Tuesday, December 11, 2012

#REVERB12 (Day 11): What was music to your ears, literally or metaphorically?

SWIMMING IN THE WORDS OF A CANTADORA.  (art by Hallelujah Truth)

#REVERB 12 (Day 11) PROMPT: What was music to your ears in 2012, literally or metaphorically?

Let me introduce you to the MUSIC to my ears for 2012, heart, soul, and entire creative being--the stories of CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTES! You might know her name because of her 1989 bestseller, Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories about the Wild Woman Archetype, which acknowledges the deep knowing that we women have within ourselves. But it wasn't until 2012, that I listened to an extensive body of Dr. Estes work on audio, especially Creative Fire!


SOOTHES THE HUNGERING CREATIVE SPIRIT (from Amazon.com)
As an artist, I spend hours a day at my art making table usually listening to music while I draw and paint. However, in 2012, I discovered that listening to Dr. Estes (she well deserves this title) tell familiar stories like "The Rape of Persephone" and many other less familiar tales was like going to Hallelujah's church of the Spiritual Art Pilgrim! This magical storyteller explains how these stories contain lessons for us at a very deep level resulting in a better understanding our own creative psyche.

Creative Fire: Myths and Stories about the Cycles of Creativity (the complete name of this audio series), soothed my SOUL as I listened to it over and over again. I smiled and nodded as Dr. Estes reassured me that the creative spark never never never dies. With calm assurance, she repeats again and again that the creative nature goes through periods of darkness but rallies to flourish in the light when it is time. 

Dear fellow PILGRIMS if you are looking for music to your ears for 2013, I recommend you spend time with Dr. Estes, who was the first recipient of the Joseph Campbell Keeper of the Lore Award for telling stories as a "cantadora." Listening to her lilting musical voice laugh, cajole, and entertain is an experience that will STRETCH your insides and nurture your creativity!

Take a look at this youtube video that excerpted some lines from Creative Fire



Once I had listened to Creative Fire as many as five times, I gradually progressed through other audio stories of Dr. Estes! I recommend that you go to her website and see what other treasures you might want to listen to in 2013! 
SWIMMING IN THE CYCLES OF MY CREATIVITY

THANKS TO KAT MCNALLY for HOSTING REVERB12 Hurray for Kat who lives in Melbourne, Australia, and blogs at "I Saw You Dancing." and is hosting Reverb12


5 comments:

  1. Oh, I love this and I love the energy you write with today, dear one.

    I don't do much listening to "language" while I create but you have almost convinced me! Love the Cantadora piece, especially.... lovely squared!

    Happy creating and reverbing! As always, it is a joy to read your words.

    Hear the music in my ears in this post, here...

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    1. Dear Julie, thanks for visiting my blog and sharing your ideas about creative process! Also for recognizing the "energy." I enjoy reading your reverb but haven't figured how to leave a comment on the system that you use. Can you advise?

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  2. Your tweet about this post just caught my eye - I love Clarissa Pinkola Estes! What an amazing woman, & isn't her voice divine to listen to? I have had 'The Creative Fire' on my Book Depository wishlist forever but now I've decided to go & buy it as a gift for myself. I came across 'How to Love A Woman' about 7 years ago & it changed my life.

    'Tis so lovely to see a fellow woman nurturing her creative self. Your artwork is beautiful.

    All the best with #reverb12 - sounds like you're enjoying the reflective journey as much as I am!

    Dani x

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    1. Thanks Dani! I don't know about "How to Love A Woman" but will check it out. Glad you are going to get "Creative Fire." I know you will find it soothing!

      I will check your work out!

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  3. I discovered Rebekka Karijord, a Swedish singer-songwriter and her wonderful album: "The Noble Art of Letting GO". Her moving song, "Wear it Like A Crown" was used by the contemporary Swedish circus troop Cirkus Cirkor who performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last June. Thanks for reminding me Ruth. I downloaded it from Itunes. It provided a nice soundtrack for a lot of my studio work in Vermont last summer.

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