REVERB15 (Day 5): Selfie proclamations and the genesis phenomenon

Hallelujah for affirming the SELF--isn't that what daily blogging in this genre is about? Being exuberantly who and what we are and PROCLAIMING it through image and word!

The December 5th REVERB15 prompt is an invitation to do just that: Go on, show us your selfie! You know you want to. For bonus points, give us a montage of the photos you have shared during each Reverb you’ve participated in.

My SELFie exuberance manifests in three ways: 
writing (blogging), 
making visual art, and yes 
being captured in photographs. 

First of all, so much of who I am is expressed the writing of my creative mission as my persona Hallelujah Truth in this blog, COFFEE WITH HALLELUJAH:

If you have 15 minutes for a cup of coffee in the morning, you have time to create!

So my first SELFie in today's post is the mission statement and logo I created for COFFEE WITH HALLELUJAH with the loving desire to celebrate each and everyone's uniquities (especially mine) each and every day, no matter how brief:

COFFEE WITH HALLELUJAH. If you have time to have coffee, you have time to create. Begin what is yours to create today. My motto is "Not good, not bad, just is." Please join me and my warm online community on Facebook in the group, The Daily Creative Practice. (Art by Hallelujah Truth, aka Ruth Schowalter)

The second SELFie for today is an image from a series of visual images I began in October as I wrestled once again with the acceptance of death as a part of the cycle of life. Naming this series, "Hallelujah Life," I express my HALLEUJAHness in the form of the Day of the Dead skull. The diadem of four-petalled flowers reprsents the living HALLELUJAH. 

GENESIS PHENOMENON. Ask what is soulful to you. Write it down. Draw it. Photograph it. Repeat to yourSELF (and others): Not good. Not bad. Just is. This is the best SELFie one can make! Here in this unfinished image, I have parts of my SOUL, my SELF. In my cosmos of Hallelujah (my psyche), I have many characters that represent parts of mySELFie. I call this image the "Genesis Phenomenon" because the skull represents death both real and psychological in my life. Yes, the skull figure is mySELFie. But so are the other characters--even the one-four petalled flower is a part of my SOUL. These images express my understanding and trust that life continues. Life is generated from the soupy mix of death and life. The Australian god, Wandjina, long ago become the image for expressing my animus--or male energy. The woman on the right with her head covered is the part of mySELFie that enterains the MYSTERY of life and its MOTHERING components. The small animal licking the flower and embracing the skull figure emerged from my observation and connection with the wallabies I saw both on Tasmania and the larger continent of Australia. I let this wallaby figure provide "creature" comfort, warm soft unconditional acceptance. As aspects of our psyches die off, as people we love depart this marvelous, wonderful Earth, there is the GENESIS PHENOMENON. And life is renewed daily through creative acts of the living. (Art by Hallelujah Truth, aka Ruth Schowalter)

The third and final SELFie for this REVERB15 post happens to be three images taken by the three people who photograph me the most often: 

PROFESSIONAL PORTRAIT. Although Lisa Alexander Streib is a fine artist photographer, she was kind enough to take this professional photo for me in May 2015 for the launching of my business endeavors and website. It takes a village to photograph me. My hair was done by a professional hair stylist who designs hair pieces for the Atlanta opera and works for the movie industry but also happens to live in my neighborhood.

Photo by Tony Martin, aka Chiboogamoo

 LIVING AN ARTFUL LIFE. While this photo is not exactly flattering of me, it does represent an aspect of my creative expressiveness. As a member of InterPlay Atlanta's performance troupe, the Soulprint Players, I am given the opportunity to dance, tell stories and give voice to being human, without the need for perfection. Once again, I summon the words: Not good, not bad, just is. My husband is always kind enough to document our performances. This photo was taken in November 2015 at the Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in East Atlanta, Georgia, during the performance we did with guest artist Masankho Banda on the theme of "Living an Artful Life."

STUDY OF RUTH. This last SELFie photo was taken by Trish Weaver, my paleontologist friend via my husband. Now a creative companion on my Facebook group, The Daily Creative Practice, she surprised me with a series of black and white images she took in Piedmont Park, Atlanta, Georgia, on a recent visit from her home in Raleigh, North Carolina. After walking along a two-mile stretch of the Atlanta Beltline, a pathway traversing the center of downtown Atlanta, we arrived at the park and sat for a few minutes while I explained the city skyline to another friend who had accompanied us and was a first time visitor to Hotlanta! Trish managed to capture a series of expressive photos of me in a few minutes without my posing for her. What a gift to the SELF-a-tude of another person. Thanks Trish!

RUTH GLORIOUS RUTH. This titled was given to this image of me by Trish Weaver who took the photo at the end of November 2015. Again, not exactly a flattering image, it does elicit something I like to see in mySELFie. Life? Hair (Those of you who don't know it, I struggle with an auto-immune disease that causes balding)? Time? City Skyline? Like the drawing I made above, "Genesis Phenomenon," this photo has symbolic elements for me that contain parts of my psyche. How wonderful when another artist can give that to me! I blogged about it here.

That's COFFEE WITH HALLELUJAH! Soul blog with me and declare your affirmation of self. What do you have to proclaim that is solely and soulfully about you and only you? I wish you could share images of yourself here. If you are REVERBing this year, I invite you to post a link to your blogpost in response to today's prompt.

MARKING YOUR UNIQUE SELF: Make Art, Join Women's Caucus for the Arts Georgia, Exbhibit, Enjoy

WHAT IS YOUR MARK? Hallelujah for the personal nature of each of our marks! My dear Chiboogamoo took this photo of me, Hallelujah Truth, at the opening reception of "MARK" at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens Georgia, September 10, 2015, where I had one of my wonderful images exhibited.

Hallelujah for each and everyone of us and the unique MARKS we make on this beautiful Earth! Hallelujah for husbands like my Chiboogamoo, who supports my artistic endeavors by driving on the interstate between cities to deliver me to art openings, whose winning personality is a delight to all who encounter him at these engagements, and who ecstatically documents my life's journey with exquisite photographs! Thank you!

ECSTATIC SUPPORTER CHIBOOGAMOO. Here we are! Ta dah! My work, entitled, "We are Not Alone," one of many in the series of the "Cosmos of Hallelujah," celebrating my life's story in a symbolic array of characters.(photo by another ecstatic husband of WCAGA Member)

On September 10, 2015, The Womens Caucus for Arts Georgia (WCAGA) opened an exhibit of their work--"MARK"--at Lyndon House Arts Center as part of its 40th year celebration. We WCAGA members were all surprised by the beauty of this exhibit hosting one "MARK" work of close to forty different women artists. How could so many diverse images come together in a coherent and inspirational show? 

There are many people to thank for the success of this exhibit, beginning with WCAGA board member, Barbara A. Rehg. For several years now, she has been committed to her vision vision women getting together to make their "MARKS." Many "drawing marathons" and other exhibits later, is this large one at the Lyndon House! Thank you Barb!

Also responsible for the success of this Lyndon House exhibit are Nancy Lukasiewicz, Didi Dumphey and Stacy Koffman, whose work made the "MARK" exhibit come to reality, as well as Georgia Strange, who juried the exhibit.Yay!

As a visionary artist, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to exhibit my work in such an elegant and welcoming environment. Each person makes individual "MARKS," and that is respected in this show! Yay for us all! Yay for creativity!

WE ARE NOT ALONE. I completed this piece in April as a part of the work I was doing with "Embody the Mother." The female figure in the center represents the unknown mother embodied in me. The other symbols in this image represent part of my psyche, including the boogey man, the unknown, the comforter, the growth, and creativity. (Art by Hallelujah Truth and photo by Chiboogamoo)

HURRAY FOR OTHER LIKE-MINDED ARTISTS. I love it that Jes Gordon's "MARK" was next to mine. To learn more about Jes, check out my interview with her here, and her website here. (photo by Chiboogamoo)

ALTARS AND PHOTOGRAPHER. I love Lisa Alexander Streib, photographer extraordinaire) and her work! Here she stands with her photograph of me (Yes, I was the model). Titled "Altars," this piece is significant in many ways. First, it is a part of a series that is a tribute to her father, who was an architect, and combines an architectural structure with a portrait. It is a tribute to me as we were collaborating on images documenting my hair after I got diagnosed with alopecia totalis. I was told I would be bald by May 2015. In this image, there is a bald spot, but you can't quite see it.  She took rubberbands and created this "hairdoo" for me to exalt my hair! An altar? Yes! An altar to hair! I felt loved and cherished, especially since this was a hairdoo she did for her daughter when she was a child. The hairstyle also expresses a structure similar to the cathedral ceiling she merged it with. Hallelujah for hair, hairdoos, and cathedrals. Hallelujah for having hair and friends that document hair! Love! (photo by me, Hallelujah Truth)

ME WITH HAIR, SEPTEMBER 2015. I have been on a health journey since my diagnosis of this auto-immune disease in February of 2013. For more than a year, I was actively balding. Then!!! At some point in mid-2015, my hair started growing back, filling multiple bald spots. I understand that this alopecia is in my genes and that I must focus on good health practices to maintain being a person with hair. I am so thankful for ART and fellow ARTIST Lisa Streib. I feel that her support in photographing me was one of the good health practices I engaged in to improve my health. (photo by Chiboogamoo)

CHEERS TO ART and OUR UNIQUITIES!

HURRAY TO FELLOW ARTISTS ALL! How fun to play in Athens, Georgia, with Lisa Streib before her first of many exhibits to come. I love my life!  (photo by Chiboogamoo)

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me! I want to know what MARKS you make! I also appreciate hallelujahs and praise of my work! Love supports me and moves me forward. I'm sure you know what I mean! 

THE REACH: Enlarged, expanded and elaborated through creative friendships

THE REACH. This image represents a collaborative effort between my friend Lisa Alexander Streib and me. I suggested the pose and she interpreted it, creating this image and naming it "The Reach."  This kind of collaboration not only strengthens our friendship but also individual visions expressed in our work. (photo by Lisa Alexander Streib, reach by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallellujah for CREATIVE VISIONS! Hallelujah for sharing visions, having them nudge up into each others psyches and crossing borders in collaborations! Hallelujah for friendships that support our journeys. Hallelujah for Lisa Alexander Streib!

My friendship with photographer Lisa Alexander Streib continues to grow and deepen over time as we collaborate in our photo shoots. I have written about our work as model and photographer before (see the links to previous blogs below). Yet I continue to be surprised that who I am as an artist, writer, and friend impacts Lisa, affecting how she SEES me and how that is expressed in her images of me! Then, in this creative loop, how Lisa's portraits of me changes how I feel about myself and her. Here in this photo below is an example of how Lisa's imagination and creative action affirmed me (read the photo caption for an explanation).

I'M A WRITER. Lisa Alexander Streib gave me an enormous gift when she created this portrait of me. She acknowledged me as a WRITER by putting the tattoo on my shoulder (I don't really have one). During our walks and talks, I had disclosed to her that even though I have journaled most of my life, written and edited professionally in my twenties, and now blogged for a number of years, that my creative peers and colleagues did not view me as a WRITER. My writing, I have felt has been undervalued, seen secondary to my art and far removed from my profession as an ESL teacher. Lisa gave me the gift of naming me as a WRITER with this image (that was her intention) and I have owned my word crafting with greater confidence since then. (image by Lisa Alexander Streib and model me, Hallelujah Truth)

The Reach

A couple of days ago this affirmation through Lisa's artful image making happened again with "The Reach." On the evening after Christmas, I was surprised to see a new image of our work together appear on my Facebook profile page. Creative minds and their processes are fascinating! Why was this image appearing now?

This beautifully crafted image began almost a year ago with a series of photos Lisa took to honor and glorify my hair! Having recently been diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, Alopecia, I had asked her to photograph me as a creative response to a life event that can be devastating. Losing hair with the possibility of going bald is frightening--a real challenge to one's self esteem! 

Our collaboration is richly supporting me and my hair loss. First of all, I am not alone. Experiencing friendship through Lisa's creative lens is fun, lighthearted, respectful, and loving. We get the chance to be "girls" playing with my hair, hair ties, barrettes, hats and various drapes and backgrounds.

Then during these collaborations, Lisa and I are also experiencing something more than the supportive experience of the photo shoot.  We are building something meaningful. Our creative acts result in a deeper sense of self, a closer friendship, and yes--the eventual image that honors me!

I don't know where our journey around my hair loss will take us or what images will result. Time will tell. The doctor says that everyone writes their own story with Alopecia. I trust in Lisa's creative vision to help me accept and manage what is going on with my health and hair. What a magnificent gift.

Currently, Lisa is working on a new series of photographs with the working title, "Constructions." In these photographs, she is combining architectural structures with portraits, experimenting with expressing more about individuals through the background she chooses to place them in. The photo below is part of this new series. Titled, "Focus," it depicts her daughter Laura. 

FOCUS. (image by Lisa Alexander Streib)

When I was walking with Lisa in her neighborhood after she posted "The Reach," I asked her to elaborate about this new series. "It's about human's aspirations, human's hopes, human's failures both physically and symbolically," she responded, "--the greatness of humans and their demise." Lisa's father was an architect, and her use of architectural structures are a tribute to him and their relationship. 

With regard to "The Reach," she explained that the pose came from me. She said it was "very me," all that I am seeking the light and truth (thank you Lisa). Then she built the image from there with the wooden stairs and the trail of nails leading the way. The light she added speaks of me attaining my goal! How awesome is that! Thank you Lisa!
 

CELEBRATING THE PHOTOGRAPHER. I feel so honored to be engaged in a collaborative friendship with another active CREATIVE SOUL! During our walks and talks, I find it fun to turn the camera on Lisa, who submits to my capturing her on my I-phone. What pleasure it is to photograph a photographer! (photo by Hallelujah Truth on a walk in the Candler Park neighborhood, December 2014)

That's Coffee With Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me! Share your thoughts. What are you reaching for? Do you have collaborative relationships?

FRIENDSHIP SELFIE. (taken December 27, 2014)

Other blogs written about my relationship to Lisa Alexander Streib and experience modeling for her:

True Collaboration: Show up. Do the Work. Consider it Good Enough.

Defining My Mission
 
Atlanta Along the East West Line MARTA and a Portrait of Two Women
 
Mark Nepo and Lisa Alexander Streib Collide in My Life
 
Infinity and the Selfie

TRUE COLLABORATION: Show up. Do the work. Consider it good enough. Say Yes. Make your partner look good.

HALLELUJAH TRUTH by Lisa Alexander Streib

My name is Hallelujah Truth, and did you know that I am living the fulfillment of my destiny? Hot donuts now! Yes, I am eating the bread of life at this moment, without delay.

Without hesitation.

In part because I am implementing the rules of improvisation into my life. One of the rules is this:

SHOW UP.

Hidden inside of "showing up" is that you "do the work" and what you do and who you are is "good enough." So the sequence is this:

SHOW UP.
DO THE WORK.
CONSIDER IT GOOD ENOUGH.

This past Sunday morning (October 5th, 2014), creative collaboration fell like manna into my life!  Photographer Lisa Alexander Streib invited me to her studio in Decatur, Georgia, to work on something that may well be a long-term collaborative project, so stay-tuned! 

And I SHOWED UP!

SHOW UP. The plaintive cry of a train approached us as we got out of the car at the entrance to Lisa's studio. One of the first cool fall days, the sun shone intensely causing us to squint at the conductor who waved at us as the train cars chugged by. Our feet felt the Earth vibrate. I had shown up to do the work. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Collaborating. What is that? How is it done? Especially when you don't know how to do something--like modelling for a photographer. Improvisation to the rescue!!!

Even though today with the ubiquitous presence of digital media and I-phones, which allow all of us to be photographed daily and repeatedly grants us almost amateur status as subjects of a photo composition, few of us feel prepared to model for a professional fine art photographer. So improvisation rules continue to serve us well...or me that is...

SAY YES
One of the primary rules of improvisation is to always receive what your partner gives, with a resounding and supportive YES! Lisa and I are friends and have an established fluency in our relationship of speaking YES to one another's ideas. Therefore, as we moved into our roles as photographer and subject, we ping-ponged ideas back an forth as we co-created the images!

MAKE YOUR PARTNER LOOK GOOD. Lisa is the expert. Getting the natural lighting right for the 56-year-old face of Hallelujah Truth meant Lisa's climbing a ladder to open the curtains to let some of that gorgeous sunlight into the studio. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

MAKE YOUR PARTNER LOOK GOOD.
I trust Lisa to make me "look good" in a photograph. She possesses many skills in lighting, composition, and graphic design. At the same time, she as a collaborator is receiving and accepting all of my ideas concerning costuming, hair, and position. Her acceptance of my input validates me, and validation is pure treasure. Validation is "hot donuts now"!

IN HER STUDIO. Other preparation for our photo shoot included Lisa's setting up a white screen for background and on the floor so my feet could be photographed. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Our morning collaborating as photographer and subject was profoundly meaningful. Like girlfriends we played with my hair in front of a mirror, choosing pretty barrettes and arranging my hair (some of these photos will be revealed at a later date). When in front of the camera, Lisa allowed me to breathe into my poses, to dance, and play. At intervals as she adjusted light, she would show me the images on her camera so I could give my input. And we continued our work, saying yes to one another, resulting in what felt to be true heartfelt collaboration!

Let's review the key points to our successful collaboration:

MODEL PHOTOGRAPHS THE PHOTOGRAPHER!

1. SHOW UP.
2. DO THE WORK.
3. CONSIDER IT GOOD ENOUGH.
4. SAY YES.
5. MAKE YOUR PARTNER LOOK GOOD.

EQUALS...


TRUE HEARTFELT COLLABORATION! 

Ta Da!


That's Coffee With Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me. I am an artist making images, writing, teaching, dancing, and making meaningful relationships with you, you and you! I am so grateful for your presence here on this precious Earth. I need you to be manifesting your heart's desire now too! Join me at Revolution Donuts (It's an actual place here in Decatur, Georgia)!

COLLABORATORS' SELFIE. Showing up to the do the work and saying yes to your partner is such a loving and productive way to work together. What you give one another in ideas is precious. I love my Lisa Alexander Streib!

You are invited to see other blog posts related to my work with Lisa Alexander Streib:

Defining My Mission

Atlanta Along the East West Line MARTA and a Portrait of Two Women

Mark Nepo and Lisa Alexander Streib Collide in My Life

Infinity and the Selfie

BLOGTOBERFEST13 (Day 24): Mark Nepo and Lisa Alexander Streib collide in my life

LOOKING INTO TWILGHT. Is aging a minus or a plus? As we gather years, looking into the twilight, are we diminished or enriched? Does the result depend on the attitude we take and the fears we confront? (model, Hallelujah Truth, and photo by Lisa Alexander Streib)

Hallelujah for the mix of emotions, for the fears, the courage, the confusion and certainty that wax and wane in my life.  Mark Nepo quotes Melody Beattie in his thought for the day entitled "Weakness":

Our strength will continue if we allow ourselves
the courage to feel scared, weak, and vulnerable.

--from The Book of Awakening

Nepo encourages us to embrace and experience the variety of emotions that enter our lives. He says that "these things make us rich, not weak--if we are willing to face them squarely." It is by doing so that we can situate ourselves in our AUTHENTICITY.

GEORGIA O'KEEFE

Being in the prime of my life at 55, without children and between careers, I find myself feeling vulnerable--in a curious place INBETWEEN "this" and "that." 

On Sunday, Lisa Streib, a photographer friend of mine (see yesterday's blog) encouraged me to "pose" for her in Oakland Cemetery here in Atlanta. We talked of Georgia O'Keefe and the various unbeautiful photos that she allowed to be taken of her over the course of her lifetime.

 Aging makes me feel vulnerable. Gaining years, weight, and wrinkles cause me to feel less confident. How do I embrace these culturally "perceived" negatives and transform them into self acceptance?

Allowing Lisa to photograph me is one way. The images she took of me are honest. They make me honestly look at myself heading into the "twilight" of my life. Mark Nepo ends his meditation on weakness this way:

"I am humbled to admit that the only difference I see on Earth between being strong or weak is the honesty with which we face ourselves, accepts ourselves, and share ourselves, blemishes and all."

That's Coffee with Hallelujah. SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what fears you are embracing squarely.