The Ageless Artist

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Sketch of W. Somerset Maugham.

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This morning I read a post on Facebook that quoted someone – “… no artist should be allowed to live after he’s 40.  By then a man has done his best work, all he does after that is repetition.” Of Human Bondage,” W. Somerset Maugham.

My reply to the quote itself was,  “Those are such foolish words, inspiration and art are ageless.”

If that was true possibly half or more of the greatest works in history would have not come to be.  Art and Inspiration are ageless, simply because they come from within, from the heart, the soul, and the deepest crevices of our spirit.  The artist inside you is ageless and ready to create when the need and instinct to create makes it inevitable for Art to be born.  Whether artists realize it or not, their art comes from their deepest desire to become creators themselves, and from the spiritual connection between their humanity and their soul.  When you create a piece, there is more than the aging carcass at work; the shell is just the instrument to make art real, art relies on the artist to become, but it is.  Many artists may have the same idea, but it is expressed in different ways and takes its unique form; therefore, becoming art.  In that sense, the artist is ageless.

Celebrating Autumn

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Vineyard in Napa Valley

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I love Autumn; it is my favorite season.  So much happens during this time.  Nature becomes a changing painting.  Around mid September, I start preparing to welcome the Fall.  I try to enjoy this season to the max as it is also a prelude to another favorite – Winter.  Most likely, during fall, you will find me doing these activities, some of which I will not be able to do to total contentment this year, since I am in transition to move to VA.  However, I will certainly enjoy as many as I can.

Candles – I start by buying scented candle jars to welcome the season.  Some of my favorites are pumpkin spice, spiced apple, cinnamon spice, vanilla, gingerbread, maple pecan … and other scents.  At the end of fall I make sure that I have a pine or evergreen and cedar scent to welcome Winter.

I also give a good fall cleaning to the house to get it ready for the joyous season.  After that, the home is ready for decorating.  I like to decorate using a natural approach.  Many of the things will be handmade and using natural materials such as leaves, twigs, branches …  Many of these items can be tweaked for the winter, and later on recycled into mulch.  The organic feel is perfect for the season and conveys a warmth and coziness.  The outside decor follows the same approach.  I use some recycled vintage items as well.

Since the weather will be changing, so does the wardrobe.  I enjoy cleaning up closets and getting ready the outfits for the season.  Even hubby’s closet gets the Autumn treatment.  I love to play with fabrics and colors.

I enjoy the no A/C season and take advantage of it by opening all the windows to let the crisp air inside. The cats love it too. Their beds also get the autumn treatment, and get their heavy blankets on.

During this time, I celebrate by enjoying the quiet of the woods and parks.  We take walks, and love the smells of nature – wet leaves that are starting to decompose, the moisture in the air, as well as the crisp air of the season.  The sound of crunching leaves as you walk, the wind, and the scenery that slowly paints itself in nature – a palette of unique colors.  This is the perfect time to pick up fallen leaves and branches to use in the decor.  This is also beach time for me, as I enjoy the beach during fall, not during the summer.  It is not crowded and it is quiet, and the weather is better.  So there are many beach walks during this time.

One of my favorite rituals is to prepare for Halloween; I love the holiday.  In our neighborhood, we get tons of trick or treaters and I enjoy preparing colorful candy bags to give away to the kids.  I love to sit outside with a bucket full of bags while watching the parade of cute costumes.  I pick a favorite costume as a mental exercise.  I prepare 80-100 little bags and most of them go.  Sometimes, my neighbor will have a Halloween bash and most of the traffic will come to our street.  Their home is decorated with all kinds of spooks, smoke, sounds, and moving creatures … Last year two local rock bands played – this is also a treat, and I have grown accustomed to it over the years.  I will certainly miss it once we move.

Finally, I make sure I have some of my favorite treats on hand – the pumpkin or apple pie, hot chocolate, ginger tea, pumpkin spice creamer, cinnamon bun creamer, and the rarely found coconut creamer, mini marshmallows,  and my favorite – the tiny candy corn and pumpkin candy.  These treats make me happy.

And this is how I celebrate Autumn.

How Keeping a Journal Helps Me Start the Day

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Medieval illustration of a Christian scribe wr...

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I used to keep daily or weekly diaries where I wrote some important events or marked things in the calendar; however it wasn’t until I read “The Artist Way” by Julia Cameron that I decided to keep a daily journal.  She calls it, “the morning pages” in her book.  It is a bit different from the type of journal I used to keep before.

I keep a journal, almost everyday.  Not everyone keeps one, and the ones who do, don’t do it the same way.  Writing a journal is personal.  Since I started to write a journal before I start my workday, I have found that it helps me start the day in the right mood and in the right mode.  For me, it is more than writing events; I hardly do so.  I use my journal to clear my mind of the things that are hovering inside it and that may interfere with my day.  Many times, writing this journal takes the form of a prayer, other times written reflections, questions, and many other times, I just ponder about something that seems to be in the back of my mind.

Writing a journal before I start my day helps me approach the day in a more positive way.  For me, there are no set number of pages to write.  I write as long as it takes me to feel that my mind is ready.  Sometimes I write one page, sometimes, more than three.  It is never the same.  It may take me five minutes or twenty.  Sometimes, I may write before I go to bed if I feel that I need to organize my thoughts or if I am looking for an answer to something.  Sometimes the enlightenment comes in a dream, or as soon as I wake up; sometimes as I am writing.

Keeping a journal allows me to feel closer to my Creator, many times.  It reinforces my direction and purpose.  It has also helped me resolve past issues that have lingered in my mind,without me knowing.

How you keep a journal is up to you – what works best for you.  For me, pen and paper works best.  Maybe for you, keeping one at your PC might work better.  However, I must do it before I start my day; it grounds me.  If you feel that you don’t have the time, even gifting five or ten minutes to yourself, early in the morning will be beneficial – or before you go to bed; whatever seems to work best for you .

I discovered my biggest road block by doing this, and I even didn’t know about it.

Simply Human

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"Skeleton of human (1) and gorilla (2), u...

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The title of this post came to me after opening the lid of the trash can in the kitchen – the brand is simplehuman.  When I glanced at it, this question came to mind, What is to be simply human?  We belong to the human species on this planet, and we live among many other species.  Just as elephants are pachyderms, we are human.  Unfortunately, over the years, the term human has been associated with mistake, error, shame, and a negative connotation.  When we make a mistake we tend to say, “Well, I’m only human or I am simply human.”

I have said that in many occasions, and it wasn’t until today that I got to think about what I was saying.  By saying the phrase, I was giving a negative meaning to my species.  Not on purpose, I was saying that being a human was being less than … far away from perfection, and I was using the word human as a crutch.  A crutch to justify mistakes and not performing up to my potential.  I think that the reason we think of ourselves, as humans, as something far away from beauty, has to do with a philosophic and religious influence throughout the ages, starting with the original sin and Adan and Eve story.  It also has to do with us comparing ourselves to the perfection of divinity.

On the contrary, implying that God or a Creator (if you believe in such) made a beautiful species, capable of many great and not so great deeds, would liberate us of the “simply human” negative connotation.  If you are an atheist, you may see the beauty of our species, and the greatness of our kind.  We can learn that there is no need for excuses in our journey to achieve our potential, and for many who believe, like me, on a divine purpose, to fulfill such.  Whether you believe in God or not, you may find yourself thinking of your humanity as an excuse.  It doesn’t matter if you are an atheist or if you believe in a Creator, you belong to the human species, and this puts you on the same level as any other human being.  What you do with your life – with your human existence is up to you.

Today, thanks to my trash can, I stop saying that I am “Simply Human,” because I know I am much more than that.

Where Do You Get Your Veggies?

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vegetables

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This past weekend I went to the farmer’s market to get my fruits and vegetables.  The drive there is about half and hour; however, the roads we take have a bit of a country view.  I can easily drive three minutes to one of the three nearby supermarkets, but there is a reason for the monthly drive to the farmers market, well, maybe more than one.

The first reason is that the fruits and vegetables come from local farms and this supports the local economy.  The second reason is that the fruits and veggies taste so much better and are bigger than the ones bought at the supermarket.  The third reason, is that I save money as well.  I can pay $3 for a whole basket of Jersey tomatoes or I can go to the nearest supermarket and pay $4.99 for three small tomatoes in a pack.  I spent $28.00 in fruits and veggies that will last our household (me and my husband) for a whole month, maybe more.  Cutting and freezing is part of the weekend as well.  In addition, we enjoy this trip.  For now, this will do; once we move out-of-state we will be growing our own food and farming.

This got me thinking.  It matters where I get my vegetables, and the same principle can be applied to … my inspiration, my knowledge, my learning, my advice.  Where or from who do you get inspiration, knowledge, advice …?  Just as it may be more convenient to get my vegetables at the nearest supermarket – a 3 minute drive – I may also be getting a fruit or veggie that is of less quality, lacks in flavor, and does not give me all that I am looking for or expecting.

As beginning artists or writers, we must mind where we get our feedback, education/learning, and inspiration.  The wrong advice or ill comment can take the flavor of our work and leave a sour spirit.  In the end, shortcuts may make your journey much longer.

Of Vampires, Sex and Fear

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Vampyr ill artlibre jnl

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This morning, while reading the news, one piece caught my attention – a teenager that was arrested for breaking in and trying to assault a woman he did not know.  What was odd about this was that he pretended to be a vampire and was hissing and growling while trying to suck the woman’s blood.

Vampires used to be scary, freaky, and plain ugly.  Todays vampires are sexy, good-looking, and they even have feelings.  They still scare viewers but in a sexy way.  Fear and sexy or fear and sex have found common ground in today’s vampires.  The old-time Dracula or Nosferatu was hardly a hottie; he was meant to be repulsive and scary-looking, the total opposite of today’s vampire.  Today’s vampire is a dangerous potion to attract its victim – good looks, money, and mystery.

The evolution of the vampire has been a slow one, but one that was necessary to revive the creature’s appeal.  At one point, vampires were almost passe.  Thanks to some good writers they have been brought back in a different light; however, there is a constant in this evolution – if yesterday’s vamp was dangerous, today’s vamp is more so.  Nosferatu made you run away; Edward Cullen or Stephan Salvatore doesn’t necessarily do so.  Some fans may actually find themselves running towards them.  And that my friends, is the beauty of writing!

When You Must Take Platform 9 3/4

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Platform 9 3/4, King's Cross - London

If you are familiar with the Harry Potter books you know what Platform 9 3/4 is.  It is the platform that you take to get to Hogwarts.  It is not visible, marked, but it is there, and you must find it to get through.  Sometimes, you must take Platform 9 3/4 to be able to get to where you want to be, even when you think there is no entrance or when it feels as there is nothing there.  In life’s creative path, this is true for most artists.  Heading to our own Hogwarts without knowning how it will turn out, or if we will reach it.  For many, it takes abandoning the traditional route or clearly numbered platform and leaping into faith.  However, it is not a blind leap.  You know that Hogwarts is on the other side, if you dare to take the leap.

I too, have taken Platform 9 3/4 and I am headed straight to my own Hogwarts.  Dare to jump?

The binding of Age

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Scan of a Valentine greeting card dated 1909.

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If you grew up as I did, most likely, you will have the imprinted belief that as soon as you hit 40, you are going down hill.  I have seen a few over the hill greeting cards that seem to cater to that frame of thought.  Believing that this is the case, is a very dangerous thing because it binds you to certain expectations throughout your life.  Certain things should have happened before you turned 45, and if they have not, most likely you will abandon certain goals, and will end up feeling a failure.  What a sick belief!

The truth is that no one knows how long they will live and most people may live to their late eighties.  In this case, being 40, for example, is having half or more of your life to live.  This is not the time to abandon goals or feeling as a failure; on the contrary, it is the time to make them real and with more “gusto” since you have already enjoyed many years of being traditionally “young.”

Age is in your mind;  it is a matter of how your mind is set and of how it has been programmed all these years.  Yes, there are some physical changes on the outside, but the “you” inside the shell knows better.  No one likes wrinkles or the physical changes that come with age; if they did, plastic surgery and beauty aides would not exist.  I myself, am not a fan of wrinkles.  However, I have met young people who act as 90 year olds, and 80 year olds who act as if they were 25.  For those 80 year olds that still see a bright life ahead of them, age is just a number, and age does not bind them to any “society expectations” – they are the masters of their lives.

What is a Tamarind? Oh, Sweet Tamarind!

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It had to be more than twenty plus years since I ate a tamarind.  Last weekend I was presented with a sweet surprise.  My sister in law brought me a box of sweet tamarinds.  Now, these are hard to come by, so I knew this was a most precious gift.  If you are not familiar with tamarinds this post will help you appreciate them. 

Tamarinds grow on a tree mostly in tropical climates.  I have memories of eating tamarinds as a kid and climbing on tamarind trees, and just hanging out and eating them atop a tree.  When they are not ripen the shell is hard and kind of greenish, once they are ready to eat the shell turns brownish and is easy to crack, similar to the way you would crack an egg shell.  Most tamarinds that are ready will fall to the floor, as the shell dries.  Here are some pictures,to give you an idea.

Box of Tamarinds
Nutritional value – not much, but they are delicious! Mostly carbs, sugar, and fiber.  They are also high in calories as you can see in the box.
I like the fact that they are harvested in a way that is environmentally friendly and the box is recyclable.
Here is what a tamarind looks like
The shape varies and so does the size.
To eat it, just crack it open with your hands.
This is what you will find inside the shell.  Yeah, I know what you are thinking … but I assure you, it does not taste like that.
Close-up of the shell
Each section of the tamarind will contain a large seed.  To eat it, you separate a section and suck on it until you just have the seed.  The pulp is sweet and you must chew on it as well.  The seeds are very hard.
Here’s the whole thing.  The fibers hold the pieces of tamarind together.
Once you eat the whole tamarind you have an empty frame.  For the sake of this post I had to eat one.  Oh, the sacrifices we make for blogging!
Here’s a close shot of the empty frame.
And there you have it; this is how you it a tamarind.  Hope you enjoy this post, I did. 

Uninspired? Change Your Spot

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Distracted Bunny

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Today, as I was getting ready to work on my novel, I could not get myself started.  I sat at the desk, opened the file, and soon got distracted with something else.  I knew I had to go back to it, but something was not quite right.  I felt the urge to go outside and write, pen in hand.  I looked outside and the chair was still a bit wet from last night rain, but I went outside anyway.  I sat to write.  Soon, words started to pour, almost nonstop.  In no time, I had a chapter done, as soon as the words stopped pouring in.

I understood that I was ready to write, just not at my desk.  Sometimes, just moving to another spot will do the trick to get you started on that page or that chapter.  Next time, if you want to get started but somehow don’t seem to connect with your muse, go somewhere else and try it.