August 15, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, inspiration, intelligence, presentation By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #33: Posture

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Mom always said to stand up straight. And at some point in the awkward growing up years, I realized she was right (of course). Standing “straight and tall” looks better, it feels better (when you get used to it), and it’s good for you.

Your posture speaks volumes without saying a word ~ not only projecting confidence outwardly, but inwardly. You can stand straight, head high, belly in, shoulders back and relaxed, or you can slouch in varying degrees of slump-dom… just know that how you choose to carry yourself matters to both your physical and mental health, ultimately affecting your general well-being.

And while you’re busy sitting up a little straighter, remember: the same benefits hold true for how you posture your thoughts. Are your thoughts life-affirming or life-diminishing? Do they reach up or look down? Are they strong or limp, flexible or rigid? Are they aligned with your actions? Aligned with your heart?

What we think, and how we think it, has enormous influence in the well-being of a moment, a day, a year, a lifetime.  As Buddha said, “What we think we become.”

And what’s really cool is that the simple act of “standing up straight” helps the positive flow of the thoughts we think ~ and vice versa. So it’s a win-win.

Mom sure was smart.

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August 5, 2011 In art, creativity, design, imagination, inspiration, photography By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #32: Play

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”  ~ Plato

Last year I did a post about the importance of play. And I still couldn’t feel more strongly that play is not only important, but essential for health and happiness of mind, body and soul.

Maybe some of you feel the same ~ I know I’m not alone in working long hours, and feeling some of life’s rather large stresses in a big way. Which, although we may not find the time, is all the more reason to make the time for play.

Doesn’t have to be a week-long affair (although a month would suit me fine right about now!); doesn’t even have to be a whole day or whole night. More might be better, but even a little can go a long way. So have a laugh with a friend, skip down the sidewalk, do a cartwheel, toss a ball, make lemonade ice cubes, sing a silly song, bend yourself into a letter of the alphabet … just for the fun of it. No other reason required. Period!

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

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August 1, 2011 In creativity, inspiration, photography By Patricia Saxton

Unplugged

Posting just this once, to tell you we’ve unplugged for a week…

… and to let you know we didn’t forget about this week’s “P” design, which (appropriately) stands for “play!” (proper embellishment will follow…)

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July 27, 2011 In appreciation, art, creativity, inspiration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Life, Art & the Validity of Experience

Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.   ~ Aldous Huxley

A friend brought this story of a woman designer to my attention, thinking I might find it inspiring.

It most definitely is.

The world is full of talent, full of success stories and tales of old glories ~ and new this and that’s roll in as steadily as tides hit shorelines. But how often do you hear of someone still producing marketable stuff at the tender age of 104?

It goes to show that discipline, passion, and vision are not bounded by age ~ and that experience counts. Just think of all that life going into works of art!

Eva Zeisel’s story is fascinating, her work remarkable, her longevity dazzling.

……………………..

The following is an excerpt from a Wall Street Journal Article. 

When the lighting company Leucos announced recently that it was debuting a line of lamps by Eva Zeisel, even the collecting cognoscenti had to do a double take.

Ms. Zeisel is one of the great modernist designers of the 20th century. But what was she doing in the 21st? She was born around the same time as W.H. Auden, who’s been gone for nearly 40 years, and Frida Kahlo, nearly 60. Turns out that at 104, Ms. Zeisel is still creating her “things,” as she calls her designs, for companies ranging from Kleinreid to Design Within Reach.

The definition of a survivor, Ms. Zeisel was born in Budapest, went to Berlin for the glamorous period of the 1920s and then to Russia in the ’30s. “The arts from Russia seemed fresh and appealing,” she said. “So I decided to go and see what was behind the mountain.” There she had a run-in with Stalin, who imprisoned her for 16 months.

In 1938, she arrived in New York with $67 in her pocket and was given the first-ever one-woman show, seven years later, at MoMA. These days, she weekends near Nyack, N.Y., where she spoke to us about her life and latest works. (Read the full article here.)

Eva Zeisel was born in Budapest, Hungary on November 13, 1906. Over the last 86 years, she has become a world-renowned and honored designer. The most prestigious of all Eva’s accolades came in 2005 when she received the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement by the National Design Museum, Smithsonian. At 99 years old, she could have used the award to bring closure to a very successful and productive career. However, Eva chose to continue to design new works of art to share with all of us.

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July 25, 2011 In art, creativity, design, graphic design, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #31: Ping Pong

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Few games are more fun than a battle of ping pong. It’s blood-pumping, spirit-lifting, good old-fashioned fun. And that’s really about all there is to to say ~ except maybe to suggest you find a friend, a table and go play!

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July 18, 2011 In art, creativity, design, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #30: Pinwheel

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Pinwheels serve no purpose other than bringing smiles to children when the wind blows, spinning the wheel in a colorful dance, round and round ~ and that delight is purpose enough.

But there’s more … because the child’s delight brings us delight, so for a moment in time smiles spread like ripples in a pond.

I think we would all do well with more pinwheel moments ~ appreciating the dance of life’s colors, and delighting in other’s delight.

Smiles are sure to follow.

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July 11, 2011 In art, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #29: Precious

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

This week’s inspiration came from a friend in Tennessee who saw a cool “P”, took a picture and sent it to me. I love the image, and imagine the inhabitants settling in, holding court and squawking defensively at the parking lot below.

And the thought it provoked is this: that life… wherever it calls home, wherever it thrives, feeds, flies, laughs, cries, loves … is precious. Yours, mine, the new baby’s, the old man’s, the birds in flight, the rivers and trees and fairies and whales and clouds and rocks and deserts and mountains and suns and moons.

It reminded me that life is a gift, a tapestry of twists and turns, of madness, hopes and dreams, offering a nest of precious treasures in sometimes unexpected places.

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July 10, 2011 In appreciation, art, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Mango Sundae

“Seize the moment.  Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”  ~ Erma Bombeck

These are some huge and seriously fantastic mangos. Fresh from the garden of an old friend in Florida ~ and trust me, you never tasted a mango so good.

Even so, I found a way to make them even better. Consider it a form of high art (if not just plain delicious).

/ Week #53 / © Patricia Saxton”]

And should this inspire you to indulge, I recommend savoring every spoonful.

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July 4, 2011 In art, creativity, design, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #28: Patriotism

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Patriotism is like a giant batch of team spirit… loyalty to your own, devotion to shared values, an overriding love of country, flaws and all. It’s a heartfelt high-five for freedom and a star-bangled banner ever waving o’er the land of the free and home of the brave.  ~ Happy 4th of July, America! ~

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