When the sirens go off

When the sirens go off

October, 2024

The weather has been really beautiful lately, so I’ve had the windows open quite a bit more than usual.  Where I live, that means city noises,  and since I live near a hospital, that means sirens.

I’ve noticed though, that the sirens outside are no more of a distraction from meditation than the sirens that often go off inside: insistent, distracting, repetitive and alarming.

To think I can get good enough at focused meditation to not hear them any more seems like a recipe for failure, and that’s the quickest way to give up.

So this is the strategy that I try to remember to call on:  since I “hear” the sirens, internal or external, I move my attention in that moment to my other senses – what I smell, the feeling of my bones and my muscles touching the surfaces where I sit, maybe what I see or taste.  The other sensations that ground me in the moment and break the focus on the noise.  To stop the internal conversation about what it may mean – is it a fire truck or an ambulance?  Does it mean trouble, or does it mean someone is being saved? Am I in trouble?  Is someone I care about in trouble, are we all in trouble?

It doesn’t work every time, but every time I don’t remember to try it, the sirens win.

Can Bills Inspire Art?

Can Bills Inspire Art?

October, 2024

Do I love getting bills and insurance statements? No. Does it help when once in a while there is a collage fodder treat waiting for me on the inside of the envelope? Yes, it certainly does. I don’t know what is happening in the envelope business, but twice in the past two weeks I have a lovely surprise when I uncovered these new (to me) patterns. I haven’t made any mail art projects in a while, but I’m certainly inspired now.

Child’s Play

Child’s Play

September, 2024

If you’re like me and you sometimes have a little bit of trouble getting out of your head and into play mode, I’ve got an idea for you.  When you are trying to play like a kid, use a kid’s toys.
These multi-colored twistable crayons featured heavily in the last two series of mixed media paintings.  They pair really well with acrylics, giving you color as well as acting as a bit of a resist from the crayon way.  They come in solids, neons, and metallics,  but I especially like the way these multi-color options give you a little surprise that never turns out the same way twice.
Uncharitable

Uncharitable

September, 2024

In 2013 a man named Dan Pallotta gave a TED talk that went viral. He made a passionate case for changing the way we evaluate charities, that by focusing on how little they spend instead of how much impact they deliver. Whether it changes your mind or not, it’s worth a listen.
Now a movie has been made that expands on his message and adds several compelling case studies.  I participated in a group discussion, kind of like a book club discussion, but a license was purchased allowing everyone to watch the film in advance.  It’s also available for rent or purchase on several streaming services.
If you support non-profits, or if you are involved as a staff member, volunteer, or board member, I hope this is already on your radar – if it isn’t, consider giving it a look.
A Meditation Reset

A Meditation Reset

September, 2024

I’ve been meditating for years, but like a lot of things we do routinely I think I’ve gotten a little sloppy with it lately.  So, I’m hitting the reset button, trying to put a little more intention behind the mindfulness part of mindful meditation.
The idea that the mind will ever be entirely quiet when we meditate, or that if we don’t achieve that we have somehow failed, keeps a lot of us from trying.  The mind will always chatter; my to-do list, my dreams, my fears, always show up when I sit down.  The goal isn’t to make the thoughts never arise, it’s to avoid following them, and then following the next one, and the next,  until you aren’t where you are anymore.  That’s the reset that needs to happen for me, exercising the gentle discipline of bringing myself back to the moment, to the breath.