Artemis

Once you have a tattoo they tell you at the shop that you will want more and it is true. But overall, I am trying to resist the urge right now so my parents won't die of upset over seeing another one. But I come up with them in my head all the time. For a while it was a whale tattoo, one of the images of whales by the Inuit that you can find all over Canada. Whales symbolize record-keeping. They are giant libraries, sort of like the Earth. The records are stored in rocks, and other material objects, as well as in our cells, our DNA, and in our collective consciousness and unconsciousness. We are all libraries.

Last night I wanted a bow and arrow. You wouldn't expect me to want a bow and arrow because, as you may know, I don't hunt. But I have always loved the story of Artemis and I love Artofher, showing her with lots of dogs, out in the Wild, carrying that *icking bow and arrow. Once I was walking with my then four dogs on a golf course in early morning with the fog rolling in, and I felt rather like Artemis myself. Sort of, except for the golf course. Then, last night I pulled the Artemis card from my Goddess deck. There she was in the sunset, a deer behind her, standing by a fire with her *icking bow and arrow aiming at something, no less. So I read the text thinking, I love everything but that bow and arrow...and here's what it says...(Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue, Ph. D. available through Hay House Publishing)...

The Greek goddess Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo, the sun god. She's a powerful, tomboy-ish goddess who prefers to spend her time in the woods with wild animals. Artemis has carried a bow and arrow ever since they were given to her in childhood, yet she never uses them to hurt anything. Rather, the energy of her bow and arrow is a talisman that helps her focus her thoughts and intentions, and she always reaches the mark of her manifestations.

Artemis helps us concentrate and focus as well. She offers protection to all who call upon her, particularly women and children.

Loved that. I want to focus on that novel with my bow and arrow.

Creative Circle Part 3: Be Mindful

As we enter week 3 or part 3 of our creativity circle, lets do a quick review...

Part 1 (Week 1) was BEgin - all about initiating our creative energy and moving forward -- taking a step, any step. Even if it was just imagining what the step would be.

Part 2 (Week 2) was BE Human - all about being gentle with ourselves, forgiving our idiosyncrasies and our mistakes and about being present with ourselves - sitting in the silence (sounds a bit like do nothing, eh?)

And this brings us to Part 3 (Week 3) BE Mindful, which by the way doesn't technically end until Sunday, so you have time to read it (pages 57 - 80; about an hour of reading) and do an exercise or two.

Are you sleeping at the wheel?
We begin with a discussion and challenge for you. Are you asleep in your own life - are you living your life consciously or just going through the motions. If asleep how do we wake up? Sometimes it takes "trauma or drama". This morning I saw an interview with a lady that was on the cruise ship that sank near Antarctica and she talked about how waiting for the life boats really put her life in perspective and made her think about what was really important. Do you need to have a Titanic epiphany to wake up? Although I get put off by many of Mr. Maisel's exercises, he asks two good questions in his first one:

• What would it take to wake you up in your life?
• And if you did wake up, what would you do?

So now that we are asking ourselves are we conscious, our next question is...

Are you conscious or self conscious?
There is a nice little reading here about relaxing into the world being a part of something bigger (conscious) or shrinking into a world where it all revolves around you (self-conscious). it was a good read for me, because it helped me frame some things I have been worrying about and truthfully doing a little obsessing. There is also a mind/body exercise here that is simple.

So now your awake and conscious, but...

Are you thinking?
The next challenge Maisel throws out to us is about our [Americans] adeptness at critical thinking and this is the first time I have found myself appreciating his exercise more than his discussion. I did not get much juice from his reading - no helpful insight on being more thoughtful in a critical way, but his exercise of doing what I call a BRAINSTORM ANALYSIS of a simple observation was unique - try it out - definitely creative stirrings here!

Awake, conscious and willing to contemplate [instead of being spoon fed], so now it's time

Have you looked in the mirror lately?
"Sometimes it seems we lie to ourselves so much that we need to train ourselves in order to obtain self information... we don't paint and we refuse to consider why, we don't sing and we blame our reluctance on a broken air conditioner. The better plan and one each of us is capable of putting into action, is to find the courage to look into the mirror and understand ourselves thoroughly."

What is it you don't want to look at?
What is it you hide or deny about you?

Had an Artist [Play] Date lately?
Maisel gives us a specific date analysis and assignment (study a blade of grass), but any will do. You know the drill, intentionally step out of your life for a moment and revile in the play/ artistry of the moment. Do it! You know it will feel good!

Are you really so busy that you can't take an artist [play] date?

Stuck?
Are you creatively stuck? Are you stuck on a single project or maybe stuck deciding on what the project would be? Take some time and think it through - make a list of options or pros or cons; what would you do if you weren't stuck? Maisel prompts us to analyze the situation/ project/ area and see what things we can come up with.

After your analysis, what is one tiny thing you can do to move/ take action?

Do Nothing.
We end part three with a discussion of "losing ourselves to find ourselves." Again you know the drill. Our lives are full of movement and distraction, externally and internally. Take a moment to sit quietly without activity, "losing the noise to gain our own genius."

Do Nothing. Now Dammit!

So you've just come through Part 3; please briefly check in here for the week:

• Morning Pages
• Artist [play] Dates
• Walks
• Comments about reading/ exercises
• Other creative ruminations

"Art is an act of the soul and ours is a spiritual community."

INjoy,

Michael

Happy Memories

Here some of us are. I chuckle to myself every time I think about how I ran and slid into this picture. Such a wonderful day spent with special people. (Except for when we were swearing at Mapquest's directions!)

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

This is my first blog post! I feel kind of weird checking in where any stranger can read this, but why not? Can I change my name? You all chose much better posting names than I did! I love the very long Thanksgiving break, don't you? So the news I want to report is that tonight I made Chicken and Dumplings from scratch for dinner. I started at 4:00 and we ate at 6:30! It looked more like mush in the end because the dumplings didn't stay in nice little round balls like they are supposed to, but it tasted good and was very filling and good eating for a cold November night in Texas. I've always wanted to make Chicken and Dumplings, as I have fond memories of eating them at my grandmother's house, but I wouldn't ever do it before because of the time and effort involved. So now I can say I've done it. Will I repeat the effort? Not so sure, but, as I told the kids at the table, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." I didn't take a picture because, honestly, it didn't look all that appetizing--not a work of art at all. Another bit of news to report is that I actually pulled out my scrapbooking supplies yesterday and began working in earnest on that album I was going to put together last Christmas! Hopefully I now have some momentum going and will have something to show you in a few weeks.