Challenging views

It has come to my attention that many people confuse a challenge in perspective as an emotional attack. As one who has emotionally defended my egoistic position before, and as one who enjoys an open intellectual discussion that brings to light many different perspectives - I would like to share my observations and perspectives with you. As aware and intelligent beings - i would like to point out the need for critical thinking in approaching subject matter as paramount in creating a discussion that fosters learning and growth. When a person poses a different view that appears to challenge your current position and you react defensively, I challenge you to ask yourself why. What exactly is it that upsets you and why? Was it a personal attack or did you take it as one? Does their perspective tear cracks in the foundation you stand upon, does it rock your system of beliefs, culture, and identity? Personally, I have come to recognize and value the people in my life who continually challenge me with their ideas. Growth occurs when faced with challenges and obstacles, innovations come when pioneers look at problem as an opportunity to create something new, let's not get too comfortable patting each other on the back - just agreeing or staying quiet - let's really communicate and transform, let's dare each other to be open-minded and act on it. Let's not act like awareness/consciousness isn't excruciating. Let's not act like heightened and greater vision only sees positivity, let's get fucking real. Let's have real discussions. Let's have the courage to be wrong and admit it in front of an audience. Let's have discussions with opposing or challenging views without the language of emotional/personal insults and attacks. Let's really get at the root of things and grow together.

dream journal

Thread bare linens clinging - drooping despair
awakened upon a presence lurking in the dark
clutch to the warm canine bodies around me
lenses refocus through the darkness to the figure
the suffering dripping from abysmal robes
surely i'm still dreaming

the focus was to hold the content of the dream
to the place where i collect memories
slipping slipping again back into the dream
away from the lurking figure that blinked
out of my chambers ...

burnt sage is my ally, smokey fingers reaching the corners through the hall
still the dream in the limbo of murky waters stirring below me
i feel it but can't sketch out the shapes
like the observed particle in quantum physics
changing its behavior

the dream has lost its definition and
melted back into the gooey glass sea of formless adventures

focus

Finding peace in an ambient storm - hold shelter in my heart - close the ears to the thunder in the closing distance, or distance the closing thunder ... focus inside to the quiet place that can burn out the roaring madness.

truth is truth

Truth is truth - just as the supreme creator provided the sun light, trees and water. As humans we view from different eyes and interpret the same reality in different ways, this is art. It is in our nature to want to shelter our fellow loved ones from the pains of life, to predict outcomes in order to prevent their suffering. Sometimes the risk of pain is necessary to learn life's greatest lessons. An artist is often a vessel who understands through experience the power and beauty of the world through its greatest contrasts and thus creates art that echoes that experience. I understand who I am and believe in the highest form of myself and my fellow humans in this life - i believe we are all evolving into better versions of ourselves everyday. I believe in you and hope that you believe in me. Let's spread love and not fear or suspicion. Much love to all on this blessed day.

Where time bends endlessly

In the days when sunlight fades to darkness
and time bends endlessly
While hallucinations are oscillations
on a pattern broken patchwork of alternate realities
Bending pitch at the corona of projection
bares a peak into the threads that hold the veil before our senses
Lets ride with the dream-weavers in the ethers
where matter is conceived
let's breath in the spaces between particles and waves
let's be lucid creators in sound scape harmonies
lets tune the strings of all that exists to spirit song
and hum with the essence of anomalies

Warrior

 i was born to be a warrior
my mildness is a coat and hat,
 underneath this skin i am fully armed
 though i walk with peace in my heart
 i am ready
my flags represent the world
i defend the defenseless, i enrich the poor, i give voice to the  choking masses
 i am the light emanating on the double edge sword of awareness
give me consciousness and I give you everything

The Pearl

The pearl, they ripped from me
there tucked in under the safe ridges of my shell i wanna keep you forever
like the moon tugging my heart from my chest
my breaths deeper, deeper, deeper as you plunge into my language
your words wrap around - encasing me
my pearl in the sky why must you wane
i go insane in your light
and dark, when you leave the shadow of emptiness
as you chase stars

The mind machine

Reprogramming my patterns. My mind is a machine that operates on the laws of inertia, perpetuating patterns. It is up to me be conscious of these patterns, set intentions, and rewrite and implement the reprogramming of new introductions and cleansing of unwanted patterns in the pattern machine.

The mind is a powerful tool - it is what connects us to the matrix and allows us to make our mark in this shared reality. Just like any tool, it can be used to either do "good" or "bad" (or neither). Use your higher conscious self to control the mind. Do not make excuses for yourself, deeming yourself powerless over your progress in life. Only by taking responsibility can you empower yourself to make change. Make the time and energy to master your mind, otherwise you will become a slave to the patterns your mind perpetuates. Life can often be overwhelming, but remember to breath and take one step at a time.

the language of bells

from our hearts speaking direct, the language of bells
and eyes that cut through glass
no need to persuade - here in the same time and space
two spiraling energies upward dance as flames
a fiery vortex to the divine unions - an ode to the oneness
there was singularity if only for a blink - closing the gap between lens and darkness
conceiving -  each creation mirroring the time before time -and then as if from nothing arriving, the moment of separation
the seed of life, giving way to the flower
as sun rays bless my skin with warmth and embrace - hope rekindling for the time when vows that are spoken are bound in the promise of love - ring true for an entire lifetime
i digress - there in magical swirls of smoke 
there in the mind waiting for the next touch - craving the electricity exchanged in close proximity breath on top of breath
 heart beating strong when the river surges, gallant  streams fill the temple full of life
knowing that everything in reality is moving
a promise is a word hoping to create a constant in an ever changing reality
the laws may stay the same - but a promise kept is an anomaly that i welcome in a warm smile and the acknowledgement of eternity

Full of love - riding the changes - sculpting as i ride the tide.

On The Break

On the break where the wave crashes down and the sound splashes,  rhythm sets in.
On the break where sea trips on land and sculpts the sand, my heart beats begin.

What is seen

I see myself in your eyes - crystalline - and I love you so much. To be truly seen. Do I reflect you as you do me? When there are no clouds between our reflections - is this love?

Art is our Song

Working on the transmutation of inspiration, creating an expression in the various languages of our life's symbolic realms - hear my words, my song, see my colors splashed across the canvas of now, be moved by my movement, and be inspired to make your own - we are all here to share this experience let it be your work of art. Let us collaborate and harmonize - make a tribe, a chorus of voices that light up the darkness, let us play and create together. I am an artist in the likeness of the ever-present creator. Let us gather our tribes, let us raise or voices in unison, let us shout our song as a collective with consciousness and love. Art is our song - together our power is exponential - let us manifest a vision of perfect beauty.

Lights, Camera, Action

Lesson of the week - instead of directing my energy externally, I should focus, calm and center and work on all the intentions I have put forth, there is much work to be done and the excitement of the world has gotten me far too distracted. Time to buckle down and be content to work in solitude. Social hour will come again. *Its difficult because I crave the warmth and energy of my tribe (my spirit fam) they can be so fun and inspirational and I love the dynamic. I envision a space we can all work together in and be making a living creating and building. Patience and work and I can have it all.

Love

It is a gift to have loved, been drenched and drunk in it, have fell and swum in it, have climbed its peaks, and dove into its depths. Though I sit on the shore gasping for breath - I long to swim once more.

Meditation for letting go

Clear thy self of residue of fears, pain, past, cravings, stagnancy, weight, burden, guilt, shame, martyrdom, sorrow, expectation. In this moment is the power to heal, be present, be kinetic, be love, BE LIGHT. Clean thy vessel and feel the gift of now. Let the past go with each exhalation. Be thankful for its lesson, and move on, while silence and stillness in now resonates. Tuning in to the cosmic enchantment. I allow myself to heal, to be whole and holy. I inhale the oneness and exhale the illusion. OM.

Subjected Perspective

From below: Everything appears freakishly large from the bottom, like a world distorted from behind rippled glass -  an exploded fish eye lens. At the bottom of the pool, I observe scenes in blue tinted swirls, balloon heads and duck feet. Muffled voices, piercing screams turn to metallic squeaks. Movement is walking through mud, gravity is strong, so heavy - UNDER PRESSURE.  I'm ready to go up for air and spring forth , where breathing is easy and my voice can ring out in true tones.

On the surface:  The ocean is beautiful, raw and tricky, seducing me. Love, when the current pulls me quickly toward my desired destination. The liquid road throws a glassy wave and I surf even further, elated and filled with joy - ride the wave and sing praises into the wind. As quickly as I was seduced, the wave drops me, the current sucks me down into a dangerous vortex, a downward spiral. The fight begins - survival instincts, keen eyes, quick reactions, narrow escape. Now, I ride my vessel with caution. Some days are smooth sailing, enough wind to move and enjoy the ride. Other days, pure survival as the weather bears relentless peaks of waves and the clouds gather, unleashing furious storms. Some days the sun bears down on a calm, windless ocean, and the vessel moves only through its own strength and will. The liquid road is an adventure but I know that my destination is on land.

On land: The ground provides bearing, balance and shelter. The weather still affects my days but I can hold steady and use the tools the land provides. The land is diverse and nature speaks another language here. Each place has its own dialect, rules, and creatures. When the land is divided, so am I. Here there are many obstacles. The trees, the hills, the ravines all have there own challenges, their own bends, barriers, and puzzles to unfold and unlock before passing to the next . There is a mountain in the distance, my heart says climb it, my mind in a whiny little voice says its impossibly tall.

Climbing the mountain: Standing at the base, in fear and awe of its massive beauty. I plan my ascension carefully...

Capoeira

Capoeira inspires me.

Reconnecting

I have this recurring thought/feeling. Something strange happened when humans started owning land. We developed a disconnected relationship to it. I don't remember what it was like before, but I can only imagine. Something in my core still wants to roam as if there were no fences. That same instinct wants the knowledge of indigenous peoples, the connection with the earth. I want the feeling that I get when I squish my bare feet into the sand and feel the swish of waves on the shore, the breeze, and the elements speaking to me. My spirit wants to hear the voice of the Earth Spirit. Before we started building boxes and cubes and mazes, computers, cubicles, living rooms, and parking lots; there was a roundness a whole. I don''t want to feel compartmentalized all the time. I want to feel whole, holy, wholly.

Company I Keep

Scenario: I passed my shiny ball to a friend, a hopeful, smiled joyfully as it bounced back a couple times. I passed the ball and looked on as my hopeful candidate dropped the ball several times, grew distracted and quit playing. I tried to juggle on my own, knowing well that if I stopped the balls would vanish. My arms grew tired. I watched the game die, the balls perish. Sad and disappointed, I put the game away and started walking backwards. 

It is essential to have people around you who inspire you. 

So many art movements were created not by a single entity but through a dialogue between fellow artists bouncing off ideas, energies, research, discussions, styles, and techniques. So lets say inspiration is in the form of a ball or several balls that must constantly stay in motion or they parish. Rarely is there a single person juggling balls - catching and throwing at herself into eternity. Lone juggler, ugh. A better picture is a dynamic created by a pair, then a group forming a circle perhaps passing balls, tossing throwing, catching and bouncing around and around for a shared experience, a game. Jogar like the roda in capoeira.  The game is the key, taking turns and keeping the motion going, building up the energy, making rhythms, all in life = the game of life.

Constant motion is important. The laws of inertia apply to inspiration. Energy like light can be carried in a wave. In this game called inspiration - motion must have momentum, to gain momentum there must be motivation.No one player alone can be solely responsible for motivating other players in times of need. That is why it is vital that one keeps the right company. If you see that a player keeps dropping the ball and won't or can't contribute to the game, they need to get out of the circle. The circle is the place where inspiration moves, where the energy and momentum keep going, and the people the players keep flowing.