“Love is a many splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong…all you need is love!” ~ Elephant Medley (Moulin Rouge)
Ah, who could forget those magical three lines as tuned to us by that scrummy little Scotsman, Ewan McGregor?
But what exactly is love?
We all need to love and be loved.
Our entire existence is pretty much centered on falling for it, attaining it, looking for it, trying to keep it, giving it away, getting very upset if it doesn’t come our way — so what is this powerful force about?
The Be All and End All
The dictionary defines love as the intense feeling of deep affection. A rather dull and disappointing description for something that rules our lives but it is very apt.
Intense (‘in’ and ‘tense’ — very tense at times!) feeling of deep (perhaps even bottomless, infinity) ‘affect’ (tion) —the process of being affected.
Crapola, words really don’t even begin to get to the bottom of this profound and exquisite sensation. As Eckhart Tolle once said, ‘words are only pointers to the truth’ (paraphrasing).
Science and Love
Science tries to explain love as a chemical reaction in the brain. That’s all — cut and dry…next problem please!
It makes me chuckle. Everything in this existence can be explained by science but only a tiny, infinitesimal fraction of what its true nature holds.
You can describe the fertilization of an egg as the fusing of sperm and ovum in a ‘chemical reaction’ but that hardly explains the miracle of the entire process. Bah humbug, says I!
I can hold up my middle finger to science and say explain this! “Yes, well, that is the muscular encoding of the brains signal to clutch ones first, second, fourth finger and thumb into a holding position to carry out a point.”
Yes, but that point is far greater than the explanation, isn’t it? The sheer force of my will and intent in raising my middle digit is to send you all sorts of messages that couldn’t possibly be said in such a reputable blog.
The Energy Matrix
Love, although it can’t be proven in a laboratory, is the glue that binds us together.
Without it we are lost. It’s what makes life in 3D bearable and adds to our staying power here. It’s what keeps us tethered to beings on the other side of the veil. It leads us back to Source (or God) in a very inexplicable way.
“I need to LOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!” ~ Madness (Muse)
Without love, what would the point be? Love is what holds our form together, the egg to our cake — the binding ingredient of existential life and beyond.
What is it exactly? Beats me! All I know for sure is that we can’t do without it. Love is formless, wordless but it sure as hell ain’t meaningless.
Here are some love quotes to get your juices stirring — ola ola!:
Got your attention, right? Surely it should be illegal, if not banned, for a self-help writer to promote drama in one’s life?
Yes, under other circumstances — as in ‘karma drama’ and negative or destructive repetitive behaviour) but I’m referring to a good type of drama. Huh? Yes, there is a good kind of drama.
“Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.” Irving Wallace
Here’s one of the dictionary definitions for the type of drama I’m referring to:
(def.) an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances.
Ground Hog Day Revisited
Ever feel like you are on a life-loop — repeating the same thing day in and day out?
Well done if you answered ‘no’ to this — you’re doing great. However, most of us have our moments when we feel the monotony of our daily schedule creep up and douse us with the cold, watery pangs of tedium.
Thing is, what do we do to add some spice? Come on…think! What can one do to inject some adventure into life?
Well, I suppose I should offer up some advice, so here it goes:
Get Creative — start looking at your schedule and see if there is any way you can add a sparkle to your routine. Even if this means dressing up like Ziggy Stardust or Cyndi Lauper whilst vacuuming (after all, girls just want to have fun and boys keep swinging). Anything out of the ordinary can add zest to your life. Or perhaps it may come in the form of you and your children listening to an old classic audiobook, that you have been threatening to read to them, whilst commuting to school or extra-mural activities. You’ll be surprised how everyone starts to enjoy being stuck in traffic!
Do Something Unexpected — this depends on your personality type, of course. Try doing something out of character. Show the world you’re unpredictable (in a good way). This doesn’t mean sticking pencils up your nose at the office but it could entail wearing your AC/DC shirt to the PTA meeting or treating yourself to a night on the town with your BFF’s. Give yourself a shake-up, prove to yourself you’ve still got a pulse. Boring is as boring does (thanks for that one, Forrest!)
Tourist Hangouts — here’s something different that’s usually a hoot! Go hang out where there’s a lot of tourists about. I tell you, it’s great stuff! You get to see and experience different cultures on your own doorstep. I like to loiter at Boulders in Cape Point (a penguin colony near where I live) because I see all types there and it’s great fun to watch all the different reactions to our little black and white flightless seabirds (especially with the foreign children who have never seen one before). I know this may seem like a strange suggestion but it really bolsters that sense of unity with the rest of the world and sometimes gives you an unexpected appreciation for your own roots.
Read — I know some of you reading this are already bookworms but for those who haven’t set foot in a library since the dawn of reality TV, dust off that library card and go scouting for some good books. Just reading about other people’s adventures can kick-start your own ideas for merry pursuit and wild exploits.
Commit — lastly, just commit to trying to seek out adventure. Catch yourself when you slip into complacency. Go for a walk when you feel bored or give yourself that extra little nudge out the door when it comes to socializing and networking. There is a whole world out there. I won’t lie to you, it’s full of crazed weirdo’s but there are also some incredibly fantastic people just waiting for the opportunity to thrill you within an inch of your life (when you meet them, please inbox me their contact details).
Know thyself but try to get to know others too. People have the strangest way of providing irrevocably bedazzling information and star-studded ideas that gets our saliva flowing and all we need to do is make the effort to mingle or strike up that conversation.
I hope this list has given you some fresh new ideas to start cooking up a few new recipes that will let the flavor of life carry you to tastier grounds.
“When all is said and done, monotony may after all be the best condition for creation.” Margaret Sackville
Right, in saying that, where did I leave my gorilla costume? I need to go out and get some bread and milk and frighten a few prospective tourists.
“Someone who thinks the world is always cheating him is right. He is missing that wonderful feeling of trust in someone or something.”
— Eric Hoffer
How Trust Can Bring You Abundance
I believe in what I do and what I have to say, so when I saw this new video circulating Facebook I just had to share it with you.
It’s called ‘An 8-Foot-Tall Woman Is Destroying The Entire Music Industry’ and it’s a TED talk by Amanda Palmer. Take a look for yourself, in case you haven’t seen this already:
The Penny Drops!
What this brave and courageous woman had to say resonated so much with my soul, it left me shell-shocked for about an hour while I tried to process this invaluable information and apply it to my entire life.
What stood out for me were the similar experiences of self-doubt:
Is what I’m doing of use to others?
Should I get a ‘real’ job?
Am I just kidding myself?
I have 3 passions in life, every one of them has brought me to these questions (and brought me to my knees!).
Careers with Bad Reputations
I started out as a musician in a band but…
My Limiting Belief: Musicians are bums and lay-abouts, they don’t ear money. No-one takes you seriously. Get a real job.
Then I pursued my love for art and I became a full-time artist but…
My Limiting Belief: You can’t make money being an artist, you’ll struggle all your life. Get a real job.
Then — oh God forbid — I started to write! And…
My Limiting Belief: Writers are poor, they don’t earn money. If you don’t make it onto the Best Sellers list you’ll never make it. Get a real job.
Money, Monks and Misunderstandings
Prints available – click on picture
The worst part of it was that I am a ‘spiritual’ writer and there is a hefty stigma that you should not earn money off spiritual advice. After all, stereo-typically monks, nuns and Buddhists are humble, simple, poor people.
I also tend to shudder when I see a sight offering spiritual advice accompanied by a paid subscription. However, I’m the one with the problem — everyone has a right to earn money.
Money is an energy swap. I give you, you give me. The figure of eight is complete and everyone walks away with an equal exchange.
I am one of those people who cringes when I have to ask for money. Something in me thinks that it’s like begging and that is shameful. I seriously need to get over it if I’m going to keep up my chosen career. If I don’t, there’s a nice cashier job waiting for me at my local grocer.
The Two Common Stumbling Blocks
Asking for this ‘energetic exchange’ or money brings a strange dichotomy. The problem, as I see it, lies with these two things:
Self-belief/love — Do you believe that your product/service/talent is worth it? I.e. are you worth it? Are you creating/providing a service from a place of love and passion? Or is this a means to an end? From my experience, if you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re in big trouble when it comes to integrity. Doubt will creep in where there is no passion.
Fair exchange — Here’s the humdinger. What to charge? Yikes, I’ve encountered so many people who suffer big time with this. They either charge too little for their expertise or they charge too much. In the latter case, it’s just because they may be in a profession where there is potential to charge a lot but they are not experientially there yet. They shoot themselves in the foot by charging professional prices with beginners experience.
The Solution
Prints available – click on picture
Love what you do. Have a burning passion for what you do. Trust in your clientele or the people you exchange your services with. If there is a way that you can let them determine what you are worth, then go for it. Trust that they will reimburse you with fairness and integrity.
I’m not saying everyone will give you what you or your services are worth but it’s in my experience that more people than not, will compensate you appropriately when given the chance.
Letting as Opposed to Making
In the video, Amanda Palmer said that instead of asking how to make people pay for services you should let them pay. That was my ‘a-ha’ moment.
With our economies in collapse and the entire global population wondering if money will even be present in our future, this novel idea of trust in commerce rings bells in my head.
We are moving into a new consciousness on this planet — heart-centered living — and this kind of energy exchange just might work!
Let’s Put Integrity to the Test
I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is (pun intended!). I’ve just self-published my second book, ‘Carpe Diem or Bust — a Spiritual Guide to the Good Life’, and I want to share it with the world — whether I make money from it or not.
Of course, I’d like to make money as I’ve also got bills to pay but I believe in this book so much that I’d rather it got read than having it be just another Amazon book statistic. That’s not why I wrote it.
I know it will help people but I also know that a lot of people won’t read it because they can’t afford the luxury of buying books right now. So, in light of what has just been discussed, I am offering my book to you for free.
I trust that you will enjoy it and find the information on the pages of value and should you wish to contribute — by donating to keep me and my passions alive — then you are most welcome to pay whatever you want to.
My neighbour (and close friend) and I were discussing momentous children’s books on my couch the other day and the rich and bountiful impact such incredible literature has on our lives.
“After I’ve been dead five years, no one will read anything I’ve written.” — C.S. Lewis
She is reading the Narnia series to her daughter at the moment. I also grew up with the magic of C.S. Lewis’s profound wardrobe world. And, let’s face it, what woman (or man, for that instance) hasn’t fallen in love with James McAvoy in his role as Mr Tumlis? Yum yum.
Lions, Hobbits, Pooh, Hallucinagenic Mushrooms, Muggles and Metaphors
“To me [the religious parallels have] always been obvious. But I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going.” — J.K. Rowling on her Harry Potter Book Series
But on a serious note, there are tons of books, aimed at both children and adults, that are spiritually profound. Have you noticed the incredible metaphors woven into these tales of good and evil, morality, justice, love, compassion and comradeship in the following books?
Lord of the Rings Trilogy (or any other book, for that matter, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
Harry Potter Series (J.K.Rowling)
Alice in Wonderland/Alice Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll)
Winnie-the-Pooh (The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne has sparked off other books such as the ‘Tao of Pooh’ and the ‘Te of Piglet’ by Benjamin Hoff to ‘Positively Pooh (Timeless Wisdom from Pooh)’ — all of which liken these characters to Taoism and the Tao Te-Ching)
Dr Seus and his plethora of thought-provoking, humourous teachings that inspire sound and solid moral footing
Some Interesting Facts and Religious Tones
J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa (Bloemfontein) in 1892. He was raised a Roman Catholic but had a spiritual vision beyond the confines of Christian religion.
C.S. Lewis had strange dreams of lions and pictures in his head of a faun carrying parcels before he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were friends.
Lewis Carroll was a deeply spiritual man. At the time of his passing, Carroll was working on an essay applying his skills in logic to proving that a benevolent God would not allow eternal damnation to exist.
When he was known simply as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Pope condemned J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, writing that their “subtle seductions, which act unnoticed … deeply distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly” (and, as most of us know, if the Pope condemns it, it must be good!). Rowling said she’s proud to be on numerous banned-book lists. She said, “I go to church myself. I don’t take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion.”
Falling For Potter
I have to admit that, although many spiritual writers and books helped me along my path, I also drew much information and wisdom from the Harry Potter Book Series.
J.K. Rowling has an incredible knowledge of all things spiritual, legendary, astrological and magical.
Her wisdom as carried out through the characters in her books, never fails to bring me to my knees.
She is much more than an English Billionairess who writes children’s novels — no, she is a bloody genius!
Cover Up Those Covers or Go Under Cover!
When the Potter books were first released, so many adults were reading them that the publishers had to bring out an ‘adult’ cover for these more mature and somewhat embarassed readers to disguise the fact that they were immersed in children’s literature.
I couldn’t have given a rat’s arse about that as I read the ‘kiddies’ version as blatantly and publicly as I could. I loved the fact that they were being condemned and ‘black-listed’ around the globe — this usually means that they’ll spread like wild-fire and they most certainly did.
Now children and adults all over the world have been exposed to the wonders of magic, spirit, love, compassion, astrology, herbology, courage, morality, wisdom and a plethora of other esoteric teachings — whether they know it or not!
Drawing on Endearing Dumbledore
There are so many terrific words of sheer enlightenment that sprout from the Headmaster character, Dumbledore in the Potter Series. I often find myself in times of trouble and it is not Mother Mary who comes to me it is Albus Dumbledore — speaking his words of wisdom.
“As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all – the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things which are worst for them.” — Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling)
My favourite one being (when I am receiving some ‘not so nice’ mail/comments), “If you are holding out for universal popularity, I’m afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time.” It always makes me laugh and then I don’t take myself or what other people think of me so seriously.
Thank you J.K. for taking that first step, even if it was writing on serviettes! You’ve done the world a huge service. And to all the other magnificent authors — you are legend!
Believing in a New Perspective
It doesn’t matter what book or doctrine you read that helps you to find Source (‘God’) — just as long as you get there in the end!
Finding your Truth — a belief or idea that resonates with your soul — is unique to every individual. Be happy for others who find their divinity in their own way and know that it is appropriate even if it is not the way you have found it.
What books/movies/TV series have moved you spiritually? Please share your favourites with me!
Please read the supporting articles and studies within this article. For further information about the dangers of anti-depressants please visit Dr Peter Breggin’s site CLICK HERE.
NOTE: This is a tough subject and please take note that these are my opinions — you must always use your discernment when reading, listening or viewing anything.
Despair Over Humanity Disconnected
It’s a topic easily understood by those who have been through an awakening of their soul but it is ‘eye-rolling’ material for those who have no concept of what an awakening is or going through what is termed ‘the dark night of the soul’.
“Stressed individuals are forced to live in a defunct society that has no real relationship to soul.”
I get frustrated trying to explain to people what it is and why so many go through the ‘dark night of the soul’ or severe depression when they awaken (not to be mistaken for other types of depression — I’m purely speaking of spiritual awakening). My frustrations arise from not being able to put this phenomenon into a succinct package — unfortunately, this experience would take days to explain properly.
There are so many aspects to the awakening process. Even the word ‘awakening’ seems vague to many. In my opinion, it was dubbed so because you seem to start to ‘see’ things from a different perspective, hence you ‘wake up’ and view your world in a different light. When you wake up to certain truths it certainly sets you free but it severely pisses you off first. And, with this, usually comes the dark night of the soul/depression.
Help! I Need a Psychiatrist/Doctor!
There is way too much to cover when it comes to the ‘awakening’ symptoms — what to look for and what to do when you go through this process. However, I want to just outline one key factor in this article: Anti-Depressants.
Much is not understood about coming into soul alignment and it is easily diagnosed as chronic depression in those that cannot either talk about their experiences or feel like they have no clue as to what’s going on.
“More of a problem is now created by a few irresponsible doctors than drug pushers on street corners,” CDC Director Dr. Thomas Friede
I’m no doctor, but I do have a lot of experience in these ‘spiritual awakening’ cases. I have been through it and scraped through a depression that lasted a good 6 months. My husband has been through it and countless friends and family members have either been through or are going through it.
I gain nothing from the information I provide (i.e. I’m not financially benefiting so I have no ulterior motives here) whereas the pharmaceutical companies reap in the rewards of keeping ‘patients’ on drugs indefinitely.
I have to say that I have met a handful of doctors who truly are compassionate individuals. They try to help their patients with long-term sustainable advice like a healthy diet and exercise instead of plying the patient with life-threatening drugs that only add to problems or ‘polyfilla’ initial diagnosis to produce further complications elsewhere in the body.
Trust Your Instinct
Use your God-given discernment wisely when it comes to medicine and psychiatry. You are sovereign over your body.
Practitioners can only advise but their advice also needs to be discerned or meditated upon by you, who is the only person who knows what’s best for your system.
Drugs have their uses and even I am subject to taking a pain-killer every now and then for a migraine, but the flippant use of pharmaceuticals are on the increase and it’s alarming how many people think it’s OK to continuously use toxic drugs to rectify their system.
Some people take a cocktail of drugs every day without even thinking of the long-term consequences.
The Real Killer
I’m not even going to go into the ‘petty’ side-effects of anti-depressants like nausea, weight gain and headaches here. Let’s dive into the more severe risks.
Here are just a few hidden dangers of anti-depressants:
Suicide — believe it or not, all anti-depressants carry an increased risk of suicide. The worst is, the risk is higher in children and teenagers who take antidepressants. Stay far away from alcohol as it makes this ‘side-effect’ even worse.
Physical Dependency — like any drug, chances are you’ll get addicted to anti-depressants and the chemical changes these pills cause. Don’t come off this medication abruptly as the withdrawals symptoms are too numerous to list. You need to gradually wean yourself off them and definitely seek medical advice on how to do this properly. Please read the books by Dr Peter Breggin.
Fudging — anti-depressants are NOT A CURE for ‘dark night of the soul’ type of depression. They merely help, those in severe cases of depression, to cope. You are, however, still fudging a problem that needs addressing through therapy or deep and committed inner reflection (see my list of practitioners who can help HERE). Anti-depressants ARE NOT a long term solution.
“For people with severe depression, medication can be a very important part of treatment. It can be the difference between being completely incapacitated, and being able to engage in therapy, being able to go for a walk etc. But antidepressants aren’t a magic cure. They don’t suddenly make everything okay.
Severe mental illness can’t be fixed overnight. It usually takes months or even years of treatment to reach some sort of stability where you can get back to your life as it was before you became ill. And non-drug treatments are just as important for people who take medication as they are for those who don’t.
Doctors, patients, friends, family etc often expect medication to make the problem go away straight away. Some people will even wonder why you can’t just “snap out of it” already. It doesn’t work like that. Recovering from a serious depressive illness is like recovering from major surgery. It takes time, and the right treatment.” (source: Hard-to-Swallow)
So What’s the Solution for Depression with a Spiritual Awakening?
The first step to anything is awareness. When you are aware of why you feel the way you do, you can start to remedy it.
I was reading a book this morning and it hit the nail on the head. It did what I could not do, it gave a succinct description of what an awakening is. Here goes:
“Stressed individuals are forced to live in a defunct society that has no real relationship to soul.”
Wow. That neat little package of words just said it all.
When you realize this and wake up to the fact that our world is based on illusion and anything worthy of soul is suppressed, you slip into depression or what is commonly referred to as ‘the dark night of the soul’.
Why?
Because it feels like you can’t cope in a world that is fake. You feel down because you have ‘slept’ (or had the wool pulled over your eyes) for so long without realizing what was right under your nose and now that you see it, there is little you feel you can do about it.
You feel helpless, defeated, drained, angry, resentful and the list goes on according to the individual and their life experience so far.
You can’t function properly because it all feels so meaningless. Then your partner urges you to seek medical or psychiatric advice and the medication process starts.
Partners — Please Take Note
I would like the partners of people who are going through this process to try to glean a better understanding of what may be occurring.
I do not judge you as I know how frustrating it must be to be on the other end trying to ‘keep things together’. Many of you have families who rely on you and your partner as a ‘unit’.
However, not allowing your partner to go through this course in their own time, may cause even further complications. If you encourage the use of anti-depressants you are only postponing the problem and causing another potential problem (the physical decay/damage of their body).
This is not meant to scare you or be unsympathetic — it is just the truth. The truth can be scary and the truth may hurt but the truth will out. Try to be patient and compassionate with this process.
You can deal with anything as long as you have awareness of what it is.
Drugs cover problems and cause more internal damage than you can imagine. You might as well let your partner take to the bottle or get high every time they feel bad. Don’t fool yourself — pharmaceutical drugs are just as life destroying as ‘illegal’ drugs.
In fact, I read only recently, that in the last 27 years 3 million people have died from pharmaceuticals.
“Rather than popping a pill in an attempt to resolve health issues instantly, real health and wellness starts with the individual removing themselves from the medical paradigm. The key to health rejuvenation includes supplementing with whole food based vitamins and minerals, proper nutrition, exercise and a full understanding of the many pitfalls of mainstream medical science. It starts with the realization that your health is in your hands, and that you have the powerto optimize your health.” ~ Extract from ‘Is there really a difference between legal and illegal drugs’.
Nature Has the Cure
Besides the awesome effects of exercise, fresh air and being out in nature — you have a plethora of nutritious food options you can draw on to help you cure and maintain a healthy body and mind.
Recent studies have shown that a common household spice like turmeric is more effective than Prozac at treating depression!
Do your research and find a natural cure. Nature holds all the answers. Just sitting under a tree can do more good than popping a pill. Let gardening and healthy eating be the new Prozac.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is not intended to provide, and does not constitute medical advice. The content provided is designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. If you believe you may have a condition, please seek qualified professional care. Always consult your doctor if you want to wean yourself off anti-depressants.
Believe it or not, colour has a huge impact on our lives.
It can greatly affect our emotions and gives us a chance to express ourselves whether we’re aware of it or not. So, my aim in these ‘colour’ related articles is to open your eyes to this wonderful world of hue awareness.
Playing with colour in art, decor, fashion, etc. can be fun, daring, bold and stimulating. Let’s get cracking then!
The Power of Red
Today I’m going to explore the colour red. Red is normally associated with:
warmth,
passion,
love (as in the red rose),
burning fiery heat,
blood,
lust,
prosperity and joy (in Chinese tradition),
conflict or war (as in Mars — the red planet and Roman God or War)
Men and Red
Will it surprise you to know that, statistically, red is in the top 3 of men’s favourite colours?
What man doesn’t want that red Ferrari? Or how about that old Chris de Burg song ‘Lady in Red’ — a man’s fantasy. The ‘red dress’ is renowned for its sex appeal, as so aptly put in The Matrix movie. Remember when the geeky programmer ‘Mouse’ wrote a distracting code for a bountiful blonde with bursting cherry red voluptuous lips and a skin-tight red number to distract Neo in training?
Red can also denote danger as in getting burnt or having blood shed, so it’s a hugely provocative colour — extreme pleasure or certain death, what a dichotomy!
Women and Red
Yeah, okay, you probably know whats coming. Menstruation. When I think of red I definitely think of love, lust and passion but I also think of blood. It is the essence of life and vitality.
Red is the colour representation for our root chakra (at the base of the spine — what I like to call the ‘poop’ chakra and, let’s face it, who doesn’t see red when they haven’t had a decent shit?).
Red symbolizes life at the level of practicality, survival as well as heat and circulation in the body.
How Do I Put Red to Good Use?
Practically, you can use red when you want to:
boost your vitality and energy levels,
protect yourself from anxiety, fear or nerves (excellent for job interviews),
set a sexy, passionate mood (ooh-la-la!),
feel sexy, bold or confident.
It’s up to you how you want to express yourself i.e. through wearing it (clothes or jewellery/accessories), decorating your home/office through art/paint/upholstery, using candles or crystals, using accents of it with make-up — use your imagination and flare!
Go on you Red Hot Chili Pepper! Fire up your life with a bit of red…
Don’t forget that all the pictures in this blog can be bought as prints, canvas prints, framed prints, greeting cards and so forth (just click on the relevant picture to take you to the store) — there’s something to suit every pocket.
I’m feeling rather dramatic as my face is still encrusted with tears as I write this — it’s Friday the 2nd August 2013, a day I’ve been dreading for the past week and there’s no going back now.
I had no intention of writing about this so soon (if at all) but was suddenly struck with the urge to share this and, hopefully, shed a bit of perspective (and possibly a tear or two) with you.
D-Day and Empty Spaces
We put down our aged dog this morning, something I haven’t had to do before as I never had pets growing up.
“You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.” ~Robert Louis Stevenson
Although the procedure went very smoothly, nothing can prepare you for the emotional torrent that washes over you the minute you step back into your home and feel the empty space that furry little sausage has left behind.
I am already catching myself half way to the front door to let her back in and looking at the clock wondering what I’m going to give her for supper tonight. Then the stark reality hits.
Needless to say, I feel like I’m drowning in my own tears right now but I know that, in time, this too shall pass and she will just be the sweetest memory (and I have so many) that will always bring a smile to my face.
A Vote of Sympathy or a Shift of Perspective?
The reason I’m writing this is not to angle for your sympathy or to make you feel lousy. I’m writing this because I have been battling with guilt for the last week. A guilt that led me to alter the way of looking at death.
Let’s cut this down to brass tacks.
This decision was a few months in the making. My husband and I have been debating whether to put her down or to wait — weighing up the pro’s and con’s. Every time we seemed to reach a conclusion, guilt intervened. The voice in my head would rear and whisper:
You’re playing God.
Maybe she still has a few months left in her…hell, maybe even a year!
She’s still got a wet nose and a twinkle in her eye on those good days.
Why don’t you just let her go naturally?
Look into those big brown eyes — she trusts you and you are plotting to kill her!
Yup, as melodramatic as it sounds, these cursed thoughts pop up every time I became resolute that we needed to do this and soon, as now her limbs were giving way.
Then the voice of reason would start a counter-argument:
She has had a good long life.
She is deaf, half blind and riddled with arthritis and ever-growing fatty cists.
Her back legs are failing her and you aren’t always around to help her back up.
She sleeps most of the time and her quality of life is not what it used to be.
She hasn’t been able to go for a walk in almost a year.
Things are only going to get worse from here on out — let her go!
You know, when I write this out and look at it, it seems like a no-brainer but when you’re the one calling the shots the weight of responsibility is overwhelming.
The run up to our appointment this morning was thwarted with days of feeling like we were doing the right thing and days when indecision crept up and cracked it’s whip in our ears.
The Point at Which Acceptance Came
My neighbor has just had a litter of Labradors — yes, utterly adorable little creatures that catch my eye every morning as I open my bedroom curtains and look down at them galloping about in their yard.
Early on this week, I was looking at how curious, eager and happy they were, frolicking about the garden investigating every little thing. It made me think of Smudgy and how much she loved her walks in the field (I never had her as a puppy, she was adopted by my mother when her first owners passed away and then when my mother died five years ago, she came to live with us).
Yes, Smudge had definitely been around the block!
But back to the puppies…I realized that instead of thinking of this as a linear thing (i.e. you are going to kill her), I needed to see this from a broader more ‘quantum’ perspective — I am going to help her to transition.
Then a new series of thoughts struck me:
You are coming from a place of love, she’ll feel that (i.e. this is not a betrayal of trust, it’s an act of kindness).
You will only be helping her to cross over and who knows, maybe sooner than later she’ll be one of those pups running amuck in a brand new body!
When she does transition, she’ll also be met by all of her other mothers (and father) who will be waiting on the other side of the veil for her.
When the Moment Came
The days that preceded today were fun. I can’t lie, there were moments where I would have a wobble, but, mostly we made the last days the best we could.
Smudgy lived for food, so we bought her everything we could think of as a treat. Every meal she had this week made her eyes bulge! It was classic to see. She got massages and was showered with love, hugs and kisses.
This morning came and I sat beside her and calmly told her what we were about to do and why. I told her about the other side and all the potential that lay ahead of her. I know she couldn’t understand what I was saying but I hope that she could feel the message and sense my love and excitement for her and her transition.
I called on my mother to be with us and the archangel Ariel (angel of animals), so my entourage was on hand! Then I swallowed almost half my bottle of Rescue Remedy (for those of you who aren’t familiar — it’s an herbal tincture to calm you down) and got into the car.
When the time came, I was able to keep her focused on me whilst telling her I loved her and kissing her until she fell asleep. She was looking up at me with her beautiful brown eyes — full of love and trust right up until the moment she fell into permanent sleep.
She was the bravest little soldier imaginable and I couldn’t have wished for an easier transition for her — thanks to my excellent vet and his assistant and my husband, Michael.
Detaching and New Beginnings
It’s always harder for the ones left behind, we know this. But, if you’re ever up against a decision like this or if you need some peace and detachment, please try to see that death is a gateway to a new beginning.
Detachment is different from blocking off or forgetting. It’s about accepting the good, the bad and the in-between and finding peace with all three. A middle ground of acceptance of what is. It’s making a list of the pro’s and con’s and finding that all is in balance. There’s a circle to life and circles are infinite.
Michael said that when she slipped away (he was standing next to me), he felt a great sense of relief, as if she was conveying to him that she was happy to be released.
I think that when death presents itself on our doorstep, we can find solace in remembering that all things must pass in order to be rebirthed. And when transition is inevitable, find the strength and courage in your heart to send a soul on its way with all the love and joy that you can muster.
However, in saying that I’m still bleary-eyed and exhausted from this emotionally draining experience and I need to mourn and take some time to reflect, integrate and grieve.
Thanks for reading this, I know it couldn’t have been easy. I hope my ‘lil Smudgy has let you see things from a slightly different perspective.
I’m going to end this off with the comforting words of my amazing vet. ‘You let her die with dignity’.
Are You Speaking Badly About Someone or Merely Speaking the Truth?
I pray on the principle that wine knocks the cork out of a bottle. There is an inward fermentation, and there must be a vent. ~Henry Ward Beecher
Here’s a difficult topic — are you a gossiping Gerty or is your mouth sealed so tight, you’ve become a clam?
This has been a hot topic in my circle of friends lately as we are all trying to remain in our integrity and avoid that dastardly, lower vibrational activity that is gossip.
Have you noticed that when you are either amongst people whose mouths are flapping off about someone else that you feel quite uncomfortable — like a squirmy little worm who needs to wiggle away to find richer soil?
Maybe it’s you who has started yapping about someone else and you later feel incredible guilt about this — you bad dog, you!
I’m sure that most of us have been guilty of the odd gossip at some stage in our lives but what is the difference between talking behind someone’s back and actually venting about a situation?
Calm Dialogue versus Dramatization
Sometimes two friends get talking and the next thing you are venting about someone who is causing some irritation or discomfort in your life. You feel that the kettle is boiling and a little steam needs to be let out. It’s healthier to blow off a bit of steam than it is to wait until you explode!
Now, how do you do this without gossiping?
Let’s clear this up with an example of a dialogue:
You: My sister is really irritating me lately. She just keeps on getting into trouble and I have to bail her out all the time. I’ve had enough.
Your friend: Maybe you need to give her a little bit of space so she can work things out on her own.
You: Yes, it will be difficult but you’re right. Helping her out every time she’s in a mess is actually disempowering her and frustrating me. She needs to face the consequences of her choices.
Your friend: Exactly. Make sure she knows you love her and the reasons that you are detaching and see how it goes from there.
Okay, now I know that this scenario is like the most ideal dialogue ever and in real life it’s going to sound a teensy-weensy bit different (especially if you are really pee’d off) but you get the gist of it, right?
This is an example of allowing yourself to vent or talk about something/someone that is on your mind in a way that is in your integrity (i.e. the truth of the situation) and is done in a tactful manner.
Let’s take a look at the flip side of the coin:
You: My sister is such a mean person. I can’t handle her rubbish anymore. She needs to just get out of my life for good!
Your friend: I know! I’ve never really liked her. She is such a leach and you have done so much for her.
You: Tell me about it! And what do I get in return? All her grief and worries!
Your friend: I’m going to give her a piece of my mind when I see her again.
I’m going to stop there because I can carry on for hours (*grin*). It’s like the script from ‘Days of our Lives’. Drama, drama and a little more drama!
Here is a prime example of gossip. Can you notice the difference?
The latter dialogue is not coming from a place of integrity, it is coming from your ego that is offended and taking things personally. There is no form of love in this rant.
Seek Out Compassion and Understanding and Venom Dissolves
Even though the person in question might be doing things to you that are less than loving, it doesn’t require for you to fight fire with fire. The best thing you can do is to detach with love and find the compassion for that person.
Why are they hurting?
No-one who is in alignment with their core will find the need to cause you grief ergo they must be in pain. You don’t need to heal their pain, only they can do that. But you can exercise compassion and love them from afar.
Help if you can and it isn’t going to cause your energy to be drained.
We must learn how to explode! Any disease is healthier than the one provoked by a hoarded rage. ~Emil Cioran
So the upshot is to recognize the need to get something off your chest and to act it out in your integrity without giving into the ego and dramatizing the situation. Tell it like it is and give yourself that much-needed space and time to open up and vent instead of bottling things up inside.
Blow off that steam whilst remaining impeccable with your words — I think it is possible, do you? Join the conversation in the comment section bellow
I woke up this morning with a cloud of doom and gloom hovering over my head — a mood that can only most succinctly be labeled as feeling utterly ‘crap’. There is just no other word to encapsulate the emotion that would do it justice. The weather even reflected my dull mood as it was freezing cold and raining heavily.
My leaking roof dripped dulcetly into a bucket reminding me that, metaphorically speaking, I had leakages and the dams were getting ready to burst. It sure felt like it as I gulped back the tears.
I had had a bad dream and I felt like the floor could just swallow me up as I sat on my couch not even bothering to make myself a morning cuppa. The dream was bringing back uncomfortable memories of earlier life experiences and issues.
Lunatics and Full Moons
Prints and Greeting Cards Available – click on picture
I pondered these issues and came to my resolutions but still felt completely voided — I really intensely can’t bear this zero-point energy! 2013 was labeled astrologically and esoterically as the ‘Year of Full Moons’ and it sure is living up to all expectation.
One minute you’re on a high and the next minute you’re begging for the earth to swallow you whole.
My husband meandered down the stairs and after settling down, got the rundown of why my face looked like I was sucking on a sour-worm confectionary — a sight he is not that unfamiliar with.
Ebbs and Flows
We are both used to each others severe energetic mood swings by now and, no, it’s not because we are schizophrenic or in any dire need of a high dosage of Lithium — it’s a part of our reconfiguration to all this new energy influx, what some are calling the birthing of a new age or the ascension of humanity. Read more about that HERE.
But let’s get back to this 3D life of woe and misery…
Music is My First Love
I had things to do; dishes to wash, paintings to package (a chore that has me getting my knickers in a knot with tape in my hair and cardboard lying all over the floor — suffice to say, not something I relish) and other tedious work-related stuff.
What to do?
Prints and Greeting Cards Available — click on picture
I reached over for my iPod and placed it on the docking station. The Beatles started playing ‘Rain’ (how appropriate!) and I instantly felt my mood begin to lift as I boogied down to some good old ’60’s rock.
I know I’ve banged on about this before but I just feel it needs reiterating; MUSIC CURES ALL AILS!
Seriously, I thought nothing was going to bring me out of this pit but within 30 seconds my arse was swaying to the synchronized sounds of the fab four.
Mike looked at me, eyebrows raised as if to say, ‘And now?’. I just smiled…sweet music, my hero!
Next step: Where’s my coffee plunger?
Time for some chat back….
Who’s your favourite band/musician?
What music instantly lifts your vibration?
Have you ever tried music therapy?
Does music lift your spirits when you’re down in the dumps?
When one hears the terms ‘galleries’, ‘art collectors’ or ‘investment art’, one immediately thinks of big bucks and inaccessibility but thanks to the ingenuity of certain online sites and galleries, you are most likely in the position to buy original art right now!
Here’s why:
Bid or Buy (a trustworthy and reputable online auction/shopping site that I have used for over 8 years now) has a PayLater plan for approved, secure sellers. Now you can buy original art and pay it off monthly. For example: The painting on the right works out to R340.00 per month (approx. $34.00) with PayLater (click on the picture to take you to Bid or Buy — the PayLater symbol is on the right of the page, underneath ‘add to cart’). They also conveniently accept Paypal, EFT’s, credit cards, Discovery Miles and loads more other payment options to make life easier for your online shopping requirements.
Saatchi Online offers original art from around the world at every income level. They even have a curator who scours the site every single day for fresh and exciting work by artists from every corner of the globe to put in collections that range from under $1000 to under $100! There are so many great works and diverse artists to choose from but here are a few to get you going:
RedBubble is an online print site that offers excellent, high quality canvas prints, cards, photographic prints, matt prints, framed prints and posters at incredibly affordable prices. There is something here to please every pocket. Here are some tasters of what to expect at this site — an array of artists and a sea of colour, different styles and ingenuity:
So, with all these options, can you honestly say that you can’t do anything about those empty wall spaces?
Internalizing or Externalizing — that is the Question!
Suffering is traumatic and awful and we get angry and we shake our fists at the heavens and we vent and rage and weep. But in the process we discover a new tomorrow, one we never would have imagined otherwise. ~Rob Bell
I come across a lot of people who either build up a big drama around their problems or they internalize them.
It’s one thing to go around needlessly gossiping about people and wreaking verbal havoc but it’s an entirely different case to shut up like a clam instead of allowing yourself to blow off some steam.
The ones who internalize their problems usually don’t like to ‘talk’ about people behind their back or find it inappropriate (venting about your children) or disrespectful (especially in the case of your parents) which, of course, is very noble indeed but there are certain instances where it can be appropriate, if not detrimental, to talk about your problems.
Finding Perspective amongst Guilt
No matter who is causing you distress — it’s not personal. There is often a lot of misunderstanding between a person and their actions. You may still love that person dearly but they have done something (the action) to fluff your feathers.
Holding onto the problem could cause you to like them less and less but addressing the core before it festers can give you that space to figure out your next step without losing any love for that person over it.
So, let’s get this ball rolling by addressing some potential situations.
There should be no guilt in:
Admitting that your child has done something to annoy you — it is no reflection on you as a parent or them as a child — it is what it is. You still love them but their action has caused you unease. You’re not a Stepford Wife, you know. I know the perceived ‘norm’ is to always have a smiley face and a tray of milk and cookies for your child, however, the bald-faced truth is that parenting can be overwhelming at times and you are entitled to vent about your little darlings without fear of judgment.
Discussing a problem you may have with a partner, friend or family member to someone you trust with the information as long as it comes from a place of integrity (i.e. the truth and not the dramatized version).
Talking about how you may not be coping at the moment. When you internalize this it becomes like a festering sore that causes you more and more pain until one day it pops at the most inconvenient time and you are left with a sticky mess to mop up. Even worse, you have a physical breakdown. It’s okay to talk about how you are feeling no matter how ‘dark’ you may think it is. Once you let it out of your system, you have the potential to let it go or find a solution, if not just get the support you may need.
The Lone Warrior
If you feel you can’t talk about these things or you don’t have anyone who will listen that you trust, it’s best to let it out and vent in whatever way you can.
Some healthy examples would be to:
Have a little cry (hell, even a big one!) — there’s nothing more releasing than letting your emotions out through a healthy blubber and don’t feel guilty for it! Rather feel guilty for not allowing yourself the freedom to express yourself.
Find some solitude and belt out a scream — this can also work well as long as you are not within the audible radius of a nosy neighbor.
Put on your boxing gloves and get out that punching bag — it’s a liberating feeling to blow off some steam through physical activity.
Write out your feelings and then burn the paper — this can also be an emancipating experience. When you write something down you are releasing it from your internal dialogue and unburdening the mind. Burning it is symbolic of having vented your problem and you are now ready to move on or find a solution.
Human beings are emotional. We need to express ourselves. Of course, we need to exercise a certain amount of restraint when doing this — i.e. don’t hurt anyone in the process — but there are safe ways of doing it as outlined above.
The worst thing you could do is to bottle up your feelings and wait for the cork to explode one day. You are helping nobody out, least of all yourself, when you don’t blow off some steam about your woes.
Everyone Gets to Park Off on the Lavatory Daily
Remember that old saying; when you feel intimidated by someone remember that they too need to use the toilet every day (slightly euphemized here)? Well, this concept is kind of similar. Everyone has problems, don’t think you are alone.
Everyone needs to take a dump once in a while and everyone has to face problems in their life every now and again.
To talk about it is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign that you can admit you are vulnerable and that your ego doesn’t have you by the short and curlies.
The ego is the thing that wants to exude an outer appearance of having it all, coping with life and just being a regular robotic superhuman. The fact is that you’re not. No-one is and it’s great!
Whoop-de-doo, we’re all messed up and we should celebrate our daftness together and not have to feel guilty about it ever again!
“I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
You may be good (or in the above case not) in bed but how good are you at rising? Right, now that I have your attention…
Are You a Morning or a Mourning Person?
I love to sleep in (don’t we all?). But at some point of the morning one has to muster up the pluck to actually get out of that nice warm bed and brave the cold/the kids/the untidy house/the boss/the traffic/the kitty litter/(insert general problematic encounter here).
As I was lying in bed this morning, blearily preparing to pry open my eyes, I started with my morning ‘head banter’. I then realized that my thought process on this fine and sunny morn would make for a titillating blog (always capitalizing on my life!).
If you are one of the lucky few (0.001% of the global population) who eagerly jumps out of bed at the crack of dawn with a glint in your eye and a spring in your step — bully for you! However, even you may glean value from what I’m about to divulge.
“You will start to see just how incredibly powerful you are as a creator of your experience.”
Here it goes, my list of morning motivating muses:
1. How Do I Want Today to Turn Out? As Will Pharrell sang, ‘It might seem crazy what I’m about to say, Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break. I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space. With the air, like I don’t care, baby, by the way…Because I’m happy‘ — try to start your awakening mind rolling in the direction of a positive affirmation, like telling yourself just how bizarrely splendid today is going to be. Hell, it could be the best damn day of your life!
Let your thoughts steamroll with the idea of having good things happen to you on this day. If you have something to do today that you are dreading or feel uneasy about, now is your chance to manipulate that situation to how you want to see it play out. If it is a dreary task or something with unavoidable lackluster, tell yourself that it is going to go quickly and smoothly so you can get on with something fun afterwards.
2. How Is Today Going to Look? As you lie under your cozy covers, start to visualize this splendid day — make a movie in your head. Start to see how you want it to pan out — direct, director!
You can draw it out with a detailed synopsis or you can conjour up a quick run-through. Just remember to see yourself smiling and laughing a lot. Have copious amounts of ‘good times’ squeezed into this productive day.
Whenever I do this visualization technique, it really does affect how my day starts to unfold (for the better). You will start to see just how incredibly powerful you are as a creator of your experience.
“You’re only as excited by life as how exciting you can be…”
3. Who Do I Want to Be Today? Express yourself! You’ve got to ‘dress for success’. Jeez, I feel like I’m writing about Pop songs here. This may seem like a bit of a strange and unspiritual thing to put in this article but I’ve only just started seeing this from a new perspective. Men, this applies to you too. There is nothing wrong with expressing how you feel or your personality externally and it is becoming more and more acceptable for men to convey this type of sassy style and creativity.
I can also get into the rut of ‘dressing for comfort’ but have recently realized that it can get uber boring! I’ve been exposed to the delights of that online ‘visual’ feast site,Pinterest and, oh boy, have I got some fashion ideas! It can really broaden your style horizons (and I could do with a bit of that). After brain-storming, I have taken my existing wardrobe and fallen in love with it due to a few tweaks and accessories. I now dress according to my mood.
I could be a rock chick one day, a jeans and t-shirt girl the next, a sweet-16-and-never-been-kissed maiden (yeah, right!) to a sophisticated business woman — anything goes where the mood flows (and, yes, I can also just be in a sweat- pants and jumper mood).
It’s heaps of inventive fun! To add even more pizzazz to this daily routine, I sometimes tease my hair and stick it up in a beehive like Elvira or create a rat’s nest, for those of you who can cast your minds back to the ‘80’s, looking like Kim Wilde or Bonnie Tyler. As the saying goes ‘change is as good as a holiday’. My husband has a good chuckle on these ‘hair’ days when he sees me emerging from the bathroom after hearing the spray can at work. However, the main thing is to please and dress for yourself — if other people don’t have the guts to go a-la-mode, don’t let it put you off your pursuit.
Don’t take yourself too seriously either — experiment with your individual taste and mood and make this about fun. This is just another way of spicing up your life and getting creative. You’re only as excited by life as how exciting you can be or, to put it simply, exciting is as exciting does. You have a corporeal ‘Earth Suit’ while you are incarnation — you may as well use it to have some shits and giggles. Just remember when you look good, smell good and feel good — you exude confidence, which is key to having a good day.
4. What is the Soundtrack of Today? This is my favourite step of the feel-good program — figuring out what musical mood I’m in. When I make up my mind, my toes are already itching to hop out of bed.
After having your first cup of the day accompanied by catching up on the latest articles on Lightworkers World (*wink*), music can be a terrific motivator — especially when you are doing something mundane like housework or on your commute to work.
Put on that Queen greatest hits CD and hoover to ‘I want to break free’ or plan what music to listen that will elevate your mood whilst on your way to work. I actually cannot do the dishes without having some form of toe-tapping tune on the stereo. Spoons make for great pretend microphones and dishcloths can be stretched to make great air guitar solos.
When I’m driving, what I’m playing over the system has a tremendous effect on how jovial my trip is. Seriously though, music has a tendency to make things better and kick-start your day. Combine a cup of coffee or ginseng tea with Jimaroquai and you will be instantly transformed into a Duracell bunny.
I hope these tips works for you! Please do share your thoughts or successful morning rituals in the comment area below.
Whoa. This painting was a difficult one to physically manifest. Just when I thought that the Pink Floyd Rock Art painting had done my nerves in, this one came to slam dunk me in a vat of excrement!
Not only did this piece take me close onto 3 months to complete but I felt like I was resisting finishing it right up until the last moment. In hindsight, I think I know why…
First Things First
Before I get into the personal details of my past-life drama karma (yes, you read right, this painting started ripping into my own akashic records — how riveting!), I want to go through the emotions that came up for me whilst painting this and, of course, reveal the painting itself.
*Drum Roll* — here is the painting and below you’ll find the list of emotions.
Phew! Now you might start to get a clearer picture of why I struggled through this process.
Feeling the Music
Firstly, I have to say that I absolutely love and admire the sexy and sassy Skin (lead singer of Skunk Anansie) and the entire band — bloody (no pun intended) brilliant music!
I’m going to scatter a few YouTube videos in this blog. So — if you aren’t familiar with this Brit band — you can get with the programme.
Skin has an awesome voice and an enormous stage presence. I was lucky enough to see them when they were in Cape Town — well over a decade ago now.
However, this Rock Art Series is diving deeper than audio enjoyment, humming a happy tune or head-banging. This series is pushing past aesthetics and striking at the core — the emotions/energy behind the music (as interpreted by me).
Self-Love or Bust
So, the strong emotions/feelings that I was picking up on was a dangerous kind of love, or should I say, a conditional love. A love that is incomplete and destructive because it’s missing one fundamental principle — self-love and respect.
Possessive relationships are doomed. You enter into them incomplete and want the other person to fill the void inside you that can only be filled by, you guessed it, YOU.
Instead of looking within to find the answers, we look without and turn on the one we love with a deepening resentment, sorrow and a pain that can’t be quenched.
Long and short is: You can’t truly love anyone else unconditionally if you can’t totally and fully accept and love your self (self love is not to be mistaken for ego-based love or narcissism).
My Part in This Epic Blood-Stained Musical Dramatization
The anger and frustrations that came up for me were almost unbearable.
I have a current marriage made in heaven (yeah, I know — lucky me. You can read all about it HERE) but with the deep retrospection I had to undergo, I realized that I had to face a past relationship.
Such a far flung past coupling that it comes from a different lifetime altogether.
It was difficult to go through this in the ‘dark’ (i.e. not quite knowing the in’s and out’s and just going on gut instinct) but I had dreams that helped me along and let me pick through the metaphors of literally having shit dumped on my head by this phantom past partner.
In another dream I also displayed signs of stigmata and bleeding from every orifice while he looked at me and said, ‘Go clean yourself up!’. The most bizarre thing is that he was being cut and I was bleeding which I found to be quite a remarkable analogy.
Above — ‘Brazen (weep)’, Skunk Anansie
Ripley’s Believe It or Not
When I was compiling the video’s for this blog, I realized that it was the first time I had ever seen a Skunk Anansie music video. I have only seen them live and on live performance DVD’s. So, it goes without saying, that I was quite shocked to see that the above and below video were very in sync with the painting style, theme and colours. See for yourself…
Above — ‘Charlie Big Potato’, Skunk Anansie
The Phantom Menace Was Me
Who was this past-life persona?
It doesn’t really matter. The details are mere semantics, what was more important was my understanding of what was being brought up in myself. The ‘people-pleaser’/’don’t rock the boat‘/‘take it up the ass‘ person in me just had to go.
What I got from my ‘past life’ scenario was a sense of being out of control in the relationship but not being strong enough to leave.
I felt oppressed, spoken down to, controlled, literally ‘shut up’ (emotionally and verbally — which is why I think there are bolts in the painting — keeping ‘her’ in place; tape over her mouth and eyes — keeping her gagged in silent pain) and made to feel deep guilt whenever I did pluck up the courage to have my say.
Although, all she/I had to do was step into her/my power and say, ‘No more’ and walk away. She/I displayed signs of being weak (and, yes, Skunk Anansie do have a song called ‘Weak’...LISTEN/VIEW HERE) and not loving and respecting herself enough to walk away.
This all boils down to self-inflicted trauma. The inability to stand in ones power and to have enough self-love to pick up and leave a rotten situation. This is a dangerous love — fear disguised in the wrappings of ‘love’.
The Mysterious Identity of the Unknowable Known
Other things I noticed at the end of this process was that the ‘face’ had smeared lipstick, undeterminable eyes, skin colour or race — she could be anyone from anywhere. She could even be a man (well, maybe one in drag or from a pantomime?).
Another interesting fact is that I picked up the colour purple right at the end and dabbed some of it onto the eyelids, face and a few streaks at the bottom. Could this be a form of mitigation?
Purple is usually connotated with good judgment and spiritual fulfillment.
I Open at the End
Well, Skunk Ananse, thanks for opening a wound that needed to be scraped clean.
Even though I’m still in the process of releasing and realigning to this new found truth, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to actually live through one of my paintings and seek out a deeper personal truth to this collection.
Below are photographs of the painting process:
‘A Dangerous Love’ by Cherie Roe Dirksen 28″ x 22″ x 1.5″ Acrylic and Mixed Media on Boxed Canvas Click on the picture to take you to the print store.
“Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.” — Bruce Lee
My Fairytale Romance
I met my husband when we were still at school. It was love at first sight. We had a 4 year fun, tumultuous, exciting, frustrating, explosive and exploratory courtship and then decided to take it to the next level. We got married in 1996.
We never looked back.
Turning Pumpkins into Golden Carriages
After 17 years of being happily married, I can safely say that I may know a thing or two about keeping a healthy, thriving, loving and successful relationship alive.
We have both been working from home over the last 8 years, so we are in each other’s hair 24/7, 7 days a week! However, we still manage to fall in love anew each and every day.
Here’s how:
Communication — this is a biggy, hence why it made it to the no. 1 slot. I learnt this early on in our marriage. If you don’t have an open channel of communiqué, your relationship is doomed. You will start assuming, begrudging and pretty much get the wrong end of the stick every time you decide not to openly talk about your problems. Women are usually good at communicating but we also need to learn when we’ve said too much and when to start listening. Men are generally not the best communicators — so guys, you need to work on your listening skills, it could save your relationship. And there is no greater turn on than a man who listens attentively. Always make your dialogue an even contribution. This means that you both get time to state your case and —on pain of death — don’t override, scream over or continuously interrupt your partner.
Trust — we all have the capability to earn and lose trust. One can always build up trust if it is lost, you may have to work a little harder but trust is an integral part of building the foundations of a lasting partnership. If you let that little green monster called ‘jealousy’ into your relationship, you are on shaky territory. If your partner is not trustworthy, you need to look elsewhere. I know this sounds harsh but a relationship without trust is disaster-prone. If you’re a jealous person and your partner has done nothing to make you distrustful of him/her, you are also walking the gang-plank. Be careful, your jealousy could drive your partner to the edge.
Excitement — never stop jazzing it up! Don’t fall into the trappings of complacency. Do you look good on the outside? I’m not implying plastic surgery nor am I implicating that you have to be a beauty queen or bodybuilder. Just don’t let yourself go, this is a no-brainer. Keep your appearance fresh and appealing. If you want an attractive partner, you’ve got to keep yourself well-groomed, fit and clean. It also doesn’t hurt to keep in shape and have strong personal hygiene routines. You’ve also got to spice up your love life every once in a while. Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with but don’t be closed to all ideas — you never know what might literally tickle your fancy. When it comes to everyday life, you’ve also got to think out of the box. Doing the same thing week in and week out is boring. Inject a bit of pizzazz into your social/play-time schedule. Keep trying new things like eating out at that new restaurant, taking trips to museums/exhibitions, trying out a nightclub or just getting out into nature together by enjoying a stroll on the beach or a hike up the mountain.
‘I Love You’ — not a day goes by when we don’t express this simple phrase to each other. Don’t take for granted that your partner knows how you feel. A little love goes a long way. Hugs and kisses are also great daily practices, especially when they come at unexpected interludes.
‘Thank You’ — always show your partner gratitude for what they do. From the smallest things — like doing the dishes or picking the kids up from class — to the bigger things — like working hard or being a great listener or shoulder to cry on. Appreciation shows you partner recognition.
They Lived Happily Ever After…
When you excite and love yourself with your particular brand of uniqueness and zest for life, you’ll be an electrifying, lovable, irresistible rogue to your partner. Own who you are and what you want out of life and make sure you are allowing your partner to express the same thing in his/her life.
Be open to change, new ideas and constant dialogue and you will be well on your way to a successful, healthy relationship that will last.
A partnership is all about balance, love and respect.
Ever wanted to splash some colour on the walls of your office or home? Why not add wonder to your life with some jazzy, colorful and arty posters?
They’re affordable and there are dozens to choose from!
There’s never been a better time than right now.
Are You Doing a Sentence in a Cell Block?
Today is the day you’ve been waiting for to take charge of your space and treat yourself to a visual feast instead of a prison cell!
How many times have you caught yourself thinking, ‘I need to do something about my home decor?‘, ‘These walls aren’t inspiring me‘ or ‘I wish I could look up at some decent art to get me motivated.’
Transport Yourself Somewhere Amazing in a Flash!
Add spice to those drab white walls with this tantalizing collection of art prints below that will tickle your decorating genie into action and get that imagination roaring into creative gear:
Now if you’re the kind of person who wants an original and relishes the opportunity to invest in art and enjoy their asset every day, then come browse my original art for sale at the SAATCHI gallery HERE (there is also an option to buy a print on stretched canvas for those who want something better than a poster but can’t afford an original):
As I sit at my keyboard, I realize that this is going to be one of the most difficult blogs I have ever written. However, what I am about to divulge needs to be said — it has taken me 3 years to pluck up the courage to out this to the world.
What stopped me before? My ego, I guess. As simple as that — what people would think of me. But it doesn’t matter anymore.
What matters is the truth. If the Canadian Minister of Defense can tell this to the world, then I can share this with you — my readers.
Disclosure from the Minister of Defense
If you have not seen the YouTube video yet, then I suggest you take out 9 minutes of your time to watch something that could be the most significant truth ever disclosed and the greatest catalyst of change that the world has yet to see:
The tears rolled down my face as I listened to this man talk about ‘alien’ civilizations and encouraging us to extend our mental grasp of life in the universe.
Why?
Because 3 years ago I had my awakening experience. I’ve pretty much kept it to myself barring a few of my close friends.
Am I Dreaming or Just Going Mad?
There is a very good reason I chose an ‘Alice in Wonderland‘ theme for my site — my awakening was like being pushed down that rabbit-hole and trying to cope with a reality gone mad.
“Curiouser and curiouser!” — Alice
I started having vivid dreams about people I had never met in my current life. These people even told me their names and ‘situations’, which I consequentially would Google the next day for validity.
To my shock and surprise, these people were real — all the information was true just as they’d laid out for me in my dreams. I’m not going to go into who and what this was about because it is personal and for my life path.
Tuning into the Matrix
The second thing to happen to me was I began to channel. I had never done this before and was alarmed and pleasantly surprised to find out that I could. The ‘entity’ that came through, called itself ‘Metatron’. Yes, as in one of the archangels from the bible.
Whether you want to call them angels, entities or energetic groups, is entirely up to your comfort in concepts.
I like to think of them as energy signatures that resonate to a certain frequency or level of understanding within us.
Conversations with God?
So, here I am, a mere humble artist, in contact with Metatron (sounds like something from that movie ‘Transformers’).
Well, it was quite transforming! The next thing he told me transformed my life even more and started to push me way outside my comfort zone.
‘Write the book’.
What book? I’m just an artist, I’m not a writer. You don’t know how many times I reiterated this fact to ‘him’ (I am referring to Metatron in the male personification for no particular reason). He didn’t budge. I resisted and he went to call God. Seriously, I still have the notes!
All God said was, ‘Agree to your obligation, write the book.’
Aye, aye, Captain!
Now you don’t want to argue with God, so I did as I was told and started to write my first book, ‘Divine You, Redefining Love in the New Earth’. I came up with the ‘Divine You’ part and Metatron came up with the subtitle (*grin*).
The book was not actually channeled in the traditional sense but it did come from my soul — a part of me that I was ‘mining’ for information.
The Strange Requests Begin
The only time Metatron intervened with the books process is when he asked me to put 2 chapters in — one was about ‘the trinity’ (*gulp* — I had to do copious amounts of research on this before I got it right) and the other was, have you guessed?
Aliens.
I have never had a problem with believing in life on other planets or intra-terrestrial/dimensional beings but I didn’t want to be branded as a UFO fanatic either.
Oh No! Please, Not Aliens!
My ego was out in full force with this one. I didn’t want to come across as a loon. My whole book would be discredited if I start talking about aliens.
None of this washed with Metatron as he began to usher me into a new understanding of what alien meant. After another long trip down the information highway, I started writing about this very difficult concept.
For those of you who haven’t read the book, I have made that chapter available here for you to read.Alien Territory — READ HERE.
I learned a lot that year. A lot.
My journey down the rabbit hole suddenly started to speed up…
My First Experience with the Pleiadians
One night, as I lay in bed listening to the radio, a voice popped into my head. There is just no other way to describe it. It said:
‘We are coming for you. We are the Pleiadians.’
Yes, now I know this may sound ominous but it really wasn’t — I was actually quite bemused. I had heard of the Pleiadians, so I was curious.
2 seconds later all the electricity went off in the room. The lights went out, the radio stopped. I started to pay attention (thankfully, my bladder was empty or I might have wet myself!).
Every instinct in my body was telling me to just relax and close my eyes, so I did. To my utter amazement, when I closed my eyes the whole universe was displayed at the back of my eyelids! Who would have thought?
It was amazing and an experience that I have only had the privilege to experience just one other time.
As I was looking around in awe, a wormhole started to open up (very much in the area of my third eye). I blacked out.
I woke up (what must of been a split second later). The voice was back. ‘That was too soon — travel into the hole.‘
Okay…so the whole process started again and I closed my eyes and was whisked down the wormhole this time but ‘blacked out’ soon after because I remember nothing else.
I have since also channeled some information from these star-beings. They call themselves our ‘extended’ family and, in my humble opinion, they are benevolent (or, at least the ones I encountered).
UFO’s and Mind Jobs
Since then I have had quite a few sightings where I stay — which is out in the sticks, near Cape Point. It is a star-gazers paradise because it is so dark — the night sky is a visual feast boasting the most magnificent view of the Milky Way.
Now that I had some weird experiences of the great unknown tucked under my belt, I made it a habit to go out every night, just for 5-10 minutes or so, to look out into the universe for signs of this galactic family we seem to have.
I wasn’t disappointed.
I can’t actually count the number of times (as there are too many) I have seem mysterious objects, UFO’s or just strange little orbs that float about haphazardly (definitely NOT satellites, as I know what they look like and they are usually on a straight course).
Some of these orbs shoot straight out into space. One of them came and hovered right above my head and then shot up and out of visual range.
I had my first incredible sighting one night. You can read about that HERE.
Wishing Upon a Star
But there is another incredible thing I want to tell you about. Believe it or not — this really happens.
I sometimes feel quite disconnected and I go outside and say, ‘If you’re out there give me a sign!’.
To which, on numerous occasions, I have seen a shooting star (I know, the cliche is almost embarrassing and I can sometimes feel Jiminy Cricket on my shoulder!).
One night, I was outside and feeling low. I looked up and said, ‘Metatron, if you can hear me send me a sign. Oh, and don’t make it a shooting star, I’m tired of those‘ (I did say this quite jokingly, of course. Metatron, as I came to know him, has a wicked sense of humour).
Does it come as a surprise then to know that about 1 minute later there was a red meteor shower? About 3 small flashes fell towards my neighbours yard and fizzled out about 3 meters before impact.
I was so stunned that I just laughed and walked back into the house in disbelief. I told my husband about it and he just said, ‘You shouldn’t test him like that, you know‘.
Lol…maybe not — but I am one of the worst doubting Thomas’s I know. I want constant proof that I’m not going bonkers. Or, at least, that’s how I used to be. I just don’t seem to care anymore.
Truth or Bust!
This is my truth, this is my life and this is how it happened. All these entities that I have conversed with seem to all have one underlying message — unconditional love. They want us to make it on our own, to realize our inherent and divine potential.
All that I have written above is what happened to me, take it or leave it. I wanted to come clean about it and I thank you for taking the time out to read it.
Have you had similar experiences?
Do you believe in life on other planets?
Are you convinced by what the Canadian Minister of Defense has to say or do you still think it’s baloney?
Did you know that the last Pope came out and disclosed that he believes there is life on other planets?
Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.
~Sigmund Freud
The Weight of the World
Hello Earthling! How nice of you to have dropped by this titillating planet filled with such great diversity and beauty.
What was that you said? Did you say that you:
Feel burdened by society and all that is wrong with the world?
You feel an overwhelming pressure to change the world?
Did I hear you right? Did you say that you even feel guilty or responsible for the state of the world?
What an awful burden it is to bear when we decide to take on the weight of the world, or on a lesser degree, the weight of another person’s choices or life.
Are you guilty of this? Yes…no…perhaps a little?
Are You Suffering From Mad Cow Disease?
Let me get clear on this. Sit down and make yourself comfortable because I need your undivided attention.
Holy cow! I only recently realized that I’ve been a complete idiot — a buffoon of the highest degree.
In what textbook did I read that I need to change the world, take over if I saw someone else suffering along their path or put every effort into making people see the world the way I see it?
Nope, can’t think of the name of that book so I must have somehow imagined it. But how many of you can say you feel the same way?
You may feel responsible for your partner, your grown up children, your friends and other members of your family. You may even take on the responsibility of complete strangers.
Light Bulbs and Cricket Bats
Let’s get straight to the juicy bit of this article — either you’re going to have an ‘a-ha’ moment or you are going to have to beat yourself over the head a couple of times with a bat to whack the sense home.
You were born here on planet Earth and the global problems were here, social structure (no matter how much you may dislike it) was already in place. Thanks to our ancestors, the worlds configuration was in place the moment you catapulted into reality — the good, the bad and the ugly. You are not responsible for what came before you. However, you ARE responsible for how you affect the world with your presence from this moment onwards. Every choice you make is part and parcel to your responsibility. Own it.
You were born on planet Earth and you needed to work out some of your own lessons and you’re doing great. When you decide to shift your focus onto another person’s lessons and try to tamper with their version of reality — you have made a crucial mistake. You don’t think the other person is capable of handling their own lives so you intervene. You may think you need to because your version of reality and what you think is the right way as it is working so well for you. True?
Nope. It is YOUR truth but it may not necessarily be another’s. When you try to control another individual or their path you are basically saying that they are weak and you are strong. Oops…not very nice. What’s more is you’re not even helping yourself out, you’re just taking on extra baggage.
Helping or Hindering?
Everyone needs to work out their own journey through life. It is your responsibility to love and respect them enough to give them space and to only help out when you are asked to. Get it?
You are disempowering another human being when you try to seize control or mold them into how you want them to fit into your life.
You are not responsible for any other human being but yourself (barring minors under your care, of course). Focus on yourself and be the best person you can be so that you can be that shining example to others. That is the only way you will make a positive change in someone’s life. You can’t go into their space and try to effect change.
The Prime Directive
You are responsible for your life. Your main responsibility is to be happy — you could even call this your ‘prime directive’or ultimate goal. If you are not happy it is your responsibility to sniff out the causes as to why you are not living in joy.
So, now say you have found your bliss but it hurts you when you see other people suffer and you want to help.
Keep Your Nose on Your Face
The stark truth is that they need to take responsibility for their life and choices. You can always help another human being but you should never force yourself or your way of life onto someone else.
To truly love someone is to accept them as they are and respect their life path. Can you do that?
Can you step into owning your life and taking responsibility for your choices today? If you do, the weight of the world will be lifted from your shoulders and you will experience a freedom like no other.
It’s okay to be here, it’s okay to be you and it’s okay to let other people be themselves.
You are only responsible for you. And thanks to the wise words of Gandhi, try to be the change you want to see in the world.
“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie Which we ascribe to heaven.” ~William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well
Let’s Play a Little Doctor Doctor
Say you get sick. Your physical body needs time to repair. A no-brainer?
It’s important to have down-time when your body is out of alignment physically — which we call having dis-ease or an ailment. We all know this. To carry on ‘as per normal’ when your body is feeling worn-out, sore or in pain is futile and leads to more suffering.
Let’s try this out on something slightly different…
Call in the Psychiatrist
So, now why can’t we seem to gift ourselves with the same ‘down-time’ when our emotional body is ‘sick’?
Sometimes we get into a slump or feel down — this is human! If we don’t let ourselves be in this space and give ourselves some time to get quiet, reflect and just ‘sit with it’, we can make it ten times worse. It can even lead to a stronger form of depression.
Denial of the space you’re in is suppressing something that is just going to come around again sometime in the future to nip your ass.
Peaks and Troughs
The other day I felt elated. Oh my wobbly, knitted hat! I was on cloud 9 and nothing could get me down. I had figured out life on earth and all the other idiosyncrasies therein and I was feeling good.
The next day I woke up in the pits of hell.
What happened?
Shit Happens
I could blame it on solar flares, the news, collective pain-bodies, minor psychosis, PPISS (Post Physical Incarnation Stress Syndrome — or taking ‘the piss’) or even schizophrenia — but there you have it, my mood swing saw me in tears by the end of the day wishing for it to all end.
I felt like a cop-out — someone who writes about how to get out of emotional quagmire and here I am sitting waiting for the ground to swallow me whole. I felt like such a hypocrite!
I even went over some of my ‘how to pull yourself out of depression’ stuff from my articles but it was too late for that. I was descending into the smelly pits of Beelzebub’s bowels.
Now, in my defense, some of that advice can and does work but this case was slightly different.
The next morning I woke up with the phrase ‘zero point’ in my head. I do this sometimes — have dreams or little ‘a-ha’ moments in my sleep or just before I’m rebirthed into a brand new day and I usually can recollect it soon after I awaken.
I sat on my couch with my morning cuppa, deep in contemplation over these two words…’zero point’.
Zone Out to Zone In
Zero point (in my understanding of it) is the whittling down of one energy to it’s lowest point in order to gain momentum to a new energy.
My ‘depression’ did feel like I had wound down to an almost nullified space, so this was intriguing.
Here’s the upshot of what came through when I meditated on this concept and what I should do about my feelings:
There is an elated, blissful, enlightened self
There is a shadow self
Merge the two
It’s okay to feel down and you don’t have to put your ‘Julie Andrews’ slippers on if they don’t fit in the moment
Be silent and sit with your feelings
What’s in it for you?
Find the source of the problem and bring it to the light
That’s how you merge the shadow and light self
You can’t just be one or the other — there’s no balance in that
It’s okay to feel the emotions of duality — there should be no judgment in that. Just find your balance (zero point). Don’t let either one swallow you whole or you will be out of alignment.
“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
You are both Glorious and Diabolical. Embrace it! Accept who you are fully and totally.
Don Miguel Ruiz wrote about this in his book ‘The Four Agreements’ but I’d like to touch on it today as it is something that has been on my mind lately.
You see, I believe there is a difference between speaking the truth and saying what needs to be said.
What Does Impeccability Really Mean?
To be impeccable with your word simply means to have the ability to filter your thoughts into productive or empathic speech.
It sounds simple but it can be most difficult for some who find themselves impulsively speaking the first thing that comes to mind or for those who think that to tell the truth in any situation is perfectly alright.
Yes, we should be able to speak our truths but sometimes it is not appropriate. Do you have the capacity to discern which is which?
For example:
You come across someone who is a little slow and less sharp than what is deemed average. Do you tell this person the truth that he/she is stupid? It is, after all, the truth (as seen by you).
Well I hope you answered no, because it is neither a productive thing to say nor is it necessary. This would be like marching up to someone who is mature in years and decrepid and telling them that they old and falling apart. It is an unnecessary truth.
Now of course there are people out their exercising their right to stupidity that are really going to grate your butt down to the bone but it is best to walk away or try to help them out rather than be unproductive and start hurling abuse.
Do not justify your blurb by saying, ‘well, it is the truth’. Be very careful when you justify your behavior without taking a long hard look at yourself. As that very famous phrase from the movie Forest Gump goes; ‘Stupid is as stupid does!’.
Question Time
When you are at that split-second junction where you are about to say something, stop yourself and quickly assess:
(a) is what I’m about to say going to be helpful (productive) to this person?
(b) if so, how can I phrase it with tact (empathy)?
To Use Euphemism or To Euthanize!
I often feel like ringing a person’s neck when they feel entitled to blurt out something mean and uncalled for to someone else, don’t you?
Especially when you can see the hurt in the other persons eyes. I do understand that we must all face our karma and learn to take these things on the chin (see my article called ‘9 Truths About Letting Go of Opinions that Taint Us’) but it still pisses me off no end when someone is tactless.
Let the words that fall from your lips be that which your heart agrees upon. Venomous words will only result in being toxic to yourself and to others.
“Reality is merely an illusion albeit a persistent one” — Albert Einstein
WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get)
So is the reality we live in, this world of solid matter and factual science, real or is it merely an illusion as many alternate faiths believe it to be?
What a question!
The answer is going to be evasive but this is how I see it: It’s both.
It feels pretty ‘real’ to us as we are taught to live by our senses — touching, tasting, smelling, hearing and seeing. After all, seeing is believing, right?
Not really.
Could it be that the ‘solid’ reality we navigate on a daily basis is only concrete because we give it the credence? In other words, our minds make it seem real. Why might we do this?
My guess would be to experiment with this extraordinary little thing called life. And why should this be so hard to believe anyway?
Bring out the Playstation/Wii
We have video games that do the same thing in a virtual reality. We can almost play out any desire we want to through these programs. They seem real enough when we are engaged in them, now, is it so hard to conceive that our physical lives could be a similar enactment?
Could this be because we are slowly grasping the concept of our world being a simulated matrix and this is our basis of comparison (through video games)?
I think soon enough, technology will give us neurological plugins so we can experience these games in a much more sensory way. In fact, they probably already exist and just haven’t hit the shelves yet (at least not the last time I was in a South African shop).
What Dreams May Come
Another question to pose is why dreams feel so real if we are physically not engaging our bodies? I can evoke all my senses when I am physically still and asleep through the visual, tactile and sometimes even tasty terrain of my dreamscapes.
This is because our minds are the engine, the driving force behind our ‘reality’. So even in our dreams things sometimes feel just as solid as if we were awake.
Are you even awake now, how do you know you aren’t still dreaming?
One can even achieve this by daydreaming or lucid dreaming. The body is not moving but the mind is telling us otherwise.
Is this not a blatant clue that our realities are only such as perceived or dictated to through our minds?
The Collective Consciousness
So why are we all experiencing the same illusion?
When we travel on the train, drive a car, go to work or walk in the park — we’re having a relatively similar experience and if this is just an illusion why aren’t we all engrossed in our own wonderlands?
Well, one theory is that we are choreographing a collective experience agreement on a soul experiential level. This isn’t such a hard pill to swallow if you are familiar with the idea that we are all connected — a part of the One.
The second consideration is that, strictly speaking, we are living in our own ‘worlds’. We do create experience around our own version of life. Therefore it could be said that we are engrossed in our own wonderland.
Bypass Suffering
With that in tow, why not work with the illusion? Be in this world but not of it. Live with passion and purpose and enjoy yourself knowing that this is not all there is. There is so much more than being birthed and dying — the adventure always continues.
This third dimensional reality could very possibly be merely an illusion and if you live it like it is the only truth, you will suffer.
There are realms beyond our current perceptions. Just because we can’t ‘see’ them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. They exist with or without your belief but if you chose to believe they become more real — more poignant. You create your experience every step of the way.
The 7 Billion Golden Truth Nugget
Whose truth? There is no one truth. You only have your truth. It may coincide with another’s but it is not the only version of fact as we all have a perspective to deal with, a filter of life experience that will differ from individual to individual. There are over 7 billion truths out there right now.
This is why it is important to step into your integrity, to live from your truth. When you do that you are in alignment. You don’t have to force your reality onto anyone else, let them figure it out according to their own soul script.
Your mind creates your playground of reality — don’t take it too seriously but take joy very seriously. Strive to be in love and bliss and whether this reality is illusion or all there is — you will have lived thoroughly.
On a lighter note: This article was written from my perspective, it is perfectly sound for you to make up your own mind about the world in which you live in. If you do happen to agree with what has been said here, it doesn’t really matter because all of this has been a mere illusion anyway!
I’ll wrap this up with the quote I used at the beginning of this blog:
To download the quotation for use as a desktop wallpaper, etc — click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer.
Oh boy, ABBA got it right — it is a rich man’s world! Financial flow is a sticky and uncomfortable topic. We all want a constant stream of income to live well, whatever your version of ‘well’ is.
For me personally, I care not for Porches, Gucci handbags or Mansions — I want money to travel and enjoy the finer things in life (haute cuisine, theater and Belgian chocolate are more up my alley).
But no matter what you want to do with your money, we all want that financial security at the end of the day because money brings choice — the spice of life!
Your Free Ticket to a Healthy Wealthy Attitude
So with that in mind, I knocked up this little visual money affirmation. It should help to shift your attitude or feeling towards money.
After all, the sky is the limit! We are the only ones who put restrictions on our earning capacity (ask Bill Gates).
Pin it to your vision board (I have :D), save it as a desktop wallpaper or print it out and stick it to your forehead — anything to hammer this affirmation home!
Let’s do this together and see if it works! Here it is (see below picture for download instructions):
To download, click on the picture — right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer. You can print it out and use it about your home or office as mini posters or you can use it as your computer desktop wallpaper.
If you couldn’t be bothered to print this out for yourself or you just want it on a specially made, easy-to-use product — fear not, I have the immediate solution for you.
We each have the power to change our lives for the better.
This book will help you to develop your co-creative ability in a collection of easy to read, fun and simple single-serving-sized sections. Cherie Roe Dirksen exposes the many blocks, fears and worries that restrict us and shows us how we can create a life full of joy, abundance and adventure.
An excellent book for anyone looking for inspiration or a quick pick-me-up.
Ready, Set, Go!
I hope your appetite is whetted and that you are eager to hop, skip and jump through the 202 delectable pages that challenges you to seize the day or die trying! 🙂
Kindle on the Way
The Kindle version of the book will be available in about 2-3 weeks time but I will keep you posted here at the site or on my facebook page (click here to ‘like’). To receive updates please click the ‘follow this blog’ button to your left (in the sidebar) or you can subscribe to the siteHERE.
Here is a quote from the book (see below quote for download instructions):
To download for use as a mini-poster print-out for around the home or office or desktop wallpaper, click on the image, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer.
I’m usually quite organized, not like the stereotypical ‘last-minute’ kind of artiste.
However, on the 16th April 2013, I had a hunch to go and ‘check’ the due date for a competition I wanted to enter. I thought it was due on the 30th April but to my surprise, it was due the very next day — on the 17th April.
Aaaaah!
What To Do!
I had already bought the canvas, got the prelim sketch idea. Heck, I’d even thought out the description and had the perfect title!
I had but one choice. Do or die!
I locked myself up in the studio that afternoon and didn’t emerge until way after 9:00pm.
Here’s the photographic process:
And then I put the final ‘blue wash’ on…
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Boxed Canvas 15″ x 30″ x 1.5″ Prints available (click on picture)
Never Say Never!
I had done it! The next day I submitted all the info and gave myself a pat on the back.
It just shows you, you can achieve anything you set your mind to! As long as you have the will, the drive and the hootspa.
The Story Behind the Painting
This scene is taken in Loop Street, Cape Town, looking towards Table Mountain (a little bit of the mountain can be seen in the background).
The painting tells a story about the grey area of our (South Africa’s) rainbow nation.
Here we have a simple street scene but hidden within the paint is a history of greed, opportunity and division.
I have used gold and silver spray paint as the base coat of the buildings (the connotation behind the colour gold is that of wealth and prosperity) this depicts South Africa’s mineral wealth — the foundation that built the nation. However, the buildings are now covered in the grime and dirt of time.
I have two main characters in the scene. One is a street person, sitting on top of a wooden crate. His clothes are baggy and don’t fit him properly. He is staring at the young black student on his iPhone.
This young man, the second character, represents the opportunity that the black youth have today as opposed to what might have been under the Apartheid regime. He is wearing the latest fashion and seems to want for little. He is not even conscious of the man sitting on the crate. He is too wrapped up in social networking.
The man on the crate has not had the same chance in life. He is the same age but his story is one of poverty and misfortune. He is not yet experiencing the new rainbow nation of opportunity.
He is one of the many South African’s who do not benefit from the new system. Both these men are the same age yet their lives tell two completely different stories.
South Africa is a growing third world nation but it still has to iron out a lot of socio-economic problems. This painting depicts the divide in the culture that exists today.
Yet there is hope and to denote this I have given the painting a blue wash. The esoteric meaning behind the colour blue is that of youth, spirituality, truth and peace. Which is what I wish for this nation. To truly become the rainbow.
Today’s blog is going to be mind-blasting. I have had a revelation!
You would think that as a self-empowerment writer I would eat, breath and poop the Law of Attraction and understand it fully. Oh boy, so did I!
The Universal Curve-Ball
I fell off the bandwagon a few weeks ago but it was such a slow tumble that I hadn’t realized I was falling until a few days ago.
I have been verbally (telling my friends and husband in frustration) and mentally (reaffirming this over and over again in my head) repeating a mantra of late:
“I have no time, I’m so busy, I’ve no time for myself”
Oh, Cherie, for someone who knows that what you think about you bring about, those are foolish words!
I’ve even been telling people that I wish I could clone myself at least three times and give each replica jobs to do on top of trying to squeeze an eighth day into every week.
My new year’s resolution for 2013 was to meet new people, make new contacts and get myself ‘out there’ more physically (as opposed to having my nose stuck to my computer). The opportunities have been rolling in — from attending lectures and mingling with like-minded folks to being invited to go to the theater.
Getting My Act Together: Act 1 — Scene 1
So, to cut a long story short, I was walking on the beach thinking of my ‘problems’ when I was gifted with a moment of clarity.
The Universe: Didn’t you get what you wanted?
Cherie: Um…yes, I suppose but now I don’t have any time for myself.
The Universe: What do you mean?
Cherie: I’m very grateful for all the opportunities and recognition I’ve been getting recently but I wish you could space these gifts out a bit.
The Universe: How?
Cherie: Well, like give me say a weeks’ notice prior to each meeting/event so that I can properly organize instead of having everything one on top of the other and feel completely unprepared and have to shift my workload into my weekend.
The Universe: OK.
Yes, for those wondering, I do actually have these conversations in my head. Am I mad — probably. But mad is the new sane. Here’s why…
Instant Feedback that it Worked!
That very evening, my best friend writes to let me know that he is visiting South Africa and will be here in 7 days’ time.
I was so excited about this that it didn’t dawn on me that I had got that instant feedback that the Universe was listening. It however did smack me over the head a couple of hours later and I burst out laughing.
My hat! The Universe had not only acquiesced to my request but was rather darn specific about the details to boot!
I’m amazed at how this system actually works. I know it does but sometimes I get carried away in that old 3D tide of life and forget that I am in control all the way.
Improvising Your Menu
I hope you come away from this tale of timely terror with a renewed sense that:
When you are clear about what you want, the Universe conspires to make it happen.
The Universe constantly gives you things that it thinks you’re asking for.
If it’s not congruent with what you do actually want, you need to get more specific. Hone your desires. Be clear about what you do want.
You need to keep assessing what you’re being given so that you shape what it is you specifically want. Only you can do this, don’t leave it to fate.
You can ask for anything.
Money, Money, Money — It’s a Rich Man’s World
The next thing that dawned on me is that I have been working my butt off and, admittedly, been getting opportunities to network, grow and expand in my field but I have not been asking for financial compensation.
In fact, I am just making my bills every month by the skin of my teeth.
I’m grateful that I can pay my rent and put food on the table but I want more. I want certain luxuries (like all of us do), I want to travel and I want to save.
I have also had my eye on a darling pair of red velvet shoes…lol.
All jokes aside, I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid as to not pick up on the fact that I’m not being clear about how much I want to earn for all my efforts.
Sometimes we get so carried away with all the gumpf in our lives that we forget to spell out the obvious.
So, even though I have not hit the jackpot yet — my request is still in the pipeline — I just know I’m going to get a huge windfall soon.
Happy manifesting!
Please share your stories here. How are you doing in the manifestation department? Are you seeing the fruits of your visualizations or are you still having trouble manifesting your desires?
Being within close proximity to certain family members over vast amounts of time can lead to disputes and invariably, altercations — and, yes, I am putting it mildly! We have all probably experienced our fair share of family squabbling at Christmas time or any holiday/‘get-together’.
Remaining calm and peaceful with your family or at family reunions is no small feat. It requires a lot of internal reflection and non-reaction.
Help is at Hand
Here are some key points to staying focused and grounded whilst you are in the throes of a chaotic encounter:
Non-Reaction — ask yourself if you need to contribute to a potential argument? Mostly, unless you have something incredibly significant to say, you will only be adding fuel to the fire in these situations. See if you can be the still presence.
Remain Grounded — this is another way of saying ‘be the still presence’. When you are quiet and calm and non-reactive, you move into the space of still presence where you can become the observer. Being in the world and not of it, so to speak. I can assure you it is a much more rewarding approach to being in a room full of tumultuous energy than contributing your two pence which is probably not going to be ‘heard’ anyway.
Use Discernment — do you have an opportunity to help someone or are you contributing to hear your own voice? If you can help, then by all means do. If you are being swept away in a tide of chaotic energy and shouting, you have the choice to remove yourself from the room — use your discernment and protect yourself against being sucked into drama. You will lose your own vital energy this way and come out feeling drained and depressed.
Send Love — we all love our family and friends, but if you find yourself in a situation where you truly cannot contribute anything but loving them unconditionally then do just that. Send them love. Remain calm and balanced and focus on the love you have for them. Build on that and project it towards them. Remove yourself from the room if needs be and then do it in privacy — even if it means locking yourself in the bathroom for a few minutes to gather/center yourself. I guarantee you will have helped them more by doing this then by rising to the bait of drama and argumentative behaviour.
Go on, try it out next time you are faced with a disruptive situation. Try to be the present awareness and witness how your perspective changes. You will be able to be in the world but not of it. You will feel an opening within you that will allow you to remain calm in any situation. You will, in time, be able to build upon that feeling and draw on it more and more.
You Always Have a Choice
The choice is always yours to engage or to detach. What will your choice be at your next family soiree?
Just remember that if you don’t succeed this time, don’t throw the whole concept out the window — try, try again.
“And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.”
— Steve Jobs
The last couple of weeks have seen the Universe trying to get me to open my eyes to this straggling piece of personality debris that I need to close the door on — it’s been throwing some rather extraordinary curve-balls my way.
I have had all sorts of people vying for my attention, skills and time — some art clients, some friends and others, total strangers.
Could You Bend Over Just a Little Bit More?
I’ve always been a people-pleaser — yes, you know the type. The ones who bend over backwards to help others sometimes sacrificing their own time and needs in the process.
I always thought this was a good trait but how wrong I was!
Doormats and Inhibitors
To be kind is a good trait. To help others out when you can is a good trait. To be used as a doormat is not a good trait. To help others when they can, themselves, do the job is inhibiting their personal growth and development.
Did you ever stop to think about that?
“To teach someone how to do something, once off, is empowering them to do it for themselves in the future. Doing it for them is stripping them of their power and making them reliant on you.”
I am the kind of person who thinks that if a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well. I’m also the kind of person who will do the entire job myself because it’s quicker than teaching someone else how to do it.
Big mistake!
Are You Helping or Hindering?
You are not helping anyone out by doing it all yourself. It’s like that old fishing metaphor — teach a person how to fish rather than fishing for them.
To teach someone how to do something, once off, is empowering them to do it for themselves in the future. Doing it for them is stripping them of their power and making them reliant on you.
Starting to get the picture? So am I.
Demands and Etiquette
What really gets to me is the lack of politeness when some people ask for a favor. Have you ever had someone not use that simple word ‘please’? Or even better, you do the job and you don’t even get a ‘thanks’.
Here’s a rather ludicrous example of one of my tests this week:
A young man approached me on facebook to have a look at a quote he had made up himself. He wanted to know if it was any good.
I read it over. It was a typo/grammatical moosh-mash and didn’t make much sense at all. I assumed that English was not his mother tongue. The phrase was also way too long for the short sentence he was really trying to put across.
So — the fool that I was — corrected the grammar and spelling mistakes and rephrased the entire thing for him. When I wrote back to him he said, ‘Oh, I guess I should pay more attention to what I am doing. I was watching the telly when I wrote that.’ Not a ‘thank you’ in sight or a ‘sorry for wasting your time’.
Who’s to Blame? I Think You Might Have Guessed This One
I was so angry! I had spent good time on this thinking I was helping out someone who desperately wanted to be heard. The joke was on me.
Then it dawned on me — it wasn’t even his fault for wasting my time, it was mine.
I let him waste my time. I should have just told him to use his spell check but no, I had to go and rework the whole thing.
Life’s Lessons Learned
“Now, I give you fair warning, either you or your head must be off, and that in about half no time! Take your choice!” — The Queen (Alice in Wonderland)
So, the new me is rethinking my attitude towards being a sucker — thank you Universe!. I know that there are going to be loads of pushovers out there reading this, so my advice to you is:
Discernment — can you ascertain if the person asking for your help is in genuine need of it or are they being lazy?
Teaching — if this person really needs your help, are you going to do everything for them or are you going to teach them the ropes? It’s so vitally important that people learn how to do things themselves, being independent is a marvelous trait and gift.
Wastrels — the last on this list is a warning. There are people out there who, either inadvertently or purposefully, will waste your time. Be a bloodhound and learn to sniff these people out quickly. You need to banter with this kind of person initially to find out where they stand. You can just ask a series of short sharp questions to discern how wafty they are or not. If you are feeling that their answers are not direct or resolute, leave them alone. They are time wasters. If they can’t figure out what they want, how are you going to? You aren’t, you are just going to get stuck in their net of indecision and end up with a headache and anger issues.
Grow a Pair!
You don’t have to be cruel or unkind when you stand up for yourself, your time and priorities — this is your life and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to or have the time for.
I guarantee that they will get over your refusal. More importantly, the ones who cannot get over your decision are the ones you don’t need in your life anyway — think on that.
True friends and family members will understand and respect your space and choices.
“I don’t take crap from anyone, so that makes people think I’m rebellious. I’m not. I’m just not a pushover.” — Kat Dennings
I hope you come away from this blog with a more resolute stance. It is heavenly to practice kindness but it is damaging to let someone else take advantage of your goodness. Your job is to identify when the line has been crossed.
I have reworked this well-known adage to fit in with the theme of this blog (I think it works rather well)…”Use me once — shame on you. Use me twice — shame on me!”
Good luck. 🙂
Let me know of examples where you have stood your ground, you may be able to help someone else out in the process.
“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” ― Amy Bloom
As I was walking along the beach one morning, taking in the warm comforting sunshine of another lustrous day in Cape Town, I had my eyes severely pried open.
I had already walked the length of the beach and back and as I was approaching the designated ‘swimming’ section of the beach (shark nets just fitted and all!), I heard the glorious tones of laughter, splashing, shrieking and general guffawing.
Carpe Diem!
When I looked over at the watery shallows I saw the melodious sounds were coming from a group of well-endowed, young African ladies. Some of them had shorts and t-shirts on, some were fully clad in dresses — it didn’t matter — the only thing that seemed to matter was having a copious amount of fun.
They were seizing the day and living in the moment — squeezing the joy out of the sparkling waves as they crashed down on them.
They didn’t care that their clothes were completely see-through or that they weren’t sporting the latest Speedo bikini.
Upside Down Pear-Shapes and Wake Up Calls
I was swiftly jolted back into my own headspace. I had walked most of this beautiful beach preoccupied by how I was going to look when, at the end of my walk, I took my swim.
Let me explain:
I bought this really expensive swimsuit but it was too big at the bottom end (making my bum look big) and very snug at the top end (causing a serious melon-spillage). I’ve kind of got this reverse pear-shape thing going on where what fits the top is too big for the bottom and what fits the bottom is too small for the top. Aaargh!
This was making me feel very self-conscious.
So, I’d been fussing about this in my thoughts until the point when the playful posse had interrupted my rather irksome inner dialogue.
Western Culture Sucks
Here were these beautiful bountiful lasses all flaunting their fabulousness and there I was fretting about a stupid little thing like a baggy-bottomed bather (which probably wasn’t that bad to begin with — the mind can create havoc, you know!).
Besides the fact that I am a typical Virgo, always fussing with the smallest of things and wanting everything in its right place — the ‘western’ culture is just so damned critical.
We always have some magazine, TV show or fashion trend telling us what perfect looks like and how we should be.
What a bunch of bullshit. I mean really?
Cottage Cheese and Crackers
Actually, I know a few people who — either due to the delusion that their thighs resemble cottage cheese or they wouldn’t be seen dead in a bather (really? Not even if you were dead?) — wouldn’t even attempt a swim because of the fear of being seen!
It’s completely crackers!
I wish these people would regress themselves to their childhood and ask their tiny counterparts what they would think of themselves if they knew that, in time to come, they wouldn’t enjoy a swim because of how they perceived themselves?
The sad thing is that I have even heard 4 year old girls now walking around asking if their ‘bum looks big in this?‘.
Being Unique is the Best Trend Ever!
After this episode of learning, I whipped off my clothes and sauntered into the ocean — releasing the inner child and just having a thoroughly, bloody good time.
It felt so freeing.
I can’t say that I didn’t adjust my costume a few times — old habits die hard — but I did feel a sense of relief and balls to what people think.
The Naked Truth
I hope you come away from this blog with a sense of how ridiculous it is to:
Not have fun or be spontaneous because of what other people think — When you do this, you are letting other people dictate your experience. Now how foolish does that sound now that you’re reading it in black and white?
Worry about how you might appear to others, period — If you’re OK with who you are, it doesn’t matter what other people think. You’ve got to get over it. You’re never going to have universal appeal anyway. The people whose opinions count, will be the ones who love your uniqueness.
If you’re having the time of your life, go on and enjoy it! Don’t give a hoot about the skew looks you might procure if you truly let go — the ones who may pass judgment are the ones who cannot release their inner child or inner joy.
Who knows, your bravado might entice their daring to come out and play.
Love the Skin You’re In
“I’ve gone through stages where I hate my body so much that I won’t even wear shorts and a bra in my house because if I pass a mirror, that’s the end of my day.” ― Fiona Apple
How many of us can relate to Fiona Apple?
Call to action time. I want you, next time you face yourself in the mirror, to truly look into your own eyes. Tell yourself that you are a beautiful and unique creature — a human expression of the soul you truly are.
Let your eyes run over every nuance of your being, even the parts you may not like. When you do this, praise yourself for the bits and bobs you love about yourself — put your full attention on those parts and really give yourself genuine admiration. Be kind and complementative — just as if you were uplifting a friend who was having body image problems.
This is not an act of narcissism — this is a way to get you to accept and love the skin you’re in.
Most of all, be grateful for the body you have. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that even if you do have lumps and bumps in certain places, you probably still have a lot to be thankful for.
“Let me ask you something, in all the years that you have…undressed in front of a gentleman has he ever asked you to leave?
Has he ever walked out and left? No? It’s because he doesn’t care!
He’s in a room with a naked girl, he just won the lottery. I am so tired of saying no, waking up in the morning and recalling every single thing I ate the day before, counting every calorie I consumed so I know just how much self loathing to take into the shower. I’m going for it.
I have no interest in being obese, I’m just through with the guilt. So this is what I’m going to do, I’m going to finish this pizza, and then we are going to go watch the soccer game, and tomorrow we are going to go on a little date and buy ourselves some bigger jeans.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert
Do you have a tip to share? How do you embrace your body, ‘faults’ and all? I’d love to hear from you.
What you vibrate you attract — it’s like stubbing your toe in the morning…cursing, then knocking your knee on the staircase…yelling. All this starts to send out a particular vibration until it’s snowballing into a thoroughly, bloody rubbish day!
Instead, stub your toe and thank God for having a toe that you could stub in the first place…lol. Well, it’s certianly worth a try.
There’s Always a Twist in the Tale!
I am going to call this Twistamatosis — the art of taking a dire situation and turning it around by doing the unexpected or exact opposite of what is expected in a positive and unusual manner. It’s all about finding…
The treasure hidden in your garbage can
The diamond glittering through your lump of coal
The champagne Uncle George gave you for Christmas still neatly corked in an otherwise empty fridge barring the expired sauce bottles
A clean pair of underpants in the dryer when you thought you were all out and it’s date night
Waking up early for work only to realize it’s a holiday!
You know I could go on but I won’t. I’ll leave that up to you. What analogies can you come up with for Twistamatosis? Flex your funny bone.
Or should I say, mission I’m possible (as the daughter of my friend just discovered!). I see you reading the title and asking yourself, ‘all this in under 7 minutes?’.
You’d better believe it!
After much blood, sweat and tears over the past 2 weeks — the final cut is ready! And all in the same week as my second book get’s sent off to the publishers — just call me the Duracell bunny. Did I mention I’m also working on a 5 panel commissioned painting?
Another Coffee, Please!
Maria Von Trapp, Succulent Musical Performances and Some Dubious Animation
This is episode 1 and I’m being interviewed about the first painting, ‘Escapism’ in my Rock Art Series (painted to Radiohead). I have made a special menu button for the Rock Art blogs that can be seen under my banner for quick reference or if you just want to catch-up on the series again.
Without further ado…here is the video (please remember to adjust the quality on Youtube otherwise it can automatically pick the fastest and lowest quality setting).
Don’t Be Shy to Voice Your Opinion (as Long as it’s Dripping with Honey!)
Your comments are more than welcome, either here or on Youtube.
I would also like to ask that, if you like the video (of course), can you please share it with your friends, Twitter buddies or Facebook pals. I could sure use your help to get this series out into the big wide world.
Actually, you can even share it if you think is sucks. I don’t mind. Any publicity is good publicity, right? I’m probably going to regret saying that some day. 🙂
A Big Thank You to My Contributors
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank all you special people out there in cyberspace for your support and for those generous souls who agree to keep me afloat by buying me copious amounts of ‘coffee/tea’ through the site — your donations keep me going in ways you can’t imagine, so a big Thank You.
“Sometimes our garbage makes the best fertilizer.”
I just want to express from the get go that this has been one of the most difficult paintings for me to bring into manifestation. I started off this journey with hopeful optimism which soon turned into pain, anguish and avoidance. I literally avoided my painting for weeks before returning to finish it.
I even manifested back pain (like there was something I needed to ‘get off my back’) which was a real poke in the ribs to complete this.
Let’s begin…
Firstly, the emotions that I wrote down (on the side of the boxed canvas) during the painting process were as follows:
Discord, revolt, rebel
Suppressed emotion
Metal, cold, steel, cutting, taking lives
Centers around the Void
Paternal painbody
Lost
Relief to be voicing/heard
Yin & Yang balance
Our Hopes and Expectations
It began with me spray painting the black hole in the center which represented a void. Emotions getting sucked into a black hole.
Then I painted little white orbs emerging which I think was indicative that there is and always was hope and a presence that was watching over us (or perhaps it was the light in us) through the whole distortion of life, morality and ethics of the war.
The War Effect
My maternal grandfather, Roy Chegwyn
The male painbody came out big time after that and I was aware that I was entering the murky dark waters of the emotional minefield of all our soul brothers (and sisters) who were forced to go to war.
They were both involved in WW2. My maternal Grandfather was a RAF pilot and was shot and killed in German territory — he was in his early 20’s. His body was never recovered and I don’t think his wife ever recovered either. This obviously impacted my mother and her sisters greatly.
My paternal grandfather, Harry Roe
My paternal grandfather was stationed in Egypt and, thankfully, made it back home in 1945 although he never spoke of his traumas. I never got to meet him as he died before I was born.
I think a lot of men shut down and never spoke of their ordeal when they got home. Can you imagine the pain and suffering this has caused? The ripple effect is felt in Pink Floyd’s music.
Bullets with Butterfly Wings
After the void showed up in the painting, I went ballistic with silver foil. After I had finished pasting this onto the picture I picked up my red spray can and viciously started gunning the canvas with bullet holes. I felt like I was being sucked into the overwhelming emotions of limitless killings — voluntary and involuntary.
It was a very dark place.
The muddy paint (which was done using a kind of clay/sand textured acrylic) represented being in the trenches. I even stuck ‘notes’ on the painting reciting the Ho’oponopono (a Hawaiin prayer for forgiveness and an amazing releasing affirmation for letting go of the past so you can move into the present). I even spontaneously wrote out one of these notes on toilet paper.
The Ho’oponopono goes something like this:
I am sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you.
I stepped back from the painting and even though it wasn’t physically there, I saw a massive yin and yang sign in that void. It was energetically present. This confused me. I thought this painting was going to be about the male painbody.
It was, however, morphing into something else…
The Pinnacle Rent of the Sexes
I began to go into another state, I could feel the feminine energies coming in through me. I picked up a pink oil pastel and started smudging it over the bullet wounds and blood. It was as if I was tempering the pain. The colour pink represents passivity, calming and softening.
It then struck me.
This is not only about the male painbody but it also involves the female painbody. The war was like the symbolic peak of the separation of divine masculine and feminine.
Men come back from war shut tight as a clam and the females make them a cup of tea and offer a biscuit.
Containers and Comforters United
Masculine energy is like a container. This energy offers physical support, service, protection, strength and a ‘safe’ place. Feminine energy is that feeling of home. This energy is giving, nurturing, caring and spiritually supportive.
Can you see how this was split apart during the war?
Men came back having had their minds, limbs, spirit and morals blown apart. It was not appropriate in that time for men to show weakness or, God forbid, emotion. So they contained themselves.
“Button your lip and don’t let the shield slip. Take a fresh grip on your bullet proof mask and if they try, to break down your disguise with their questions. You can hide, hide, hide behind paranoid eyes”
~ Paranoid Eyes, Pink Floyd
Women were in complete avoidance. They probably didn’t know how to handle the enormous magnitude of the war effects and the atrocities their men had witnessed and been a part of, so they swept in under the carpet. Women became the Stepford Wives, fudging the emotions and avoiding the topic at all costs.
Neither sexes were in their integrity. They were doing a dance in the void — the ultimate tango of avoidance.
“Hey you, out there on your own sitting naked by the phone would you touch me? Hey you, with your ear against the wall waiting for someone to call out would you touch me? Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone? Open your heart, I’m coming home.”
~ Hey You!, Pink Floyd
I felt a distinct animosity for women in Pink Floyd’s music. The feelings were that of women being superficial takers, opportunists and cold fish.
In the Classroom
There was also a part at the bottom of the painting that seemed to portray the education system. How we are moulded into little nuts and bolts to keep the cogs turning.
I was even compelled at one stage to leave my studio (almost in a trance like state) and go down the staircase. I thought I was going to get some newspaper but it turned out that I was collecting a sketch I had done about 2 years ago to demonstrate Platonic Solids to a friend.
The book I had drawn it in was lying on my dining room table. I opened it straight at this picture (the book is also the kind of hardcover we used at school with the red margins and blue lines) and ripped it out, marched back upstairs and pasted it to this section of the painting.
I also noticed that I had written one of my articles at the back of this piece of paper and it had relevant wording that I also ripped out and glued to the canvas. I even automatically made a tiny paper aeroplane and stuck it to the picture.
Could this be indicative of childhood fancies — making planes at school, fantasizing about being a pilot? Then stepping out into the real world and being disillusioned by being a traumatized ‘fighter-pilot’ slipping into the void.
Then the Seeds Started to Grow
The theme of this painting is very sad indeed. The tearing apart of the sexes, the war wounds, the fudging over of emotional debris by our parents and their parents but there is a distinct message of hope.
I stood back and looked at the painting. It needed green.
I couldn’t quite think of where and what to add that was green but the Universe knew. I ended up painting vines and leaves growing up out of the chaos. A symbol of hope and growth from bad experience.
Don’t Let Your Privates Deceive You
It was like all this war, disruption and chaos was leading us to heal the rift in ourselves. As you know, we are both yin and yang, masculine and feminine — no matter what your genitals tell you.
We are coming to a point in time where we are realizing this and balancing our energies. Embracing both in order to lead lives of fulfillment and acceptance of ourselves and each other — unity consciousness.
“We would meet again, some sunny day”~ Vera, Pink Floyd
Sometimes our garbage makes the best fertilizer.
Thank you, Pink Floyd, for the opportunity to unravel this important historical and emotional piece of art.
The Can of Worms is Closed!
This painting showed me the rift in the feminine and masculine energies — the breakdown of balance between yin and yang.
Then it moved to rectify the tear by bringing back the balance of both polarities. This artwork showed me that there is hope for us, that we can mend our broken hearts and bring divine balance back into the world through love, compassion and forgiveness.
“All alone or in two’s, the ones who really love you walk up and down outside the wall. Some hand in hand and some gathered together in bands, the bleeding hearts and the artists make their stand.“
~ The Other Side of the Wall, Pink Floyd
‘Dancing in the Void’ Rock Art Painting no. 4 (Pink Floyd) by Cherie Roe Dirksen 30″ x 30″ x 1.5″ — Acrylic and Mixed Media on Boxed Canvas
You can recap on ALL the articles in the Rock Art Series here:
I feel like so much time has lapsed since the last painting was revealed (Jeff Buckley — ‘Raw’).
The reason being is that this one has had me flying down the rabbit hole with no parachute. What a frightfully corrosive yet beautifully healing journey this one turned out to be!
“If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison’ it is certain to disagree with you sooner or later.” — Alice in Wonderland
I am going to divulge all the juicy details of the emotional journey in next weeks blog. What took me from going to war with my painting — violently spraying ‘bullet’ holes to making paper aeroplanes — and finally moving in to soften and balance the gaping hole of feminine and masculine energies?
You’ll have to wait and see…but for now:
Avoidance
This blog is just going to take you, from start to finish, through the pictorial process of the painting in the making.
I called this one ‘Dancing in the Void’ (or a-void-dance — cool little breakdown of that word, eh?).
And then finally, one late night (as you can see by the darker shades of the photograph)…I finished it!
Here is the final product:
‘Dancing in the Void’ (or ‘A-void-dance’) — Pink Floyd Rock Art
by Cherie Roe Dirksen
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Boxed Canvas
30″ x 30″ x 1.5″
Please come back next week for the inspiration behind the painting involving a lot of blood, sweat and tears and why this painting was my most challenging yet in the series.
“Trees are amazing life forms as they are grounded and rooted to the earth yet their branches are always caressing the sky — the ultimate metaphor for balance (as above so below, as within so without).”
At the beginning of last week, I found myself in a bit of a funk.
Not only did I have a bout of the despair demons but I also found myself lost in doubt — I just couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
What am I doing?
Why am I doing it?
Is any of this actually helping me or anyone else?
How am I going to make my rent this month?
Yup, the usual stuff that throws you a curve ball when you least expect it.
That night, I went to bed feeling rather low. I woke up the next morning feeling the same. I sat on my sofa staring at the wall, unwillingly thinking I should just pack it all in and go get a ‘proper’ job. Oh, woe is me!
How can I carry on offering ‘self help’ and creative advice when I am in a quagmire? My mind was tripping out on this dichotomous conundrum.
Of course, this just made me feel worse and less worthy to carry on with the site.
Who’s Only a 100% Organic Human Then?
Life isn’t all about the ups (although they’re great), it’s how to hoist yourself up by the bootstraps when you stumble into a deep hole too.
We’re all human at the end of the day (note to self and any others out there who think they need the ‘stiff upper lip’ approach allthe time!).
Swallowing My Own Pills
Looking back on some of my articles, I decided to take my own advice and go be in nature. After all, I had to prove to myself that I wasn’t talking out of my own ass with the advice I dish out.
So off I went to take a walk on the beach.
Sea Breeze and Water Underfoot
“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” — William Wordsworth
Holy Carumba! Within 30 minutes I had not only got some decent walking in and some good time to think but I had also done breathing exercises and a bit of gratitude meditation too — I was feeling a lot better.
After all of this, I sat on the sand looking out at the ocean and the beautiful blue sky. What a paradise! I started to chuckle to myself. This was definitely working.
I could feel that depression had completely left me and I was sitting in appreciation.
Get Your Kit Out!
I rushed back to my studio to begin work on some paintings that I saw in a vision whilst I was meditating.
I stuck to Pthalo blues and Emerald greens which are very holistically calming and balancing colours.
I was listening to classical music whilst painting this which I think comes through in the sweeping motion of the cosmic sky.
I beg you to listen to ‘The Aquarium’ by Saint-Saens (below) to truly get the gist of this picture (I have compiled an audio-visual video so you can listen and view the picture at the same time).
This song cropped up on my playlist when I was busy at work and it just fitted so much with the overall feel of this piece.
Branch Codes and Cosmic Undertones
With all that in mind, ‘The Forest Time Forgot’ has a feel of whimsical calmness and universal wonder to it. The trees seem to have taken on a life of their own with ‘facial expressions’ that were not intentional.
Trees are amazing life forms as they are grounded and rooted to the earth yet their branches are always caressing the sky — the ultimate metaphor for balance (as above so below, as within so without).
What do you get/feel/see when you look at this picture?
I was feeling really ‘child-like’ when I painted it. Very adventurous, playful and serene. Does that come across?
Naturally Tried and Tested
So, seriously now, when you find yourself in a funk/void/chasm of doom — get yourself out into nature. I did such a quick turnaround when I decided to take some time out at the seaside — the transformation was just so quick!
The creative surges came through thick, fast and furious. So much so that I managed to pop out 3 paintings this week in 2 days. All the pictures in this blog are the after effects of the beach outing.
Proof that a bit of Gaia therapy works.
Try a bit of the great outdoors next time you feel the demons of despair pounding away at your door.
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” — John Muir
To download as your facebook timeline, click on picture then right-click and ‘save image as’ to your computer. You can upload it onto your facebook timeline from your computer.
“I just don’t deal with the negativity. I can’t get involved in that side of it. I don’t understand it, and you can’t let it take away from your life and what you are trying to do.”—Rick Pitino
I read an article that stated ‘negativity sells’. How sad. Yes it does, we are all aware of that but we don’t necessarily like it.
Don’t you sometimes feel alone or like you are farting against thunder, trying to keep your spirits high or encouraging the positivity in others only to have the media and various other sources spit negativity out at you at an alarming rate?
I sure do.
Buried Under the Rubble
The influx of devastating news from the media to the sick pictures being posted recently on Facebook showcasing animal cruelty and the likes are but a few of what we’ve been bombarded with lately.
If you don’t have these social networking sites then lucky you! You’ve just saved yourself some deep trauma.
Yes, negativity does seem to sell but we can change that by focusing our attention on solving the problems not feeding them.
The one mistake most people make is perpetuating the negativity by spreading it, thinking that they are doing good but what they are really doing is helping the offenders to spread their base filth even faster.
I know the kind of people who share this type of bad news/pictures are only trying to spread awareness, their hearts are in the right place but there are other ways of helping out that I will address below.
But before I go into that, I want to bring up another hot issue.
Teenage Dreams Turning into Teenage Nightmares
Sharing these gruesome pictures on Facebook is perpetuating the problem by offering these perpetrators notoriety for their acts (which is one of the reasons why I believe they do it).
The growing need that a select few teenagers have to become ‘famous’ is resulting in them trying anything for their 15 minutes of glory — seemingly, no matter how heinous that publicity might be.
So, what should be done about it?
What can be done is:
report it directly to the police (put up the photo on a bulletin board at the police station rather than on innocent bystanders cyber walls),
report it to your local activist group (pertaining to the content),
send the perpetrators love (yes, it is difficult but you will not solve anything with your hatred — look at the last few thousand years of earth history to see where that gets you. Try something different),
send the victims love,
if you can, donate your time or money to a cause near you (if it is a crime against animals — donate to your local shelter, if it is a crime against women/children — donate to your local care center)
These are practical ways to make a stand.
I agree that awareness will change problems but we must be discerning in how that awareness is carried out.
Are You Helping or Hindering?
“Negativity doesn’t help me.” — David Ortiz
If you can answer yes to these questions, you may be doing more harm than good. Are you:
working yourself up into a frenzy or state of anger over the issue?
causing anyone distress with what you are doing?
telling yourself that it is necessary for people to see violent images to get them to stand up and take notice?
Rather ask yourself what you could do in a calm, dignified manner to help the situation.
Let’s take a quick look at the possible causes behind these actions.
Where the Trail Leads
TV reality shows pump out mindless garbage like ‘The Kardashians’ and ‘Jerseylicious’ (to name but a few) and the youth lap it up thinking that this is the key to success. That through debaucherous actions they will get the attention they crave.
Get your own reality show.
Do something outrageous and get noticed.
It’s up to us to help educate and steer these youngsters in the right direction. Coming up against it in sheer fury will fuel the fire causing an inferno, we need to address the misinformation they are being fed.
Okay, I’ve veered off the topic a tad here. This was meant to be shining a light on how to keep your head held high when you are being suffocated by lower vibration twaddle.
Anchors Aweigh!
What can you do to keep your head above water?
Navigation.
All hands on deck, Captain! Navigate your way out of it.
How? By doing what you can in a positive and uplifting manner. If there is nothing you can do, pray and send love and compassion.
We’ve just celebrated St. Valentines Day last week, a day for expressing love. Let’s not stop the day after — let’s keep that love-ball rolling and spread it far and wide.
Keep love alive and you will be able to more easily slip out of the stream of negativity when it arises.
Here are some articles to help you to stay positive:
If you feel this has resonated with you and have someone in mind whilst you were reading, please do feel free to share. 🙂
This world will change but the seeds need to be sown first — be that seed planter!
On that note, here is a free computer wallpaper quote to encourage those positive vibes:
To download, click on picture — right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer. Use as desktop wallpaper or mini printable posters for around your home or office. You may share this on social networks as long as it is not altered in any way, thank you.
“Life is the power that’s greater than I can ever comprehend. The way life runs through everything, even the tiniest elements of nature – that makes me humble.” — Michael J. Fox
Handel With Care
No, the sub-heading is not a typo. I decided, this week, to paint to the music of classical composer, Handel. I’m not too familiar with his work or his life story but just decided on a whim that he was the one to explore this week.
I did have a slightly pre-conceived idea that I wanted to paint 2 separate landscape paintings but how these landscapes turned out was beyond my reckoning. I seem to have stumbled onto a very elemental theme with these 2 pictures.
Earth, Fire, Water and Air
“The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we inhabit are not only critical elements in the quality of life we enjoy – they are a reflection of the majesty of our Creator.” — Rick Perry
I used a lot of mixed-media — such as bits of the Giant Redwood bark that I had picked up in Tokai forest to metallic strips of foil that give this painting a unique ‘elemental’ feel.
I started off listening to his ‘Water Music Suite’ which I think lent to the overall theme (there is an aquatic feel in the first painting in the blue ‘lake’ and in the second painting where it looks like there’s a waterfall toppling into the earth’s core). However, as soon as I stepped back and viewed what had come out, I saw all four elements immediately.
The final touches of this painting were the cloud high-lights which gives a peaceful calmness to the painting. The hand in the clouds (in the first painting) was not intentional, it just kind of popped out as I was working on the sky.
So what interested me about these pieces was the running elements theme.
Why are these 4 things so important to us?
What do they represent for us?
How do we embrace them?
Getting Into Your Element
Most of us are living in the rat race, going from one building to another via a freeway of hustle and bustle. Then we are stuck to electronic devices pretty much most of the day having little or not time whatsoever to embrace the sheer splendour of the great outdoors.
What is missing from a lot of our lives is that raw connection to nature.
Wouldn’t it feel grand to…
get buffeted about by a strong wind, swirling around our body as we stand with no resistance and let it tickle our skin and gently blow into our ears.
make a bonfire — pile up the wood, strike that match and be mesmerized by the eternal grace of the flickering flames as they lull us into a state of hypnotic awe.
skinny dip in the buoyant bliss of deep blue waters — wading, swimming, floating, bobbing about in the supportive delights of this glorious element.
stand with our feet growing roots into the soil as we feel the connection to our beautiful planet and all the life she supports.
let go and let the awesome symphony of nature penetrate every crack or opening of your being. Let your soul soak up the splendour of mother nature and revel with appreciation for our beloved Gaia.
Can You Handel a Bit More?
“And the truth must finally lie in that which every oppressed individual feels within himself but hasn’t the courage to express” ―Wilhelm Reich
A fellow creative and confidante was the first to see the pictures a day after I had painted them. He told me straight off the cuff that he was no fan of Handel but when he saw the paintings, he bought both immediately (thank you, because I know you’re reading this!:D).
He said that, in his opinion, the paintings represented the truth behind his understanding of the origin of the music. He went on to divulge the most remarkable story behind Handel — the very reason he didn’t care for him.
It went something like this (the regurgitated succinct edition):
His music was ‘tailored’ for British aristocracy and therefore very ‘stiff upper lip, old chap’. No passion allowed, no blatant display of emotion. And all this paved the way for the onset of a new rigid era.
So, on that note, my friend and I took a deeper look into the grandiose tale of this composers life…
Georg Friedrich Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) supplied music mainly for the English nobility which influenced his style to be more aligned with religious and social ethics.
Handel’s music was almost opposite to the music of Bach (they were around at the same time). Handel was a conformist which was deemed favourable at that specific time because England had descended into a frivolous decadence.
He supplied music with structure and conformity, reintroducing social etiquette. Glorification and the fear of God was what his music aimed at on a surface level.
His pious music injected a very tightly bound corset of primness, formality and ceremoniousness into the English society. The aristocracy welcomed this due to the growing debaucherous behaviour in British society.
The direct result of that was Victorianism.
Fake, Plastic Tunes
Now, it’s interesting to take note that people who hide under the cloak of righteousness are usually hiding something of this nature in themselves. Handel seems to have forged a pious world where his music perhaps tamed his own passions, his own story.
It’s interesting to also note that the structure of Baroque music was mostly stringent, however, bubbling underneath this composer was a burning passion — a passion that was never revealed as his private life was extremely hush-hush.
Another interesting observation is that Baroque music has also been known to connect the left and right hemisphere of the brain.
To read more about and to listen to Handel, click HERE.
The Extracted Essence
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” — Albert Einstein
Both these paintings (above) show a remarkable resemblance pertaining to this bit of rigid but saucy history.
There seems to be a very ‘fake’ landscape painted on top of a what feels like a bubbling inferno (Handel’s passion?). Could this represent the suppressed passion for life that was stifled into forced subjugation — pomp and ceremony as opposed to naked truth?
I hope that this painting is an opening for the observer to see that all forms of artistry can reveal the innate truth if one is persistent enough to dig deep. There could be contained emotions lurking beneath even the most austere of displays. So what is the message here?
Don’t judge a book by its cover?
Or, perhaps, feel free to express who you truly are — it’ll save you a lot of time, hassle and stress.
On that note…here is your free poster/quotation of the week:
To download, click on the picture and then ‘right-click’ and ‘save image as’ to your computer. I don’t mind if you share this on your social networks or print it out for use around the home or office. Please can you leave the copyright notice as is, thanks.
If you would like to purchase a full-sized poster of the above quote, please CLICK HERE.
We all have those irritating empty spaces on our walls that just needs a little something to spice it up and add flavor to the room.
Art is a great way to bring a home back to life, to add sparkle to the work place or inject pizzazz into a reception area. First impressions last, after all.
All Originals Have Flown the Coop But Prints are On Hand
Although all the originals have been sold, these pictures are all available as posters at affordable prices (just click on image to take you to my store).
Here are some appetite whetters for you to peruse.
And here are some other arty suggestions you may like:
To download as desktop wallpaper or to print and use around the home/office as mini-posters — just click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer. All rights reserved.
To download as desktop wallpaper or to print and use around the home/office as mini-posters — just click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer. All rights reserved.
Both these pictures are taken from my paintings which can be purchased as prints (see below — click on pictures to take you to the print store):
We must look for ways to be an active force in our own lives. We must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance and truly begin to live our dreams. ~Les Brown
Making New Resolutions
I was having an interesting debate about resolutions with a friend of mine recently. My friend was opposed to them as he felt they didn’t really work and that especially New Year’s resolutions were all a ‘hype’ resulting in a general waste of time and energy.
Yeah, I get that. We make and break these new years’ resolutions all too quickly which leaves room for doubt and just general disappointment and annoyance with ourselves.
It would appear that we are setting ourselves up for a fall — or are we?
What’s Really Behind a Resolution?
The thought that a spanking clean slate is in the offing is rather enticing — that desire to detox after festive monkeyshines or to join the gym are hardly bad decisions.
However, the pressure to stick to such high expectations can leave us feeling dejected if we nose-dive off the bandwagon. The thing about setting goals is to make them realistic — not only attainable but manageable.
Bite-Sized Portions, If You Please!
What usually drives the average homo sapien is the ability to be able to easily maintain a certain change.
The thought of climbing a high mountain that goes on forever is certainly not as enticing as running up a hill and merrily sliding down on your toboggan several times in one outing. So why not make goal setting the same?
Here are some tips to get you started on a realistic set of resolutions to follow:
1. Draw up a Plan
Get yourself a vision board or a whiteboard — something you will be able to see every day to remind yourself to stay on track. The best place for this is on your fridge or the back of your bathroom door, where you are guaranteed to visit daily. If you are compiling a vision board, paste pictures of the end result you would like to achieve so as to motivate you to tow the line.
2. Don’t Overload
The quickest way to fail with setting intentions is to give yourself too many to plausibly handle. Draw up a list and if there is too much on the list, narrow it down to the top 3 achievable goals for this day/month/year. You can always put the leftovers on next year’s list.
3. Map it with Fun
Get jiggy with it. Make your new resolutions fun. If you want to change your eating habits, find a way to make it a stimulating change by jazzing up your menu/grocery list and looking forward to your meals instead of planning a drab repast plan. If you want to find a new and electrifying job, have fun reinventing yourself and what you stand for — if you want an exciting job, excite yourself first. Make damn sure you’re as exciting as the job you are after.
4. Feel It to Manifest It
You’ve got to feel what you are trying to embody. You want to be lighter? Feel it within first. You want an inspiring job? Ignite your sense of self.
Pretend it’s there if you can’t personify it at first. You’ll begin to rewire your brain to think differently with enough repetition. And remember: Doubt = drought. Water your seeds and you’ll see the shoots soon enough.
5. Release the Inner Child
Everyone has an inner child. There is a part of you that still thinks a butterfly is gobsmackingly awesome, blowing bubbles is a spectacular magic trick and make-believe is as good as the real deal. Tap into that part of you when you are trying to visualize your goals. Your inner tot will help you make-believe a whole new world for yourself this year!
A tedious strategy will reap boredom and inaction — an adventurous plan will have you hopping and skipping to where you want to be.
My new resolution: I want to see people hopping and skipping in the streets this year!
I started off my career in art exploring what I like to call ‘decorative’ painting. You know the sort; flowers, trees, butterflies, sunsets, whatever tickled my fancies. There is nothing wrong with this kind of expression and it paves the way for mastering specific techniques and mediums but I always felt a yearning for more expansive art.
However, painting ‘decorative’ art allowed me to express my love for anything resplendent — the beauty of nature.
My art took a turn when I started painting my gold patterned backgrounds (as seen in the picture — right), I was testing the grounds for a more out-of-the-box approach. It was well received and I was happy for a while doing it. These complicated hand-painted motifs of swirly patterns represented ‘life energy’ — something I have been able to see all around me all the time.
I still felt a hunger for something new. I tried to dabble in abstract art, I have always had a love for abstract but found it the hardest thing to paint. I dug deep for this but it still didn’t fit the criterion that was swaying in my soul and keeping me at bay from realizing my fullest potential.
Spirited Away
I dreamed up the ‘Rock Art’ series last year and half-heartedly began my journey quite blinded to how it was going to unfold. After the Radiohead painting emerged out onto the canvas, I literally had a dream and was shown what it meant (read article here).
“Tut, tut, child! Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.” — The Duchess, Alice in Wonderland
Interested by this unusual turn of events I endeavored with the project and Metamorphic Dilatation (The Beatles Art) was born.
Love Story
The festive season came and went and I lost a tiny bit of my momentum with this series until I decided to pick up a brush and start with the Jeff Buckley painting (no. 3 in the series). It was going to be Muse but something changed my mind.
What happened with the painting ‘Raw’ changed my life forever. You can read all about it here. After the painting was done I had a dream…
What Dreams May Come
I was taken by a man (couldn’t quite make out who) into a room where I was shown that an artist could extract the essence of a message be it through music, literature or any other means and purvey the idea into a picture — a kind of visual therapy.
“Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.” — The Doorknob, Alice in Wonderland
I was told that it is quite difficult to get most people to listen to music outside of what they know.
How many of you have tried and failed to get people to listen to the music you like?
Or try to convince them that something that resonates with you should immediately resonate with them?
Same thing goes for literature. You can read a book and have an epiphany but to get someone else to read the book let alone have the self-same striking realization is a difficult task indeed.
It doesn’t mean that there is no message in the song or novel and it also doesn’t mean that your friend is an idiot for not ‘getting it’ or bothering to listen/read. We all work to a different schedule.
But how cool would it be if you could, like an alchemist, extract that message and translate it in a picture? Something that you need to just look at to get or understand the underlying current?
People are usually willing to look at something visual which can only take a few seconds of their precious time.
The meaning I got from my dream was that you can imprint a message or a code (something that sparks off something in you on a conscious or unconscious level) to trigger a healing within you to take place.
Or a prompt to get you to explore the music or literature (or whatever medium is being transmuted) further which may activate that message you need.
The Sound of Music
A good friend (who synchronously is a musician who is working on healing music at this very moment) and I were debating and bouncing off concepts of a universal and quantum nature (we came up with the caption to your right).
We were discussing how music, in itself, can transport you to places that words only try to point you towards.
Obviously, not all music does this — there is music and there is music. Some music can be very base and hollow, coming from the ego or the want for fame and money. Other music relays a message — it could be a cosmic or earthly message. It could be consumed on an unconscious or conscious level.
Have you ever noticed how music can lift your spirits?
Or get you to go deeper into your emotions?
Or simply move you to tears of bliss or sorrow?
The classical composers like Bach and Debussy excelled at elevating the soul. It’s as if they could take you to a higher dimension to feel the music in and around you — letting the vibrations pulsate through every cell in your body, literally absorbing the encoded transmissions of the wonders of 8th dimensional sound frequency.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
This brings me back to the many epiphanies I’ve been having this month through dreams, synchronicities, ‘a-ha’ moments with friends and family members and opening my mind to new possibilities with the all-encompassing help of the Universe itself.
Talk about unity consciousness at work! We are all so interwoven into this fabric of existence and we reflect so much to and in each other, which ultimately, reflects the entire cosmos. We are One.
So, Alice has been journeying into the reflections of herself and has pulled out all her resources to finally discover what she’s been prepping for.
“Curiouser and curiouser!” — Alice in Wonderland
I started this site wanting to merge my passion for writing with my love of music and art. I set out to do this as best I could, floundering a little at times as I tried new ways to do this. None of which truthfully felt like the puzzle pieces fitted.
With this new insight I finally feel like the puzzle has at last become a recognizable picture (as we are usually given the pieces without the added benefit of having the box image for a reference — no, that would have been too easy). I get to merge the trinity of music, art and literature into one capsule that can benefit the observer in a flash.
I couldn’t have asked the Universe for a better connection to work through me, expressing the Source, than this!
No wonder you’re not supposed to try to ‘control’ the nooks and crannies of how your path will unfurl — nothing out-of-the-box will ever develop with you trying to manipulate it at every turn with only your current understanding of how the world works.
They Call Me Trinity
I need to trim my time expenditure on this site and neatly package it to fit this new revelation.
So, instead of having an art/creativity blog on Tuesday, a spiritual blog on Thursday and a Free Giveaway blog on Friday, I have decided to reconcile all three if these into one new and exciting blog (to come out every Wednesday from next week) that will have inspiring verses, tasty visuals and something for nothing.
I will, from time to time, blog articles of value or interest on any given day but you can rely on the Wednesday blog to be a weekly occurrence.
That’s All Folks!
And that’s the rundown of how this year began for me — thanks for journeying with me and I hope you’ll stick around to see what’s to come in the bright and uncharted future of this magnificent virgin Wonderland.
In a world where almost everything seems to be competitive and the yearning for success is rife, take heart in knowing that you can benefit greatly by learning from others and how they manage and maintain success in order to establish a winning formula for your life.
First things first, what does success actually mean?
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” — Albert Einstein
Success can vary according to the individual. It can be measured in relationships, love, money, career, purpose, spirit, attitude and the list goes on.
There are some simple qualities you can take onboard to excel in all of the above. If you know someone whom you or society deems as successful and they don’t quite make the grade with the many attributes listed below, you may want to question their overall success — they may have the money and career in the bag but success in life should tick all the boxes.
Let’s take a look at what sets some people apart from the rest:
Pin it!
Talk Positive — Successful people always communicate confidently to others and themselves. You can’t thrive on a negative dialogue. Aim to encourage, motivate and inspire all you meet including yourself.
Move On — Never dwell on your mistakes. Failure should always be used as feedback. Being stuck in the past only ensures that you will not be able to effectively work in the present. Take your blunders and learn from them — there are always hidden gems to be found in boo-boos.
Look out for No.1 — Efficacious people know that they need to take care of themselves first and foremost. This is not a selfish act; it is an action of necessity. Besides, no-one appreciates a self-declared martyr — there’s no brownie points in it for you, believe me. Acting the martyr will lead you to harbor resentment and will alienate people around you, especially those of you who do everything with a mumble under your breath. When you take care of your own needs first, you will have the ability to help others with a gratified smile on your face.
Set Boundaries — Don’t be a pushover. Know your limits and draw the line in the sand for others when you need to preserve your energy and time. Learn how to distinguish what you need to address and what you need to let alone.
Philanthropy — The Buddha mentioned that one should tithe a percentage (Judaism stipulates 10%) of their earnings to benefit their community. This is a no-brainer. You want to see your society thrive because you are a part of it — it’s a symbiotic relationship. You wouldn’t take a dump on your own doorstep now would you?
Remain Grounded— Remember your roots and always practice humility in the face of any position. Be a lone, content stallion rather than a prancing pony — ponies get ridden at fairgrounds. Strut and you’re likely to stumble, be humble and you’ll always be firmly footed.
Be Open to New Ideas — Bend like a reed in the wind. When you give in to complacency, you stop listening to others and their thoughts — big mistake. You don’t know everything, no matter how old and experienced you are. The universe is ever-expanding so what gives you the right to stand still? Nothing ages you like rigid conceit — your passport to entropy.
Own It — Prosperous people own their lives, where they are, how they got there and what they stand for. Embody your experience and live your truth. Be an original and not a copy. There’s nothing worse than a cheap fake. Everyone has something unique to offer the world — your job is to uncover your diamond.
Admit to Mistakes — Successful people aren’t afraid to acknowledge they’re wrong. True courage lies in integrity — your ability to recognize the truth and concede when appropriate. To err is human.
Think Creatively — Fruitful endeavors are usually sparked by thinking out-of-the-box, stretching beyond what is the norm and testing the limits. If you want to play it safe you’re going to be average. Pushing boundaries is where resilience leads to triumph. Inject colour, passion, vitality and true-grit into everything you do and you will succeed.
Exercise Criticism Immunity — Success lies in your ability to detect constructive from destructive critique. When you can master the skill of not taking things personally, you will be able to clearly see what opinions you can take aboard your ship to steer you in the right direction and which thoughts need to be left on the dock lest they sink your ship. Discernment is one of your handiest tools for gauging the worth of alternate views.
Enjoy Life — Finding joy and fulfillment in everyday activities is another sign of a successful person. Can you take any situation and turn it into a gift? Can you find the beauty in the chaos? The delight in the mundane? If your life is a bore, you need to take a long hard look at who’s making it boring — let me give you a clue: Go stand in front of the mirror. Boring is as boring does. Use your time on this planet wisely, there is a hidden microcosm of treasure in any situation — you just need to view things from a different perspective. A recent study just reported that adventure and travel (another activity you see successful people adhering to) seems to lead to longevity. If there is just one thing you must take from this list let it be to enjoy your life.
“Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso
The road to success needn’t be a difficult one; your perspective of your given obstacles and victories will determine how you use them to free yourself. The moment you get out of your own way, you will find the happiness you seek.
Did you enjoy this article? Don’t forget to pin it 😀
You can supplement the word ‘happy’ with success — they are one and the same as the definition of success is merely to have a favourable or desired outcome. Ultimately, everyone just wants to be happy.
So, I want to end this off by saying that success is a state of mind, if you let others dictate to you what it looks like then you are doomed to failure. Strive to be happy and content right now and you will be on your way. Take action now to live with the conviction to be happy and you can only be prosperous.
I’ve compiled 2 quotations for you today (which can be downloaded as printable mini-posters for around your office, home or studio and double as desktop wallpaper too).
I want them to serve as reminders of your sheer potential when you can remember to stay grounded and true to yourself. Here they are:
In other words, work from a place of source — what have you got to bring to or offer the world? Play on your strengths, differing perspectives and unique interpretations of life. You can be inspired by others but make sure you are an original and not a copy.
Sometimes we feel the urge to defend ourselves in spite of what could be right. We can shoot ourselves in the foot by digging our heels in where situations may not serve us just to prove that our way is the way. We need to put pride on the back-burner in order to listen to what is innate — that voice of wisdom that can steer us onto the path that is correct for us.
Be still and see if you can hear the voice of wisdom that longs to be heard.
To download these quotes just click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer.
When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous.~Wayne Dyer
The Burning Question
What is my purpose? The one sweltering question we try so hard to answer and fulfill in our lives but often leaves us cold, feeling confused or frustrated.
There could be so many possible answers. More pressing is the fact that sometimes we don’t just have one singular purpose, or, that purpose could change from day to day, year to year or decade to decade. We need to get comfortable with the idea of going with the flow and trusting our innate instinct.
Job Conundrums
We could be happily (or unhappily) plodding along in a job for many years when one day you wake up and being a (blank) no longer seems to ‘fit’ into your life anymore.
You scratch your head thinking ‘what could I possibly want out of life now? I thought I was a (blank)?’
Never label yourself as one thing or another — you will restrict the flow of your life. The answer could be that you are a quantum, multi-dimensional, layered being. This means that you could be causing change in many numerous ways, even on a subconscious level. We have in built indicators that start beeping when your contract is about to reconfigure or needs to change. This is why I will put emphasis on the fact that we need to learn to trust ourselves and our intuition. You may want to dig your feet into the ground in resistance but you need to entertain the prospect that it is time to move on.
You may either need to professionally pick up and move into another arena or to physically move yourself to another location to shine your light where it is needed more.
Change is the Only Constant
We, as human beings, do not relish change. In fact, for some, it is a frightening prospect. The uncomfortable truth is that the only constant in this life is change. The sooner you can make your peace with that, the better you will be able to adapt to any given situation.
The reasons for change can be countless and I like to refer to these seemingly non-linear events as ‘quantum’. We are navigating in a world of quantum soup, where there are many probabilities layering themselves upon each other. There are so many levels to our lives and the majority of these are unseen or subconsciously being carried out. So if you have a niggling feeling that your life needs an overhaul, it is probably time to start making that happen.
The Universe, Source, Higher Self or God — whichever you prefer — has layered these events to unfold in divine timing and you will be gracefully cushioned to your next phase with ease — that is, of course, if you don’t resist. If you insist on resisting the process, you will probably still get there in the end but it will be the long and bumpy cart-ride instead of the smooth bullet train.
From the Horses Mouth
I speak from personal experience as I have done a lot of job hopping and career labeling in my time. I started my young life out being very artistic and decided to become an Interior Designer. Then I hit my early twenties and joined a band. In between remedial jobs I decided to go back to art and became a full-time painter. This was going well until I got my ‘spiritual nudge’ to write a book. This confused the living daylights out of me because I had labeled myself as an ‘artist’. I was not a ‘writer’! However, I decided not to fight what was coming out and wrote my first book.
I realized that I loved writing — who would have thought? I decided to write and paint but this became very taxing. I got my final nudge to trim back on the art and concentrate on the writing, which is where I am at now. What this whole process has taught me is to surrender to the now and to not fear change because that is where your excitement lies.
Try asking yourself these 4 questions:
What do you feel like doing now?
What is it you would do if money wasn’t an issue?
What is your gut/instinct telling you?
Where do the synchronicities or signposts point you?
If you are having some challenges identifying your purpose, a good place to start is in meditation. The wonders that quiet reflection can do is innumerable. When you are in this state of centered awareness ask yourself ‘what is my purpose?’ and just see what comes up for you.
The answer could be immediate or it could take a couple of hours, days or weeks to come through.
Follow those Synchronous Markers
The key is to be patient and follow the signs and synchronicities. They will be there to guide you. You will have your light-bulb moment if you are dedicated to looking for these pointers.
Just remember they can come to you in many ways— through dreams, meditation, the TV/internet/radio, through people or conversation and pretty much any other precursor that is relevant to your particular question or purpose.
But I Need to Make Money
Yeah, tell me about it! We all need the green stuff to pay our bills at the end of the month, right? This is a difficult one because during the transition you may not make the money you need to and this can often put people off pursuing their dreams.
The answer is that if you trust the process, the gates will open for you but you need to exercise patience and faith. I know faith doesn’t pay the bills (unless you have a wealthy and generous Aunty Faith), but you can make a start at your dreams without giving up you day job for now. Baby steps will eventually lead to you changing tracks permanently and having a solid foundation to do so in the future.
As I go further and further down this rabbit hole that I labelled the ‘Rock Art Series‘, I am beginning to uncover a quantum field of bizarre and amazing coincidences and realizations about myself and my role that I find myself stepping into (there will be more about this in next weeks blog, as I go mixing the melting pot of Harmonic Convergence and visual healing therapy).
This painting maxed my abstract potential and what I thought was achievable through a state of ‘mindless’ painting — it brought out something in me that I will call guided art.
Who’s guiding me?
God alone knows! My soul? My guides? The man on the moon? Jeff Buckley himself (for those of you who don’t know, Jeff died in a drowning accident in 1997)? Or a mixture of all? Probably…
Tapping into the Matrix
For more information about Jeff Buckley, click on this picture.
There is an information highway in the ether — a kind of universal computer hard-drive that stores everything and anything for posterity. I think this could be a good description for what I’m trying to tap into with this art.
How do you capture the essence of the message from the musician and put it onto canvas?
Music is multi-dimensional and speaks straight to the soul. When you are able to pull this kind of cosmic sound down into the third dimension, it has a powerful effect on the listener. See an article about‘The 8th Chakra and the Universal Heart’ HERE.
Now, the question is: Can an artist tune into the message in the music and translate it as art?
Well, here it goes:
The Emotions of the Music
These are the emotions that came up for me as I was painting.
Pure
Prints Available Now
Heartfelt
Raw
Desire
Earthy
Sensuality/Sexuality
Basic
Simple Beauty
Tactile/Touching
I wrote all these words down on the side of the canvas as they were arising in me. For those of you who know who Jeff Buckley is, you’ll probably be nodding your head and saying ‘yeah, that’s him alright’.
For those who don’t know him…let’s start you off with this song (although it is not his original song, he was reported to have said that it is a song he wished he had written as it encapsulates all that he is — and he performs it admirably):
I was completely ‘in the zone’ with this one — otherwise what I referred to as my ‘mindless state’. Working purely from the heart and feeling rather than linearizing and thinking it through.
The first thing I did was spray paint a big red heart onto the canvas…I stood back and thought, ‘a bit kitsch, isn’t it?’. Then I decided to trust the process and see where it led me to. At that point, I thought that even if I painted over the heart, I suppose it will still be imbued with that heart presence — the heart would remain the core of the painting. As it turned out, the heart became the focal point.
I started mucking about with clay paint (a kind of textured acrylic and a lot of fun to get your hands in! Really squishy and messy). I used a palette knife to apply it to the canvas.
I felt as if I wasn’t alone, it didn’t freak me out or anything, I just went with it. I then dropped the palette knife and started getting my hands into this squelchy clay-type paint (I think this is the point where I wrote down the ‘earthy’ emotion — being grounded, getting ‘real’). I felt as if my hands were being guided, moving over the canvas in waves of delicate caresses which led on to vehement scratches (very sensuous, darling). I have to admit it was a bit like the scene from the movie ‘Ghost’ — you know that part when Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze were sitting down at the potter’s wheel getting all down and dirty in the clay. To coin one of Jim Carey’s phrases, I was starting to get a bit swampy in my pants.
The whole time I was painting, I would stop every now and again to take a photo for the pictorial process blog. Imagine my surprise, when in one of the pictures I saw an isolated, huge orb (see picture to your right)! I give you my word that it is not part of the painting even though there are other ‘orb-like’ circles, those are gold spray-paint ‘blob’s and the orb is white. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the orb phenomenon, please click here. Otherwise, in a very small nutshell: Some people believe it is the camera’s ability to pick up on what we can’t see with the naked eye — yes a bit like photographing spooks, or rather, balls of energy (UFE — he he…unidentified flying energy). Others feel it is just light bouncing off dust to create this effect. What they don’t know is that my studio is a dust bomb and if this was the case, the photographs would be Orb City. Besides, I rather like the story where Jeff is helping me to create this work of art — nobody wants to be alone at the party, you know what I mean?
Close up of the orb – as you can see it is completely circular with a kind of aura that surrounds it, completely different to the gold painted orb below it.
When I re-sprayed the heart and saw it dripping in and mixing with the clay paint, I got a real feeling of being ’embodied’. You know, the whole tethering your soul to your body type-thing?
I then went on to add some words that I had torn out of a magazine. I’ve not really done this before so had no idea how it would turn out. I like the effect and just happened to synchronously stumble upon the most relevant-to-Jeff descriptive words imaginable. Like: ‘Shaken, Stirred’; ‘Stay in touch’; ‘Beautiful’; ‘History and Heroes’; ‘I think I’m on the planet Mars!’ (lol, don’t ask!); ‘lovers, this one’s for you!’; Made with unrestricted access’…you get the picture (I hope!).
I then added on some finishing swirls and details to embellish and make the painting really ‘pop’ with pleasure.
And that’s it! You’ve got the low down of the inspiration behind the art.
Here are some more Jeff Buckley performances that you may enjoy:
I’ve had a few questions about this series that I want to clear up or probably make more hazy:
Am I selling individual pieces now? No, I am going to exhibit all 10 paintings when it is finished so I need to keep them as a unit for now.
When do I plan on having this series finished? I am working my butt off to have it all done by June 2013.
When and where will I be exhibiting? No clue at the moment but I just know the right place, venue, person will present themselves when it is ready to go on the road.
Can I buy prints? All the pieces I have done so far are available as prints.
What does this painting say to you? You can be honest, I promise I won’t bite or take anything personally (just leave your name and street address where I can find you alongside your comment! lol).
What does Jeff Buckley’s music mean to you?
If you didn’t know who he was, did you feel enticed to listen to his songs?
If yes, what did you think?
Did you feel that there was no need to listen because you ‘got it’ straight away?
What emotions arise when you listen to him or look at this painting?
Are they congruent?
Spill your beans, please. After all, I told you I got all swampy in my pants (the ice has been broken and melted all at the same time) — you can’t get more personal than that!
Hitting the Nail on the Head
To get the interpretation ball rolling — I sent the final picture to a musician friend of mine who didn’t know much about the artist or his music.
I found what he came up with remarkable for someone who wasn’t familiar with Jeff Buckley. It’s as if the information of the music was transported through the painting. Perhaps, as was proposed earlier in this blog, artists can tune into the message behind the music and translate it through visual arts. I’ll let you be the judge…
This is what my friend had to say:
“One definitely does see the emotional – hmmm… turmoil(?) this guy had during his life. What music do you suggest I listen to to get a deeper understanding of it?
The silver foil on the left reminds me of those staples they used to use on operations patients… i.e. a broken but patched up heart, one that’s been severely injured and not healed completely but very good physicians.
The green hand is definitely somehow connected with it, perhaps someone slipping away that was responsible for it — losing someone? Trying to hold on or not quite being able to touch the heart
The (hand)print ON the heart is interesting too — someone definitely left their touch on his heart.
The (hand)print on the right is almost like a hand in the background — a shadow, someone in his life that he never really have his heart to or allowed to get to know his heart.
The silhouette above that (looks like of a person) sort of underlines that message — especially because it looks like he’s looking away from the heart, the heart dripping very obviously also indicates an injured heart.
All the noise, colour and excitement below the heart, to me, is like the experiences and life he had, on which his heart is based yet nothing that grounds him or supports his heart. It’s up there in the air, surrounded by chaos — although beautiful chaos at times.
I wonder if the damaged heart has something to do with the experience below in the words “stay in touch”?
“lovers, this one’s for you” is very interesting as it’s on the “non-accessible” or shadowy side of the heart.
I love the reddish brown eye on the bottom left — something that’s weaved its way into his life that’s severely affected it (negatively)…tearing away at his foundation?”
“You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you.” — Eckhart Tolle
Where is my Pluck?
To have pluck is to be spirited with a determined courage. Its very definition is inspiring — bravery, nerve, valour, guts and heart — but how can we truly embody this deliciously tantalizing trait?
If you feel you’ve lost your pluck or, perhaps, never had it in the first place — a good place to begin to look for it is within.
It cannot be found, with any sustainable long-term results, at:
The gym
The latest copy of ‘Heat’ magazine
The TV/gaming console or any other distracting electronic device
The bottom of a bottle
That new nightclub around the corner
The mall (note to self — especially the shoe shop)
Don’t get me wrong — there is a certain amount of nerve that comes from wearing shoes that elevate you a couple of inches.
I’m not saying you need to stop doing any of these things if they make you truly happy, I’m just pointing out that the things on the list above can be titanic distractions if you are seriously trying to pursue better living.
There’s a bit of magnificence in you and it shines like a diamond, however, unlike a lump of coal enduring vast amounts of stress to produce a diamond — yours is innate. It just might be covered in layers of soot.
Fight-or-Flight Syndrome
We Homo Sapiens have an inbuilt radar system called ‘fight-or-flight’. It can be pretty useful in dangerous situations.
Say for instance, you are being chased by a lion (it surprisingly doesn’t happen often, I know — not even in South Africa, where I live) but for the sake of a good metaphor, I’ll use it.
The chances that you stick around to face your foe and brave out the storm are slim. It would be far more prudent to take flight (preferably up a very high tree). This kind of scarpering in the face of certain death is essential for survival.
To fight it — say perhaps you were armed with a rifle or a kilogram of catnip — may also be wise if there was a high possibility of success (i.e. living to tell the extraordinary tale to your grandchildren).
The only problem with this ingrained sense of preservation is it get’s in the way of our emotional and spiritual growth.
The Human Duress Barometer
The fight-or-flight response is also known as acute stress response.
Essentially, this response prepares the body to either fight or flee any potential threat — no matter what it is. It is also important to note that the response can be triggered due to both real and imaginary threats.
A lot of us have lost our magnificence and have given into the stress of trying to ‘stay alive’ or play it safe.
Uncovering Your Diamond
It wasn’t really my intention to get you to accept your death in this article (although it certainly wouldn’t hurt), it’s more about finding your innate wisdom and knowing that all is well within you — your diamond core essence, living from your heart center.
To stand in love is to fear nothing — there simply isn’t enough space for fear.
In the Face of Inevitable Doom
I was in a discussion where two mature chaps, whom I happen to love and respect dearly, were debating what they would do in the face of a tsunami.
I said that it would be more compelling to stand your ground, knowing that you are about to enter a new phase in the chapter of your existence and to face the wall of water with a sense of awe and acceptance — to which one of the gentlemen concurred.
He said it would be better to face your death with love and peace in your heart and to enjoy the power of nature as the water swept you away. What an amazing perspective — to actually enjoy your own death!
The other lad, however, was shaking his head at us, not quite believing what he was hearing. He stated that he would turn tail and head for the hills! He couldn’t quite understand why we would not want to save our lives.
We retorted by stating that if death was inevitable, the only thing you can do is to truly embody the experience of passing on.
If you can do this with a sense of security about who you are, embracing your divinity, and facing impending doom with reverence and love in your heart — you will die according to your own terms and not in fear.
When Mind and Heart Work Hand-in-Hand
We all need our minds to navigate and to add some kind of structure to our lives but, all too often, our thinking carries us away on paths that don’t serve us. Our heart, on the other hand, is our intuition — our own personal guide.
If we can process situations through our heart first and then our heads, we would be living our luminosity.
To find the magnificence of your soul is to uncover heart-based living. To truly encapsulate your divine essence that is immortal, wise and glorious.
You are more than a mammal walking on the face of the earth. You are more than a statistic on a governmental consensus sheet.
You are a unique and heavenly expression that, with a bit of spit and polish, can radiate and cut through the heart of any situation to get to the deepest of truths.
You are pure magnificence wrapped up in a corporeal vessel.
“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.”
Hoorah! I’m back in the saddle with my Rock Art Series. It’s been a while since I’ve been back in the studio, what with the festive season and Armageddon ‘n all…it was a truly exhausting experience but it’s real good to be in the creative zone once again.
Rocking the New Year!
2013 has kicked off with the sweet and tantalizing sounds of that angelic crooner, Jeff Buckley.
Boy, did this one take me by surprise but I’m not going to reveal all the juicy details in this blog. No, I’m going to make you wait until next Tuesday’s Art Blog before I reveal all the in’s and out’s of this painting — what made me tick, why it’s dripping with emotion, why I felt the urge to passionately attack the canvas at one point and a visitation by something out of this world?!
Whoa, the excitement! But on with the show. Here is the pictorial painting process (alliteration at it’s best):
And, finally, voila…here is the end interpretation of Jeff Buckley’s music:
“Raw” by Cherie Roe Dirksen
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Boxed Canvas — 24″ x 36″ x 1.5″
Prints are now available in all shapes and sizes, click on the picture to take you to the print store orENTER HERE. Art that is accessible to everyone — there is something to fit any pocket, from postcards @ $2.23 to prints starting from $12.60.
To download this desktop wallpaper just click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer (same goes for the e-card below or you can just ‘copy’ and ‘paste’ into an e-mail):
If you are one of the lucky ones whose mind never entertained such a question, well, good for you. If you know what I’m talking about, you’ve probably been down that road of doom and gloom and ‘woe is me’.
If I had the answer to life on earth, or life anywhere for that matter, I probably wouldn’t be writing this article — I’d most likely be jet-setting all over the world giving my seminars to world leaders (or having high-tea with Oprah).
So what do I have to say on the matter? Well, what I think and what you perceive are probably going to be different as we all have our own special and unique take on things. But let’s get down to some brass tacks…
I Want Proof!
While I have a theory about what life is about, I can’t give you that 100% surety some ask for.
A friend of mine recently pointed out that if I didn’t know the answers with 100% certainty, I shouldn’t be waffling on about them. With which my answer was simply; that I don’t know the answers to your life with 100% surety but I know the answers for my reality and life with…well, let’s say 99.99% surety (I’ll give myself some leeway for error).
The point of incarnating with people is to share, learn and be there for each other
regardless of whether you are right or not — it’s a matter of growing together. I think it’s rather dangerous to claim you have the answer anyway seeing that the nature of the universe is change. Change being the only constant — even a scientifically proven study can be turned on its head tomorrow.
Now if my banging on about my life experiences helps you to see your situation with a bit more clarity, that’s what sharing is all about! Nobody has all the answers and that’s probably how it was designed to be.
What I Do Know (with 99.99% clarity!)
Exiting is not easy. We seem to have an inbuilt chip that prevents us from leaving, or at least not departing without a LOT of premeditated thought and examination of options. Why is this I wonder? Some will call it ‘survival instinct’ and be that as it may, we are animals with an aware consciousness and that, in itself, should give us the ability to over-ride this ‘survival’ mode. I sense there is something else that prevents us from slipping out of the stream of corporeal life.
Living drives you mad. The other splinter in our minds is the inability to ‘figure out’ what the hell we’re doing here. Or at least, not to an extent that we are ever satisfied. So you can’t exit without a bloody good reason and you can’t live without driving yourself insane. Great combo, thanks for nothing, God!
Life is dichotomous. Life is the biggest trip ever! It can be so damn chaotic on one hand and then so delightfully dreamy on the other — this alone keeps us in a constant push and pull tug-of-war. We get so frustrated with our lot in life that we erupt into bouts of cursing and swearing, bursts of enraged tears and, in a feeble attempt to get our way, we shake our fists at the heavens. When we are exhausted from this display of contempt for living, we lie crumpled in a heap and then look up — chest still quaking from the sobs — and bear witness to a spectacular sunset and our hearts melt. Suddenly we are propelled into bliss and we just love it here (conveniently forgetting about the drama that just took place 2 minutes ago).
What Tomorrow Brings
So why should you contemplate staying here and living out your lives? I haven’t got a clue, but if you don’t have the balls to bugger off I suggest you then take the bull by the horns and truly live. Live with 100% conviction. Live like you mean it.
If I had to hazard a guess to the point of it all I would say it’s to enjoy yourself, better yourself and help others to do the same.
Tolerate the downs and relish the ups. Seek out the beauty and enjoy the ride. Surf on the storms and pass them off as experience. Don’t waste this time, you came here for a reason — you must have had a really stupendous plan for coming here, why else would you have put yourself through all this?!
So turn on that CD player, dust off your Bee Gees Greatest Hits and pump out ‘Staying Alive’. Shimmer down and get your groove on.
I’m going to start bringing out some art blogs with colour themes. I know I’ve done this in the past but this time I’m going to have a twist.
The catch with this is looking at art from a zesty new perspective with regard to colour and emotion.
A Spiritually Colourful Palette
As most of you probably know, different colours have different significant meanings. Not only are they used as metaphors — i.e. I’m feeling blue or he was green with envy — but we can also glean meaning from colours with respect to our auric system.
Here is an extract from the above-mentioned site on the meaning for yellow:
YELLOW AURA COLOR MEANING: Relates to the spleen and life energy. It is the color of awakening, inspiration, intelligence and action shared, creative, playful, optimistic, easy-going.
Light or pale yellow: Emerging psychic and spiritual awareness; optimism and hopefulness; positive excitement about new ideas.
Bright lemon-yellow: Struggling to maintain power and control in a personal or business relationship; fear of losing control, prestige, respect, and/or power.
Clear gold metallic, shiny and bright: Spiritual energy and power activated and awakened; an inspired person.
Very interesting. Now with that in mind, I’ve scrubbed through some of my art with a predominantly yellow theme. Let’s take a fresh new look with those eyes that bare a greater insight now:
Did any of these paintings make you feel any of the emotions from the above definitions for yellow? Or did it leave you cold? Do you believe that colours can evoke certain feelings?
Please feel free to share your experiences and insights.
Couldn’t think of what befitting title to give this Fridays artsy fartsy freebie blog — that one was quite a mouthful…now let’s see if it’s a visually compatible with your palette (whoops, it’s a pun!…art palette, mouth palette…oh OK, I’ll shut up)?
I was tinkering about earlier this week with some of my paintings, photographs and digital art and came up with these 3 rather different Facebook timelines. Feel free to use them at will, Commander. (To download, click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer then upload them to your Facebook timeline for all to gawp upon.)
What’s in a Picture?
I thought I would include the original pieces used to create these, just so you can see how they started off and how they eventually turned out…rather interesting, me thinks.
The first Facebook timeline (above) was taken from a section of this painting of mine called ‘The Missing Link’. It was an experimentation with abstract art and the inner workings of our biological system.
The next picture is a photo I took on one of my mountain stream walks. This cute little blue dragonfly just came and sat on my foot for about 5 minutes…too precious. Look at his cute little face!
The last Facebook timeline was also taken from one of my paintings called ‘Cosmic Love’. It is just a tiny section of the painting that has been digitally modified and colour enhanced — can you see which segment the timeline picture has been taken from? You’ve got to look real close to see it.
As much as I love good old-fashioned traditional painting, I have a lot of fun digitally mucking about with my art and photo’s on the computer. So much to do so little time! Oh well, that’s all for today folks…
Ah, who could forget those magical three lines as tuned to us by that scrummy little Scotsman, Ewan McGregor?
Bloody Hell!
What You Give Out You Get Back
The theme of this painting is very sad indeed. The tearing apart of the sexes, the war wounds, the fudging over of emotional debris by our parents and their parents but there is a distinct message of hope.
Georg Friedrich Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) supplied music mainly for the English nobility which influenced his style to be more aligned with religious and social ethics.
Cherie Roe Dirksen 