“Always we hope
someone else has the answer,
some other place will be better,
some other time,
it will turn out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer,
no other place will be better,
and it has already turned out.
At the center of your being,
you have the answer:
you know who you are and
you know what you want.
There is no need to run outside
for better seeing,
nor to peer from a window.
Rather abide at the center of your being:
for the more you leave it,
the less you learn.
Search your heart and see
the way to do is to be.”
How To Get Unstuck: Planting Idea Seeds.
Choose a theme. Then make a list of anything associated with it. Write down your automatic associations. Then think outside the box. Look at it from a different angle. From a different historical time. Change the context.
Your list is proof that diverse iterations can grow from a single idea seed.
Your creative idea is the same. Loosely write automatic assumptions, first thoughts. Then let the seeds soak for a bit and write other ideas from different angles and contexts. What if you created for a different audience? Chose a different medium to represent your idea? Did the opposite of what is usually ‘on brand’ for you?
The direction you decide to go is completely up to you. In reality, you can go in many different creative directions. All that it requires is for you to continually show up to do the work, dance with the possibility that it might not work and push the boundaries of your own comfort zone.
If you’re willing to make something and put it out into the world because it hasn’t ever been done before and it may change someone for the better, then you know what I’m writing about. You’re reading this and nodding. You know the feeling of accomplishment and pride that comes with service and generosity and dancing with fear to bring an idea to life. This is where the true magic lies.
The good news is we don’t just get one seed to plant in a lifetime.
If we’re lucky and generous and hard-working, we can plant an entire garden.
Limited Edition: Holiday Cards 2020
Holiday cards just in! I had such a blast designing these. There’s nothing like rounding up the events of 2020 into one big word tree time capsule for the year that will go down in history. Let’s spread holiday cheer, not COVID.
Grab a limited edition card for yourself or send a few to your friends HERE.
Food Synergy: Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Golden Milk Recipe
Art brought to you by Bach and black peppercorns.
Travel restrictions and the lack of social gatherings have given me more time to do things I enjoyed but never actually carved out time for. Like playing the piano.
Quarantine has reunited me with my old piano pieces like Mendelssohn’s Rondo Capriccioso and lots and lots of Bach. When I play Bach on the piano, I’m fascinated how each hand independently holds its own. Unlike Mozart or Beethoven where the left hand is the accompaniment and the right hand is the melody, the polyphonic nature of Bach enables it to simultaneously weave two melodies together. Each can stand on its own. But intertwining the right and left hand together synergistically creates a more complex and intricate piece.
Relationships are like that too. The best kinds of relationships are those that respect each person’s own power and greatness, but TOGETHER they are a magical force to be reckoned with. We each have a unique melody to share with the world, and yet there are some melodies that interlock with ours that enable us to create something far more beautiful together in the world. It’s synergy at its finest.
Black pepper and turmeric are a powerful pair. Turmeric contains the compound curcumin, and black pepper contains the compound piperine. Studies have shown that piperine enhances curcumin absorptions in the by body by up to 2,000%. Together when combined, they are a powerful anti-inflammatory team that fights infection and improves digestion.
If you’re looking to include these into your diet, here is an easy recipe:
GINGER TURMERIC GOLDEN MILK:
1 cup of plant milk plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil. (The small amount of fat helps with nutrient absorption.)
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
big pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 small (1/4 inch) piece of ginger root peeled and grated (more or less to taste)
1 big pinch or sprinkle of ground cardamom
1 big pinch or sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Honey, maple syrup, or monkfruit extract to sweeten (optional)
Directions:
Blend or whisk all the ingredients together and warm on the stove over medium heat. Simmer (do not boil) for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
How To Become The Person You Want To Be.
Runners run.
Investors invest.
Teachers teach.
Cooks cook.
Dancers dance.
Gardeners garden.
Painters paint.
Designers design.
Singers sing.
Photographers photograph.
Writers write.
Too often it’s easy to get caught up in the preparation that you never take action. Finding the perfect running shoes, choosing the most delicious recipe, or having the right camera or paintbrush or pen in order to begin. But really, that’s just fear, neatly packaged.
To be the noun, do the verb.
The Practice of Daily Gratitude.
In 2015, I began a gratitude practice. It was an intentional act to train and rewire my brain to begin scanning the world for what was actually going well in my life versus focusing on everything that wasn’t going so well. This daily practice encouraged me to find the blessings tucked within each day. I wrote down at least three things that I was thankful for, folded them up, and kept them in a jar near my bed. On New Year’s Eve, I opened all of them with delight. Adventures, conversations, meals, opportunities that expanded my comfort zone, and compliments that I would had entirely forgotten about were all recorded and documented. When I reread through them, I experienced all those positive emotions again.
I’ve continued this tradition throughout the years and it has inherently changed the way I see my life and the world around me. The practice of gratitude raises our emotional states and allows us to reframe even the most difficult experiences with grace and recognize the silver linings in challenging situations.
At the end of the year when I go through my gratitude jar, I often send pictures to my friends so they too can remember the adventures and fun experiences we shared. The inside jokes. The delicious meals. The breathtaking views in nature.
I store these stacks of gratitude slips in a keepsake memory box as time capsules for the year.
Paying attention to our world, and more importantly, to the beauty in our lives, shifts our entire perspective. We become what we focus on, so turning our focus on that which is good and beautiful is one of the greatest gift we can give ourselves.
Praise, Praise, Praise.
Mori Point, Pacifica
“Do you have doubts about life? Are you unsure if it’s worth the trouble? Look at the sky: that is for you. Look at each person’s face as you pass on the street: those faces are for you. And the street itself, and the ground under the street and the ball of fire underneath the ground: all these things are for you. They are as much for you as they are for other people. Remember this when you wake up in the morning and think you have nothing. Stand up and face the east. Now praise the sky and praise the light within each person under the sky. It’s okay to be unsure. But praise, praise, praise.”
Movement Map: What Does My Body Need?
We can all agree that moving our bodies helps us feel better mentally and physically. But it’s challenging to know the best movement for our bodies while also juggling the demands of daily life with fluctuating energy levels and time. Decision fatigue is real! Over the years I’ve become much better at listening to what my body needs and trusting what it tells me, versus pushing through a difficult workout because it’s “on the schedule.” Our bodies are always communicating to us, and we thrive when we listen with respect and move in ways that nourish and strengthen them.
I created this as a visual guide for movement, based on the time we have and what our bodies need (relaxation —> burn off steam). I hope that it encourages you to move in ways that nourish your body so you feel more joyful, energized, strong, peaceful, and grounded.
Secret Love.
“Secret Love”- my latest piece. Alcohol ink on yupo.
“I love you
as certain dark things
are to be loved,
in secret,
between the shadow
and the soul.”
Birthday Reflections.
Books That Delight.
Today’s newspaper blackout poetry.
Some books that have been delighting me recently (and sparking meaningful and thoughtful discussions as well with friends):
Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently by Sunni Brown
What are you reading that has been inspiring and delighting you?