Wish Studio
The Wish Studio launched in 2009, and Christine was a regular contributor for the next two years, with monthly essays and afternoon e-courses especially for Wish Studio. Christine’s 2011 theme for Wish Studio was On Writing.
Five Things
1. A beautiful autumn workshop offering from {with}PRACTICE
2. Visit Lisa Occhipinti this Sunday, September 18th at Diesel Books in Brentwood!
3. The next time I head north, I’m going to Green Gulch.
4. The lovely Eva Stattine is on the team of the brand new Well Being Medical Center in Santa Monica. Congratulations Eva!
5. Meagan McCrary is offering an afternoon yoga workshop entitled Good Alignment is Good Therapy on Saturday, September 24th from 1-3:3-pm. Email Meagan at msmeagan26@gmail.com for more info!
Ripening
Life around our household has been in a state of limbo for a while, but today we can start moving forward again. The very short explanation is that we decided to try an experiment ~ because we’re a little nuts that way ~ and put our house on the market to see if it might sell. Although oodles of people came to look and everyone loved it, not a single offer came in. So we’re taking down the For Sale sign, and I can actually hear the sound of an engine starting back up. I’ve had to keep away from any large projects or commitments lately, lest the house get snatched up and we had to, you know, move.
There are a few backstories behind our decision to give this a go, which are a bit too long and detailed to go into here, but all of these circumstances ~ which started to unfold at the beginning of the year ~ are what motivated me to put this into serious practice. This meaning Being Present. This meaning Staying Right Here. In This Moment.
Having our house on the market provided a great opportunity to renew this commitment on a daily basis, and I am grateful for that. It has also been a good exercise in sitting still, staying away from big projects, and focusing on work that is smaller and quieter. My daily To Do lists haven’t necessarily gotten shorter, but they have been comprised of more bite-sized chunks. It has felt less about tackling The Next Big Thing and more about just Living. It has been, well, nice.
There are other states of limbo that have yet to be resolved under our roof, but in this one particular space ~ our physical address ~ life can settle back down. I can open the doors and let those ideas that have been waiting patiently outside come in for tea. I’m ready to hear what they have to say; I’m eager to explore a little more deeply where they might want to take me in 2012.
I went through a huge transition with my work about a decade ago, and I am now in the midst of another one. I haven’t wanted to say that out loud because it feels like kind of a dramatic thing to say ~ like I’m wanting to build something up or hint at some “big announcement.” But I have no new, grand plan. I’m not gearing up for any kind of already mapped-out endeavor. I just know where I am ~ which is in that in-between space where much is unknown and even more is possible.
The lemon trees in our yard have been sprouting fruit all summer long ~ I have watched them burst forth in vibrant green and enjoyed the anticipation of the moment they’d begin to turn yellow. The amount of fruit is slightly mind-blowing, and I’ve been curious to see just how many lemons are going to spill forth from my basket once they turn to that perfect shade of yellow and they’re ready to pick. They are beginning to turn now, and many branches are hanging down towards the earth, full of heavy, juicy fruit.
That’s kind of how I’ve felt this summer ~ that certain things, ideas, and circumstances needed time to ripen and expand, and my work was to just be patient. I can now start plucking the ones that are ready, even though I can still see plenty that aren’t. It is a process that is unfolding in its own time, and everything has been ripening without my having to do a thing. All I’ve had to do is pay attention, and let the sun do its work.
100 Books Project
The 100 Books Project began in 2009 and continued through 2011. During that time, books were left by Christine or Book Fairy volunteers on all seven continents, covering the United States, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, The Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, Hungary, France, Germany, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya, Jordan, Turkey, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Brazil, Iceland & Antarctica.
Each of the 100 books for this project was wrapped in a brown paper bag with the words “This is a gift for you. Yes, YOU” written on the front. Books were left all over the planet for whoever happened to stumble upon them – they were placed on benches, nestled in trees and tucked inside bicycle baskets. A note inside explained, “My name is Christine and this is my creation – you are holding a dream made real. I have received many gifts along the journey of bringing this book to life, and as an expression of my gratitude, I am sending 100 copies of my book out into the world…” Christine’s email address was included, inviting anyone who found a book to contact her and let her know where it was discovered.
The 100 Books Project was featured in Uppercase magazine and Somerset Studio, and a potential book about the project is in the works. See the 100 Books Project Gallery here and read all the 100 Books Journal Entries here.
Join Us at Teahouse
The countdown is officially on until Maya Stein and I begin our trek towards Berkeley, California for our PaperStories workshop at Teahouse Studios. Here’s everything you need to know about all the fun we’ve cooked up for you!
* The workshop is now a one-day gathering on Saturday, October 22, 2011.
* We will kick things off at 10:00am and wrap up at 5:00pm.
* In between those hours, Maya and I will guide participants through a series of writing prompts and mixed media exercises. We’ll go back and forth between the two, with each particular segment feeding off of the one before it and a strong focus on process and experimentation.
* The normal workshop fee is $195, but if you register before Friday, September 23rd, you will receive a $20 discount. Use the discount code PAPEREARLY when you register.
* After October 8th, the fee will take a mighty leap up to $245. There are travel arrangements that Maya and I need to make, so the importance of early registration can’t be stressed enough!
* The workshop fee includes lunch, beverages, and a bevy of fun art supplies at your disposal.
* For more details about the workshop and register for the class, head over to Teahouse Studios and sign up today!
* Any questions? Don’t hesitate to send them my way ~ you can reach me at christine@swirlygirl.com.
Desire to Inspire
| DESIRE TO INSPIRE: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World | |
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{Author} In Desire to Inspire, readers will be introduced to twenty extraordinary women – writers, artists and entrepreneurs – all of whom share a unique example of how they create a meaningful life and, in turn, make a positive impact on the world. The stories and examples explore the roots of their desire to inspire and how they manage to pursue their passions in the midst of all the twists and turns life has given them. In addition to a beautiful collection of quotes, stories, and anecdotes, readers are given substantive, encouraging exercises aimed at supporting their own journey towards a meaningful, mindful life. Read the praise for Desire to Inspire. |
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Somerset Studio ~ September 2011
Somerset Studio, September/October 2011 One of my favorite features yet, an inspiring interview with the lovely Vineeta Nair.
Cue Fireworks!
It’s time to let the fireworks fly in celebration of my 100th Five Things post!
Today’s entry ~ a day early in order to offer a spur of the moment Give Away ~ is to give a shout out to all kinds of inspiring events going on this fall. The oh-so lovely Amelia Critchlow has generously offered up a coveted spot in her upcoming e-course to help sweeten today’s list o’ goodies.
Saturday, September 10 Update: The Lucky Winner of Amelia’s Give Away is Linda R! CONGRATULATIONS!! Thank you to everyone who threw their hat in the ring!
1. Amelia Critchlow’s Experimental Art Course starts THIS MONDAY ~ so head on over and check it out! But first, enter a comment below to be entered in a drawing for a FREE spot in the class. Our winner will be announced Saturday, September 10 at noon PST. Thank you Amelia!!
2. Maya Stein is offering a delicious menu of online writing classes at her Feral Writing website.
3. The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design is the latest lovely offering from Do What You Love.
4. Karen Maezen Miller continues to travel about sharing her wisdom, and her upcoming meditation retreats are listed right here.
5. Pema Chodron is even getting in on the virtual retreat bandwagon with an online weekend event this October. Click here to learn all the details.
At Dawn
I have been rather speechless as of late, both in person and on this blog ~ unsure of how to express my profound gratitude and appreciation for this life, this moment, each day and each breath. I hear this song and weep, wondering how I managed to construct the life I am living now out of the ashes of a broken childhood home, familial estrangements, and my own all-too-common human blunders. I sink so deeply in each moment that I feel a genuine sense of awe over how many different shades of green there are in my backyard, how joyful the sound and sight of a hummingbird at work is, how incredible it is to sit amongst a circle of friends during that time of day when the sun is on its way to settling down for the night and is at its most pure, vibrant golden. I walk through each day on that beautiful boundary between the knowledge that these moments, in and of themselves, are all that matters and the awareness that I will only be granted so many of them. Not only will my days on this earth come to an end, but also these days where life is this purely good ~ when I am not waiting for a broken bone to mend, or caring for a loved one through chemotherapy, or fumbling through any of the myriad of heartaches life has, and will again, throw my way. I do not live in fear of the twists and turns that might be in front of me, but I know they are there, and I will have to find a way to move through them with the same kind of mindfulness I have been able to practice as of late. A perfect rosebud does not blossom in order to exist in a permanent state of beauty; it eventually withers, drops its petals, and is born again on another branch. The cycle is in constant motion, whether I notice it or not.
And once again, here I am ~ stumped ~ not knowing what more I ought to say, unclear on where else I can take this particular string of thoughts, except to share that it is early, and the sun has just risen. This first hour of daylight is velvet soft, and giving me a glimpse of the perfect stillness of my garden at nighttime. A squirrel has just scampered up an oak tree, but no other movements can be seen. I wonder if somewhere beneath the leaves a snail is stretching itself into morning.
Five Things
1. Here’s the latest from Rice Freeman-Zachary ~ Destination Creativity!
2. I am looking forward to seeing what unfolds over at Words Dance.
4. HOW matters
5. The latest issue of Spoonful Zine is here!
