luma

It's great reading what is inspiring everyone1 I have the good fortune to be vacationing in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for 5 weeks and then I will be going to Colorado. Nature is so inspiring! I love the fragrance and calm of the woods. We got a visit from a mama bear and her cubs who feasted on our garbage!

Thanks for the article link, Gillian.

Recently (yesterday!) my partner and I officially came back together after several months of a break from significant otherness. It has been very hard for me to practice loving detachment. I have felt I needed to "know" how things are going to go, but the truth is, none of us can know. I have found a way to live without expectations within our relationship. It is so freeing to live just for the moment for self and with others. I did a lot of asking for help from angels and spirit guides. I spent a lot of time making art. Sometimes spending lots of alone time doing what you love brings things into perspective. I think introducing mindful activities that can be done together helps too. My partner and I garden together. Sometimes, if you are in a relationship with someone, (even a family member or a platonic friend) who doesn't buy the whole mindfulness thing, doing mindful activities together can bring you closer. Collaboration on a project that thrives with mindful focus can be very helpful.

Sometimes I literally drown her voice out with loud music I love , but most often, I use the loving kindness meditation which starts with self. I also recite the 5 principles of Reiki in my morning devotionall ritual of which being kind to self and others is one. All the principles of reiki start with "just for today" so that we aren't overwhelmed with change beyond today.

So, Rick, I downloaded the Prisma app. I thought it might help me get a feel for how to make my paintings look more "painterly" instead of basically like my reference photos. We will see. Thanks for telling us about it!

Cool!

Here's a good article as an example of the healing power of art. https://ahha.org/selfhelp-articles/in-the-middle-life-happens/

It's good to reconnect with this group. This year being what it was, I have used art to stay sane. I live and breathe painting, turning my living room into a makeshift art studio. I took an online course in acrylic painting too, and it paid off. I got one of my paintings in a local gallery. Of course, that wasn't the aim. I lost the dear, sweet lady I used to live with and take care of back in September. Not to covid. Her Alzheimers finally claimed her life. The art has helped with the grief a lot. And the degree of focus it takes definitely employs mindfulness. You must be in the moment. Hours go by without a thought to anything else. Here is the painting on the wall of the gallery. It's the one on the right in the gallery shot, and then more close up. And then, here is a photo of some of my other paintings at the local antique, arts and crafts mall. Ha, ha! I need to be careful not to "identify" with my art. Not to become attached to the idea of being an artist.

Some good people to watch on Youtube to learn watercolor are Peter Sheeler, Shayda Campbell, AhmadArt, In the Studio with Michelle Webber, Jenna Rainey. I thought it would be a lot harder than it uis. And you can start out with Dollar Store supplies just to see if it's your thing.

Hi, everyone! I have been away from this site and this discussion board for a YEAR!!!! This year kicked our collective asses!!! I hope you all got through it with as little loss as possible. And now some states are having surges again. There are so many lessons in this pandemic, but I have not uncovered all of them yet. Art saves me every time. I have taken up watercolor. I resisted trying it for deades, but I highly recommend it! "Loose" wartercolors are fun because you can color outside the lines or paint without lines and just suggest forms. Here are some of my pieces. Take care all!

Thank you for the link, Gillian. I must confess I had never heard of this man before. Thank you so much for broadening my horizons! I'll read it when I get time.

What a lovely idea! That is something I would love to do! In these odd times though, I am one that happens to have more daily responsibilities now. I am solely responsible now for this sweet lady with dementia. We are here now in this house (her house)in quarantine together. But that sounds like something great do do before I pursue a new job when this is all over! Thank you for posting that Gillian!

Wow, Gillian, that's really beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing! I have noticed I am flowing with creativity, too. Yesterday I spent lots of time making heart designs to display on the door and window on the front of our home. There is a facebook group called heart hunters. It originated as a kind of scavenger hunt for parents taking their children on walks in their neighborhoods while still practicing social distancing, but it has become so much more! It has become a way of connecting and supporting each other in this time of separation. I didn't mean to stray off topic, but it is still about creativity, right?

Thanks, Gillian! It actually is still going on through 10:30pm central time tonight. If all goes well, I will be going live with a guided meditation for the event around 8pm central time rtonight.

For the April 4th event, you will need to friend request me to get an invite as this one is by invitation only, whereas the event this evening is public. I am Barb McLaughlin from Ottawa, IL on facebook. The event link for April 4th is https://www.facebook.com/events/666940470783309/ Here is the description info for the April 4th event: The times listed are Central Time. To find the corresponding time where you are go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ 9:45pm to 10:30pm I would like as many of you as possible to join us in a meditation to slow the covid 19 virus and the fear surrounding it. Scientific studies have confirmed positive effects of mass meditations and activations on human society. http://thespiritscience.net/2015/06/18/studies-show-group-meditation-lowers-crime-suicide-deaths-in-surrounding-areas/ http://www.worldpeacegroup.org/washington_crime_study.html I know some of you think this is being blown out of proportion. I am no stranger to conspiracy theories myself. HOWEVER, whether we are being told the truth or not, the fact is, YOU WILL BE affected by the response by individuals and governments worldwide. At the very least, meditate with us to spread calm and rational behavior surrounding the situation. My plan is to post a guided meditation audio to aid the meditation experience for us. We will be using Marianne Williamson's guided meditation for both events. You can find that at: I hope many of you here will join us!