DAVID

I don’t want to know a world void of art, or artists for that matter. But I suspect that there is an artist in everyone. And I’ll tell you something else, I am so thankful to know the artist in me, to be an artist, to be trusted to create, to live out loud, to see in color, to be able to know David. Michelangelo’s David is one of the most popular statues ever to be set free. And I say set free because it took Michelangelo some three years to chip and chisel that block of rock which held David captive. As with most great works of art, people asked Michelangelo how he could have created such a masterpiece from a slab of stone. But maybe Michelangelo never focused on the stone, I suspect that he knew David, that he herd his call from inside the stone and then set about to remove the excess stone so David could escape. And, I suspect that it is true with all artists, they don't see an empty canvass or slab of stone or even a blank page. They see the immagine del cour, or the finished product. And then work backwards to realize the truth of what ever is destined.


So let me ask you this; Do you know David?, Is there a David awaiting you. I have often said of artists that “we reach in to the nothingness and extract tangible things”. But this is what I say. What else can be said of the artist? Julia Cameron, author of the book The Artist’s Way, says“It is my experience, both as an artist, and as a teacher, that when we move out on faith into the act of creation, the universe is able to advance. It is a little like opening the gate at the top of a field irrigation system. Once we remove the blocks, the flow moves in”She goes on to say; “Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.” And that, “Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.” She calls it an induced or invited spiritual experience. And the good news is that we are all able to do it.


I often think about how crucial art is for children, they in their effort to find themselves and fit in can sometimes be rather cruel. I know it’s true of adults as well, but lets focus on the children. I have been expressing myself artistically sense I was very young, I thank God my parents encouraged it. However, at different times in my development, somebody’s little unhealthy child would attempt to tell me what I wasn’t. Some little nasty boy or girl would try and make me feel less than. And sometimes for a minute it worked, that’s until I remembered my secret.


That I knew David, and knowing David is something that no one could take away from me. Knowing David is what enabled me to get through my adolescent years successfully.


My point is this, art has the ability to sustain you. When you know that you can create something that did not exist before, it develops something within you, that no one can undo. Art is the most exciting way I can imagine to learn about his-story, and ours, as the lives and stories of people throughout the history of the world are seen through art. And think about our modern artist, all of those hand traced turkeys on the refrigerator. Oh, or the stick people drawings, which if you notice, they too, tell the story of the artist. I do suspect that all children, when they are very young, know David. Do you?

If not invite him over and get to know him, for you see this is what I know so far;
The expression of art is as powerful as the art itself. In all of it’s forms, art is a way up, art is a way out, art can literally set you free. Art has the power to transform, to inform, to teach, to heal, to save, to lead, to renew and to inspire. Art speaks. Art tell us where we’ve been and enables us to continue tell of where we are going. And being trusted to create art is a gift that should not be ignored. It is a gift you give to yourself and the world.
Do you know David? He is waiting. Will you set him free?

THE POINT OF PAIN

What is the point of pain? Well, let’s think about it for a moment. Now I’m not talking about the point in which something begins to cause you pain, I’m talking about the possibility that our suffering could have some purpose behind it, some point to it.

What do you think? Certainly many, if not most of us have been hurt in some way by something if not someone. And yes, I’ll give you that in the midst of the pain, we’d be hard pressed to seek a point. Moreover we just wish for the point where the pain would stop. But, I think that pain can be a cleanser, a teacher and unfortunately for many a friend. It is after all, that thing that is familiar to many, as hurting can be habit forming. For it is true that some of us do have a bad habit of pain. We hold onto pain as though it were a lover or a friend, taking it with us where ever we go.

I suppose for some that it might depend on the root of pain. Pain rooted in the death or the loss of someone my seem more poignant than the pain of a stubbed toe. The pain of disappointment, of a broken dream for example, may seem more acceptable to hold onto to than the pain of a headache, perhaps. Hey I don’t know. What I do know however, is that I’ve had enough pain in my life to seek out it’s point. I’m thinking that if pain comes to visit me so often, it must be coming to bring me something, yeah? I mean it’s rather rude to show up at one’s house empty handed. That’s what I’m thinking anyway. So after partying with pain I’ve learned a thing or two about it. And I will tell you what I know so far about the point of pain...

• I’ve learned that pain has power, and I don’t mean the power to hurt you, pain has the power to heal you as well.

• I’ve learned that pain is a teacher, and it’s a good one too! Pain will, if you let it, drive a lesson home with such clarity that you never forget it. For there is a point in pain where you say enough! Some scream it, some cry it, other’s just know it. Pain has a point where we get sick and tired of being sick and tired. For you see, real pain will not allow you to be comfortable.
  

• I’ve learned that pain is a catalyst, a stimulus to change, pain is like a launching pad. Propelling us, if we let it, past the points where we’ve been stuck.
  
  
• I’ve learned that intense pain, is for many of us the only point in which we will come up out of our comfort zones and do those thing we fear the most.
  Now check this out, I've also learned that pain is a barer of gifts. And I like gifts. True enough these gifts carry hefty prices. But by the time you receive the gift you’ve already paid the price.
  

The good news is this. Usually when we face the pain we realize that it’s not quite as deep as we feared. When faced, we find the way in no-way. I liken it to the rising sun after an all night thunder storm. Like the dawn after the darkness. So all in all; since I have not found a lasting way around pain, no point in pain where one is guarantied that it will never come again, I’ve decided to except it's inevitability, learn from it, and dropkick it to the curb. That’s after I’ve gotten all the gifts it came to bring me.

Yeah, I’m thinking pain is sort of like a pesky neighbor, you know, kind of like a play cousin. One you see them coming down the street and you quickly run outside and set on your porch so you can entertain them there, with out inviting them in.

For you see this is what I know so far;
While pain can be many things and at the very least habit forming, it is neither to be feared nor befriended. Instead, let pain teach you. Let pain motivate you- and then let pain go!

MAGNETS

It is often said that opposites attract and while that is what is said, it’s truth is in question. Frankly, I would challenge the theory of opposites attracting. For another word for opposites is polarity and polarity is defined as extreme differences, views and opinions which are diametrically opposed to each other. This does not an attraction make.

No!

I suspect that the attraction is more a result of a recognition. Yes, I suspect that if even on a subconscious level what we attract or recognize in others... is ourselves. For I believe that we are magnets, attracting or shall I say recognizing that which is like us.

A magnet as you well know is a piece of metal that attracts metal. A magnet is a piece of metal that has the power to draw iron or steel objects toward itself and has the power to hold them, or move them. As human magnets we are the center of attention, a source of great attraction, we are lures, attracting, pulling, enticing, inducing and holding in place a life. People and situations which are on some level, be it conscious or subconscious, just like us.

Opposites attracting? I don’t know about that. But I do know that comfort is found in those things which are familiar. It has been said that our lives reflect our thinking. Now I am aware of how uncomfortable this thought my be for some, but I suspect that is only for those who’s thoughts have conjured up a mess. What we fail to realize or consider is, that information and the willingness to grow changes everything. We often fail to see our part in the messes that we’ve made. We fail to think that if we could make such a chaotic state we could, with the same energy, some focus- and lets be real, some time, we could change the way we experience our lives. In this way, we take responsibility and then we take control. So you see it’s not about them, it’s about you. And the willingness to be about your business changes your composition, making your more attractive.

Just yesterday, I got the answer to some questions I’ve had for some time. My questions; “Why is it that so many of us seem so content in negativity? Why is it so easy to focus on and dwell in the fields of fear, lack and limitations? Why is it that we have blinding clarity when it comes to what is not working. Giving the illusion of productivity, our problems are researched, identified, discussed and debated, but we can not see our way through to the simplest solutions?

The answer? It’s easy. There is absolutely no work involved in remaining fearful. Negativity is common place thinking and remember because you are a magnet you have attracted others who believe as you do. There is always someone to tell you what will not work, what you are not, and what you can't do. And because you listen, it is true for you. And because it is true, you continue to attract more people who support your belief in failure. But consider this. With all the great minds and mouth’s talking all the time shouldn’t things be better? Mightn’t we try to be the change we crave and there-by attract others on the path enlightenment?

For you see this is what I know so far;
Happiness and success are no secret, they are simply the outcome of the inputting, of a plan into action. A plan that involves a clear picture of a desired result. A consistent focus and belief in it’s eventuality and an intention to work and stay your course until it manifest. Remember since we are magnets always attracting that which is similar, then it would stand to reason that eventually we will attract those who reflect our state of being, as well as our changes, and our growth.

ENLIGHTENMENT

Daylight savings time is a perfect opportunity to reflect on enlightenment. The days are longer, spring is near and there is seldom a better time to make personal assessments. So that being said, let me ask you this; If you were asked whether you would prefer to roam around in darkness or the light, which would you choose? Well now before we answer too quickly let us examine the pros and cons....


What are the benefits of being in darkness? Yes, that’s a big one. You don’t have to look at, or see those things which are happening around you. I suppose you know it doesn’t make them go away; instead you just don’t have to see them.

Another one is that you don’t have to feel responsible for what you don’t know, and therefore are not stressed to change or grow. I suppose we do have the right, to stay where we are, no matter how wrong we are.

Okay here's another one. You can continue on your way acting and doing as you choose, without regard to or for anyone else. Wow! That’s scary, but okay.


Oh! This is a common one. You can always be the victim / get attention, reminding the world that everything and everyone is against you. It never has to be your fault, right? You can remain totally guilt free. Hmmm, good one.

Okay, I’ve had enough, lets look at the cons, now it may seem that the pros outweigh the cons, but don’t be fooled.
What are the cons? It’s a very short list!

Ignorance is no excuse for the law, so your world begins to reflect your choices, so much so that even you believe them, keeping you trapped in your crap.

But the truth is, enlightenment dispels the darkness. It’s true that the best way to rid yourself of the dark is to turn on the light, and I’m not talking about the switch on the wall, I’m talking about the one in your thinking. Switch it from darkness to enlightenment. Now in order to be fair, I suppose we should weigh the pros and cons.

When you are enlightened, you are free of ignorance, prejudice, even superstition. You don’t need the darkened room to avoid seeing the truth! For when you are enlightened, you are well-informed, having a sound and open mind. You're willing to seek out and understand the role you play in any situation, and are aware of your ability to change either the situation or your perception of it.


When you are enlightened, you take responsibility for and control of your actions. Having given much thought to the repercussions.

When you are enlightened, you do not see yourself as victimized by life, rather you see life as the gift that it is, and you are aware of an order. A rhyme and reason: much like a spiritual understanding which has the ability to transcend human suffering.

And what are the cons? Well this too is a short list. I’d like to say there are none, and move on but I suppose if you're still undecided I should tell you what I know so far. The choice to seek enlightenment takes work. You’d have to decide whether it’s hard work or not, for it takes the looking past what you know so far to gain more information, but the choice is yours. Would you prefer to stay in the dark, (which in my opinion is a small and lonely place) or would you be willing to grow into a realm of peace and possibility?

Also, I know that March 20th is the first day of spring, the vernal equinox, a day when night and day are nearly the same length, so you have as much time in darkness as you do in light. I know that there may never be a better chance for you to choose enlightenment. I know that while it is work, the pay off far exceeds the effort. And I’d bet that anyone who has chosen enlightenment would agree with me. What about you?
Still in the dark?…Come into the light.

The Woman In The Window

March is Women’s History Month, and if there’s one thing that all real women have, its history. So I want to share with you a loaf of honey bread about the women in the window.

As I sat in my window seat one morning after reading and meditation, I saw a group of children pass on their way to school, I guessed. As I watched them I was reminded of a woman who sat in the window when I was a little girl. She is a woman who I did not know. I do not know her name, nor do I know anything about her still, and yet just because she was, she was an influence on me.

You see, that is the power of a woman.
Many, years ago, a woman sat in the window. I didn’t know why she was always there, but I wasn’t a woman then. When we were kids growing up on twelfth street, with little funds and loads of imagination, my eldest sister told us about a woman sitting in the window. Well it didn’t take much to intrigue us so we were intrigued, and we gathered in a group and headed down the street were she was reported to be. Where she supposedly had been since her husband went out for a loaf of bread and never returned. That was just one of the many stories, some said that she was waiting for her children, others said she was a witch and would cast a spell upon you if she ever looked at you, which of course, she never did. Another was that she had died in that spot in the window, dead and still sitting, waiting, watching from the window.

As you might imagine, it was enough to thrill us as we headed towards the corner and the house where she sat in her second story window, watching waiting, possibly dead. We were warned not to look straight at her else she’d look at you and you’d be hexed. So there we were, a group of four, full of curiosity and no discretion. Silly little children, we were. Slowing down to see but not look at the woman in the window. And there she was, just sitting there, looking out at something, thank god, not us, looking out at nothing maybe. We never knew, but it didn’t stop us from watching the woman in her window...as we crept back and forth, and back and forth, trying to steal a glimpse of her. And as told, she was always there. Always. Because of my curfew, I couldn’t ever check after night fall. Oh no, by dusk I had better be in the house. See, I wasn’t a woman then. But the next day she’d be there, sitting in the window. I was only nine when I first herd about her, she was the fascination of that summer. Of course my days were full with fun and other explorations, but most days I’d make my way down the blocks to check on the woman in the window...

As women we are often misunderstood. We go about our lives answering the demands of our days, often without much thought to the impact we make on the world around us. Historically, women have been considered intellectually inferior to men. Women were seen as a major source of temptation and evil. Early Roman law described women as children, early Christian theology perpetuated these views. St. Jerome, a 4th-century Latin father of the Christian church, said: "Woman is the gate of the devil, the path of wickedness, the sting of the serpent, in a word a perilous object". Thomas Aquinas, the 13th-century Christian theologian, said that woman was "created to be man's helpmeet, but her unique role is in conception.

The myth of the natural inferiority of women greatly influenced the status of women in law. Under the common law of England, an unmarried woman could own property, make a contract, or sue and be sued. But once a women got married, she gave up her name, and virtually all of her property came under her husband's control. With a history like this, it is no wonder that not only are we misunderstood, but that we are even a mystery to our selves. But in truth, we are the center of things, we are the core where life begins. Yet we betray ourselves and ridicule each other. Just as I did the women in the window.

See, what I didn’t know at that time was the peace that could be found sitting still in the window. I didn’t know then the power of being still. I didn’t know that it’s only when you take time to hear the woman in you, that you become the woman you are meant to be. I didn’t know the mystery, the majesty, or the mastery of a woman. I didn’t know the wisdom that comes with being a woman. Oh, but I do now. And another thing that comes with being a woman is power. However power is often, when held by a woman- another word.


And that word is less kind than woman. That word is bitch. Now because I believe that words are things, things which also have power, we are going to redefine that word. For like with many other insulting words, bitch if embraced can be owned and made complimentary. Don't believe me? Check this out. Let us consider B.I.T.C.H. as an acronym, we can redefine it in this way; Being…In…Total…Control…of…Herself…And that’s a woman who get things done! So then. Going forward if ever we are called, or even considered to be bitches, we may thank them for noticing how far we've come.

For what I know so far is; We are of our own making. Whether we've craved the paths or followed the way, the road to womanhood is seldom and easy trek. Therefore we should embrace and encourage each other as we do ourselves. After all we've worked hard to get here.
Well I got to go. For you see, there's a place waiting for me, atop the radiator in front of the window. Radiant heat in the winter, warmed by the sun in the summer. A perfect place to sit and think and be. Just like that woman in the window.