I don't always start with a photo, but this time I have. I love this photo and the use of light and dark. It is an image of hope to me that in the darkness, there is light.

Last week, I went out with a photographer friend of mine, the same man who did my very beautiful professional shots of my work. We went to the same places and took dramatically different shots. As humans, we go to the same places, go through same events and come out with completely different experiences. I find this fascinating. We are all the same, as we are all human. We are all of the same stuff, but different persons, visions and words. Somehow we can connect to each other. Maybe we do this through our humanity. The mystery of humanity. What makes us a human, and what makes our different views connect with others? All I know is that we are of the same stuff. There is only one race, and that is the human race, but each of us holds a gift to share with others and give light in this darkened world.

Feeling Fine.

For the first time since the last time I blogged, I feel almost perfectly fine. I have been battling a terrible virus, and now think things are back to were I can work like I like to work. Energy is back and my mind feels focused again. I hate being sick. I know that probably I should accept it and take it as a time to reflect and create in other ways, but I always find that I fight against the illness. I hate the weakness that comes with it because I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Anyway, I have taken more time to reflect than I normally would. I have stopped because I had to. I wonder what I have learned from this, maybe only time will tell....

True Self.

On Sunday, I was feeling not myself and all around just not good. I took up my camera and took pictures. I felt better and full of energy. Today, I felt just awful with a cold, but took up clay, designed some beads and made small bowls. Things became clearer and I felt very good. What I want to say, is that when I am alined with my true self, things are so much better.

Recieve the Light

Receive the light that night can not overtake.

The light that is never overtaken by darkness is the power of God in our lives. It is both macro and micro. The light is there for all and for each of us individually. The divine light that shines in the soul is there waiting for us to blossom forth.

I am an Orthodox Christian, and have come through Holy Week and Pascha, so my mind is swimming with images and words of light, life and hope.

I am always struck by how the hymns of the Church juxtapose the death on the cross with the hope of the Resurrection. "Show us also Thy holy Resurrection." These images are so closely displayed that they are hard to separate, and maybe there is some truth I have yet to discover in that. I am sure of that. I think it goes beyond the not wanting us to remain too long in the death. We love the cross. We always are kissing the cross, so I think there is something deeper here. Maybe I will uncover it when I am 50. Maybe sooner.

What I want to talk about is the impossible. How can a tomb give life? How can this be possible? I don't know. What I do know and believe is that the impossible is possible. I believe that when we are doing what we are created to do, we are life giving. Life sprouts around us. When we let our egos die, maybe even a little bit, life comes to us. When we let go of that part of us that is full of fear and death, life grows. This is small news. News that can help us move in out daily lives.

This is not to say that this is the message of the Resurrection of Christ. That is a huge message. It is the best news of all time. ALL are welcomed in the feast. We are All members of each other. All are brothers together. Big News. We are all made of the same "stuff" and are united together. The ancient truth is revealed. We are all in this together. This is news that changes everything.

Dreams

Dreams. For a long time I imagined that someone could just take my dream by saying they were no interested in my dream. I imagined that someone had the power to take my dream. No one has that power! I discovered that the dream is mine and the path is mine to take. The obstacles are there always and are there sometimes for lack of traveling that path. They only test my resolve and add interest to the path. Our dreams belong to the dreamer. Sometimes others dream with you and sometimes these dreams are joined in certain ways to make the other dream a reality, but the dream is ours, and I believe given by God. Listen to that small voice in your head or heart when someone asks you what you really want to do with your life. That voice knows your heart well. Seek it out. Find the path. Never imagine the dream can be taken away. It can not, unless you will that to happen. I have kept my dream alive in a small part of my heart, and always went back to it and now I see this is the path I want more than ideas of what I could do with my life. Dreams are always more fruitful than mere ideas of what could be. Dreams are about what the heart yearns for and desires for its sustenance. Make a move towards your dream, however small. Keep making moves towards the dream and the path will become clearer and known. Living with the dream and towards the dream will be a great adventure in learning about who you are and who those are arround you that share the path with you.

Movement Toward the New Desire

At this point in the process of this thing called life, I have noticed that when I know what I really want, obstacles show up. Yesterday was the day of obstacles and barrier jumping, many of them physical. I wonder if when you move in the direction that you have always wanted to move, these barriers and obstacles have always been there, but now they are apparent, or are they there because we need to know if this really is what our hearts desire is? Maybe it's like babies and children when the first want to move and get from one place to the other, they try and try different modes until something works. Maybe when we move in a new direction and barriers and obstacles come up, they are there because we have not yet learned to move in that particular way. I think that is most of it, but somehow I think there might be more to it. Maybe the universe just is used to a particular movement and our changing modes upsets things until we have established that mode as our normal modes. There might be some truth in that. What I know is that changing modes is really not for the faint of heart. Even when you know, like you know, like you really know what it is what you want, much effort it takes to make the first few movements toward the goal.

I chose this image because I love this little bottle so much. No other reason.

Change

So many things are moving these days. I am spending today applying to galleries and shows. My workshop ideas are moving along too, and with any luck and positive work, things should happen in ways I can't even imagine now. Life is good, very good!