Morning visions

As soon as I woke up this morning, I had a choice – pick up my phone and check my Whatsapp or step outside for some time. The sun was just rising and I was basking in that sheer gold just standing in the kitchen. The world outside was beckoning to me!

So donning a warm shrug I stepped outside holding a cup of hot steaming coffee. With every sip the colors and sounds around me started coming to life – the bluest blue sky, blades of grass, the color of fresh limes, and even the sounds of Blue Jays, Cardinals and Sparrows!

Everything that the rays touched began to take a life of its own. Or was it just me? Energized by the morning’s ambience! Connecting to that unknown unseen energy that is bigger than our lives…..

What to do when you have Blogger’s Block?

Actually nothing!!

That’s what I have been doing lately… It is what it is, a block, an uninspired phase, and there’s only one thing I can do about it – Ignore!

It doesn’t matter what you write – long thought-provoking posts or something smaller like I usually do. But an idea is an important ingredient of a blog post because it gives birth to the content. And without the content, a blog post is immaterial.

So what is my take on blogger’s block?

Sometimes my brain needs a break, a little nap before I am struck with the next creative idea. So I try not to worry over the next blog post. Instead, I spend time painting, listening to new releases from Spotify and reading a book or two. Right now I am reading Gone With The Wind and The Cooked Seed and I am also looking forward to trying Gouache paints! The important thing is to keep doing whatever it is you have been but also try new things. I think novelty breaks monotone and jumpstarts the creative fire.

Another thing that I have learned is to read others’ posts on this topic. It’s so freeing when you realize you are not alone, that there are many out there who also battle this block from time to time. Realizing this truth has inspired me to write this post but I also wrote this post as a gentle reminder to myself the next time I fall prey to blogger’s block!

 

Monday musings

Each day that passes by becomes a memory

Everything in the future is a hope

Only this very moment is “real”

Inhale it, savor it and like the breath, exhale and let it go

Watching it turn into one more memory

As for “hope” it’s only a reflection

So all we have is this very moment

Savor it and let it go

Simplify

Keep it simple

Unburden and Surrender

Recycle

Sometimes less is more!

Listen to your body – it never lies

Tune into the moment

Take a deep breath and

Lighten up – your closet and life

Just simplify

 

 

Heaven

This post is inspired by a set that I created on Polyvore today for a contest that was captioned Heaven. I believe heaven really is a place right here on earth, under the never ending bejeweled sky, among the beaming sunflowers or the delightful ladybugs. It’s a place where I blend into the cosmos, where I lose myself in the music of the robins and the wrens as I walk on the trail fringed by scattered dandelions and evening primrose blooms. 

But it is also a cozy corner by the window with sunlight streaming in like gold dust and moonlight sparkling every corner, my book-of-the-moment sitting on a low table next to the soft cushiony recliner, color pencils, pens and paintbrushes standing in a mason jar beside my assortment of watercolors and other paints.

Heaven is also in the memories of my children’s childhood – their nonstop chatter, hugs and sweet goodnight kisses, their chubby cheeks and of course, “You are the best mommy in the world”.

Magic of Everyday

We all need a little bit of magic sometimes. That magic is all around us, we are just not aware (most of the times). When I created the above set in polyvore, I didn’t realize I was making magic. Little did I know it would make its way into my blog and serve as an inspiration. I was totally immersed in the process of putting together images and texts, choosing backgrounds and colors – everything that seems so mundane now when I think about it, but herein lies the truth! The nature of the task is not as important as our ability to lose ourselves in the act and that I believe is called Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is something we practice, we observe. And how do we do this? By simply becoming AWARE of whatever we are doing at the moment. For example while painting, we can purposefully become aware of the depth of the colors – the brightness of the reds and oranges or the deepness of the blues and violets. We can also practice mindfulness by simply appreciating a hot cup of tea on a chilly morning, savoring every sip, relishing the flavor and gently observing the wispy ribbons of steam as they float away.

We live in a digitally driven crazy world in which it is even more crucial to take care of our mind, keeping it sharp, focused and most of all grounded. And mindfulness helps us achieve this. We don’t have to be a genius to observe the simple things in life. We just need to REMEMBER to do it as often as possible until it becomes a pleasant habit. What comes out of doing it? A peaceful mind for sure but also a grateful heart that is moved by the ethereal beauty of a dewdrop which probably then translates to a piece of poetry, canvas or even an interesting blog post!