have the common courtesy to reply to a message or e-mail, or lets you down frequently and/or doesn’t even bother to take the time out to let you know they’re going to be late or cancel an appointment — that friend or family member who only calls you when they need something. Does this behaviour sound familiar?

I say ‘behaviour’ because that’s what it is – don’t confuse a person’s actions for who they truly are. The cause for me outlining this is because someone very close to you may be doing this — someone you may love dearly. It could be a childhood friend, family member or, God forbid, your boss/colleague (someone you may have to see on a daily basis)! You may feel you can’t reciprocate and ignore these people indefinitely because at some point you still have to deal with them on a regular basis.

Surviving the Cold

Read more on pages 91-94

To find out what these 3 vital tips are read more by clicking the link below and going to page 91 (and you can read the rest of this exciting, invigorating and holistically informative mag too! Recommended: the regular column by Paulo Coehlo)…

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Other articles you may enjoy:

Giving: You’ll be Amazed What’s in it for You!

Feature: Odyssey Magazine — Get Your Free Copy NOW

Gushing with Gratitude to YOU — Tens of Thousands of Art Shares via Pinterest!

Why Anybody Can Be Creative (video tutorial incl.)

4 Minute Video Leading up to the Meaning of Life

Open Your Third Eye and Awaken Your Pineal Gland With These Simple Exercises (This Really Works!)

In Thought

CLN Editor’s Note: I tried the Awakening I exercise last night, honestly not expecting much. But wow does this work. About three minutes after completing the exercise, my forehead began to tingle, and suddenly I felt a rapid sense of expansion in the middle of my brain (where the pineal gland is located), along with an uplifted and expanded state of consciousness bordering on a mild and pleasant pyschedelic experience. I will be doing this exercise daily from now on until it’s time for Activation II, and encourage you to try them for yourself. 

Awaken Your Third Eye — The Easy Way

By Lapis Links, CureZone Blogs

Note: Original article edited by CLN for formatting and clarity

AWAKENING I:

Please read all of the following;

If you wish to perform this exercise, you need to understand what you will be doing. It is important to follow the instructions as this is somewhat advanced:

The Third Eye is directly related to the 6th chakra — the psychic chakra, located on the middle of the forehead above the brows. It is closely associated with the “pineal” gland. The pineal gland is dormant in most people, as is the true Third Eye.

French Philosopher Rene Descartes believed the pineal gland to be “the seat of the soul” where mind and body met.

In the average person, the pineal gland is atrophied, [calcified] and dormant. The following exercise will change that.
Please read this thoroughly, as much of the exercises I write of are very advanced and can cause problems if one does not do them correctly.

The pineal gland is like a pea in size; like a shriveled raisin in most people where it remains dormant.

Related Article: 3 Lessons of Your 3rd Eye for More Powerful Intuition
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Opening the pineal gland/3rd eye:

This is done with a specific tone and chant. You only need to do this exercise for 3 days, afterwards, it is permanent.

The mantra to be used is “Thoh,” pronounced “TOE.”

It must be within the correct vibration.

Not deep, not high pitched, inbetween, like alto range.

You will feel it when you hit the correct tone. So play around and don’t second guess yourself. When you think you’ve got it, you probably do.

1. Sit with your back straight.

2. Breathe in through your nose and hold your breath as long as is comfortable.

Open your jaws so there is a small space between your top and bottom teeth.

Place the tip of your tongue between the space of your slightly parted teeth.

3. Put a very light pressure onto the tongue with your teeth.

This is like the same process of saying the “TH” part of the English word “the.”

Once your tongue is in position, release your breath slowly through your mouth, saying T-H-H-O-H-H in one long exhale.

Say the word one time per exhale. Your tongue will be vibrating between your teeth.

You should feel the air moving past your tongue and teeth.

If this technique is done properly, you will feel a pressure or sensation in your jaw and cheeks. The tone will also vibrate in your third eye.

It may take a few seconds to adjust this, don’t worry, just keep going.

4. Do the above 5 times in a row.

5. It is very important the above exercise be done for 3 consecutive days, 24 hours apart. Then it is a done deal.

Related Article: 7 Ways to Be More Intuitive & Connect with Your Higher Self (3rd Eye)
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WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:

1. One of the first experiences is a headache or pressure in the center of the forehead. This sensation may also feel like it is originating from within, usually an inch or more beneath the surface of the forehead. This is a positive indication the pineal gland is awakening and beginning to function in a healthy manner.

*Some people can experience a migrane lasting several hours, so to be safe it is recommended that you try this in the evening when you do not have work to do. The severity of the side effects will depend on how atrophied/calcified your pineal gland is to begin with.

2. After the occurence of headache or pressure in the forehead, you may wake up one morning with a throbbing or tingling sensation in your forehead; it may feel like a goosebump.

The feeling may be very intense, like something is there. The sensation of pulsing or throbbing will continue throughout the day, and you may “hear” sounds coming from within your head, such as light popping or crackling sensations.

These are the final phisiological events you may experience after opening up your third eye.
It indicates your pineal gland is awakened, functioning and alive.

Related Video: Open Your 3rd Eye For More Imagination & Intuition
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PSYCHIC EFFECTS:

You may experience any or all of these to varying degrees:
  • Faster, easier learning and retention
  • Marked increase in intuition
  • Increased creativity
  • Psychic gifts develop and become markedly stronger, along with more developed ability to see or sense human auras
  • Clairvoyance (psychic vision) opens up
  • Clairaudience (psychic hearing) opens up
  • Clairsentience (psychic feeling/touching) opens up

This is a very powerful exercise, and as with all powerful practices, your body may go through discomfort in order to adapt.

CLN Editor’s Note: I have taken considerable steps over the past few years to awaken and decalcify my pineal gland, and as such, I experienced no side effects other than an intense but not-uncomfortable feeling of pressure in my forehead and third eye that was just shy of a headache. So not everyone will experience side effects. 

AWAKENING II

In order for this to work properly, you must have already performed the Awakening I exercise.

I included this above for those who are new.

It is very important to wait for 10-14 days following Awakening I, before you go onto Awakening II, otherwise the exercises won’t be effective. Your body needs time to adapt and get the energy flow going.

This exercise is completely euphoric and intensley pleasurable. Unlike Awakening I, this should be done once a week, and given the blissful effects that are lasting when done correctly, most people will enjoy doing so.

Breath in deeply and hold your breath for a count of five.

Repeat this three times.

This helps you to be relaxed and focused.

Now focus all of your attention upon your third eye.

You should begin to feel a sensation similar to the effects of the Awakening I exercise — a slight pressure or awareness of the spot of your third eye.

Now, take a deep breath as you did for the Awakening I exercise.

Hold it for as long as comfortable  — do not push this —  and release your breath, vibrating the word “MAY.” This is pronounced like the English language word for the month of May.

It should all come out at one time- M-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ay, gradually and slowly.

It is ok to adjust your pitch. The tone should be alto.

Breath in again, and repeat this five times.

You need to hit a certain pitch. You will know when you do, for you will feel this in your head. Do the best you can.

Now, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT:

When vibrating the word “MAY,” feel the energy going into your head,
first into your third eye area,
then into the middle of your brain,
and then to the top of your head where your crown chakra is located.

REMEMBER: Concentrate on your forehead (third eye area),
then the middle of your brain
and finally the top of your head.

This is done for the duration of each chant.

1. Breath in.

2. Begin to exhale, vibrating “MAY.”

3. Concentrate on your third eye.

4. Concentrate on the middle of your brain.

5. Concentrate on the top of your head and finish exhaling the vibration.

Repeat four more times.

The effects of this exercise are extremely pleasurable.

A feeling of lightnesss can occur immediately following the exercise.

Some people may feel energy or tingling inside their heads, or completely covering their heads; a slight presure in the crown area and intense euphoria is also common.

The blissful state can occur hours and even days later.

This will eventually become permanent and will greatly assist in void meditation, clairvoyance, and the development of other psychic and paranormal senses.

Addendum to this article: September 29, 2014 from CLN

sub buttonAfter having noticed that a fair amount of the comments from this article have mentioned encounters with “shadow beings,” or other anomalous entities, although not understood, they continue to garner a lot of attention.  Please check out two of our CLN radio episodes that deal with this phenomenon.

Shadow People and the Djinn – A Conversation with Rosemary Ellen Guiley (September 2014)

Shadow People (Strange Encounters episode) with Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Alexis Brooks  (July 2012)

This article was published on Conscious Life News on 25th September, 2012.

Feature: Odyssey Magazine — Get Your Free Copy NOW

As some of you may know, Odyssey Magazine (a holistic magazine that has been running since 1977 — read more HERE) has asked me to be a columnist for their amazing publication.

Paulo Coelho is also a columnist and writes a fabulous article that is usually placed at the end of the mag (always save the best for last!).

I’m so grateful to this inspiring team for putting together a 4-page introductory spread in their latest issue. Click on the pictures below to take you to the article which is on page 60-63:

Page 60

Page 62

This is a FREE online digimag, so you can get reading NOW.

Here is the link — enjoy!:

Stay tuned for the next edition and my first column! 🙂

subcribe buttonOther articles you may find interesting:

Viva Vivaldi! Connecting Us to Intelligent Design Through Music (incl. Art Process Video)

Update: From Bowie Tributes to Leading Myself Down the Garden Path…(photos and videos incl.)

10 Spiritually Provocative Quotes From David Bowie — No.7 is Something We Should All Ponder!

3 Ways to Use Magical Words to Create Miraculous Lives

Are You Being Lied To?

Anxiety Got You All Wired Up? Here Are 7 Tips to Help You Relax…

News Alert: Rock Music Art Originals Available to Purchase Exclusively Through Saatchi for the First Time!

What Do Debussy and Quicksilver Have in Common? The Answer May Surprise You!

Debussy Header by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Turning Music into Art and Feeling

To recap on the last video blog (New Concepts: What Does a Bach Masterpiece Look and Feel Like? (Video Included)) CLICK HERE.

This week I tuned into another one of my all-time favourite composers, Claude Debussy.

The feelings that came up after listening to Debussy were:

  • Whimsy,
  • Magic,
  • Playfulness,
  • Fluidity and
  • Fun.

Sampling Tasty Meanings

Other words that describe ‘whimsical’ are fanciful, mischievous, fantastic, excitable, unusual, impulsive, curious, mercurial and ‘quicksilver’ (meaning ‘fluid’ — curious indeed as that is one of the words that came up whilst doodling to the music!), changeable, unpredictable and kaleidoscopic (what an awesome word!).

Don’t you just love the tone and feel of those words?

It tends to transport one to childhood — those days spent in the sun, exploring the garden and being in awe over the smallest ant to the splendiferous veins of a leaf.

It’s little wonder that the drawing that transpired whilst listening to Debussy was a tree and garden (the whole start to finish process video is below).

The Importance of Play

subcribe buttonThe overall effect I got from the enchanting sounds of Debussy was expressing the fun aspect of the self — the inner child.

How can we tap into our neglected mini me?

Try incorporate more:

  • Time in nature — go for walks, swim in streams, run barefoot in the sand, hike, climb mountains, get creative in the garden.
  • Be playful — dance like no-ones watching, play board-games, build sandcastles on the beach or mud-pies in the garden after a good downfall! Get your hands dirty and put being an adult on the back-burner.
  • Laugh more — have a good belly wobble as often as you can EVERY day.
  • Be creative — make things, experiment, colour in, let the inner artiste loose!
  • Be curious — don’t think you know everything. Study new things, take courses, try more classes. Never give up on the wonder of the world.
  • Listen to Debussy! — apparently he helps with drawing out all of the above! 😉

Now it’s time to sit back and watch Debussy transform into art.

And here is the art therapy colouring-in page for you to download (click on the picture below and right-click to save):

Debussy Whimsy by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Other articles you may enjoy:

New Concepts: What Does a Bach Masterpiece Look and Feel Like? (Video Included)

Get Me OUT Of Purgatory! The Emotions Behind the Nirvana Painting, ‘Cold Burn’

Misery Tamed With Mercy Meets My Massive Canvas (Photo’s Included)

What Artistic Genius Are You Going to Give This Colour Therapy Picture?

 

 

 

New Concepts: What Does a Bach Masterpiece Look and Feel Like? (Video Included)

What Music Looks Like Header

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge” — Albert Einstein

Channeling Music into Emotive Art

Before I launch into my Bach revelation, I want to give you a little bit of background about where I’m coming from: I embarked on an auditory and visual journey in 2012. I decided to try to combine my love for music with art and subliminally paint to inspiring composers/musicians to see what would emerge onto my canvas.

Related article: 3 Ways to Tap Into the Matrix of All Possibility

I wanted to explore this realm of sound and discover why some of us are drawn to certain types of music.

I’d enter a meditative state — trying to blank out my mind with no preconceived ideas — put on the music and let it rip! What transpired since then has morphed into one of the most exciting, mind-bending trips of my life — my Rock Art Series!

 You can take a peek at that HERE (each painting in the series — so far — has a start to finish photographic journal along with a written account of the emotions that arose whilst listening and painting to the music).

In a nutshell, the Rock Art Series was a project I started to probe the bands and musicians who made a huge impact on me — even from childhood. I started off my early life in a rock band as a bass guitarist and was hugely influenced by 70’s rock and the 90’s grunge period. But why?

  • Why was I drawn to their music?
  • Was there more to their music that met the ear?
  • Why did it seem to resonate with me and a handful of peeps but did not seem to impress others?

I set out to do 10 paintings (one for every band/artist). I am currently on painting no. 9 and am still as captivated by this process as the day I started the first painting.

Now, I want to take it a step further…

Air on a Heart (G) String

I want to mine the sacred sound field of classical music. There must be a plethora of hidden meanings and deeper understandings waiting to be excavated in just this one specific genre.

I started this new project off to ‘Air on a G String‘ by Bach. It was the first piece that sprang to mind as it literally creeps into my heart and starts tugging on my tear strings!

What a Feeling!

Below, you will find a video where I talk about what came up for me in this classical masterpiece AND I whip out my whiteboard and draw for you — live — to the music (okay, I’ve sped it up a little cause it took me almost an hour to complete and I thought you wouldn’t want to sit through that whole process! It’s now a neat and tidy 1:30 minutes…very palatable, darling) 😉

I have posted the end result picture beneath the video for you to download and splash with your creative genius — so dust off those coloring in pencils, crayons and pens (or just go and steal them from your kids room) and let that inner child out to play! Pop on some Bach and see what emotions arise in you (don’t forget to leave your comments in the box below).

Just to give you a little teaser, the key words/emotions that came up were:

  • Remembrance
  • Divine connection
  • Divine Flow
  • We are all connected
  • Sorrow of seeming ‘separation’
  • Joy — ‘all is well’

But before I give the entire game away, let’s take a look at the video:

Here’s the picture for you to download and color in (and if you haven’t heard of color therapy yet, read this: Colour Therapy: Taking on Modern Day Stress the Creative Way):

Bach - Air on a G String Color Therapy by Cherie Roe Dirksen

I hope you enjoy adding your unique touch to this picture. Please feel free to share your finished creation on my Facebook wall (@The Art of Empowerment) — I’d love to see them!

Finished AD 2If color therapy is something you are interested in, then — as I mentioned in the video — I am offering a brand new service where you will receive one coloring picture a day straight to your inbox — you can CLICK HERE to read up more about that.

Do stay tuned! I will be exploring some more classical composers in the weeks to come. I also encourage you to add your suggestions of music to explore in the comment box below.

Cherie-Roe-Dirksen_172x200Cherie Roe Dirksen is a self-empowerment author and multi-media artist from South Africa.

To date, she has published 3 self-help and motivational books and brings out weekly inspirational blogs at her site www.cherieroedirksen.com. Get stuck into finding your passion, purpose and joy by downloading some of those books gratis when you click HERE.

Her ambition is to help you to connect with your innate gift of creativity and living the life you came here to experience by taking responsibility for your actions and becoming the co-creator of your reality. You can also follow Cherie on Facebook (The Art of Empowerment).

Cherie posts a new article on CLN every Thursday. To view her articles, click HERE.

This article was written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Conscious Life News.

News Alert: Rock Music Art Originals Available to Purchase Exclusively Through Saatchi for the First Time!

Rock Art OriginalsI started the Rock Art Series back in July of 2012. I thought it’d take me no longer than a year to complete.

How wrong I was!

I am still busy with the 10 paintings I set out to create. You can read the WHOLE enticing, dramatic and emotionally provocative story HERE.

I was going to wait until I painted the last one (Queen) before I released all the originals for sale.

What changed my mind?

I’ve been getting SO many requests for the prices of the originals of these pieces that I just decided to bite the bullet and set them free into the wild unknown.

I’ve grown very attached to many of them as they are dotted all over my house — from flanking my bed to gracing my hubby’s music studio. It’s time for me to detach and let someone else enjoy the depths of these works, in the flesh.

So without further ado…here they are all laid out for you to see what they’d look like in a room and to scale (click on pic’s to take you to the gallery where you can check out the prices/make an offer/buy a print at SaatchiOnline):

Rock Art 1

Read more about this ‘Radiohead’ painting here:

What Radiohead Looks Like Through The End of My Brush

Song Playlist — Radiohead Albums That Made The Art

Rock Art 2

Read more about this ‘Beatles’ painting here:

What The Beatles Look Like From the End of my Paintbrush

Rock Art 3

Read more about this ‘Jeff Buckley’ painting here:

Rock Art Series Painting no. 3 — Jeff Buckley ‘Raw’

How I Got ‘Raw’ With Jeff Buckley

Rock Art 4

Read more about this ‘Pink Floyd’ painting here:

‘Dancing in the Void’ — Pink Floyd Rock Art Painting No.4 Photographs

Painting Pink Floyd — Soldiering Through the Minefield of Emotion

Rock Art 5

Read more about this ‘Skunk Anansie’ painting here:

‘Dangerous Love’ — Skunk Anansie Rock Art Painting No. 5

Rock Art 6

Read more about this ‘Templeton’ painting here:

Rock Art Painting no. 6 — Templeton: The Photographic Process and Grand Reveal!

What on Earth is a ‘Chaoskampf Demiurge’? You Seriously Need to Know This!

Rock Art 7

Read more about this ‘Muse’ painting here:

The Resurrection of Muse — Rock Art Painting no. 7 Photographs

Decoding Muse (Rock Art Painting no. 7) — ‘Resurrection’

Rock Art 8

Read more about this ‘Nirvana’ painting here:

Cold Burn to Nirvana? Rock Art Painting No.8 is Something Different (Photo’s Included)

Get Me OUT Of Purgatory! The Emotions Behind the Nirvana Painting, ‘Cold Burn’

Who’s Next Up on the Easel?

I am still effectively busy trying to complete this series.

The next painting I announced was going to be David Bowie. I was devastated to hear of his passing earlier this month and it feels strange now to carry on with my plans knowing he is no longer with us. But, who knows, perhaps he’ll make an appearance in spirit like my Jeff Buckley painting. 🙂

Thanks for taking this journey with me.

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Are You Prepared For Christmas? With Up To 75% Off, You Will Be!

14Yeah, Christmas is creeping up on us yet again! I don’t know about you, but I’m just not organized for this years festivities (what’s new?).

If you’ve got all your ducks in a row, I take my hat off to you! Well done.

If you’re like me and haven’t got a clue…maybe I can help a little.

I’ve been whipping about my stores trying to put together a 2015 catalogue and thought I’d better hurry seeing that there is a whopping 75% off all Christmas cards and 20% off other items now until Thursday!

You also get 20% off select items at Redbubble but that’s for today only.

So without further ado…let’s spring into action with a little ho ho ho and a sprig of mistletoe:

CARDS (75% Off Until 10 Dec. 2015 – use code: GETYOURCARDS at the checkout)

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  • When you are at my Zazzle store, use the code: GETYOURCARDS at the checkout to redeem your discount (offers at Zazzle valid until 23h59 PT, 10th December 2015).
  • When you are at my RedBubble store, use the code: TICTOC at the checkout to get your discount (offers at Redbubble valid until 23h59 PT tonight).

GIFTS FOR HER (20% Off Until 8 Dec. 2015)

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GIFTS FOR HIM (20% Off Until 8 Dec. 2015)

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If you’re still stumped for great gift ideas, you may reel with excitement at this new and innovative present-ation! READ HERE: The Most Insanely Creative Gifts You Can Give Anyone! And Saves on Therapy Bills Too…

 

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T&C apply to special offers – see the relevant site (Zazzle/RedBubble) for more details.

You’re Told to Follow Your Heart, But What Does That Mean and How Do You Practically Do That?

Bliss by Cherie Roe Dirksen

We’ve explored how to navigate our unconscious mind, heal our shadow aspects and balance our inner feminine and masculine and now Tracy will bring this together to teach how to create and live into our potential in this fourth and final blog.

Here are the links to the previous blogs:

Ever Wanted to Fly?

Do You Know the Difference Between Your Superconscious and Subconscious Mind

How to Heal and Unite Your Inner Feminine and Masculine

Cherie:  Okay, we hear the saying ‘follow your heart’ a lot these days — what exactly does that mean in your opinion?

Tracy: Following your heart is not for the faint-hearted and it doesn’t mean giving into your egoic desires in each moment (which can often take you further away). It means having the courage to get real about who you are, exploring what your soul wants to express through you and committing to walking this path because the fullness of your life depends on it.

Yet how do we even do this?

We could have a myriad of external and internal obstacles and perceived limitations and somehow have forgotten that we are the curators and creators of our own lives.

It starts with taking our power back from the outside world and deciding to live our highest potential, beyond what’s comfortable and familiar.

Cherie:  Why is it detrimental, in this new paradigm, to listen to our heart intuition instead of our heads?

Tracy: If we rely on our brain to give us information on how to move forward, we’ll remain stuck. It only knows what it knows based on past experience and can’t give us any new information that hasn’t already been learned or experienced.

To live according to our highest potential is to break out of the cycle of fear, doubt and lack and follow the intuitive design, cycles and wisdom of nature. We need to harness the power of the seen and unseen, the superconscious and subconscious, the masculine and feminine and the heart and mind to create from a place of wholeness and balance.

Cherie:  Following the metaphor of the cycle of the butterfly — that you’ve already illustrated for us in the previous blogs — how do we use it to create what we want?

Tracy: Start with the end in mind. Begin with the butterfly, that which you are at the core of your being.

  • What is that highest vision you want for your life, for your next project, for who you want to become?
  • What are you passionate about? What do you love to do and talk about?
  • What GIVES you energy, rather than depletes it?

EmergentImaginal Model-5

Your purpose may evolve over time, but in each moment of living into your passion and truth, that path will unfold before you.

The old fearful way of creating is to keep doing what you know, work hard and then harder, with effort, sweat and tears.

You’ve lost the joy, passion and energy. You’re working from a place of lack and fear and have disconnected from your truth.

It’s all ‘doing’ and not enough ‘being’ and therefore no real creativity, which is what truly brings us to life.

Cherie: So, we’ve basically got to find the balance of our heart-mind connection to truly and fully encompass our innate creative power. Can you expound on working together with that heart-mind connection and all it entails?

Tracy: Working from the heart–mind combines the power of flow and focus, surrender and action, compassion and passion, inspiration and execution, contraction and expansion. It’s a dance that feels less like work and more like wild hearted living.

“It’s the difference between living in the world of magic and the muggle world.”

It begins with the heart –that feminine aspect that’s receptive, allowing and intuitive.

She is still, radiant, creative, nurturing, feeling, flowing, unconditional love. This is the place of receiving intuitive divine guidance. So much of that has been lost in society and yet this feminine energy is the power and source of all of creation.

Like the egg of the butterfly, be open to receiving the seed of inspiration from your highest vision.

We can access this place through meditation, being in nature, gentle movement and embracing nature’s many feminine attributes (the flowing water, the blossoming flower).

Allow yourself to imagine this space of the receptive, magnetic feminine. What do you see? What do you feel? What do you hear? How do you know when you’re in that place?

Cherie:  I love that! Thank you. Synchronicity is an incredibly powerful force in this world that guides us along our path and you’ve described it and what to do with it beautifully.  Any last words to impart before we wrap up this incredible journey you’ve taken us through?

Tracy: Remember, to the degree you experience the expansion of your vision, is to the degree that you will feel the contraction of all that’s needing to be let go of.

You will have to go through the contractions in order to birth your vision or highest version of self. The old fear cells will be threatened by the higher vibrational imaginal discs of the butterfly and your job will be to keep holding onto the truth of who you are and let the fears and doubts dissolve as you keep walking through them.

You are growing your wings and the caterpillar, who is scared of flying, will do everything to try stay in her camouflaged, black and white world – but you are born to fly!

Living and leading from the heart requires courage and commitment, yet you get to a point of no return where you can only dance the cha-cha towards your truth!

You inevitably WILL come up against your fears and doubts as they want to keep you playing small in your familiar playground. Don’t’ let the fear of feeling fear hold you back. Feel it, dance through it and walk through it.

You’ll find a pot of power on the other side that will fuel you for the next threshold you face. All the while, you’re reclaiming more and more of your personal power, building your confidence muscle and preparing you for full flight.

subscribe buttonCherie:  I’m sure I speak for all my readers when I say a big heartfelt THANK YOU to Tracy Russell for her time and wild hearted wisdom in this powerfully transforming cycle of the butterfly metaphor series. I think we’re ready to spread our wings and take our lives to a whole new level!

More about Tracy:

Tracy Russell Profile PicTracy Russell is transformational coach, facilitator, writer and speaker guiding adults and young adults to their hearts, inner nature, authentic power and potential so that they may share their unique expression with the world and be the rEVOLUTION that’s needed. She’s a truth-detective, edge-walker, nature-lover, fear-slayer, heart-activist and Wild Hearted Woman in training. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa where you’ll find her either up a rock face, somewhere in nature, dancing or hanging out with her beloved, spirited daughter… when she’s not doing the work she loves of course.

Find her on Facebook HERE

Visit her Site HERE 

Other interesting reads:

 

The Most Insanely Creative Gifts You Can Give Anyone! And Saves on Therapy Bills Too…

How to Win the Lottery using the Law of Attraction

‘Love and Light’ — What Does it Mean?

7 Ways to Tame the Ego and Become Instantly Likeable

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

 

 

 

 

 

Ever Wanted to Fly?

Monarch Butterfly Collage by Cherie Roe DirksenBecoming the Butterfly – The Activation

My good friend, Tracy Russell — a transformational coach and facilitator, has a wealth of wisdom to share with you.

She is the founder of ‘The Wild Hearted Revolution’  and creatix of ‘The Emergent Imaginal Model’ which provides the context for her coaching and leadership programs for youth and adults.

I’ve asked her to do a 4 part blog series — which will begin today and carry on for the month of February — to highlight the key aspects of her insightful and revolutionary module.

So, come journey with us as we unravel how to become the butterfly and awaken to a greater you —  to soar on those newfound wings of freedom that you will have at the end of this series!

“It’s the caterpillar’s job to resist the butterfly and the butterfly’s job to become stronger because of the opposition to its advance.”

 Let the interview commence:

Cherie:  I see you have used the cycle of the butterfly as an allegory for your work — what’s the inspiration behind this?

Tracy:  Butterflies have long-held a fascination for most people. They represent t joy, freedom, creativity and change. Most importantly their seemingly magical metamorphosis symbolizes a necessary transformation and soul evolution for us as individuals and as a collective.

The complete metamorphic cycle (which 88% of all Insects, and most amphibians undergo) has often been used as a metaphor for change. Change that we as humans tend to resist, yet if we learn to embrace it, rather than fight it, we get to discover what the caterpillar discovered… her true self and infinite potential which was always there waiting to be uncovered.

EmergentImaginal Model-1

Cherie:  That is a very powerful interpretation.  You mentioned to me that you’ve uncovered more in-depth and incredibly synchronous information about the cycle of the Monarch Butterfly and how it so beautifully relates to our own personal growth and enlightenment — can you elaborate on that for us?

Tracy:  Sure, I’ll illustrate this through the cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. The egg is usually laid on the Milkweed plant, which remains the larva’s staple diet during her juvenile years. She goes through her life consuming the same bitter food in her familiar environment… it’s predictable, it’s comfortable. Her sight is limited, and she can only in see black and white. She blends into her environment, plays it safe and goes about her job of consumption and survival.

Interestingly the word larva comes from the latin word larva, meaning ghost or mask. Whilst trying to fit in and wear various masks that are socially acceptable the caterpillar creates more layers of disconnection from her innate truth. She goes through 5 layers of molting and grows up to 30 000 times her size in just two weeks.

imaginal-haltere fruit fly

An Imaginal Disc

Yet within this oblivious caterpillar are what are scientifically called Imaginal discs. These cells contain the entire blueprint of the butterfly, the full potential of this juvenile.

Tired of her life on the milkweed she feels a deep yearning for more meaning growing inside, her imaginal discs are awakening. Her old life just no longer fits and she knows it’s time to go within and find her gold. Interestingly the word Chrysalis comes from the Latin word Khrysos meaning Gold.

She spins some silk and attaches herself to the underside of a leaf hanging upside down in a letter J and prepares for the 6th and final shedding.

Yet letting go of that last layer isn’t easy, it involves trust and commitment to stay connected to the leaf and the process.  In order to become who she really is, she needs to let go who she thought she was.

As these imaginal discs start activating, the old cells of the instar see these new ‘higher frequency’ cells as a threat and start attacking them, basically eating itself from the inside out as the discs form larger and larger clusters and take over.

This stage is met with fears and doubts as you enter the unknown. The old you wants to remain small, irresponsible and keep hiding behind the mask.

original_butterfly

Imaginal Disc of the Wing

Being who you truly are, showing up fully and vulnerably, honouring your values, your unique gifts and strengths and living from the power of your heart requires courage and persistence. It means putting your quest for truth above all else and blazing your own trail. 

After two weeks in the Chrysalis, the butterfly has found the treasure of who she is, reclaimed her power and now has to break through the final barriers of resistance to share the gift of who she is with the world.

Cherie:  That is truly amazing and a perfect metaphor for us!  Can you elaborate succinctly the caterpillar’s journey to become the butterfly so we can see it more clearly? 

Tracy:  She’s gone from survival to thrival, sipping on the sweet nectar of life.  Her vision was black and white and now encompasses a full spectrum of light, including ultraviolet. She’s lighter, more radiant, fearless and free.

The Monarch Butterfly Emerging

The Monarch Butterfly Emerging

Cherie:  How do we know if becoming the butterfly is what we truly want?  What are the signs to look for that we are having a personal awakening or urge to break free of our cocoons?

Tracy: You may be feeling a restlessness within, a desire for more meaning and fulfillment. You may be asking ‘Is this really it?’, ‘What is my purpose?’, ‘Why am I here?’ You’ll feel a yearning for something greater, yet not necessarily sure what that even is or how to make it your reality.

Simply put, your purpose is to set your inner butterfly free. To be who you really are beyond the layers of domestication and conditioning and share your uniqueness with the world. You don’t have to know what that is or how that will come about. You just have to commit to the journey, trust the unfolding and be in action of your dreams.  Living into your potential involves going beyond the known (I’ll be explaining in a later blog how to create in the unknown).

Metaphorically your imaginal discs are activating and you’ll feel that inner battle going on between your heart’s desire and your old conditioning (not to mention the demands of the outside world.) You’ll feel the surge of fears and doubts and in each moment you get to ask yourself “What am I giving my power to? My doubts or my truth?” (Either way you’ll be right!)

Cherie:  How do we discern the difference between our doubts and our truth?

Tracy: Yes that’s always the tricky part. What I’ve learned is the truth isn’t something that’s necessarily rational. It’s a feeling, a knowing, an intuition, a tingle in your body, like you’re remembering something that feels like home – It’s expansive and liberating. Your fears and doubts are contractive and pinch you off from your joy. They’re there to show you what needs to be transmuted and let go of in order to live more fully into your truth.

Cherie:  How do you think the butterfly cycle relates to where we are right now in this auspicious epoch of time?

Tracy: The time has come on our planet where the imaginal discs are activating, within ourselves and within our planet. Those who awaken to their butterflies within become the imaginal discs of our planet.

The more and more we start clumping together, the more we threaten the old caterpillar way of survival, consumption, competition and destruction and assist humanity and our planet in birthing a new world of compassion, beauty, freedom and abundance. I call this the rEVOLUTION and it starts with each one of us taking our power back from our own inner dictator.

Cherie:  Wow!  Now that is something I think we can all relate to. Most of us feel a change is afoot (in fact a necessity) and the key is to know that each one of us can make a difference and it’s our responsibility to create the change we seek.

Thank you, Tracy, for this illuminating interview.

In the follow-up blogs (next one is out in a week — so stay tuned!), Tracy will be expanding on her model and taking this evolutionary process deeper to explore the integration of:

  • Our super- and subconscious / light and shadow
  • Our masculine and feminine principles,
  • And how to live into our most authentic and powerful lives.

Exciting stuff, you don’t want to miss out on, I can assure you!

UPDATE:  You can read the second blog here: Do You Know the Difference Between Your Superconscious and Subconscious Mind?

More about Tracy:

Tracy Russell Profile PicTracy Russell is transformational coach, facilitator, writer and speaker guiding adults and young adults to their hearts, inner nature, authentic power and potential so that they may share their unique expression with the
world and be the rEVOLUTION that’s needed.
She’s a truth-detective, edge-walker, nature-lover, fear-slayer, heart-activist and Wild Hearted Woman in training. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa where you’ll find her either up a rock face, somewhere in nature, dancing or hanging out with her beloved, spirited daughter… when she’s not doing the work she loves of course.

Find her on Facebook HERE

Visit her Site HERE (site still under construction but you can contact her via e-mail tracy@tracyrussell.co.za)

 

Other blogs you may enjoy:

subscribe button16 Imperative Choices For Healthy Living — How Many Are You Already Doing?

Make a New LIFE Resolution (It’s Much More Powerful than a New Year’s Resolution)!

Expressing Dis-Ease Through Painting and Poetry

Why (Hu)gh Jackman Has Got Nothing to Do With This

Start 2015 with CLASS!

CLASS_Logo_Header_with_Tues-960x255

As a regular weekly Writer for Conscious Life News, I just have to let you know about an amazing new free transformational program CLN is hosting. It’s called the Conscious Life Awakened Speaker Series (CLASS) and it begins today and continues…well, forever (or pretty damn close).

It takes place every Tuesday at 5 pm PST, and it’s LIVE, HEALING & TRANSFORMATIONAL.

A few of the awesome upcoming speakers are: Derek Rydall, Sonia Choquette, Rhonda Britten, Dee Wallace, and Farhana Dhalla, and it’s all hosted by the irreverently reverent Vicki Howie.

Make 2015 your year of empowerment and sign up for free here.

Other articles your may enjoy:

10 Easy Steps to a New You!

Get Harmony for Free! Six Simple Ways to Reconnect with Spirit

Why (Hu)gh Jackman Has Got Nothing to Do With This

Reusable Art for a Dollar!

Poppy Art Greeting Cards by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Yup, you read right.  In an initiative to keep my site alive (and to raise $120 for my annual site fee) I have come up with an offer you can’t miss out on!

What You ALWAYS Need

Everyone needs greeting cards — how many birthdays, celebrations and occasions do you have coming up?  I bet at least a couple in the foreseeable future.

So, for just $1 (easily purchased through PayPal with instant delivery) I am offering you 4 custom designed greeting cards (blank for you to fill in your own message) in a ready-to-print template (PDF).

All you’ve got to do each time you need a card is pop some paper in your printer and hit the print button!

Never Ending Supply

You can reuse these templates over and over again.  And, yes, all I ask is for $1 to go towards my yearly renewal fee for the site so I can keep on offering my free downloads and weekly blogs.

Want yours now?  Great…just click the button below:

Papal button

You will be redirected after checkout to my site where you’ll get a download link, if you don’t receive the link to your cards after you’ve completed the checkout, please e-mail me at cheriedirksen@yahoo.com and I’ll personally see to it that you get them.

Feel Like a Rug Has Been Pulled Out From Underneath?

The Boys by Cherie Roe DirksenI’m here with another sneak peek that I was able to grab from the producers of the When Everything Changes, Change Everything: Highlights from an Extraordinary Spiritual Renewal Retreat with Neale Donald Walsch DVD, which presents a huge number of the tools in his book and how to apply them into real life situations.

Ever Got Your Hopes Up For Nothing?

One attendee felt like he had lost it all. He was a filmmaker who had mad passion for his film, only to have his project be picked up by a studio. All his dreams and aspirations looked like they were finally going to come true. Contracts were being drawn up, production schedules being set. He felt he had finally made his big break.

And then, one day, it all stopped.

The studio dropped his project, and it was deemed “impossible” to be made even by another studio due to the specific type of project. He felt his dreams shatter. He said he understands that he should be okay with it and move on, but it’s easier said than done. “How do you let go?” he asks.

Neale offers these words:

Sometimes we confuse purpose with function. And we think that our purpose is to achieve something and that there’s only one way to function that out. But if we get very clear, we get very aware that the fulfilling of a purpose does not require the performing of a specific function in a particular way. There may be other ways to meet that same purpose.  Most people because of the limited perspective that they hold confuse function and purpose. And when the function is taken away it looks as if the purpose can’t be fulfilled.

Neale also explains what happens when we realize that there are other ways to fulfill our purpose than just one, and explores how to determine what one’s purpose is.

Waiting For the Right Door

It’s important to remember that just because one door closes it doesn’t necessarily mean that your idea is not sound — there are plenty of other doors that will make themselves available to you when you are in alignment with your purpose.

Sometimes those doors also don’t look exactly like what we expect — so it’s also important not to try and control the outcome (i.e. ‘I only want a pink door with oak finishes‘ instead of allowing: ‘I trust the Universe’s door will be the quickest way to my success’).

We sometimes give up just before the right door is about to open.

Is Today the Day to Take Charge and Change your Situation?

If you are at a loss as to how to navigate the changes in your life, I recommend this informative and memorable time with Neale, all packed into a 7-disc DVD set of highlights from his Spiritual Renewal Retreat, which has just been released today, Thursday, April 24th.

Obviously nothing can compare with attending one of Neale’s retreats in person, but these highlights, filmed at an actual live retreat, give you the next best thing.

Just click the link below to gift yourself (or a friend/loved one) with this life-changing DVD set.  Or, perhaps you know someone who you feel could benefit from a new perspective on the changes we all face in the world right now…

Get the DVD HERE now!

 

Other articles you may enjoy:

Do You Want Something to Change in Your Life?

How to Resolve a Loved One’s Passing

It’s About Time This Blog Was Written!

Celebrate This Earth Day By Playing The (God)dess Game

 

 

 

Celebrate This Earth Day By Playing The (God)dess Game

Earth day is celebrated on the 22nd April (this Tuesday) — events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection.  

The first Earth Day celebration was way back in 1970.

Having Good ‘ol Gaia Fun

The online magazine, Butterfly You, is running a self-assessment game to discover the Goddess Within You (men, please don’t feel excluded — you too can participate by embracing your yin energy and traits, get your inner hippy on!).

So be a sport and amuse yourself this Earth Day by tapping into your divine elemental traits.

Find your Fabulousity!

What type of Goddess are you? Find your fabulousity in the Earth Day Issue of the Butterfly You! Magazine. Read at http://mariamar.com/butterflyUThe issue has been designed as an inspiring, fun, self-assessment game that connects you to Earth Mother.

Find out:

  •  Are you a (God)dess of the Earth, Flowers, Waters, Earth, Fire or Air?
  •  How does your fabulousity show up in your emotions, creativity, heart, body, mind or spirituality?
  • What is the essence of your Fabulousity?
  • What do you need to watch for?
  • What is the flip side of your Fabulousity?
  • What must you do to honor your Fabulousity?

Join me and 4 other experts who embody these elements:

  • ·Anne Gudrun — Representing Flowers
  • ·Susan Schanerman — Representing Fire
  •  Cynthia Segal — Representing Sky
  • ·Maria Mar — Representing Water
  •  Cherie Roe Dirksen — Representing Earth

Enjoy the beautiful art of some of these Goddesses — who are visual artists too — and get their gifts by clicking HERE (to read the online mag).

Embracing the Planet

Everyone honours Earth Day in their own special way.  We all have a connection to Mother Earth and express that bond uniquely.

  • What will you be doing this Earth Day to show you care?  Please comment in the box below (‘Have your say…’).
  • Do you have an event on that day that you would like to share or any other information relating to Earth Day celebrations?  Please feel free to share below.

 

Other articles you may enjoy:

The Tree of Life — Can You Relate?

Here’s Your Crown — You Are Sovereign!

How to Artfully Get into Your Element

Heaven on Mother Earth…

Why You Need Hibiscus Between the Sheets!

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

Anchoring the New Energy…