Fearing the unknown? Why?.... it may be glorious......

 

"Why are you scared?" he asked.

"Because not knowing is scary," she answered.

"What do you think you know then?" he continued.

"Well, I know a lot of things about a lot of things," she replied.

"And knowing takes away fear?" he asked.

"Yes, of course, because when you know something you know what to do or what can be done," Erica answered.

The old man closed his eyes, smiled mischievously, then asked: "what about the things you don't know that you don't know about?" Let me quote a man by the name of Donald Rumsfeld. This is what he says:"There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know."

The young woman looked at the old man, eyes filled with incredulity then answered:

"that sounds complicated, all I know is that knowing stuff, makes me feel more secure."

Slowly the old man lifted his small cup of tea, took a thoughtful sip and then continued: "where one is another cannot be. When we are filled with fear there is little room for love, hope, and faith."

Erica took a deep breath then responded: "how is love, hope, or faith supposed to make me feel less scared? None of those things are founded on anything solid. Love can wane, hope can be false, and faith is just putting one's trust in something ethereal in nature or something we want to be true."

"Let me ask you this Erica, knowing that there is a possibility that love can vane, does that prevent you from seeking to love or be loved, does knowing that hope can be false prevent you from having hope at all, or does the ethereal nature of faith prevent you from having faith in that which you call "solid"?" asked the old man.

"What are you trying to say," asked Erica, "are you saying that love, hope, and faith are antidotes to fear moreso than "knowing"? After asking the question Erica stood up, walked over to the window, crossed her arms, and turned her back to the old man sitting on a chair sipping his tea.

"What is love, hope and faith going to do for me, I mean, how can such things help me deal with my illness? Only knowing what to do about it, how to fix it, will make me feel less scared," said Erica quietly.

The old man could hear the desperation in her tone of voice, he could see it in the way she was holding herself, so he stood up and walked up next to her, then gently he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Erica, hope and faith are ingredients in the very essence of love, and although they are perhaps not cures or answers, they can help you endure this uncertainty. You can hope that a cure will be found, you can have faith in those who are trying to help you, and you can find comfort in the knowledge that you are loved. Being scared of the unknown, is part of the human condition and something that we all struggle with, but why should we fear it? Perhaps in the unknown awaits beauty and joy beyond human understanding, and since we do not know what the unknown holds, we can choose to think of it with thoughts of fear, or thoughts of something wonderful. When our minds are filled with hope, there is no room for fear."

Finally Erica spoke. "Can you help me grand-dad? Can you help me find more hope? I am so scared."

The old man embraced the young woman, held her close to his heart while gently saying: "you are loved dear child, you are loved, let go of your fears and let us hope and believe together. Neither love, nor hope, are bound by age, or by limits, nay, not even by death."

(Citizen X)

 

 

"Love....it surrounds every being

and extends slowly to embrace

all that shall be." (Khalil Gibran)

Window shopping.....for a window to look at life through....

In the midst of a heatwave from which there seemed to be no escape,

it suddenly dawned on me:  what if I painted a window;

a window through which I could see a frozen lake,

 a snow covered landscape, a crisp blue sky,

and birds in flight seeking warmth?

 With drops of sweat trickling down my neck, arms, and legs,

brush stroke by brush stroke, my window emerged.

The canvas was the size of a real window, so when I hang it up on the wall

I suddenly had a window into another "reality".

Is this what art potentially is? I thought. Does art offer a window into other "realities"?

How does art affect human beings?

According to a number of scientists, the arts can help us deal with stress,

anxiety, and it can improve our over-all sense of well being. 

Dr. Daniel Levitin, McGill University Montreal, suggests that music has the potential to activate the

same areas of the brain that are activated by opium, chocolate and orgasm. (Although at different levels of strength) Interestingly, people suffering with Alzheimer's may not remember their own family members, yet they can still sing (or play) songs of their youth. Music, exists in every culture

and it facilitates many functions. Music= a window? Sacred music= a window to a spiritual dimension, relaxation music= a window to a mindful stillness, dance music= a window to a sense of physical freedom, etc..

According to Megan Robb, an art therapist at NIH's Clinical Centre, traumatic memories are stored in the brain as images not words, and if she is correct, then drawing and painting them offer us a window to accessing experiences words cannot, although as we paint/draw these experiences we often formulate words to describe them. Painting/drawing we can also create a window into an imagined or remembered thing of beauty, or if we don't paint or draw ourselves, we can enjoy other peoples "windows".

There are many different art forms and may I suggest that they all offer their own "windows" through which we can view our own and others existence. Perhaps art can be defined as: an outer expression of an inner experience, and artists: people who transform/shape inner experiences to outer expressions?

"We need new ideas, we need new ways of doing things and we need a whole new way of approaching each other with much more empathy and understanding. This means that the rest of society really needs to focus on the world of art and culture as a vital source for not only solutions, but also ways of finding solutions… and a whole knew concept of what a valuable life really means."  (Uffe Elbaek, former Danish Minister of Culture)

 

"I went window shopping today... I bought four windows." (Tommy Cooper, British comedian)

 

If you were to paint a window, what would you see through it?

 

The power of hope.........

Beneath the unfolding wings of an angel

 

 

From the very beginning she had been told,

"don't be fooled, there is no God".

So she tried very hard to believe what they said,

but decided to believe in angels instead.

 

What angels looked like

or if they could fly,

for her didn't matter,

she sensed their presence when she cried.

 

Her life wasn't easy,

it was full of strife,

her parents kept fighting,

night after night.

 

The angry words,

like daggers they seemed,

cutting and slicing,

destroying all dreams.

 

To escape from the anger,

and the endless banter,

she would go to the park,

yes, ... even in the dark.

 

There in the park waited her friend,

 on this she could, ... forever depend.

Beautiful, majestic, there he stood,

always listening, always good.

 

Though he was made of stone,

not flesh and bone,

she believed he could hear

every word she would share.

 

Beneath the unfolding

wings of an angel,

she would open her heart,

no tears withholding.

 

Emptied of pain, fears and tears,

the little girl suddenly, thinks she hears,

the flutter of wings, and voices that sings,

ever so gentle,

but hope it brings.

 

(Citizen X)

 

"Hope is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all - .."

(Emily Dickinson)

 

 

 



Passion.... a way to feel alive?

 

They called him "The Babe", but his full name was George Herman Ruth Jr. The Babe was an American baseball player of  "extraordinaire" dimensions  but rather than writing down his stats, may I suggest that for those of you interested in just how "extraordinaire", perhaps "googling" him may be helpful.

The image I used for this painting, was a small black and white photo taken not long before The Babe died. This painting is one of 12 paintings belonging to a series of paintings called "American Dreamers".

The Babes passion, was baseball.

What is yours? What are you passionate about in life?

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

                                                              (Howard Thurman)

I find this quote particularly encouraging because it omits the word success, instead it focuses on "coming alive". Success may well be something that comes with being passionate about something, but personally I believe that being passionate about something, feeling alive when engaged in doing/pursuing what we are passionate about, is at the crux of passion. (Basically, doing something or being engaged in/with something, we love doing for its own sake, and when we are engaged in doing it, we feel alive.)

This is how the Urban Dictionary defines it: "Passion is when you put more energy into something than is required to do it. It is more than just enthusiasm or excitement, passion is ambition that is materialized into action to put as much heart, mind body and soul into something as is possible."

What do you love doing? When you do what you love doing, does time fly by?

When you feel most alive, what are you doing?

Let's toss out words like rational, practical, financial rewards, and other similar words for the time being, and instead focus on feeling alive, feeling in the "zone", feeling content, feeling energised, etc..

For some of us, perhaps passion may be somewhat scary. We may ask ourselves questions such as: what if I am not good enough? what if others think that my passion is silly? what if I loose myself in my passion? Committing oneself to doing something one feels very passionate about may stir up all sorts of feelings such as fear, insecurity, and basically, a lot of "what if's".

But, here are a few other "what if's": What if doing what you feel passionate about makes you feel happy, what if it gives you a sense of peace, what if it gives you a sense of meaning and purpose, what if it gives you a sense of feeling contentment, and what if it opens up opportunities for social interaction with like-minded people?

But what if I can't pinpoint anything that I feel passionate about?

If such is the case, perhaps it may be helpful to ask yourself a few questions such as:

Is there something I have always wanted to do, but never tried, because it would be outside of my comfort zone? What did I want to do as a kid, but didn't do, because I was scared I wasn't good enough? What was a passion for me but I put it aside because I was worried about money?

What did I used to love doing but I stopped doing it because my family/friends thought it was....xxx?

“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” (Neil Gaiman)

In my view, talent is not a pre-requisite for being passionate about something.

Rather, we may discover "hidden" talents when we pursue something we are passionate about.

When we feel alive doing something, we may feel inclined do it again, and again, and by doing it over and over, we become more skilful, we gain strength and confidence from our efforts, and from an outsiders point of view we may seem "talented".  

Passion, it seems to me, has at its very core; commitment; regardless of talent.

(It can be hard to separate commitment and dedication to a passion from "raw/natural" talent, but then again, does it really matter?)

 

If you love painting, drawing, writing, building models, cooking, skating, dancing, traveling, collecting, building, helping, supporting, .....(insert here what you are passionate about)....

just do it.

 

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

                                                    (Howard Thurman)

 

Feeling a bit gloomy? Try a bit of kindness.......

 

What I wanted to paint, was pain, invisible pain. Emotional pain, pain that doesn't bleed, burn, or break the skin, yet hurts none the less.

Why paint pain? because sometimes painting (sketching, drawing, writing) hard to get at emotions can be quite liberating.

So what does pain look like? Searching for inspiration a face kept popping up.

I couldn't remember where I had seen it, but I knew I had done a small sketch of it somewhere.

The problem was, the image radiated kindness, inner beauty, and harmony, not pain.

It was just a small line drawing on a piece of tracing paper, but my muse kept telling me that I needed to do a proper painting of it and who am I to argue with the muse?

What emerged as I kept painting, was this cherry blossom girl, painted in soft pastel colours and almost the very antithesis of what I was feeling.

What was the muse trying to tell me?

Is kindness a panacea (in Greek mythology Goddess of Universal remedy) for emotional pain?

Some say that some of the effects of experiencing kindness can give us a greater sense of calmness, we may feel more relaxed, which may in turn increase our energy levels and our over-all sense of well-being.

Example: You're having a bad day and you feel like the universe is against you, then out of the blue someone extends an act of kindness toward you. How does that make you feel? Better?

Amazingly, kindness works both ways: both the giver and the receiver benefits from it.

One of the great things about kindness in my view is that size doesn't seem to matter.

A smile, a "thank you", a "please", giving up a seat, an encouraging pat on the shoulder, a listening ear,

 a "let me help you with that", a "you look a bit stressed, anything I can help you with?", holding up a door, may all be "small" gestures of kindness, but they may have a big impact on the receiver.

(Research supports the idea that people who engage in acts of kindness become happier as a result.)

As I am writing this, a kindness from an unexpected source, was just extended to me.

 My car mechanic just phoned to tell me that he has deducted $60 from my bill, as a gesture of kindness and good will. Unexpected, and very much appreciated. (Go you little oxytocins! Oxytocin= a kind of hormone which dilates the blood vessels and makes us "feel" good.)

According to researchers, kindness and generosity has a positive psychological effect on us because kindness potentially offer us a sense of feeling that we are doing something that matters.

 

Feeling a bit gloomy? Try a bit of kindness.

Feeling a bit  lonely? Try a bit of kindness.

Feeling a bit left out? Try a bit of kindness.

Feeling a bit fragile? Try a bit of kindness.

Feeling happy? Share a bit of kindness.

Feeling strong? Share a bit of kindness.

Feeling lucky? Share a bit of kindness.

 

"Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness

and to make a difference." (Kevin Heath)

 

Beauty: a powerful healer?

 

What is beauty? And why does it affect us?

Dictionary.com: "the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, colour, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest)".

Interestingly, and perhaps also importantly, the definition leaves it up to the beholder to decide what "beauty" is for him/her, so no templates, no wrong or right, rather just as experienced by the beholder.

Why does beauty affect us? as suggested, because we experience "intense pleasure or deep satisfaction in the mind".

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it", wrote Confucius.

"Beauty awakens the soul to act", writes Dante Alighieri.

When we experience something we deem beautiful, (whatever that may be) something, it seems, happens to us.

For some of us, it may stir our souls and our bodies into action; some of us may reach for a paint brush, or a musical instrument, or we may feel the urge to write, or to dance, or to cook, or to go for a walk, a swim, watch a movie, find a quite place for contemplation, and ....(insert here what beauty stirs in you)..........

(If you are a mathematician/scientist, you may have mathematical equations/formulas you find beautiful.)

I recently watched a documentary on how a Japanese girl who had experienced a devastating tsunami found her way back from emotional despair to being able to experience hope and beauty again, through Ballade number 1 for piano by Chopin.

The beauty she experienced in the music stirred her soul into action, and she started to play the piano again. She immersed herself in the music, and through doing so, she was able to overcome her feelings of hopelessness and sorrow. At times, perhaps we get so caught up in bad experiences/memories, unfortunate events, worries about problems we need to solve, that we find ourselves oblivious to or ignoring the beauty around us. (The sun goes up, the sun goes down,...so what? it happens every day. I have far more important things to do than to watch the sun set.)

Rather than being present in the here and now, we may find ourselves ruminating over things in the past pondering what we did wrong, what they did wrong, and how to "fix" this that and everything.

Taking time out, on the other hand, to appreciate something of beauty, (something beautiful), according to some, can be healing, because it draws our attention to the present moment and rather than being in a "fixing" mode, we will be "living-in-the-moment" mode.

(There are studies that has shown that by focusing our attention on things in nature that we find beautiful can relive stress, offer us a sense of peace of mind, and help restore our mental and physical well being.)

Beauty, may I suggest, has no gender and no age or time restrictions. We can all experience beauty and the benefits that comes with doing so.  Beauty takes hold of us from deep within; deeper than our egos, deeper than our analytical and rational minds, and deeper than our memories. But perhaps best of all: when we want to get in touch with the experience of beauty, all we have to do is to is to open our hearts and let it in.