life and the universe Archives - Page 12 of 22

September 19, 2013 In art, books, inspiration, life and the universe, peace By Patricia Saxton

Peace Day

Because of my creative journey with my 52 Weeks of Peace series, I’m aware that Saturday, September 21st is the official International Day of Peace. I imagine high-minded gatherings and wholesome intentions in various places around the globe ~ even while there are gatherings of war and strife and sadness and madness (or maybe because of that). And the intention for peace is good. It’s worthy. And long-suffering, and long wished for, and long worked towards by some amazing humanitarians throughout time.

But while the world thinks collectively ~ because in the end, the hope for peace is universal ~ my thoughts, as usual, go back to the individual.

There is a word for “peace” in every language the world over ~ and what a beautiful word it is. Yet to feel it and experience it, peace has to be nurtured, watered and given good light. Then, only then, can it spread, like ripples on a lake, circling far and wide.

And so it starts here ~ with you, and me, right here, right now, this day, every day ~ discovering, welcoming, and knowing peace somewhere in our own hearts, and sharing that peace in our own small corner of the world. And that, is something we all can do.

Wishing peace for you, with love ~ Patricia

September 12, 2013 In art, books, children's books, craftsmanship, drawing, fine art, illustration, imagination, life and the universe, work and play By Patricia Saxton

How To Avoid The World’s Troubles and Other Annoying Things

“Gordon” / @Patricia Saxton / Book of Dragons

You could, of course, live under a rock. That sounds uncomfortable though; so, no, that wouldn’t do. But with the world teetering on the brink of lord knows what evil, with clever actors paid to persuade us that we have all manner of ill-health and need to take X drug, with things like the disturbing reality that artist Damien Hirst is a really Big Deal and triple bacon cheeseburgers considered a healthy meal, with baseball heroes letting us down and the Kardashians worthy of conversation, avoidance becomes more and more attractive.

It helps to have a meaty project to get lost in. Say, an illustrated book about dragons : ), or creating the world’s best bread. (I’m reading a book in which the main character is a baker, and it sounds rather yummy, all that dough and kneading and freshly baked bread smell.) You could, of course, read, and then just keep reading ~ since books have a marvelous way of taking you places, away from the here and now. You could take up sky-diving or some other sport where there’s no room for thought beyond your own life flashing before your eyes. You could tend puppies or fill your social calendar with bunco matches (I’ve never played bunco – not sure if this is good or bad to admit). You could build something with your own two hands. You could sail around the world.

If you’re serious about avoiding the world’s troubles and other annoying things, whatever you do, do not turn on the tv. Avoid over-indulgence in social media. Stay away from negative people. Then, focus on the good stuff, no matter how small. Practice gratitude. Be kind. Because life is precious and too short to be fretting over things we can’t control. And just maybe it’ll all go away. Maybe it’s all just a ruse. Maybe whatever happens will simply happen with or without inserting our personal energy. It’s very hard, life. Why make it harder.

It’s not that I don’t care. I do care, maybe too much. It’s not about sticking my head in the sand. Trust me, I get riled. But I’ve realized it’s not my calling to fix the world. A friend, sure. Even a whole bunch of them ~ but the entire world is just too much. If only the world at large would stop all the fussing and fighting. If only.

And so, hours spent creating a dragon that will be part of a book that one day soon may be enjoyed by a fresh-faced, bright-eyed little person – maybe a whole lot of bright-eyed little people – seems a good use of my time. Not only that, you can’t think about annoying things when you’re making art. Works for me.

August 26, 2013 In appreciation, art, color, creativity, design, life and the universe, painting By Patricia Saxton

Saying No to “To-Do’s”

That’s what I’m gonna do ….. see you in a week or so!

August 23, 2013 In appreciation, art, communication, design, life and the universe, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

When Thunder Rolls

So I had a couple of nasty days. The kind “sent to try us”. The Murphy’s Law kind. Fender-benders and lost phones, roads closed, fistfuls of money out the door, that sort of thing. Aggravation.

I kept my cool, though, because I’m like that ~ rational, patient, pretty much calm & controlled when crisis flares ~ but I will admit that privately curses sprang from my lips and a few items were slammed on the ground. Like a rubber band wound too tight. But of course, the rubber band springs back, and so did I. Not much to do at that point but take care of what needs taking care of.

Then the rain came. Buckets of beautiful rain.

There’s nothing quite like a booming, early morning thunderstorm to clear the air. I like to imagine the rain cleansing as the wind whisks our troubles up, thunder rolls them away and lightning strikes out doubt and confusion. As if, for a moment in time, we’re smack dab in the middle of a cosmic realignment.

And then, slowly, the storm eases off, and we’re placed back in our place of reality, somehow revitalized, a little bit liberated. The air somehow new. Angst washed clean. And I’m reminded that “shit happens”, that we do the best we can, that energies can shift quickly and without warning, and that the universe is one great big mysteriously magnificent thing in which we get to play and work and wonder and worry and pray and laugh and learn and love and that making sense of it all just might not be our job.

August 18, 2013 In appreciation, art, inspiration, life and the universe, philosophy, poetry By Patricia Saxton

Becoming Love

I’ve always been an optimist. Still, when I was much younger, concepts like “positive thinking” seemed wise but not very attainable. I hadn’t learned how to access the secret code. And of course, when you’re young and the world is exciting and challenging, stretching every fiber of your being in all kinds of dramatic ways, advice like “look on the bright side” feels insignificant, even powerless, alongside your intense concerns.

The thing is, after a good share of life’s trials and tribulations, I’ve learned a few things. (Funny how that inevitably happens.) One of them is that “thinking positively” really is much simpler and much more effective than I’d imagined way back when. It’s a choice. It’s a decision. It changes everything. Our thoughts then become an attitude and can make life a very different, and better, place.

And, for me, it’s all inescapably tied up with love… a word restricted to a fault by some and used in meaningless excess by others. But of course, it’s not just a word, it’s a state of being that places life in another orbit, a very different, and better orbit. Love is a feeling, an action, and an energy that lives in the root of our being, able to wind around our means and reach out to the tippy ends and edges and way beyond. Love is everything worth anything.

At some point I latched on and haven’t let go of the notion that love transcends all else. When life pulls me down, when it throws me against the wall, I can punch back with love. I know it’s there, love’s essence ~ this great well of God-like, Great-Spirit, Divinely Intelligent, Universal Magnificence – that I can tap into for sustenance. I believe we all can.

It’s an amazing thing, love. There can never be too much.

And so a few lines flowed out the other night (which prompted this whole little essay). Thought I’d share them. (With love.)

Becoming Love

Love someone,
Let yourself be loved,
Do all things with love ~
Work with love,
Sing with love,
Speak with love,
Share with love.
Let love rise like the sun
in your heart
And settle behind your eyes
as the sun goes down.
Drink love into your water,
Pray love into your woes,
Breathe love into your very bones ~
Become love.

Just Love.

– Patricia Saxton

August 13, 2013 In life and the universe By Patricia Saxton

Random Rant on Pants

Okay so this seems totally random, but I’m going with it. I’m driving back from my swim, ready to get back to work, and at a traffic light I’m watching a regular guy cross the street. He’s got his earbuds in, he’s got a white t-shirt on and jeans that slide down to hide any hint of a buttocks and make for short strides that remind me of a dragon (see there? there is some connection to some of my work life…I’m seeing evidence of dragons everywhere now!). And I think, “Who, I mean has anyone, ever, on the face of the planet, actually said (or even thought) ‘oh, hey, now that’s a really great look!'”

Apologies to the guys who’ve succumbed to this form of fashion – (or you can just consider me old and out of touch if you’d like) – but I think you should know that no one finds this attractive, no one thinks it looks cool or hot or even badass. It looks like you’re an overgrown toddler. Sorry. But true.

Or maybe it’s an anti-fashion statement. Or the fact that female fashions are more varied, you need to do something for attention? A rebellion against authority and/or what’s “socially acceptable”? Every generation has their statements to make, I get that. But that this one hasn’t gone away yet truly baffles me. Then there are the ones who go beyond “pants on the ground”, who’ve forgotten they have a waist at all. Do you think we (as in anyone, the universal “we”) want to see your boxers in full glory, your belt precariously fastened beneath your bottom? And for cryin’ out loud, you can’t, can not, tell me that’s remotely comfortable.

My daughter tells me it’s not that anyone thinks it looks good, it’s more that no one thinks it’s horrible enough to make a big deal about. It’s accepted. (Unintentionally she’s reminded me of the “whatever, I’ll do what I want and have it instantly” gene that’s taken hold in some of her generation.) Maybe it’s like bra straps showing. In my day (uh-oh, yep, showing my age here) that was a big no-no. Now it’s nothing; in fact it’s been scaled up to be part of a fashionable look. Still, I don’t see the connection to butt-less pants.

Then I realize, in a sudden flash of insight: You Don’t Care. And how sad is that.

And then I think, why is it that in almost every other species the male tries to impress the female. They are generally the more beautiful of the breed, more colorful, more industrious and resourceful about showing off their best selves. I’m not suggesting that guys should become flamboyant peacocks, but why go in what seems the opposite direction? And then I almost (almost) take it a step towards the sociology behind it and where the human male finds its place in the world today, in the aftermath of (and ongoing) feminism, after “Men are from Mars”, after being told they are irrelevant, too macho, too sensitive, after they get most of the blame for the awful things that happen in the world, and after too many father children they don’t know about nor care for, and after greed and corruption…… there’s a lot going on and maybe they’re just fed up trying to fit whatever mold they’re supposed to follow, because to be James Bond is basically impossible, so……. so they wear their pants in a really stupid way? And what does it say about one’s character if said pants are sagging?

Like I said, this was very random. And I have to add that of course, this little rant does not include all of male-dom, and in fact, there are many good, honest, stand-up guys out there (my father and brothers included). But I do wish that droopy pant-wearers would collectively decide to pull up their damn pants and be the authentic, strong individuals they had the potential to be when they were born. People may say it has nothing to do with that, that they’re fine, they’re just wearing dumb clothes, haven’t we all? But to me it feels deeper than a poor fashion statement. It feels like they’re literally hanging on by the thread of a poorly fastened belt, under the guise of “cool”.

Do you have any dreams? Do you know they don’t have to be pipe dreams, they can be real? (Because it looks like You Don’t Care. And what kind of life is that?) If you do, for starters you’ve got to get off the going-nowhere train, tidy up, think for yourself and stand tall. And wear your pants the way they were designed to fit.

End of rant!

July 28, 2013 In art, inspiration, life and the universe, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

On Doing What You Love

Chatting with a relatively new friend the other day, the subject of passion jumped up front and center. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, He’s a musician from a musical family, and we both recognized the kinship that arranges itself between people who are fully immersed in their mediums, driven by some kind of pure but intangible source. The kind of thing you’re not only inspired to do, but “have” to do. The kind of thing that makes your spirit dance and your heart sing.

For my friend and I, it was music and art. But it can be almost anything. You recognize it by the nonexistence of time, by the absence of worry or thought of worldly concerns, by a sense of focus that feels effortless for the most part, and if not effortless, effortlessly enjoyable. You also recognize it when you’ve gone too long without. I know for me, my spirit kicks and screams without proper feedings! I get cranky. I yearn. I hunger. (Hmm, this is reminiscent of needing chocolate… ) I feel out of sync.

It can also arrive at any age. Mine came early (although I didn’t recognize it for what it was for quite a while), but some people don’t discover those things that set their soul on fire until later in life. Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that when you know about it, you use it and you do what you love.

I consider myself a living experiment when it comes to doing what you love. I could have dropped off ages ago and taken a safe position doing any number of things in any number of businesses. In my circumstances it might have even seemed the wiser approach. A child to raise, all of that. But I didn’t, and I can’t imagine having done it any other way. Sure, I could imagine greater financial wealth, along with different people, different situations – and probably different worries too. But this is what I know, this path, the one I’ve followed so far ~ and it’s felt right because I’m not denying my spirit a chunk of what it needs, and in turn what I need in order to thrive.

So whatever drives you, what makes you lose track of time and feel alive in your toes, in your blood and in your bones, find a way to build that into your life. Maybe it’s not just one thing (it’s usually more than one ~ for example, drumming makes my spirit do the Lindy Hop, sends me in orbit somewhere, but I’m okay saving that for special days). Pick one and work it! Do what you love. Don’t say “oh someday…” If you feel passionate ~ or just want to test the waters to see if it’s only your imagination ~ carve out the time, some way, some how. Those things that call to you are there, inside you, for a reason. Go! Do! Shine a light, give breath to what you love! Make your heart sing.

Ah! I get all worked up. I want more singing hearts out there, more smiling, uplifted hearts! Spirits on fire with what floats their boat.

But I’ll climb down from my soapbox now. (And since I’ve not been able to forget about that reference to chocolate, off I go to imbibe. … )

July 17, 2013 In appreciation, art, inspiration, life and the universe, poetry By Patricia Saxton

Dog Days and A Little Prose

“Breaking Free” / colored pencil / © Patricia Saxton

So the dog days of summer are upon us. Heat waves. Air Conditioners. Katydids. And it turns out, a little streak of not feeling my best. It happens.

You just don’t get this far in life without some scars, lessons learned, boatloads of trials and tribulations, patterns that repeat, ups and downs, enlightenments and unwelcome doubts. I tend to work through them privately and quietly and come out the other side just fine ~ better, wiser, stronger ~ but just like you or you or you, when in the throes of question or angst, it’s no picnic.

It doesn’t much matter what the personal throes are about – for one, everybody has a story, and for two, this isn’t the place, it’s not that kind of blog. But on a more universal note, what does matter in just about every instance is how we handle it. How we react to, respond to, and “deal with” whatever we experience.

In my case, feeling out of balance is probably an understatement, but I’ll call it that for some context. And, having had about enough of that, I had the presence of mind to remember that when I meditate in the morning, things flow more smoothly, and I can also get some wonderful messages. As simplistic as that may sound, just that thought – set to action – can make a difference (as many of you already know). And I wanted to share with you part of what came from that meditation.

I share this with you because it might, just might, speak to you on some level in a positive way, and if so, the sharing is worthwhile. If not, no harm done. And it’s back to the dog days, feeling lighter. : )

♦

There is a myth,

A myth that life is hard

That you must struggle

That you must be dragged about

And twist and turn

And hurt and heal

And clamour out and rise above

With battle scars as medals.

But there is another way,

A better way ~

And you may wonder

How and why and when,

And what do those who’ve found this know

That you don’t know.

It is that love breeds love and joy breeds joy and light breeds light ~ those are the way. Those are what you aim for, those are what you fill your thoughts with, those are what you place gently, firmly into your heart, sprinkle out into the world around you ~ and it is the very same that you allow, accept, and receive into your own precious soul. However small or large, love is love is love.

Go and sing this song in your heart.

For you are love.

~ Patricia Saxton

♦

July 9, 2013 In art, color, inspiration, life and the universe, photography, work and play By Patricia Saxton

More Flowers

I had some really meaningful, in-depth things to say, but then I got waylaid in the garden.

When life feels overburdened, when time feels cramped and out of balance, when my thoughts turn too far inward for too long, I really do find solace in nature. And tending my gardens allow me to “un-think”.

I like feeling the earth between my fingers, and I adore the beauty that grows from seeds, soil, sun, rain and a little help from my eyes, my hands and a shovel. I like creating beauty, being surrounded by beauty, appreciating beauty. As Emerson said, we should “never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful”.

And so, here’s a little bit of non-in-depth light and lovely from my garden.

July 4, 2013 In art, creativity, graphic design, inspiration, life and the universe, peace By Patricia Saxton

Peace & Liberty ~ Happy 4th!

I couldn’t decide which one of these I liked better ~ but I have the liberty to pursue happiness, and it makes me happy not to have to choose.

Wishing everyone in the U.S. a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday, honoring our amazing nation, its great natural beauty and wealth of courageous and freedom-loving souls…. and some pretty awesome firework displays too. : )