“The secret of life is in art.” – Oscar Wilde
There was a time in my life when I had not considered myself an artist. Sure, I played with paints and crayons, etch-a-sketch and playdoh in childhood and the sight of an oversized t-shirt splashed with color brings me right back to kindergarten when we wore them as smocks to cover our clothes. As I grew up, I became more self conscious, hesitant to color outside the lines literarally, if not always symbolically. I admired people who could take the images in their heads and put them on paper or cavas, sculpt them into clay or some other material, bend them into metal, weave them into fabric. Like my dancing, my forays into the world of art, has been improv at best.
Being a lover of art in all forms, I delight in surrounding myself with friends who are artistically talented. Among them are painters, sculptors, clothing designers, metal workers, printmakers, weavers, mosaic tile designers, greeting card designer, musicians and photographers. That way I can vicariously feel like an artist myself, imagining myself doing what they do so magnificently. Then it occurred to me that art is far more than what we do with a paint brush, camera,instrument needle or blow torch. In its truest form, whatever the medium, it comes from the heart. As a writer, I have been told by readers that I ‘paint word pictures’. I like the idea of taking images that dance around in my mind and share them on paper, so that folks can come along on the ride with me. And join me they do, which is alot of fun for me, since often we creative types feel like we work in a vacuum.
Offering these gifts to the world is a work of he(art), coming from the deepest places within us, where we are inextricably connected to our Source. Seems to me that we are all unique creations of the Divine Artist who conceived us in Its Mind, so what better way to celebrate that than immerse in creativity soup?
Even if you have never considered yourself artistically skilled, how can you be a true he(art)ist? Could you do sidewalk chalk art or dance barefoot to your favorite music on your living room floor or in a just after it has rained puddle, looking for the rainbow? Perhaps you could gather twigs and stones (asking them first if they want to be part of the project) and sculpting a unique design. How about opening a fresh page in your journal and letting the words pour forth without editing or censoring as you engage in automatic writing? You could join friends in raising the roof in a group sing along or drumming circle or serenade the soap and shampoo in the shower.
The ways with which you engage with the world is an he(art)istic endeavor. They might take the form of cooking a favorite meal that is flavored with love, creating order out of chaos by cleaning a room, growing a garden of outrageously wild flowers, dressing yourself in fabrics and colors that have you smiling with delight, making yourself the canvas.
I invite you to….
Color With Your Creative Juices
When you were born, you were given an entire box of brand new crayons and an unlimited imagination with which to paint a rainbow design on the landscape of your future. Remember to color outside the lines.
Some of my favorite he(art)ists whose work serves to make the world a more beautiful place:
Deb Chamberlin www.debchamberlin.com
Creative Communication Builders www.creativecommunicationbuilders.com
Kathy Davis www.kathydavis.com
Jim Donovan www.jimdonovan.com
Lew Doty www.lewdoty.com
Karen Drucker www.karendrucker.com
Enchanted Makeovers www.enchantedmakeovers.com
Jody Kessler www.jodykessler.com
Barry Goldstein www.barrygoldsteinmusic.com
Cynthia Greb www.cynthiagreb.com
Peter Moses www.petermoses.com
Moving Creations www.movingcreationsinc.org
Music In The Moment www.musicinthemoment.com
Deva Premal, Miten and Manose www.devapremal.com
SARK www.planetsark.com
Denise Shardlow www.shardlowdesigns.com
Elaine Silver www.elainesilver.com
The Moment Photography www.themomentphoto.com
Transformational Resources www.transformationalresources.com
Deva Troy www.devatroy.com
David Wilcox www.davidwilcox.com
Annabella Wood www.annabellawood.com
Phyllis Wright www.phylliswrightart.com
David Young www.davidyoungmusic.com
Amy Zerner www.amyzerner.com
Rev. Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW is a Renaissance Woman and Bliss Mistress who delights in inviting people to live rich, full, juicy lives. Edie is an internationally recognized, sought after, colorfully creative journalist, interviewer and author, a dynamic and inspiring speaker, licensed social worker, interfaith minister, offering uniquely designed spiritual rituals. In addition, she is a PR Goddess, promoting events and transformational teachers, healers, writers and artists. She speaks on the subjects of wellness, spirituality, sexuality, creativity, time management, recovery, body image, mindfulness, self esteem, stress management, re-creating yourself, caring for the caregiver, loss and grief. She is a frequent guest on radio and TV. Edie is currently writing her first best selling book entitled The Bliss Mistress Guide To Transforming the Ordinary Into The Extraordinary and is offering a workshop for women who want to re-create their lives, based on those concepts. A 20 year old journalistic vision came to pass in July of 2008 when she interviewed His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was a potent reminder to never, ever, ever give up on our dreams. Over the years, Edie has written for mainstream and transformational publications. She has interviewed hundred of notables in the transformational fields, including Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Debbie Ford, Leonard Peltier, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Beckwith, Jonathan Goldman, Gregg Braden, Neale Donald Walsch, Mary Manin Morrissey, Dan Millman, Alan Cohen, Ram Dass, Jack Canfield, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Patch Adams, Ben and Jerry, Donna DeLory, James Twyman, Elizabeth Lesser, Michael Franti and Jean Houston. Her website is http://www.liveinjoy.org
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Written by Edie Weinstein
Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW (Bliss Mistress) is a colorfully creative journalist and interviewer, internationally known transformational speaker, licensed social worker, interfaith minister, Bliss coach and the author of The Bliss Mistress Guide To Transforming The Ordinary Into The Extraordinary. Over the past 25 years, she has interviewed such notables as Jack Canfield, Marianne Williamson,Dan Millman, Shirley MacLaine, Ram Dass, Ben & Jerry and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She is a regular contributor to Beliefnet, Elephant Journal, Wisdom Magazine, The Whirling Blog, Identity Magazine and Bellesprit.
