#REVERB11: JOY EQUALS LIVING WITH EASE OF A CATNAPPING

JOYFUL EASE OF A CATNAPPING.  Introducing new family member Tao. Thanks to Linda and her family who fostered him since he was five weeks old. At three months, you can see how Tao compares to a standard geological field scale with centimeters represented by the squares. So, he is approximately 20 centimeters long in this joyous and easeful pose. (photo by Chiboogamoo)

#REVERB11 (December 19) PROMPT: JOY. What does a joyful life look like for you? (Carolyn Rubenstein, from A Beautiful Ripple Effect)

RESTING and DREAMING equals JOY. Unselfconscious robust rest is a philosophy I practice so as to delve into my dreamy creative state frequently. 

IMPLEMENTING LESSONS of  EASE from FELINES.  I suggest everyone live with cats and observe their frequent persistent napping. The feline form is languid, and the quadruped lolls as if not a muscle existed in their frames. We human bipeds, well, we might mimic this behavior in our daily endeavors and see how joyful life can be sans stress resulting from effort.

JOY RESULTING FROM LIVING WITH THE EASE OF A CATNAPPING (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

PILGRIMS! Hallelujah for wedding anniversaries and cats! There is great JOY to be found in both! Yesterday as Chiboogamoo's anniversary gift to me, we travelled 38 miles away from our Decatur home to lay "claim" to a young Siamese kitten in Peachtree City, Georgia, that I had seen advertised on Craigslist. This 3-month old feline had been in the care of a wondrous loving woman named Linda since he was 5 weeks old.

Deciding to LIVE LIFE WITH THE JOYFUL EASE OF A CATNAPPING was the impetus for beginning this blog in September 2009 (see At the Center of the Star, my first blog entry). The daily quest in my PILGRIMAGE to make art every day no matter what relies upon the practice of being "joyous" and working with "ease." Every day, I repeat the mantra, "Not good, not bad, just is." 

The way to live a JOYOUS life is to CREATE. In the act of CREATION, we are BEING, MOVING, and DISCOVERING. Living life in this manner is challenging, hence the need to practice doing it with the languorous ease of a cat napping, suspending judgment and working from our dreams!

In November, I lost my boon feline companion and role model for easeful joyous living (see this blog and this blog). My home with Chiboogamoo became barren and lacking in JOY...until yesterday with the homecoming of Tao!

NEW ROLE MODEL FOR JOYFUL LIVING WITH THE EASE OF A CAT NAPPING.  What a great anniversary gift! Tao is already exhibiting joyous behaviors. Thanks Chiboogamoo! (photo by Chiboogamoo)

DEDICATION.  This blog entry is dedicated to Misha, beloved companion of 17 years. You are missed and will never be replaced. We honor you in the presence of our new feline, who had to be a Siamese because of what you taught us about the complete and utter devotion of this breed to its human companions. 

FELINE ASSISTANT. On his first morning with us, our new kitty insisted on being at my Chiboogamoo's side as he worked on his next blog entry for his website,  Life Traces of the Georgia Coast. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

DAILY DRAWING DECEMBER 19,  2011

#REVERB11: THE AUTHENTICITY OF CREATING LIFE WITH THE JOYFUL EASE OF A CATNAPPING

JOYFUL EASE OF REPETITION. By suspending judgment and being present to myself, I draw without expectations. I repeat key images joyfully welcoming them as they appear in my morning drawings. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

#REVERB11 PROMPT (December 6, Carolyn Rubenstein, EASE: What can you do to add ease to 2012?


Hallelujah for JOYFUL EASE! Picture a beloved feline languorously stretching its furry cat body enveloped by a soft cushion basking in the sun. In the same way, I propose to LIVE in 2012! I have written before about LIVING and CREATING with the JOYFUL EASE of a catnapping (see this blog and this blog written for REVERB10).


How can I easefully add to such an amazing list that encapsulates the very ESSENCE of MY SOUL and INTENTIONAL LIVING?


1. Do NOT judge.
2. LAUGH.
3. CREATE every day.
4. RECEIVE love and appreciation.
5. LISTEN (with my physical ears and whole BEING).
6. Replace the word "work" with "FUN."
7. Experience PLEASURE regularly.
8. Use the expression, "I WANT" courageously.
9. Embrace LOVE!
10. BE PRESENT!


Taking a BIG BREATH, I release my answer to the question of adding more EASE to LIVING in 2012.


BEing AUTHENTIC!


PILGRIMS! This word confuses and befuddles me! What truly is AUTHENTICITY? And can AUTHENTICITY add EASE to one's experience of LIFE?

JOYFUL EASE OF REPETITION 2. What is to be "claimed" from doing these drawings? EASE! As I EASE into my day, practicing self-acceptance, I practice self-love that expands outward to LOVE of the OTHER--YOU (exclamation)!

Right now my idea of AUTHENTICITY is the collection of the following precious phrases: 

• my perspective
• my thoughts
• aliveness
• serenity
• trust
• intention
• sacred

Fellow SOJOURNERS! I am feeling growing pains as I write this blog entry! Hallelujah! That is what SOUL BLOGGING is all about! I am BLOGGING with you to go deeper into "my perspective" so I can entertain "your perspective"! The more I know WHO I AM, the more I can experience WHO YOU ARE with EASE. 

EASE of ME--EQUALS--EASE of YOU!

Right now, I am having FUN exploring the idea of REPETITION as a way of banishing judgment and as a way of DOING my art, writing, and teaching. As I posted on the December 1st prompt for #REVERB11, I am the large long-legged bird dancing on ice, free to "slip, slide, fall, and get up to dance again"!

JOYFUL EASE OF REPETITION 3. Pilgrims! Hallelujah Truth was gleeful when she drew herself holding an alligator! The joyful EASE of a catnapping if foremost in my mind (as is the mourning of the loss of my beloved Misha, 17-year-long family feline). Repetition provides movement from what is known to what is unknown--with EASE. Wow!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! Please write me and tell me how you are going to EASE in 2012 and live more EASEFULLY! Good luck PILGRIMS!

THE CREATIVE PILGRIMAGE: JOURNEY MATTERS MORE THAN DESTINATION!

As the 2011 academic year starts at the Georgia Tech Language Institute, I find myself on a JOURNEY with a new set of fellow PILGRIMS—international students—enrolled in my CREATIVE writing/blogging class. How exciting to open worlds of new possibilities to these brilliant and amazing students from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Spain, Turkey, Venezuela, UAE, Senegal, Colombia, and Korea!

I am inviting them to use my language—English—in a fresh and different way. We are leaving behind the usual academic rhetorical structures taught at the GT Language Institute and venturing into the unknown—to see what we can IMAGINE and CREATE!

Think how challenging it is to summon forth the UNKNOWN in your first language! Now, ponder expressing your CREATIVE ideas in a different language! What happens in your brain? What happens in your heart? Courage must be employed! SOULFUL COURAGE!

What if you were to CREATE with the JOYFUL EASE of a CAT NAPPING, I ask my students? Today, during a “free” writing exercise, one of my students exclaimed, “I like losing control!” (We are using Natalie Goldberg’s six rules for writing down “first thoughts” from her book, Writing Down the Bones.)

Michele Cassou in her book, Life, Paint, and Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression, advises, “…go where it is easy. Easy means ripe. Go where you are attracted….While you work on the part that is easy, other parts will mature in you, and they will be ready and waiting. You move step by step, from the easiest to the easiest.”

For me, HALLELUJAH TRUTH, joyful ease of CREATING comes from repetition. As a visual artist, I return to familiar images. I repeat images again and again, as if I am picking apples from low hanging branches of an apple tree. Cassou writes, “Your painting (for my students—WRITING) is like an apple tree. If you want to eat fruit, you look for a ripe one, one that drops in your hand when you touch it….Remember: Every apple will be ripe in its time; do not rush it.”

Most CREATIVE JOURNEYS are like driving on the interstate. Mile after mile, everything looks the same—gas stations, restaurants, and signage. Then, suddenly, when you are ready, you EXIT the familiar interstate and you ENTER a specific place—one with its own peculiarities.

And so it is with the drawing/paintings I have on today’s blog. Both paintings have Hallelujah and Wandjina connected by a green-leafed vine. They are similar in the repetition of imagery but different in execution, color, and overall mood. I CREATED both with the JOYFUL EASE of a CAT NAPPING because the “process” or JOURNEY is more valuable to me than the “product” or DESTINATION. I am a believer in delightful subtle discoveries.

I would like to give my creative writing students the gift of this JOYFUL EASE as they write in English! FELLOW PILGRIMS, I ask you to join us on this CREATIVE JOURNEY for the next 6 weeks! In the words of Michele Cassou, the creative process is “never tedious or tiring because there is no need to force anything. Depth resides more in surrendering to spontaneity than in hardworking struggle.” HALLELUJAH!

(This Hallelujah image was done more than a year ago. The "discovery" in this drawing was the appearance of the green vine, which is significant to me. I feel that I connected with a deep part of myself--in this case--Wandjina. The  Hallelujah image at the top of this blog entry was done within the first two weeks January 2011. I had my coffee with Hallelujah, my allotted morning time to create, and so I repeated this image again and found it very satisfying!)

REVERB10: ELABORATING ON THE JOYFUL EASE OF A CAT NAPPING in 2011

Hallelujah for a new year and new opportunities! In 2011, Hallelujah is expecting to continue celebrating LIFE with the JOYFUL EASE of a CAT NAPPING! And e x t e n d i n g that way of BEING into the ALLness of EVERYthing!

What are 10 ACTIONS or THOUGHTS to achieve the JOYFUL EASE of a CAT NAPPING? Let’s playfully propose or compose answers to this question!

1. DO NOT JUDGE—Remember from Natalie Goldberg’s writing workshop: “Not Good. Not Bad. Just is.” (Read her book, Writing Down the Bones for joyfully strengthening your writing muscle!)

2. LAUGH—HO HO HA HA HA! Practice frequent, regular laughing which lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system, and burns calories! (Check out Dr. Kataria and Laughter Yoga for information about laughing.)

3. CREATE EVERY DAY—No matter what, HAVE COFFEE with HALLELUJAH at dawn. If one has time for a morning drink, one has time to draw, paint, or write. Morning creations are surprising. (I write about my journey as a spiritual art pilgrim in my blog, Coffee With Hallelujah.)

4. RECEIVE LOVE and APPRECIATION—Soak in the LOVING VIBES from everyone around me. Welcome it with open arms. Say THANK YOU. (I learned how to say “thank you” to the appreciators of my art through working with creativity coach extraordinaire, Lesly Fredman. As silly as it might seem, I used to diminish my art in the face of a compliment!)

5. LISTEN with my EARS—Open my ears to hear myself and others. We speak LIFE’s POETRY. Words can be as exciting and thrilling as they are challenging to understand!

6. LISTEN with my WHOLE BEING—Accept with knowing patience the messages I receive from others’ expressions, postures, and overall energy. Speak to them based on this listening.

7. THE KEY WORD is FUN—Replace the word “work” with the word “fun.” For example, Instead of saying, “I’m working on this drawing,” I will say, “I’m having fun making this drawing.”

8. EXPERIENCE PLEASURE REGULARLY—Instead of being a Spartan, gleefully try new media and infinite colors of pink, open my tongue to delightful tastes, my body to luxurious stretches, walks, and massages, my mind to books on philosophy of spirit and art, and my heart to loving YOU, you fellow pilgrim.

9. USE the EXPRESSION “I WANT” COURAGEOUSLY—Trust that the GREAT MYSTERY wants me to want. Experiencing APPETITE with the knowledge of fulfilled GRATIFICATION is JOYFUL indeed. Even unfulfilled WANT is enlivening.

10. BREATHE LOVE—Embrace the LOVE that surrounds me with AMAZEMENT and APPRECIATION. Give love to myself, my Chiboogamoo and family. Give love to my dear friends and students. And yes, give love to YOU, pilgrims, and the GREAT MYSTERY!

Hallelujah to REVERB10 for giving me this opportunity to think about THOUGHTS and ACTIONS to ELABORATE ON THE JOYFUL EASE OF A CAT NAPPING in 2011.

Soul Blog with Hallelujah on December 28^th’s REVERB10 PROMPT: Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

REVERB10: WINTER DREAMS FOR 2011—EFFORTLESS ACTION with the EASE of a CAT NAPPING

Hallelujah would like to befriend and transform the word “TRY” occurring in REVERB10’s CHALLENGE for December 18^th: TRYàEFFORTLESS ACTION. In galloping years 2009 and 2010, I have JOYOUSLY embraced “being” and “doing” with the exuberant ease of a cat napping=EFFORTLESS ACTION. My DREAM for 2011 is to continue the BIG CAT NAP, being in every inch of my BODY and SOUL, stretching from my insides out to all of you PILGRIMS!

In my BIG SLEEP, my WINTER DREAMS consist of the following meanderings:

COMMUNITY DREAMING: I imagine lingering in my Decatur community and building connection with other SOULs and their IMAGINATIONS by making ART together. Whether I am collaborating with other female artists like me, assisting Bhutanese senior refugees in creative projects, or meeting with the Beer Brew Girls to summon diverse female images for their homecrafted beers, I will be Hallelujahing with my COMMUNITY!

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS DREAMING: Hallelujah for the beauty of Georgia! I love our Appalachian Mountains, long-leaf pine forests, and the marshes and islands along our coastline. As a visionary artist, I dream of dancing out drawings and paintings that speak of the LOVE I have of my home state’s natural resources and its fragility. I dream of sharing my creations with the public, so they too can be aware of and connect with Georgia’s environmental richness.

RAISING ART UP WITH CHIBOGAMOO DREAMING: As a childless couple, Chiboogamoo and I dream of merging our imaginations to make art reflecting our understanding of evolution. Even now, we are laughing at ourselves as we ask each other how to do this project with JOYFUL EASE? Is there a route to relaxed parenting?

HALLELUJAH’S BABY DREAMING: Hallelujah for THE JOURNEY. I dream of beginning a book in 2011. I SEE myself NAPPING EFFORTLESSLY and rising to give birth to each chapter. My BABY will speak of PILGRIMAGING and SPIRIT and CREATIVITY.

Thank you REVERB10 and for your December 18^th PROMPT: Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did or didn’t go for it?

I ask you my fellow PILGRIMs to SOUL BLOG with me. What would you like to do in 2011? What would you like to do with the EASE of a CATNAPPING? Happy 6^th Anniversary Chiboogamoo!