Taking my own advice!

Do you ever find there are times when you really ought to take your own advice? Today I have decided that is what I ought to do. What is the tagline at the top of my blog?

Slow down, breathe easy, make a poem of your life. Don't let life rush by; reflect. Look for beauty and rejuvenate your soul.

This week, and particularly today, I seem to be living by the exact opposite principles to these. I am rushing everything because I feel there is too much to do and I am so desperate to move onto the next thing that I am doing each thing badly and certainly not enjoying what I am doing.
I have actually had a good week. When not working I have picked up some decorative and useful charity-shop bargains for my kitchen, found some new gold pens for my artwork, read some poetry, made a white bean salad with a mustard dressing, sipped green tea and eaten cake. I have met with a friend and experimented with my first collage work.
Wow! When I list it like that I realise I have been blessed with a wonderful week. But I also realise I have not enjoyed it!

I feel stressed and over-stretched. I have failed to be in the moment during any of these precious moments. I have spent each of them worried about the next moment. I have missed the beauty in all of them. My life has not been a poem; it has been a mass of scribblings and crossing outs. What a waste of a wonderful week!
So as of now I am going to take my own advice. I am going to slow down and breathe easy. I am going to rejuvenate my soul by looking back over the list of things I have done above and I am going to take the time in retrospect to appreciate them for all their worth and the joy they should have brought me.

What have been the joy-bringers so far in your week? Did you enjoy them in the moment?
If not remember them now and appreciate them in retrospect. If you did enjoy them as you experienced them, remember them again and go on and treat yourself - appreciate them again!


Louise

Female Blackbird

I was just sitting by the window with my laptop when a female blackbird landed on the fence outside.
Looking for beauty, I paused to watch her. She is such a plain creature and so common in these parts, but taking the time to really see her revealed her beauty. She cocked her head, assessing her surroundings with a keen eye. She nimbly negotiated the iron fence upon which she balanced.

Female blackbirds have always given me pause for thought because their name is so incongruous: they are not black. I have always felt a slight unease to hear myself say of a brown bird: "Look, it's a blackbird." Something's not right there.


This time as I contemplated her browness - a deliberate contemplation - I realised there is a beauty in her difference from the male. She is like him, but she is different. It is as though she is gently defying her own name, the label given her.
"Yes, I'm a blackbird," she says, "but don't think that means I am what you think. Don't think I am like my brother, or my mate. I am female with all the difference that brings. You think being brown makes me plain, but no. Being brown makes me who I am."

We women are the same, although not plain (we are blessed with the beauty of our species!). We are like our brothers, our mates, but we are different. Genesis 2 tells the story of how Eve was created from the rib of Adam. Like the man, but different. Of the same stuff, but uniquely herself. Such is (wo)man.
Some strands of feminism tried to make women the same as men. We've grown up a lot since then. We don't have to be the same to find our value. Our worth lies in our difference in the context of similarity.
This isn't new; like me you know it already. But never before have I seen this truth in the female blackbird's brown plumage. Because of it I will love her more.

Incidently, this reminds me of something that may help any of you who may feel more plain than beautiful.
In the children's picture book by Mick Inkpen called The Great Pet Sale there is a box of "assorted little brown creatures" at the pet shop.

Because they are little and brown they are selling for "10 pence the lot".

"Boring! Boring! Boring!" says the rat who wants to be bought instead.
But here's a word from me to you: the rat is wrong!
Even if we don't have knock-me-down gorgeous good looks (and let's face it not all of us do), the female blackbird teaches us one thing for sure:
Little brown creatures are not boring! They are different and wonderful!

Louise

female blackbird picture credit: Roguey000

Pink Sunrise

I looked out my bedroom window this morning and met beauty in the clouds. There have been some magnificent skies lately. It was sheer glory one day last week sitting in my car waiting for my daughter after school - the clouds were strips of gold. I so wanted to capture the moment, but I didn't have my camera. This morning, though, I took these snaps:

Of course they must inspire a couple more "droplet poems" (skies are becoming a theme: see droplets-from-sky).

Pink Dreams

Rising sleep-laden still from bed
pink comfort beckons me back
to dream-land in the sky.

And the one, being camera-less, that I can show you only in words:

Strips Of Gold

If I were a giantess I would
reach to the sparkling skies and rip
each strip of gold away
and sew them into a scarf
of light to warm my neck.

Louise

Slow The Day - Reclaiming Time

hold my hand; together

we will slow the day...

Pulling time out of the hat is the modern magician's greatest feat. Very often we have an ambivalent or indeed a negative relationship with time: there is never enough. Even in our world of 24/7.
Time ill-used stifles our personalities until we lose ourselves in the mundane and a lifeless life.
Time reclaimed frees the soul and reveals who we truly are.
Tme is there for the taking; but more often it takes from us. It takes our humanity, our spirituality, our creativity from us and buries them deep in drudgery and obligation, in busyness and thoughtlessness (by which I don't mean we become insensitive to others - though we may - but rather we fail to listen to and nurture our own thoughts).
But it can be so different if we reclaim time. If we can slow down, take a little time to think, to reflect on the world around us.
But to simply stop and wait for the thoughts, the new cleaner perspective to come, is not always easy. A vacuum is quickly filled: with that nagging voice reminding us of all the chores we are not doing while we sit doing nothing, except thinking of all those time-thieves that call to us, gifting us only guilt.

But if we claim back time for a purpose, for creativity, then we claim it back for beauty.

 If I step outside my door with a camera I will look at the world differently. I will be searching for beauty through the lens and I will see so much that I would have missed had I walked the same route with a shopping list in my hand.
If I bring that photograph home, take a paintbrush and transfer that image to the canvas I will see new possibilities in that tree, or flower, bird, woman or sky.
If I then pick up my pen and write a poem that begins with that tree, or sky, or woman, I will find another new perspective and a story behind it that I never knew was there before.
Each new discovery is beautiful. The photograph, the painting, the poem are each beautiful. The time reclaimed to create these things is beautiful time: not a thief, but a gift-giver. The satisfaction I bring into my life because I have seen the world anew and because I have brought something new into the world, is beautiful. My soul breathes again...

hold my hand; together

we will slow the day...

Louise

Beauty and Art - A Perfect Match

Thanks to Willowing and AEDM, this blog took a turn I did not expect - as did my life.
Today I want to draw together both how it began and what it became, because the fit of these things is good and will lead us into whatever comes next.
But first, my latest artwork. I am truly hooked and find myself drawn back to my desk by an invisible string every spare moment I can find. This time I decided to try a little pencil shading and I was delighted to find this girl where pencil and paper met:

I began this blog as a poet who felt her life lacked poetry. I felt life shoud be beautiful, but I was missing it. Maybe I looked a little melancholic, like my shaded girl.
So I resolved to "slow down, breathe easy...look for beauty".
What I found was Art. And a community of (mostly) women who care about things both artistic and spiritual. Like me. Here are people who encourage me to express myself in poetry and painting. Here are people who have the courage and generosity to share the beauty of their creativity with me. I can't tell you what a difference you have made!
In finding Art, I have found the beauty I was searching for. So quickly, so easily! And it is the beauty of a growing confidence in my own abilities as an artist that has wowed me the most. I am a creative soul, in the image of my Creator, and I have found that to be of value in the world.
This is where beauty truly lies - in feeling ourselves to be of worth. Whether for you that is being valued by God, or your family or a community of artists or friends - that will be what truly makes the difference in your life.
Connection. Belonging. Relationship. Acceptance. Worth.
Thanking all of you for helping me get this far in my journey. Looking forward to walking the rest of it with you...

Louise

Droplets from the Sky

The sky is an endless source of fascination and beauty, always changing, whether blue, cloud-heavy or red with the sunset. Here are two droplet poems fallen from incredible skies:

Masterpiece

Crazy sky scribbled
into abstract art
by the hand of God
and the setting sun.

After the Storm

Stormclouds ruptured by Silver
Sun-rays - like a Second Coming
Without the Trumpet Call -
Rapturous.

Why don't you try capturing a sky in a few words? Aren't we human beings amazing? We can hold the entire expanse above us on our tongues (sorry, that last bit might be a little weird :) ).

Louise

What An Angel May Bring

The final week (for now!!) of Willowing's Art, Heart and Healing course gave us the task (or opportunity as I prefer to think of it) to create an Invitation Angel. This encourages us to be open to (rather than demand) something more in our lives. My angel immediately, though simply, offered LOVE.
Here are two photos of her taken in different light:

Now we all love a beautiful feminine angel, and I delight in mine. But actually she is a million miles from what I believe a true angel to be. An angel, for me, is a strong, powerful, awesome warrior and to the extent that one may ascribe gender to a heavenly being, male. He is to be feared - in a good way. Now a male presence like that would be something to celebrated as much as my gentle, beautiful love angel. He would be determined to bring love too.

How interesting to explore how radically different figures might carry the same message. The wonderful thing about this AEDM month (apart from the art I'm doing in it) is the inspiration that will be carried over into the months to come (I'd like to try painting my male angel).

Which leads me to another thing. It will be over soon (remarkably quickly, don't you think?) and that begs the question, what will this blog look like post AEDM? I am anticipating a certain melange of things - a continued display of Art as it happens , and of Poetry which is more where I started and also a return to my search for Beauty beyond the obvious (like my angel!). I also hope to explore some Philosophy of Life (such as the angelic guises in which love may come) and I really hope you will want to join my exploration because it will be so much more of a growth journey with your thoughts linking with mine.

So please hang around next month too and join in the journey. Let's go arm in arm together!
love,
Louise

Mini Art and Droplet Poems

Call it a sign. Call it serendipity. Call it an opportunity.
Like many opportunities I almost passed it by. But then I chose not to. This is what a beautiful life is all about: grasping opportunities, embracing what they bring.

Last night I stumbled across Art Every Day Month due to begin today, 1st November. It being the eve of the month it was a perfect time to sign up, so why did I hesitate?
Because it seems like a big ask - Art Every Day - even for a month. And I am still doing Art, Heart and Healing. And I am so new at this - a baby artist, not a month old.
So I hesitated. Then I took the bull by the horns and added my name, commiting myself to the opportunity.
Being still a babe in arms, the steps I take over this next month will be baby ones. But that's ok. Making something manageable, makes it possible. So with perhaps one or two exceptions, I intend to embrace baby art.


Yesterday my eldest daughter and I let ourselves loose at an art store, beginning our stamp collection and stocking up on a few other goodies besides, some water soluable wax pastels, some shiny bronze mosaic tiles.
So I will practise using our hoard on pieces of mini-art, small experiments. Here is today's offering:

The original is only an inch across - I've just added colour to a stamp. I know now I won't manage to do the art and post every day, but I hope to offer you a fair selection with some frequency.


Of course my first artistic love is poetry and that comes in mini versions too, so I would like to try my hand at that as part of my art month, interspersing the art of words and pictures as the month progresses.
Back in the summer (remember the summer, now the nights are closing in early?) during my holiday in Normandy, France, I picked up a wonderful book at a vide grenier (that's an empty attic sale, garage or car boot depending on your origins). It is called "Il pleut des poemes" and it is an anthology of mini verse, collected together by Jean-Marie Henry and illustrated by Zau. Each poem is a snippet - two lines long, six at the very most. A brief picture in words. Here is the introductory poem by Jean-Pierre Simeon:

Le poeme est une goutte d'eau,
il donne au desert l'idee de la fleur.


A poem is a water droplet,
it gives the desert the thought of a flower.

(my translation)

So here's to mini-art and droplet poems! (Glasses clink, can't you hear them?)

Schools Fail To Breed Young Poets - But They Can't Silence Us!

I was sooooo looking forward to today. My daughter was one of 4 children from her primary school to be invited to a poetry workshop for the day. They a needed a mum to accompany the children so of course I volunteered - even poetry skills for 10 year olds would be something I could benefit from (not too proud here). We were going to learn how to express something wonderful through children's poetry - not an area I've ever ventured into before.
But despair! The day has been cancelled because not a sufficient number of schools signed up to support it!!! If our schools don't promote the wonder of words strung together in surprising and  revelatory ways, then how will our future poets hone their budding skills? My girl and I are beyond disappointment.
So I have tried my hand at an out-of-character little ditty. Who needs the guidance of a professional anyway? (Maybe me you'll say after you read my feeble offering...) So here it is, but be sure to read it with a lilt to your voice:

The Seas

The blue seas, the red seas, the every-type of colour seas.

Rise on the swell, fall back from the land,

Swash and buckle, ripple the sand.

Ripple the sand on the clean sea shore,

Lift the waves high, smooth the sea floor.

The blue seas, the red seas, the every-type of colour seas.

Salt the earth well, wash away the foam.

Blast the world with colour wherever you roam.

That one's for my beautiful girl. I'm going to see if she would like to write a poem too...

If you've never written a children's poem, why don't you try it too. Post them here - I'd love to read them. It's our poetry workshop day after all!

The Beauty of Discipline

Like many things discipline can have conflicting connotations depending on your point of view.
It can seem harsh and controlling. It can be associated with punishment and pain.
Our heavenly Father disciplines us for our good, it says in Proverbs 3:11-12. His motivation is love. His discipline sets us on the right path where we can grow and mature and flourish in his care. It's not a reactive revenge, but a proactive encouragement.
Then there is the discipline we exercise within ourselves to get the job done. This of course varies depending on the job to be done. Try as I might to do regular exercise, my self-discipline is poor and I continue to lapse into idleness and my body suffers for it. I need to care more for myself and discipline myself to that end.
This blog requires discipline, as any regular writing activity does. I'll while away hours browsing the musings of others, but when it comes to the weekly update of my own thoughts, I hesitate. What shall I write this week? Is it worth the effort?
Why this internal struggle, this self-doubt when the rewards are great? Although I doubt it, there is always something to write. My mind is brimming, not empty and blank as I sometimes fear.
Who will read this? Perhaps someone will, maybe many. Even if none read it but myself it is still not in vain for I myself have benefitted and grown from the act.
I have been disciplined, which in itself is an achievement, because I haven't given up, I haven't failed and that alone builds me up. Then I have produced something - the blank page now has something to say. That is an achievement. I have created something where there was nothing and in the image of my Creator I rejoice. I have encouraged myself, stimulated my thoughts and grown as a person. And just maybe, because this page is "out there" instead of in the private notebook in my drawer, I will encourage someone else.
So whatever you do, don't shirk discipline. Don't be fooled by negative connotations. Embrace it and it will reward you. Like exercise it will make us feel a little more alive and that is always a beautiful thing.

Come see the beauty

My life is not very poetic, but I love poetry. It concocts an alchemy in my soul. So it follows I must need more of it in my life...
Do you feel this way too?
I propose a journey for you and me - let's find the poetry in life together!

Of course I write poems, of course I read them. Watch out and I may post some!
But I want my life to be a poem too. I want to slow down and see the beauty. I want to breathe easy even while the world is rushing by.

When I see the beauty I will let you know. Then maybe you will see it too...