Posts tagged as:

joy

Extravagant Play

by Beth on February 17, 2010

Very often the effort men put into activities that seem completely useless turns out to be extremely important in ways no one could foresee. Play has always been the mainspring of culture.
– Italo Calvino (Journalist and writer, 1923-1985)
The ego trip of pursuing ART, with a capital A is just another trap which is bound, sooner [...]

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Beware of Art

by Beth on February 16, 2010

It is only necessary to behold the least fact or phenomenon, however familiar, from a point a hair’s breadth aside from our habitual path or routine, to be overcome, enchanted by its beauty and significance…. To perceive freshly, with fresh senses is to be inspired. – Thoreau
(My thanks today to Waverly FitzGerald for this quote, [...]

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The Zen Hermit

by Beth on February 7, 2010

This “guest post” is from one of my favorite bloggers, Leo Babauta, of Zen Habits. In his post today he recommends that folks new to his blog check out “The Beginners Guide to Zen Habits,” which is a compilation of some of most illuminating posts since he began, back in 2007.
This one seems particularly [...]

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Wild, Shining, Awakened

by Beth on January 20, 2010

Nobody knows where you are
How near or how far
Shine on you crazy diamond.
– David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
As we recover what Julia calls “A Sense of Autonomy,” we step it up, and embrace our very own, unique, quirky take on what Artist means. This is deeply individual, like a fingerprint of [...]

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When the situation is desperate, it is too late to be serious. Be playful.
– Edward Paul Abbey (1927 – 1989)
This week, we have a rare visit from the Page of Wands, a Court card. Neither as dramatic and spiritual as the Major Arcana’s big life lessons, nor as pragmatic as the actions, moods, and [...]

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Preparing for Your Happiest New Year

by Beth on December 29, 2009

Do it now: cut one big slice from the pie of life and give it to yourself.
— Mira Kirshenbaum, The Gift of a Year
As our “time out of time” continues, how are you preparing for the fresh start of a new year and a new decade? Today and tomorrow, I would like to share [...]

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Blessings of Winter

by Beth on December 22, 2009

The Shortest Day
by Susan Cooper (author of The Dark is Rising)
And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year [...]

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Slowing Down and Stopping

by Beth on December 15, 2009

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.
- Freya Stark, The Journey’s Echo
How did you do on the workaholism quiz from Friday? Frankly, I am busted on almost every question. Having done this work before, you would think I would have been much [...]

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Enthusiasm

by Beth on November 11, 2009

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with objects it loves.
— Carl Jung
As we go deeper into the healing process for our inner artist, we may find that we need a balance between exciting big dreams, and self-sabotaging [...]

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Fantasy Weekend!

by Beth on October 23, 2009

Artist unknown – if you recognize this, let me know; I’d love to give credit!Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. — Anais Nin
More exercises as we complete Recovering A Sense of Strength. If you work on these [...]

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