Wishcast Wed: What do you wish to shed?

Shedding Tree at Storm King Art Center - NY -

Good Morning my fellow wishers and dreamers.  Today over at Jamie Ridler's Studios the wish prompt is:  What do you wish to shed?
I love the thought of shedding, like you can shed the old way of being and grow into a new way, one that fits the you that you are now.  I think we are always changing and growing, it is the way of all things.

I have been thinking of how I can bring the creative into my daily life and I have starting writing and journalling more and really honing my picture taking eye, not technical picture taking, just learning to SEE more, if that makes sense.  The above picture is from my trip to Storm King Art Center this last weekend, you can see more pictures here Storm King Art Center Trip.

So I was thinking for the next couple of wish prompts I will write a poem in response to the prompt, I find it is easier for me to write when prompted or inspired so maybe it will work with poetry also.  Here is my poem in response to "What do you wish to shed?"

Shed the skin of worry, doubt and fear
Only then can the way become clear
Shed the should, the would, the could of
Looking within for the true love
Shed the critic, the gremlin, the saboteur
Seeing who you ARE not who you thought you WERE

So my friends what are you wishing to shed today?

Namaste,
Karen

Mondays Inspiration Celebration

I am happy to join in at Lis's Dandelions Seeds and Dreams Monday Inspiration. 

I enjoyed a gorgeous fall day at Storm King Art Center, you can read about it by clicking name.  You walk around about 80 acres and there are all these outdoor sculptures, it was pretty amazing.

Enjoy your Monday and may you find inspiration wherever you go.

Namaste
Karen

Wishcast Wed: What does the “soft animal of your body” wish for

click Pic for larger view

Good Morning my fellow wishers and dreamers.  Today over at Jamie Ridler Studios the wish prompt is: " What does the soft animal of your body wish for", the wish was inspired by Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese" poem.

Moments after reading Jamie's post I read my horoscope over at Free Will Astrology (love him) and this quote from Clarissa Pinkola Estes was part of my horoscope today and it was like she was speaking directly for me and my wish today, this really describes how I felt when thinking of what the "soft animal of my body" wishes for:

What is the wild and instinctual nature? Radiance magazine posed that question to storyteller Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Here's her reply: "to establish territory, to find one's pack, to be in one's body with certainty and pride regardless of the body's gifts and limitations, to speak and act in one's behalf, to be aware, alert, to draw on the innate feminine powers of intuition and sensing, to come into one's cycles, to find what one belongs to."

I love these threads of connections and how when I listen to my intuition it will always steer me clear on my path.  The dreamboard is one I did awhile back and it represents coming home to my body and it seems to fit for todays wish as does this poem I wrote expressing what I wish for:

To be together in community, seeing myself in their faces
To let the tears flow, opening wide the heart spaces
To listen to my body, to trust what it already knows
To follow the river of intuition wherever it goes
To tell the truth of my story and let the healing begin
To be whole again, at home in my skin

So my fellow wishers and dreamers who does the soft animal of your body wish for?

Namsaste,
Karen

New York State of Mind-Monday Inspiration

Good Morning my fellow bloggers!  Yesterday we had family in from out of town (12 of us) so we went into NYC for the day.  It was a picture perfect fall day in the City.  I will add this post to Lisa's Monday Inspirations over at Dandelion Seeds and Dreams as NY truly inspired me this week.

We live close enough to the NY but we don't go there often as it always seems like such a hassle to get there, but once I am there I LOVE it.  There is so much to see and hear.  I looked like a tourist snapping away with my camera.  The sky was so clear yesterday and the reflections on all the buildings just kept catching my eye.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day!


If you want to see the pictures larger click the below link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41584693@N02/sets/72157625062148707/show/

Have a great day,
Karen

Some thoughts and a view from here

i.  I have been doing some real soul searching lately and I am working on two posts for next week that are inspired by Jen Lee  about Storytelling and care of your creative soul and what that means to me.

In the meantime enjoy this slideshow of some pics of the view from here.

Have a wonderful weekend!
xo
Karen

Wishcast Wed: What do you wish to fly free from?

Light through dying leaf

Good morning my fellow wishers and dreamers.  Today over at Jamie Ridler's Studios the wish prompt is:  What do you wish to fly free from?

I wish to fly free from this inertia and apathy that has invaded my life.  I have lost my spark and I have not been myself for quite some time.

As a child I played a caretaking role in my family and then as I became a teen and young adult I carried that over to my friendships as well as my family. I was the one who made sure everyone got home safe and sound and worried about everyone and everything.  My family as well as my friends always came to me with their problems and I felt so responsible to them, to be what they needed.  But who was there for me, not many.  My Dad especially relied on me for emotional support all his life since my Mother was closed off emotionally to everyone.  To this day she still can't say "I LOVE YOU" to anyone, it is just "you know" and  I feel like screaming "NO I DON"T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL!"

Then a few years ago there were 4 deaths in my family, 2 Aunts (close as mothers) my Dad and my Father in Law, all from cancer and all drawn out.  I was heavily involved in caretaking and was actually there when 2 of them died.  In the years since I feel like parts of me have died with them.  I have succumbed to inertia and apathy and can't even seem to care that I have gained 50 pounds in the last 10 years. 

But you know that is NOT true, I refuse to believe that I will continue this way.  I keep showing up in small ways.  I sign up for e-courses, I participate in Wishcast, I attended Squam Artworkshops, I support other artists, I have reached out more for help.   This points to the light that is still in me, it's just trying to find the way out of the dark.   I AM stronger then even I know.

I was reminded of all this during an intuitive reading/painting done by Charlie (Shamsi).  She correctly pointed out this apathy without knowing me that well, she could not have known.  Charlie also said the way out for me would be creating and storytelling which was a confirmation of what I already knew.  Now my dear ones the trick is to blindfold that apathy and inertia so it can't stop me from finding my way.

I feel like the picture above that I took for  Tracey Clark over at Big Pictures e-course, a dying leaf with the light shining through the middle, I will find my way and I am thankful to all your support and witness to this journey I am on.

Here is another project I was working on with my Squam roomies which was inspired by Susannah Conway's shoot the red.  It was especially challenging for me since the week was quite gloomy but all in all I was amazed at how much red is out there.  Enjoy the slide show. 

May all that you wish for come to be.  Have a great day.

Namaste,
Karen