For years now I’ve been learning about the memories and connections we have conscious access to, and ways to invite access to new things filed away inside us. Lots of training in Ericksonian hypnosis opened many paths for me through the years.
Lately, I’ve been learning about the gateways of image and embodied access.
Don’t worry. That’s not quite as woo-woo as it sounds! But, first, let me tell you a story…
For most of my life, my dreams have occurred in what my neuro-linguistic programming friends would call the auditory-digital processing mode. Translation: more like listening to an audio book than watching a movie, which is to say that they very rarely involved conscious visual images.
I thought I was weird. Turns out, I was just more familiar with words than pictures. (And possibly a little short on one of the B vitamins. B-6, I think.)
Since my deep dive into Intentional Creativity and the world of making images, though, I’ve begun to have increasingly visual dreams!
And, the embodied – or kinesthetic – act of picking up a paint brush or marker and moving it to create those images opens up access to more of my creative imagination. (Well, not just mine…)
(Now, if you’ve sometimes had scary dreams, it helps to know that only the things which are ready and safe to access become conscious.)
Anyway… yesterday I was having a great time painting my first TreeWoman image and she graciously agreed to be shared with you, even though she’s not quite done.
Then, Luther was kind enough to let me sleep this morning, which meant there was time for a dream to find me.
It started out with an old song playing in my head. When I looked it up on YouTube during my first cup of tea, I found a video I didn’t remember. Hope this is as much a gift for you as it was for me!
Then, in my dream, I found myself at Summer Camp, sitting with amazing women and girls under a forest of trees, learning all over again about the things that connect us with each other and the Earth. We were playing our special Camp version of Red Thread Circles.
I didn’t know it back then, nor did I know the language, but that was my first conscious experience of the Divine Feminine!
Then my dream changed, as dreams often do, to my first granddaughter’s second birthday party.
Kenzie was very into dressing up so we got her a huge basket full of wardrobe items for her imagination.
Little did I know that, years later, I would be hanging out with a tribe of folks known as Cosmic Cowgirls!
When I woke, I had the sense that much of the dream had been TreeWoman calling me to live more fully the important places of connection that have long slept deep inside me.
So, I painted some more. Circles for TreeWoman. And rain.
Then, my Midnight Muse- in-progress, who is deeply involved in all this newness, announced that she wants a cowgirl hat!
I’ll keep you posted…
Oh, if the whole access thing intrigues you, stay tuned as I learn more about the miracles of Motherboard!
It was a busy day in the studio! Women gathered for creating and reflecting.
A follow-up to September’s workshop on Abundance Muses.
We began with some noticing and wondering. What had been different since our last time together? A wild variety of answers with one thing in common… our intentions were actually changing things in our lives and the lives of those we love!
Some red thread.
And a new question. What might we be hoping to harvest in this season? As we pondered, rain fell gently in the garden which is a hugely hopeful thing just now.
Then, editing those harvest hopes into a one or two word prayer. You guessed it! Time for dots!!! Each dot a prayer…
I’ll admit it’s the first time I’ve prayed while embellishing the bottom of a pumpkin! Then some time for paint drying and lunch.
And more dots. This time on the tops of the pumpkins!
Plus a few spares for my first artists’ market, known as Bizarre Bazaar, scheduled for October 27th! (Stay tuned to see whether Bill and I can actually put up the tent!!)
After that, some time for our Muse paintings. Some light here. Some shadow there. Moons added in honor of tonight’s full Harvest moon.
A new technique here or there. Scary colors doing magical things.
The new studio table baptized in paint.
Lots of support and encouragement wrapped in stories of how we got here from there.
A visit from my CODEX moon, with some pointers on shading and highlights.
And a considerable amount of leaping over the studio angels, who slept on, lulled by their favorite drum music.
The big wooden bowl in the kitchen is running over with ingredients for my favorite fall soup.
The studio is running over with canvases and paint and (dirty!) brushes and scraps of collage paper and way more extra texture than would be considered optimal by most artists. Luther is still blowing coat!
Here are some in-progress pics from the studio, complete with repair work underway. The soup recipe comes next!
First, the beginnings of an owl who has insisted on having tea with my Midnight Muse.
Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day and awakens and refines the appetite. – Escoffier
Makes about 6 quarts of soup. Leftovers freeze well.
Equipment: You’ll need a 10 quart stockpot and a couple of pans for roasting veg. I use heavy gauge stainless ½ sheet trays. An immersion blender, food processor, or Vita-Mix type blender are really handy. In a pinch, a food mill will work. Or a hand potato masher.
Ingredients: I try to pick organic squash that are more cylindrical in shape, than those that have the bulbs on the bottom. They’re easier to cut up and peel! Also look for smaller squash, about 2 lb. or less in size. They have thinner skin and smaller seeds. Plan ahead for this soup and buy pears about 5 days ahead of time so they’ll be ripe. If you need to purchase stock, the varieties in the shelf stable boxes, no salt added, organic if you can find them, are usually the best choices. A small, local butcher may have broth periodically. That would be a great choice! This soup is comforting in the same way that the m-m-good tomato stuff from the can seemed when you were six. But way better!!!
Note: Additional ingredient suggestions are listed below under Garnishes.
2 quarts bone broth or veg broth, preferably homemade. Chicken, turkey, or pork are all great. Veg works really well, too, for an easy vegan dish.
About 6 – 8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with a bit of kitchen string.
1 – 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh.
3 – 4 lb. total butternut squash (about 2 smallish ones), washed and peeled, with seeds removed. (If the squash are really small and tender, sometimes I skip the peeling!) Chop into chunks about 1 inch square. The pieces don’t have to be pretty. They just need to be about the same size. (If you want to save the seeds, rub orange strings from them with a clean, dry dish cloth. Rinse well. Spread on paper towels to dry.)
Good olive oil.
Good grey Celtic sea salt.
Freshly ground pepper…black, mixed, or pink.
3 – 4 ripe organic pears, washed, cored, seeded, and chopped to about the size of the squash pieces. (Substitute organic apples if they’re more local or pears aren’t available.)
2 large or 3 medium organic red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, washed, cored, seeded, and chopped.
2 large onions, peeled and roughly chopped.
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Cover 2 sheet trays with unbleached parchment paper, if desired to help keep veg from sticking.
In a 10 quart stockpot, place the broth you’ve chosen and heat gently, adjusting heat as stock thaws or warms from fridge. Bring to very gentle boil. Skim any foam that appears on top, and continue to simmer slowly while you prepare the veg. Add thyme and bay leaves.
Place squash pieces in a large bowl. Drizzle with good olive oil to coat lightly and season with salt & pepper. Toss together well. Be a bit generous with the s&p.It will be most of the seasoning for a big pot of soup. Hold on to the bowl. You’ll need it again in a few minutes!
Spread squash on prepared sheet tray, in single layer. Place in oven at 450 F for 15 min.
While squash begins to bake, prep veg and pears or apples as noted above. Add to bowl. Drizzle all with good olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Toss together well and arrange in a single layer on 2ndsheet tray. Add 2ndtray to oven and continue to roast, along with squash, another 20-30 min.
You’ll begin to smell the veg as they get close to done. Check with fork for tenderness. They should brown to about a medium tone. The squash will get darker than the pears and onions. Remove trays when done.
Check simmering soup stock. Raise temp a bit so it’s simmering fairly boldly, but not boiling. Remove bay leaves and herbs if used. Transfer all the veg into the stockpot CAREFULLY. An extra set of hands is helpful for this. Mix well and allow to simmer to blend flavors, 10 or 15 min.
Prepare desired garnishes. Get creative! Here are some thoughts to start:
Chopped pumpkin seeds. (Save squash seeds until fully dry and use, lightly toasted, in other soup or salad, or save them to plant in your garden.)
Popped corn, lightly salted.
Finely chopped fresh parsley or other herb or green of choice.
Crumbled, cooked sausage-preferably local in spiced pear flavor or Italian sausage, mild or hot, to taste.
Good, homemade toasted bread croutons, pan fried in a bit of melted butter.
Crumbled local goat cheese
Really fine, aged Balsamic vinegar for drizzling just a bit.
A dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.
Chopped avocado.
Just before time to serve, puree mixture. A hand-held immersion blender is easiest. Other wise, transfer in batches to a food processer or VitaMix (blender). Use caution with hot liquids – only fill containers ½ full! If using a food mill or potato masher, allow liquid to cool a bit first to avoid burns. Working in batches, mash and blend soup well.
Stop when you like the texture you’ve achieved. Chunky, really smooth, whatever works for you! If you want it super smooth and velvety, you can pass the puree through a fine screen sieve. The cone shaped ones worked well and you can push soup through with a wooden spoon. It’s all a matter of personal preference. I’m fine with a little texture left in mine!
Return all soup to pot, if necessary. If using hand-held blender, be sure plug does not fall into soup! Stir to blend well.
Taste for seasoning. With a good, homemade broth base and generous seasoning along the way, it probably won’t need any additional seasoning. I like the pure, clean taste of all the veg! If you like a little heat, try:
A few drops of hot sauce, to taste, or a pinch of cayenne or chipotle pepper. Warm spices like cinnamon, curry, or nutmeg are another good choice.
When it tastes perfect to you, it’s ready! Small children may like to do their own garnishes and are more likely to actually eat the soup if they do.
Set your imagination free on serving options, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. Traditional bowls and spoons are great. Try shot glasses in a small bite appetizer setting. If you don’t have enough soup bowls for your crowd, teacups or coffee mugs will work. Add a slice of really good bread and perhaps a piece of good cheese and you have a fabulous meal. Have fun!
Save those leftovers!!! Cool soup before placing in freezing containers. Glass jars break a lot. We use BPA-free plastic but never pour hot food into it. I freeze soups like this in quart, pint, and even ½ pint size containers. Then you can thaw what you need for a family dinner, a comforting lunch on a crazy day, a care package for a friend, or even a creative way to add extra veg to any soup or sauce. Try thawing a small container and using the warmed soup instead of cream or olive oil to mash potatoes!!! Leave an inch of headspace before placing the lids to allow for natural expansion when it freezes. Label clearly including whether the broth base is meat or veg. And be sure to date it. That’s a freezer full of comfort food and all you did was cook dinner!
Just between us, I’ve been ready for Fall since waaaaay before September 23!
It’s been hotter and dryer than usual in Atlanta this year. (You can do the math on climate change…) My garden is toast after a whole lot of internal debates over water conservation and a still tender calf muscle. Thankfully, it’s time to pull the summer veggies anyway and move on to the next right thing.
Our air conditioner is no doubt as relieved as the resident huge, hairy dogs are. It was 60 degrees when we made our first venture out back this morning and they just wanted to lay in the cool grass.
This has long been a transitional time of year for me. Ever since my first first day of school, complete with an unfortunate haircut, uncomfortable shoes, and a “sweet” plaid dress from Sears, I’ve felt the pull to change things when it’s time for autumn again.
I’ve been pondering those suede-y sheep skin sort of boots in catalogs, despite the fact that buying shoes in cyberspace rarely works for me. Last night I was browsing chair woobies online.
And, this year, another piece of the puzzle fell into place for me. It started with a new creativity class called Tree Woman, in which we were urged to go wandering outdoors looking closely at nature. Not just the big picture, but very small details.
Nature, where I live, involves trees and birds and a fading garden. It also involves an urban landscape of concrete and bricks and utility wires and front porch decor.
I was exploring my front porch (Really!) when I encountered an abandoned bird’s nest tucked away in a ceramic fountain, still hanging on a brick wall after the pump broke a few years back.
Now, I know nests are usually associated with spring, at least in the Northern Hemisphere but, for me, nesting is a familiar fall kind of thing, which probably explains the fuzzy boots and cozy woobies.
All of which is convenient at the moment because it’s a fluffing sort of time at our house. One of those more function out of the same space issues, which is, when you think about it, creativity of a different sort. Or, perhaps, the creativity behind the creativity!
Though ours is going to need a bit more color than the one on my porch!
The umpteenth round of furniture Yahtzee is planned for later this week. An experimental space for doing Zoom meetings with a more me background is in place. A desk-ish piece of furniture with a pull-out keyboard tray is the next likely move there.
There’s also the delightful news that our kids are coming for Christmas!
I’m fascinated by the Danish and Norwegian word, Hygge. I don’t seem to have the genetic ability to pronounce it, but it means a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.
That’s just what I want for the nest inside our brick walls, inspired by the one outside. What are you hoping for in this season??? I’d love to hear!
For now, though, the big studio angels want out where it’s cool, again!
A week or so ago, I started a new painting class called The Gospel According to Her. This was a great opportunity for me, made possible by the miracle of livestream and Shiloh Sophia McCloud’s passion for the material.
The teaching focused on the women in the life and ministry of Jesus. Women who have been largely left out of the stories of many faith traditions.
The photo at the top of the page was the beginning layers of my work as they greeted me when I woke up this morning. I sat down with my favorite sunny yellow mug of hot water and lemon and asked her to tell me what she needed.
You see, my image felt like it was having a bit of an identity crisis. I wasn’t really sure about who she wanted to be or how to portray her.
This isn’t really all that surprising. I come from one of those faith traditions that is not overrun with stories of women. And so, I listened.
And I have more listening to do.
Here’s where we are now.
Along with hungry big dogs to feed and last minute touches happening on my neighbor’s painting which is headed to a middle school art show.
There’s a voice in my head that might well be labeled my inner critic jabbering on to the effect of, What were you thinking? All that work is wasted!
I, however, have thanked her for her concern and assured her that nothing in this journey is wasted.
Sometimes a whole lot of white paint over what was there helps us see what wants to be. (And the whole palette knife thing is hugely freeing!)
Then there’s the fact that all the energy of the under layers is still there, adding depth and meaning to the art.
And the vivid reminder of one of the things I most want my girls to learn. There’s no failure involved in learning along the way and adjusting when it feels right!
So, what comes next?
I’m not sure. First, the paint has to dry. Then, I suspect there’s a dusky, sunset sky is waiting in the wings. I’m planning to watch the sunset tonight to see what I learn!
And, I suppose, when it all comes down to it, this really is all about learning. Learning about the questions tugging at me. Learning to be open to new stories of faith. New stories of the Divine at work in the world.
A few days ago, I signed a petition to end efforts to ban socially relevant books in prisons. Alice Walker was on that list!!! In my opinion, reducing crime in this country means including more ideas, and readers of ideas, in the conversation, rather than excluding them.
It’s not really much of a surprise. Books have been huge in my life since my days of Scamper Squirrel, long before I could pronounce it, let alone actually read it. Then, Sally, Dick, and Jane came along with a massive sense of empowerment. I could actually read about them all on my own. I especially liked Spot!
These days, books are still huge in my life. I’ve even written a few! The stack, above, are some of my long term most essential friends, along with some new additions to my world view.
I’ll admit that, on the surface, they may not all seem to play well together and yet, in my mind, they do.
What they all have in common is a journey toward learning more stories. More life-giving stories.
Now, I’ll admit that not all stories work equally well for me. I skip really violent tales. And I don’t relate all that well to science fiction, though I’m really glad it’s there, especially for those like one of my granddaughters who became a way more confident reader when she discovered sci fi books. I do like historical things, and books with a lot of symbolism, and just about anything that’s really, really well written.
You probably have your favorites, too, and they don’t have to be the same as mine.
Here’s the way I think about many of these issues…
Today is the eve of the Jewish New Year and the beginning of Rosh Hashana, for which the appropriate greeting is shanah tovah, which means, “good year.” According the the Hebrew calendar, this begins the year numbered 5780.
It is a time of prayer and self-reflection and, as I learned yesterday, part of the tradition is to eat apples and honey for a sweet year.
These are not the traditions with which I was raised, though they are, in some senses, my traditions as well, because they are the traditions of the people who came before some of the people who became mine. And also the traditions of those who have become mine more recently.
There’s a big neuro-linguistic programming shift lurking in that last thought.
It’s about sorting for same rather than different.
Or, to put it another way, it’s about the things which connect us, rather than things which may, through some filters, seem to divide us.
And many, many of those things are stories. Stories with words and stories in images and stories of relationship.
Stories of newness.
So, Shanah Tovah, to you and yours. May we share our stories and learn those of others and look forward to a sweet future together!
This week has been a bit of a whirlwind of doing so far. One of those weeks that remind the preacher inside me that Wednesday feels like it comes around way faster than Sunday! And a clear message that time for reflecting leads to things like blogs and sermons and paintings.
There are several gallons of bone broth (aka Bird Soup!) cooling in the kitchen, a creative process which began with thawing on Monday, and simmering from Tuesday until today, about 24 hours of cook time. Surely, at least some of Heaven smells like this!
I’ve painted on three different projects so far this week.
And, a bit earlier today, I joined some of my paint sisters in a guided visioning journey that had to do with steps into the future and gathering and planting, all of which are happening literally and figuratively in my world, just now.
True confession… I have a tendency to wander off on my own during visioning moments, perhaps because the visual part of the experience is often missing for me.
Today, though, I was struck by a particular phrase. Something along the lines of:
What is your right pace for stepping in this moment?
My first reaction was a little faster than I can go right now!
I’m still having some challenges with a muscle injury in my calf.
Ever helpful, Luther seems to have appointed himself resident physical therapist. In fact, I leaped over him conservatively 17 times yesterday while I was getting the broth pot going. Everybody knows the best place to lay is in the middle of the kitchen floor, between the sink and the stove!
And, no, Luther has not yet developed a grasp of getting up and moving unless the spirit moves him. (I’m holding hope on that one!)
When I thought a bit more about the stepping question, though, I realized that the answer for me is to just keep stepping.
It really doesn’t feel like a contest, but more a matter of perception.
I’m choosing to perceive myself as a being in creative motion, rather than a being sitting still. (Even when I’m sitting still in the service of moving some more!)
And, speaking of creating… The photo above is a glimpse of one of my CODEX paintings-in-progress.
Before I tell you what it says, let me explain first that Hebrew was not my best academic adventure!
So, allowing for missing vowel points and a bit more proof-painting to come, the word, read from right to left is pronounced ba-rah and means create.
And here’s the punch line, as it were. I realized, recently, that what keeps me stepping from one stone to another in my world is the deep calling to create everything from paintings to soup to love.
Just between us, that feels like a really good place to be! Where are you noticing creativity in your world?
Kenzie was very into dressing up so we got her a huge basket full of wardrobe items for her imagination.
I’ll admit it’s the first time I’ve prayed while embellishing the bottom of a pumpkin! Then some time for paint drying and lunch.
Ever helpful, Luther seems to have appointed himself resident physical therapist. In fact, I leaped over him conservatively 17 times yesterday while I was getting the broth pot going. Everybody knows the best place to lay is in the middle of the kitchen floor, between the sink and the stove!