#REVERB11: GIVING--WHAT IS YOUR GIFT OF BEINGNESS? CREATIVE TRUTH IS MINE!

CELEBRATION OF SUMMER. The true gift in life is to find YOURSELF and give THAT to others. Be sure to find kind friends who give back THEMSELVES. (Art by Hallelujah Truth, aka RuthTruth. Photography of artwork by Ty Butler of Tylight.

#REVERB11 PROMPT (December 7): "The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away." (David Viscott) What is your gift to give?(prompts by Carolyn Rubenstein)


Hallelujah for GIVING, BENEFICENCE, and GENEROSITY--knowing who you ARE and what your BEING bestows on those around you! I will be forever grateful to Father Keohane, a Catholic priest who taught art and drama at Pacelli High School in Columbus, Georgia, who helped me "discover" my GIFT. When I returned to visit this kind and creative man after I graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, Californina, with a bachelor's of art in Humanities, I was careening here and there looking for my life's purpose. What is one supposed to do with a dose of philosophy, literature, art history, and drama? I felt lost!


Father Keohane had charmed me with his innovative solutions to stage props, costumes, and make up while directing me in dramatic productions. He was forever cheery and loved his life of artistry and worship. He told me that he had succeeded in combining both his loves (ART and GOD) for his work life. His directive for me?


"SEEK THE TRUTH," he said passionately, tapping his heart just below the white-collared neck of his black priest uniform. "IF YOU ARE SEEKING THE TRUTH, YOU WILL NEVER BE LOST."


I left Father Keohane satisfied. He had GIFTED me with his own TRUTH. As the years past, the work I did for a living became less important than my search for the TRUTH. In my early thirties, I began signing my paintings RUTHTRUTH. As a self-taught artist, I was dedicated to pursuing the TRUTH of my psyche, painting snakes, floating figures, turtles, scary faces, and mythical figures from my nightly dreams. On each artwork, I painted RUTHTRUTH in large important letters. Protective of my artistic process, I didn't show my work publically for 10 years.


However, friends fell in love with my artistic handle: RUTHTRUTH. They called my paintings COURAGEOUS. I began to notice a longing in my friends' eyes. They too wanted to express their TRUTH. Their hunger to speak out from a deeper place taught me that my CREATIVE ACTS were ACTS of BRAVERY. This BRAVERY to SEEK, BE, and CREATE in the name of my own TRUTH is my GIFT to others.


Father Keohane's passionate words, "SEEK THE TRUTH" have manifested in my CREATIVE LIFE.  By BEING my authentic self, I AM present to others. I hear their longings to BE themselves and consider it my life's work and GIFT to support other people in their JOURNEYS of BECOMING through acts of creativity!  The ACT is so much more important than the ART!


That's Coffee with Hallelujah. Soul Blog with me and tell me what YOUR GIFT to OTHERS is. Tell me in what way I have given something to you. I would really appreciate that!

DAILY PRACTICE. Pilgrims! I find it fun to present to you an unfinished drawing. Seeking the TRUTH. Ever BECOMING. Giving what I know. Receiving what is given! Hallelujah for the Creative Practice!