Today's prompts are:
Wish: What treasures do you wish for?
Photos: Twinkle lights
The treasures I wish for are simple: Love, Peace and Happiness for myself and others. So simple yet so hard. For me when I start to feel any of these, my defenses go up, my anxiety kicks in and the doubts start creep in. I just want to be in a place that I can give and receive these with an open heart.
Here are some more twinkle light shots, there is just something about these lights that invokes joy for me. Be it dark nights of the soul or shorter days, twinkle lights lift the spirit.
So what treasures are you wishing for this week? As you wish for yourself, so I wish for you also.
We are sharing wishes today over at Jamie Ridler's Studios. The prompt this week is: What do you wish to remember?
This time of year as night takes over the day and the darkness seems deeper, I wish to remember that this season will pass to the next soon enough. This time of year I feel my mood turning inward and a slight gloominess overcomes me, especially around the holiday season, there is too much forced stimulation and the pace of things seem to speed up unnaturally making me wish to retreat.
some leaves still holding on.. yellow and blue
Some other things I wish to remember are:
the color and light WILL return
trees baring their beauty for all to see is a visual gift
the moments of joy are still there to be had
twinkle lights can really lift your spirits
my love for fuzzy socks and warm cozy scarves is back
though there has been loss there is still so much to be grateful for
beyond the commercialism of this season there is good will to share
it's OK to slow down, you are not missing anything that won't come back around again when you are ready
You can also see me over at Jen Lee's place this week talking about self care as she rolls out her "Care and Keeping of the Creative Soul". Karen over at Jen Lee's place.
I leave you with this picture of our pup Bella who finds much joy digging through the fallen leaves for her ball.
Much love to you and yours this Holiday Season.
Namaste,
Karen
You can see my experience today over at Jen Lee's place (click below link). I can honestly say Jen has changed the way I look at self care most simply by reminding me that I deserve it and showing me that when coming from a full place I am able to give more to others and myself.
There has been much talk regarding the significance of 11/11/11 floating around the web today. I like what John Cainer says below in his video about it being a re-boot, how you can re-define and clarify your intentions for yourself and the world.
Today is also Veteren's day Gratiude to all of our service men and women, past and present this day
So my friends what intentions are you making today?
The Prompt for Bella's 52 Photos Project this week was "Shades of Aqua" I ran with that and pulled together some of my favorite iphone pictures from this last week that had shades of blue in them. This time of year can be tough with all the gray days so I look for those spots of blue to carry me through.
You can check out Bella here at: 52 Photos Project come join the fun.
flare through the trees highlight the blue sky
poor Bella , she sat still so I could get this pic of her (blue in the hat)
my favorite chimes .. love the sun shining on the blue heart
the trees are almost bare, love the shapes of the branches against the blue canvas of the sky
Blue and Yellow so good together
My husband with his Giant's FBall shirt, he bleeds blue for his team!
So friends where are you finding the bright spots in these gray days of fall?
Prompts: Jamie Ridler's Studios: What do you wish to nourish
Bella's 52 Photos: Halloween
I missed the prompts last week as I was at Serendipity Art Retreat in North Carolina, which I will write more about when I have sat with the whole experience for a bit. I know for sure I want to say yes to more of these workshops as they really help nourish me in a way that I don't do for myself at home.
Serendipity Retreat: Peace is found in the space in-between
My hope is that I learn how to incorporate more of that creative retreating in my daily life, even if it is just for a moment a day. Just a moment to check in with myself and see where I am and what I need before I give it all away to the worries of the day. Do you know what I mean? A moment of grounding of coming back to self. It can be in the form of writing, art journaling, picture taking, painting, anything that takes me out of that head space.
One thing I learned at Serendipty was to nourish others you really need to make sure you are nourished also so you can give without becoming depleted. Now logically I know I can't attend all the retreat and workshops out there but I can keep showing up in my daily life and attend the ones that I am able to and I will keep reminding myself that I am important and worthy of self care and love.
Now for the Halloween photo prompt, you see all that candy up there at the top of my post, well it's still in my house! We had a freak snow storm that downed wires and tree limbs and caused my town to cancel Halloween. So I am sad to say (or glad) that bounty of chocolate is still in my house. I hope the kids come around this weekend before my husband and I eat it all. Below are some pics of the fall snowstorm as well as some goofy halloween pics that I was posting with friends on facebook, hey I had to entertain myself some way!
trees weighed down with snow blocking street
snowy leaf
falinter
Halloween has been hair raising this year
the better to hear you with - Bella
So how are you wishing to nourish yourself this day? As you wish for yourself, I am wishing for you also.
Hi my fellow wishers and photogs. Today is Wednesday and we are wishing over at Jamie Ridler's Studios and sharing pictures over at the lovely Bella's 52 Photos Project.
Prompts this week:
Wishcasting: How do you wish to be loved?
Photo: Picture of writing.
These two prompts end up going together this week in a beautiful example of syncronicity. I wish to love and be loved whole - heartedly. To keep showing up, to keep being open to love, to feel that sense of belonging with someone. This quote from John O'Donohue really says it for me.
“Love allows understanding to dawn, and understanding is precious. Where you are understood, you are at home. Understanding nourishes belonging. When you really feel understood, you feel free to release yourself into the trust and shelter of the other person's soul.”
― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
The above picture was a handwritten blessing that I received from Jen Lee during her "Care and Keeping" class last year at Squam Art Workshops. I was cleaning out some clutter yesterday and found this in my journal. I really needed this reminder as I have been floundering a bit lately.
I feel like the closer I get to the truth the more I doubt everything but I have a feeling that's ok things are just getting clearer.
So my friends how are you wishing to be loved this week? As you wish for yourself, I whole-heartedly wish for you also.
Today's prompts are:
Wish: What do you wish to do one day?
Picture: A circle
I have been quite around here lately, trying to find focus and direction for myself. I have so many things I wish to do and I actually have some time to do these things in so I can't use that as an excuse. What I need to do is to give myself PERMISSION to do these things, instead of distracting myself with food and tv and the millions of other distractions I fall into. Here is a list of things I wish to do one day?
* I wish to write once a day, be it a journal entry, poem, lyrics...ANYTHING
* I wish to spend some time outside each day with my camera/iphone just taking shots.
* I wish to de-clutter my space so I can actually have some physical and mental room to work in
* I wish to convert a very small extra room into a creative space for myself.
* I wish to go through the bags of magazines being saved for collaging and actually rip out what I need.
* I wish to give up white flour and sugar even if only for a week to see how that would feel.
* I wish to find clothes that express who I am inside without waiting to lose the weight.
* I wish to be firmly in my own skin, to own who I am with no excuses.
* I wish to love and listen with my whole heart.
* I wish to walk with my pup for a 1/2 hour a day.
Oh there are so many more but I am getting a wee bit overwhelmed here. So I will leave the list at this for now.
Over at Bella's we were taking pics of circles. I love these friendship/witch balls and have them in front of different windows throughout my house. The one above is not the best picture but I love the colors of this one.
So my friends what are you wishing to do one day? As you wish for yourself, I am wishing for you also.
Good Morning squammies, wishers and fellow photogs. Today is Wednesday and we are wishing together over at Jamie Ridler's Studios and sharing pictures at Bella's 52 Photos Project. I am going to be talking about my experience at Squam a bit also.
Jamie's wish prompt is: What do you wish to immerse yourself in?
Bella's Picture prompt is: Shoot the Red
I wish to immerse myself in more moments like those I experienced at Squam, so that they can become more a part of my everyday life instead of something I only feel once in awhile.
This year has been a particularly hard one for me emotionally. My sense of self has become lost in the ups and downs of my marriage. I find myself so tuned in to the environment around me and reacting to every little thing in it, that I have no idea who I am or what I want. I have been in survival mode before, it's an old feeling for me, so I know that's what I'm in again.
Going to squam is like going back home to yourself, to connecting to what it is that you want. You can do as much or as little as you want while there. You can connect with other creative souls or you can take a breather on the dock just listening to your own heartbeat merging with the sounds of birds and water.
I found myself watching those who have been to Squam many times and you can see them coming more into themselves, standing tall in their truth. This was especially present in Elizabeth this year, who is the goddess creator of all that is Squam. Her outsides seem to really match her insides this year, do you know what I mean? When Elizabeth described in her blog post after Squam that is what she was feeling, I just nodded YES, it shows! Big shout out of thanks to Elizabeth and all her magical helpers that make Squam the experience it is, including the RDC camp staff, who kept food in our bellies and cabin fires lit to warm us during the cold nights.
I love the sense of being held at Squam, the other women and men that attend are here to come back to themselves, to connect with other creative souls and this shows in the real sense of community felt at Squam, a being there for each other, even if it's just as a witness. My cabin mates were a mix of new and old friends, and I have much gratitude for their presence at Squam and in my life, it was such a pleasure to be seen and heard by them and to see and hear their stories as well.
Don't get me wrong, it's not all magic pixie dust and unicorns. There is work being done here also, you come up against your own edges and you can push through or not, your choice. I came up against mine, feeling a part of things in some moments and then on the fringes of not belonging in other moments. Crying sometimes and feeling so alone and then laughing with others and feeling connected. So I just kept showing up because I want to grow and push myself towards becoming more of my self, to feel more at home in my own body, to have my outsides match my insides.
The beauty of Squam is not just in the people but also the surroundings, the forest paths, the sun sparkling on the lake, the sounds and sights of nature are all around you. I hope I captured a bit of it of it below in my slide show. For me this year it really hit home that I have been lost and at Squam I was able to feel moments of being found. My wish now is that I keep immersing myself in these moments, to hold them close. I still struggle with the wanting to be seen vs. not wanting to be seen.
I will write another post on my classes and teachers later this week when I have really processed the whole experience.
My shoot the red for Bella's prompt is the above painting I did in Flora Bowley's "Bloom True" class. I love the red in this painting, I just wanted to keep adding more and more.
So my friends what are you wishing today? As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.
Good Morning wishers and fellow photogs today is Wednesday and that means wishing with Jamie Ridler and sharing pictures at Bella's 52 Photos Project. The prompts are:
Wishcasting prompt from Jamie Ridlers Studios: What path do you wish to follow? Bella's 52 Photos Project: where is your quit place, where you write, dream, etc.
The path I wish to follow is one filled with creativity, compassion, good health, love and joy. Not much to ask for, right?
I am sure you have heard the expression "you are your own worse enemy" well in my case that is the truth for sure. I am always getting in my own way, stopping myself with doubts, fears and worries. For all I know this is the only life I am going to get, what the heck am I waiting for, the great lightbulb, "Ah-Ha" moment? I have a funny feeling that's not the way it's going to happen for me.
I feel like there is an invisible line out there somewhere just waiting with baited breath for me to cross it, to finally get on with my journey, to push the play button, do you know what I mean?
With each day I am setting the intention of finding and crossing that line, to getting on with this one life, to live it to the fullest, whatever that means for me. I know creativity will help guide me, I just need to trust in the process. I am getting there slowly but surely. Even those days when I feel I am doing nothing, I am still connected to my creative soul in one way or another, I just need to build on that and all will be well.
For Bella's photo prompt I choose the above pic of me writing in bed. For me I find I am most relaxed and quite upon waking before the distractions of the day set in.
So my friends what are you wishing for yourselves today, as you wish for yourselves, know I am wishing for you also.
Wishcasting prompt from Jamie Ridlers Studios: What do you wish to enjoy?
Bella's 52 Photos Project: silhouette
My wish is simple this week. I wish to learn how to enjoy my life with as little stress and anxiety as possible, seems like a simple wish, no? NO...anxiety is my go to emotion, learned behavior from my childhood. The problem is that I am no longer able to contain all this anxiety and stress, my body is screaming at me to release it, to let it go.
I wish to enjoy my life without this anger that is boiling over in my body. Anger at my husband at deeds he has done, lies that he has told (not to hurt me HAH), anger at myself for not being able to deal with my stress better. And believe me I know this anger at self is not good and leads to more stress and anxiety, it's a vicious roller coaster.
I have made a choice to not have a person in my life because said person was not a true friend and has caused more harm than good in my life and has come between my husband and myself, has fed my feelings of insecurity (knowingly and unknowingly) in my marriage, causing me to be envious and jealous of her friendship with my husband. I can't control my husband and who he chooses to associate with BUT I can choose to not be around this person and I am making a stand. I don't yet know the fallout of this but I know it has to be done.
I have reached the point of taking all I can. It is time to take care of myself and my marriage, unwilling to play the fool no more. She knows how I feel, I have discussed with her and my husband both that I believe they have crossed the line and they don't have the boundaries that come with being married to other people but they choose to disregard my feelings, so I choose not to remain friends with her. She had the gall to say she treats my husband like a girlfriend, texting him and calling him all the time, I tried to explain to her that HE is not a GIRL and thus his reactions to her are not always "girlfriend" like.
Sorry for the rant, needed to get it out. I just wish that some of the people in my life understood where I'm coming from but I can't make them and that's OK.
I wish to enjoy my life by doing what's good for me and right now that is staying away from certain people, re-assessing my life and the way I spend my time, being in creative space more and connecting to those who are more genuine.
The photo prompt's above show the siloutte of my neighbor's house against a beautiful setting sun and Bella, our pup who is half in and half out of siloutte/shadows, I love this picture of her.
So my friends as you are wishing for yourself today know that I am wishing for and with you.
Good Morning August Breakers, wishers and fellow photogs today is Wednesday and that means wishing with Jamie Ridler and sharing pictures at Bella's 52 Photos Project. The prompts are:
Wishcasting prompt from Jamie Ridlers Studios: What do you wish to choose?
Bella's 52 Photos Project: Black and White.
This week's wish is very timely as I have been trying to choose something these last few weeks. I tend to over analyze when making decisions, especially in regards to how my decision may impact others or how it may make others feel about me, do you know what I mean?
The decision centers around a workshop that is calling to my creative heart and it's within driving distance which is big for me as I don't like to fly. I would have to miss 3 days of work unpaid and a play that my boss invited me and another co-worker to as an after tax season bonus. This workshop would put me in the creative space I have been longing for so you think the decision would be an easy one but no I am sitting here worrying about how she will feel if I don't go to the play even though she did not clear the dates ahead, she just bought the tickets.
The other main issue was finding a ride share as the trip would be a long one to do solo and I wasn't seeing anyone going from my area. Long story short I decided Sunday to just let go of the anxiety of making this decision and I said if it's meant to be something will facilitate it. I am not one to just let things go like that but I was driving myself a bit batty.
Well I guess I should know by now that if you put things out there don't be surprised when the Universe provides. The next day I received an email from someone in my area who was thinking of going and wanted to know if she did would I like to drive together!!!! If we can both work it out I will be heading to this workshop and if it doesn't I know the opportunity will come around again. The big lesson for me was once I let go of the anxiety and stress the choice became clear, always choose with the heart whenever it's possible.
This quote also came my way this week, another timely reminder.
"Let yourself by silently drawn by the stronger pull of that which you really LOVE." - Rumi
The pictures I chose for the Black and White challenge over at Bella's are 2 of my favorite black and whites. The feather pic is very comforting to me and I love the texture I can sense through the picture. The second one of my necklaces and Kuan Yin are my visual reminders to have compassion, faith, courage and love.
So my fellow wishers what are you wishing to choose this week? As you wish for yourself, I am wishing for you also.
Good Morning August Breakers, wishers and fellow photogs today is Wednesday and I am going to keep wishcasting short as I am participating in Susannah Conway's August Break, which is about posting pictures with no pressure to write a blogpost.
The inspiration I wish to follow is the one that has been calling to me lately, words and images. I am still keeping up with taking my iphone pics and my daily writing prompts. I am really finding peace in these activities and I wish to continue following their inspiration.
I also find myself being inspired by the words of others, there is much to learn by listening, really listening.
The above double reflection picture is one of my favs from my time in Vivienne McMaster's Inner Muse Class. I loved this mermaid mirror that I had bought for my 10 year old neice so much that I bought one for my inner child as well.
So what inspiration are you wishing to follow today? As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.
I am participating in August Break with Susannah Conway. The idea is that you post a picture everyday, no pressure to write anything if you don't want. You can read more about it here: Susannah Conway's August Break
I also wanted to point you in the direction of my dear friend Lisa Hoffman and her daughter. They are doing an art-a-thon for the month of August in support of a the Half The Sky Foundation, which is near and dear to her heart and family. Please click here: Dandelion Seeds and Dreams to learn more about it and to enter for giveaway prizes.
This week the prompts were: Wish: What do you wish to nourish? and picture: chocolate.
So the picture was easy.. Chocolate makes me smile and if you eat the good stuff it can be healthy too. The only rub is that I eat way too much of it so I am currently working on paring it down to a few ounces of good dark chocolate a week.
I wish to nourish my mind, body and spirit with healthy food, creative projects and deeper connection to spirit whatever that may be.
In regards to health and losing weight I am seriously thinking of joining Weight Watchers as in the past it has worked for me, maybe it's the fact that someone else is weighing you that makes you more accountable, not sure. In regards to my emotional eating I'm in the midst of reading Geneeth Roth's "Woman, Food and " which a friend recommended to me.
To nourish my spirit I have been reading the works of Pema Chodron and I am really connecting to what she says about loving kindness and compassion. I have also been reading many different poets as I have been taking a poetry/writing class. Words have always had a profound effect on me, I believe they can heal the soul.
I am continuing with nourishing my creative side with writing and picture taking. I have discoved a new app for the iphone, the leme camera app. It allows you to take double exposure pictures and it I love challenging myself with it. The below picture was a group of women at an art workshop and my Kuan Yin statue. The results being that I am infusing those women with love and compassion.
I am also continuing with my writing. Below is a recent poem I wrote with the prompt being "vanilla".
vanilla
some think
boring
mundane
bland
safe
not me
I think
earthy
sweet
exotic
spicy
I miss the smell
of it on my
skin
he didn’t ask
but I knew
he didn’t like it
what else do
we give up
for love
So my fellow wishers, what are you wishing to nourish today? As you wish for yourself, I am also wishing for you.
Wow, two posts in one week! This is a record for me lately.
Just wanted to show you guys what I've been up to. I am taking Maya Stein's Feral Writing Course and below is one of the pieces I wrote that I actually feel kinda sorta good about. (jeez why is it so hard to admit we like anything we create)
A ode to my childhood "backyard"
squares of grass around
black pavement with white lines
mysterious clothes drying on frayed rope
rusty garbage bins big as mountains
garage roof tops to be scaled
freedom found climbing willow trees
skinned knees and bare feet
mother’s call from apartment window
neighbors yell to quite down
friends laughing hide and seek
breathe held as bottle spun
first kiss under cover of night
first beer, breaking curfew
whispered talks of heartbreak
others had shiny pools and manicured lawns
but we had worlds to explore
connected through
squares of grass around
black pavement with white lines
On the photography front I am still having a grand ol time with the iphone and it's myriad of photo applications. The above picture was taken with an app called leme camera. I choose the double exposure "film" and I'm loving this one. The Kuan Yin statue is exposed with a picture taken a few years ago at an art retreat, so in a sense I am infusing my friends with love and compassion here.
Wishing you all a wonderful day for me it's beat the heat over here with temps climbing to 100 degrees today. urghh...
