REVERB13 (Day 6): Gathering and remembering what's important from 2013, exploring nine arenas

MEMORIES IN THE 2013 LIFE OF HALLELUJAH TRUTH. This image is one of 100 images I completed in 2013 in a 3-month period (beginning in 2012), drawing a new image every day. I practiced the art of not judging. "Not Good. Not bad. Just is," I repeated to myself as I drew each morning. Although many of these more than one-hundred images remain incomplete, I treasure them for the way they HOLD my SOUL.  At the start of each drawing, I started with the familiar--repeating the symbols of my HALLELUJAH COSMOS (see here for an explanation). (Art by the very same Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for remembering what's important, for it is the fuel that propels us forward each day. Today's prompt for Kat McNally's Reverb13 (Day 6) is this:

What precious things have you gathered in 2013? Which memories from this year do you wish to keep with you always?
 

MASSAGE CAT HELPS ME REMEMBER 2013. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

Because my LIFE is filled with Hallelujahs, I am going to answer this question by gathering with love and gentleness NINE topics that I have blogged about in 2013 which HOLD these precious MEMORIES.

9 PRECIOUS MEMORIES FROM 2013:

STARTING THE DAILY CREATIVE PRACTICE ON FACEBOOK
 

Artwork for The Daily Creative Practice

One of my fondest memories is of launching the Facebook Group, THE DAILY CREATIVE PRACTICE. This is a destination where all of us share our imaginative souls safely and joyously (zero-criticism zone). Come join us here or read this blog for more information.
FINDING INTERPLAY

A life-changing find was stumbling upon InterPlay, and learning that I could recover from being a serious person! Miracles have transpired since then. I contacted and met Atlanta InterPlay's leader, Jennifer Denning, and through her assistance became the social media facilitator for Atlanta InterPlay in exchange for my attending InterPlay programs. An entire new world has opened for me through the people I have met through InterPlay (see this blog).

SPEAKING PUBLICLY THREE TIMES

Me speaking at the Georgia Literary Festival

In 2013, I surprised myself by reaching a five-year goal--finding my voice and using it to deliver a message publicly! When I designated that goal as I turned fifty, all I knew was that I wanted the ability to speak with authority in front of people. At the time, I felt I was all squeaks and no power. Did I ever surprise myself when I ended up presenting on science-related topics--me the Artist/English Language Teacher! See here and here to see where and what I spoke about. Then I ventured to Milledgeville, Georgia, to speak about teaching environmental stewardship to children at the Georgia Literary Festival. What is memorable to me about all of these speaking events is that I was not alone--I had collaborators! And my collaborators inspired and brought out the best in me. I have a voice!

TRAVELING TO TURKEY

Cappadocia, Turkey

Having taught international students for more than 20 years, it was with deep and profound joy that I got to visit Turkey, the homeland of some of my most favorite students! It is quite meaningful to see the place from where my students originated. I blogged about my visit here, here, here, and here.

BEGINNING A COLLABORATION WITH JENIFER HILBURN

HALLELUJAH and JEN

As an artist, one who lives with a scientist, I find it incredibly meaningful to connect with the people I meet when we journey out in the world together. Four years ago, I met Jenifer Hilburn, ornithologist at St. Catherines Island, Georgia, and we lingered around the "idea" of collaborating on stories about natural life on the Georgia coast. In 2013, we began to make that happen! My life has opened up in this collaboration with this strong, warm, funny, caring, and intelligent woman. See some of the work we have done together here, here, and here to link only a few. 2014 is going to be awesome!

COMING TO TERMS WITH GRIEF OVER MY FATHER'S DEATH
A major block was removed from my heart when I was able to visit my father's grave for the first time since his death. He died 10 years ago on November 21. A lot of heartache was healed by this visit. If you are curious about my journey, see this blog written about a weekend trip with my family.

CELEBRATING MY CHIBOOGAMOO'S BOOK PUBLICATION

Me and Hubby Author

Living with an author is stimulating and, at times quite celebratory! I wrote this blog to honor a major event in both of our lives--the publishing of his book, Life Traces of the Georgia Coast. In this photo, we are taking a much needed "cooling" break at the Decatur Book Festival in our hometown of Georgia. As a featured author, Tony gained us privileges to refreshments during the day and dinner at night and the opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting people. I am just so proud of his accomplishments! Look out 2014, he has another book forthcoming: Dinosaurs without Bones!

DANCING:CREATIVE MOVEMENT
2013 has been a year of creative movement for me! Thanks to my creativity coach, Lesly Fredman, I made a commitment to MOVE and to be the MOVEMENT. I desired emotional, psychological, and professional movement--so I started with DANCING! Thanks to the Dancing Flowers for Peace (blog), Five Rhythms (blog), Dance Church (blog), and InterPlay!!! Now my body has memories of moving! Hurray!

TAKING THE ALBUQUERQUE OPTION
In 2013, my Chiboogamoo and I had a proposed change in our lives....what if we moved to Albuquerque (see this blog)? What would I miss about Atlanta? What would I gain by concluding my life as I knew it after living in Atlanta for more than 20 years? Finally, we did not make this monumental move out west, but I chose to ACT as though I had moved. I resigned from my job and other organizations so that I could MOVE into my mid-fifties and DISCOVER what is to be next! I am ending 2013 while still QUESTING! I will remember this CHANGE for the rest of my life.

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! What have you memories have you gathered during this glorious year of 2013? SOUL BLOG with me!

REVERB13 (Day 3): Seeking grace through howls, hallelujahs, dance, and grace makers

Hallelujah for the HEART! Hallelujah for the HOWLS and for the DANCE, so that we can speak and move to express our HEART's yearning!

Today's question for Kat McNally's REVERB13 is this:

WHAT DOES YOUR HEART HAVE TO TELL YOU?

My HEART tells me to speak up and out from belly HOWLS to HALLELUJAHS (see this blog for more howls). The rumble begins deep in my being (try it): 

howwwwwlllllll....howwwwlllll....haallllllllll....hallll-a-luuuuuuuuu.....hallll-a-luuuu-yahhhhhhhhhh....howl-a-lu-yahhhhhhhhhhh!!!

HOWL YOUR VERITAS from the belly of your SOUL! (art by Hallelujah Truth)

My HEART tells me to dance my lethargy, fear, love, anger, forgiveness, joy, hope--the entire rainbow of emotion. My HEART tells me to dance alone and with community. Dancing makes my life real and dynamic.

"Different from mundane living, igniting our kinesthetic imagination is like awakening from sleep. When the dancer in you wakes up, you feel greater wholeness, like grace is multiplying through every cell." 

--from What the Body Wants, Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter

MY HEART TELLS ME TO DANCE ALONE AND WITH COMMUNITY.

My HEART tells me that so much of what I am seeking is to be found by following the GRACE and the GRACE makers through my own BODY WISDOM (learn about InterPlay). 

Cynthia Winton-Henry defines GRACE as the opposite of STRESS. How wonderful to pursue well-being through all that is joyful, pleasing, energizing, and fulfilling. And to follow those people who catalyze those feelings and other positive emotions in us and those around them! Hallelujah for GRACEMAKERS!
 

FOLLOWING ONE OF MY GRACE MAKERS. My Chiboogamoo is one of my star grace makers. I'd follow him to the ends of the Earth, I love him so much! When we are out in the field, I often trail behind him so as not to disturb the tracks he is studying and documenting. Here we are (I'm behind him) in the marsh on the north beach of St. Catherines Island, Georgia. (photo by Hallelujah Truth and see the results of my husband's work here.)

Therefore, my HEART is telling me to FOLLOW the GRACE!!! To find and FOLLOW the GRACEMAKERS! To HOWL and HALLELUJAH. To DANCE. It is by being engaged with this BODY WISDOM that I live my life more fully and with joy.

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what it is your HEART is telling you. 




 

REVERB13 (Day 2): Nourishing my soul through loving and being in my local environment on the Georgia coast

NURTURING SOUL IN MY LOCAL ENVIRONMENT. Being out and about in the nature of my state of Georgia allows me to connect with my EARTHINESS and TRUTHINESS. We all need the chance to gain perspective on our lives. That is, to ask these questions: Who am I? Where am I? How am I doing? What is next? Seeing up close (here in the marsh) and then looking out (past the Pleistocene stand of trees) at all that exists before the distant horizon (the shore, ocean, and sky). Feeling the BREADTH of my SOUL in conjunction with nature, nurtures me. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for NOURISHING OUR SOULS! For the second day of reflection during the month of December with Kat McNally in Reverb13, I was asked to explore how I had NURTURED MY SOUL this year.


There are numerous ways I could answer this question, but for now, I will take the closest answer to me and that is NATURED NOURISHED MY SOUL IN 2013.
  

NURTURING SOUL THROUGH SEEING THE SHADOWS. Nature has its own intrinsic value. It does not need to validate its existence through what it provides to humanity. Each one of us, also, has our own worth, which we do not need to brand and bring to the market place. Instead, we can nourish our SOULS by reflecting on and understanding the intriguing NATURAL WONDERS outside of us. For instance, look at the SHADOWS in this photo. What an exciting phenomenon! In psychology, we give shadows symbolic significance, representing the underbelly of who we are, something almost sinister if unacknowledged. Yet, these shadows are also an intrinsic part of LIFE--they can be neutral, offered like fruits to feed our SOULS! Reflecting on my SHADOWS has enriched me much this year. I love that I am here in this photo, a part of NATURE.  (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

NURTURING SOUL IN THE SKY.  Watching cloud formations shift and change allows me to expand out beyond myself, just like looking out at distant horizons that I mentioned in the first photo. Observing the quiet melody of shape shifting forms allows me to BE more and to FEEL more. NATURE nourishes me, feeding my imagination, connecting me to sky magic and deep meditations. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

NURTURING SOUL IN REFLECTIONS. Nature gives us a simple way to enter reflection. Aren't you summoned to pause at a body of WATER that is mirroring the SKY and EARTH above and around it? Don't you suddenly see your life reflected for you to observe? I am, we are...simply a part of NATURE. This thought nourishes me. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

NURTURING SOUL IN EROSION.  Yes, we are constantly changing. Just like these Georgia barrier islands. Yet where sand erodes from one place, it accumulates somewhere else. Our SOULS too experience the shifting sands of time! It is our NATURE. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

NURTURING SOUL IN CLOUDY SUNSETS. Appreciating the beauty in the less glamorous sunsets nurtures me. While I long for the full range of yellows, oranges, and reds screaming in an intensely blue sky, I also marvel at the quietness that NATURE offers in its some times subtle moods. Just like all of us have our moments in the sunshine and then need to gather resources behind the clouds in quiet. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

How have I nourished my SOUL in 201? MOVING and BEING open to what is next. LEANING into the NOW and HEARING the MESSAGE of the MOMENT:

“It is the movement through life that allows the artist’s inner nature to emerge into an authentic style. Plans and ambitions have to give way and follow the soul as it moves through the local environment. Images come to us through the simple events of daily life. As D.H. Lawrence said in Fantasia of the Unconscious, ‘Learn to walk in the sweetness of the possession of your own soul’ (1986, p. 147). Over and over again I discover and rediscover how it is in the unlikely and difficult aspects of a person’s life that fuel creation.”

--Shaun McNiff, “Attunement to the Archetypal,” Art as Medicine (1992)

 For me it is all about FLOW or “movement” as Shaun McNiff wrote about in this chapter about being attuned to the archetypal. I am interested in BEING AUTHENTIC and that authenticity emerges from simple events--especially being in nature. Who we are in our lives CAN BE or IS the FOUNDATION of our CREATIVE LIFE! Do you agree?

That's Coffee with Hallelujah. SOUL BLOG with me and tell me how you nurtured your soul during 2013.