Quote Therapy: 7 February 2013

netted bird kailey lang

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.” -Haim Ginott
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Reading this I thought of Hamlet's admonishment of Polonius, "Use every man after his desert, and who shall 'scape whipping? Use them after your own honour and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in."

We would all be much better off if we took Shakespeare's advice.

It is empowering to realize that I am the decisive element in every single area of my life. Even areas in which I have no control.  I make the weather in all my relationships and endeavors.

No matter what individuals or forces are working with or against me, it is my choice to react with anger or joy or relief, to go with the flow, refuse, withhold, accept, compromise, concede, or hold my ground. 

I am incredibly stubborn. I am also an optimist. And an extreme perfectionist. This combination has not always worked to my advantage. It is almost impossible for me to give up on someone or something, or to just say "good enough" or "done," even if I know it is in my best self interest. Truth is, I always think things will turn out for the best. And they do, just not as I envisioned.

Sometimes cutting that Gordian knot, leaving a marriage, a job, switching careers, saying goodbye to friends, ideas, possessions, addresses, ideas of how life is or should be, is for the very best.

My Funny Valentine Day Wish List: Hearts

erin dollar


robin barrett

suzanne talmadge

leeana provan

send a smooch

meredith moran


Valentine's Day is next week. I think we spend far too much time focusing only on our partners, lovers, spouses. I think it's a good idea to spread the love this year, so, what I want to do is give a Valentine's to my tribe - my lovely circle of friends and family.

I don't have unlimited funds, so I will have to be creative, as in hurry up and paint or make something to get it in the mail and out on time. 

Artist of the Day: Illustrations - Mathilde Shop

under the snow

miko snow

random poem

We had the luxury of almost a week without an ice storm or snow storm. This is about to change this weekend, so instead of dreading the snow and all the shoveling and snow blowing, I am going to stock up on magazines and collage a random poem of my own.

Le Mans, Pays de la Loire, France illustrator Mathilde Aubier drawings and collage paintings and videos are so much fun!
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artist of the day: Hello, here you can find some of my artworks : original paintings, collages, drawings and some signed prints. http://www.mathildeaubier.com
 

Artist of the Day: Supermarket Stich - Holly Levell

heinz tomato ketchup

peanut m & m's

diet coke

Regardless of whether you had an art history class or not, you have probably seen Andy Warhol's  32 Campbell Soup Cans.

Paying homage to Warhol's Pop Art, Fiber artist Holly Levell Supermarket Stitch series elevates the common condiment, candy, soda with textile rather than ink.
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artist bio: I graduated last July from the University of Huddersfield with a degree in Textile Crafts but my love for textiles, making and general crafty-ness has grown since childhood. I am inspired by my daily surroundings and the unnoticed aspects of life and how as an artist I can change the status and meaning of the humble object using my personal textile craft technique. It’s the idea of taking something that is overlooked in life and catapulting it into the spotlight

My current work “Supermarket Stitch” came from exploring ideas of objects that feature in everyday activities. I started to draw objects, stitch objects and just explore the solid things i could see.
The project was born one afternoon when I was just drawing in my room and thought I wonder if I could make this bean can but completely stitched, softening the lines of the solid idea with a touch of my personal identity in there too.Each of my soft sculptures are completely handmade using a variety of fabrics and take me a few days to complete.All the work seen here is made to order meaning each sculpture you receive was made for you by me making it even more special.Commissions Available. www.hollylevell.com

Juiced 2013

vegetables

fruit

Day Two.

I have eight more days of my fruit and vegetable regimen. I use regimen because fast and cleanse imply deprivation and fad and temporary. My intention is to commit long term to eating healthy. I may continue juicing longer, but ten day increments sounds reasonable.

Over a month ago while reading Joanna Goddard's A Cup Of Joe blog, I clicked the link and watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It's a remarkable film about the body's capability to heal itself.

Like Tupac sang, We gotta make a change...Let's change the way we eat,let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.

I told my daughter about the film, she watched it that night and started juicing the next day, and has continued juicing and eating non-processed since. She lost ten pounds she really didn't need to lose the last few weeks. She's young and fit, but ever since she was a child has had chronic headache, fatigue, and inflammation of her joints. Doctor after doctor diagnosed auto immune, but could never quite pinpoint the cause or the cure. Fast food made her knees, feet, and hands flare. So did bread and certain meat and animal proteins. So she cut those out. She tried meat alternatives like tofu.  She improved, but still had inflammation flare ups and headaches. Since she began juicing, her headaches are gone, and so is the inflammation.

I'm juicing for many reasons: to lose the weight I've lost and regained over the years - for good, to take responsibility for my health, to create a new way of life for myself and my family.

I waited until this weekend to begin juicing, and other than Day One's detox headache, it's been just fine. But, if I'm going to be completely honest, even though I was warned that the first few days are the most difficult, I am more than a little on edge, as in I'm swearing about the smallest irritations. And, it is a little strange to not use the oven or microwave. After a lifetime of masticating, drinking my meals feels like I'm in a boot camp detox retreat I didn't sign up for.

But, I did sign up for this.

What do I miss? Chips, truffle butter & all butter, chocolate!, chili con queso, coffee, red curry, fried anything, every rind of cheese the world over. Chewing.

There are five juices for each daily meal plan: breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner. Breakfast is the easiest to prepare, and the sweetest and tastiest of the juices. This morning's delicious juice was made from fresh blackberries, a golden delicious apple, concord grapes, and ginger.

If you're interested in giving this juicing thing a go, I would suggest you follow the Reboot with Joe plan & recipe blog until you feel comfortable with experimenting. My daughter is finding recipes on blogs and YouTube and experimenting with her own recipes. Her almond & fig cookies are delicious. 

I Want A New Life Watch & Listen Weekend Play List February 1 - 3

new life

"Hey, I think I'm being sincere. I want a new life. A new life."

I am being sincere. It's way past time to shake things up and  make a new life.

Jim James' latest is the only song I need for the weekend.

And this is the only video I need for the next week. Today is Day One of juicing and it's going well. My original plan was to try it for three days. I've added seven more to that. Ten feels reasonable. I'll see if I want to go longer when I get further in.

Let's get a new life!
 

How to Write A Paint Strip Poem #2

How to Write a Poem from Paint Strip Prompt

Materials needed:
paint strip assortment

Directions:
1. Choose 3-5 paint strip color names that appeal to you.
2.  From your color name choices, settle on subject matter that first comes to mind.
3.  Wait for the first line to form in your mind and write it down without editing.|
4.  Continue writing without editing until you feel you have something.
5.  Set it aside for at least a week.
6.  Revise. Set the poem aside. Repeat.

This is from a paint strip-inspired poem I wrote five years ago and revised today. This is the first revision.

 

Blood Prophet

Danna

The prophet discovers her shadow

in the guts of her beloved.

She finds her darker self

emerging from that other body,

a red wine blush.

The prophet is a covered

bridge, blood, like hidden water

tunneling through her, its silent currents

eddying the rivers of her body,

until she, herself, is pierced by probing hands.

The prophet knows it is possible

to find the shape of her heart

beneath the ribs of a stranger,

refracted through the dark mirror
of humankind’s reflection.

The prophet is a kind of artist, her oracle a burin,

inscribing prophecy in careful runes on our copper hearts