Like a lot of creative-types, I've struggled to call myself an Artist. I paint, I write, I bake, I take pictures - I couldn't imagine living in a world where art isn't a primary focus - but does that make me an artist? I'm coming to the conclusion that it does. And sometimes it takes something like winning a photo contest to help me realize it.
I'm honored to be the winner of last year's Salem Is photo contest and to be featured in an interview where I get to talk shop about life, photography and what it means to live in Salem, Oregon. It's also another opportunity for me to stand to my full height as an Artist and embrace my unique perspecitve.
"There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost." -Martha Graham
Hello! In case you've been wondering about my absence here at One Rare Bird, I'm delighted to finally announce the launch of my latest creative venture. I have been busily working under the radar for months now to bring you something that is very near and dear to my heart. I am passionate about the power of story-telling as a way to transform our lives and draw us into a deep awareness of ourselves and others. Through story-telling we not only find comraderie and understanding, we also find healing, belonging, and a deep sense that we are okay, just as we are. So I'm thrilled to introduce you to my new website Stay With Yourself.
Stay with Yourself was created just for you -
as a place of rest, encouragement, and guidance during your journey through
life and self-discovery. New stories and passages are added every week, along
with a curated collection of resources for you to learn and grow from. I would be honored if you would please check it out and consider sharing your own story so that others
can benefit from your unique life experiences.
I still plan on keeping up with One Rare Bird, but my primary focus will be at Stay With Yourself - where my passion truly lies.
Thank you for your faithful readership! I look forward to seeing you in new places as move forward on this new adventure!! xo
"I hope you will go out and let
stories happen to you, and that you will work them, water them with your blood and
tears and laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into
bloom."
I will never forget the first time I was introduced to the word Empathy and its meaning. I was sitting in my High School English class, freshman year, and my teacher handed us a sheet of paper with this definition on it:
Empathy (em-pa-thy);noun : the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.
In other words, Empathy is when you understand and share in another person's experiences and emotions. My teacher informed us that empathy is different from sympathy in that sympathy is the feeling that you care about and are sorry about someone else's trouble, grief, or misfortune, and empathy is when you relate to and experience the feelings of another within yourself, as if you are experiencing the same joy and/or pain that they are.
I had never heard of empathy before but I knew it and understood it deep in my soul. It resonated throughout my body, and still does, in a way only profound revelations can. I finally had a word to put to all the deep understanding and shared feelings I had with others. I understood a bit more about what others called my “sensitive nature.”
I believe empathy is one of the key cornerstones to living a happy and fulfilled life, and it's something I've abandonded over the years. I used to see empathy as a burden, because why would I want to go around feeling everyone else’s pain? But I've learned that empathy also allows me to feel the abundant joy that surrounds me as well. Empathy brings us together. It’s a bonding agent that creates an environment where nobody has to feel alone. Empathy says “I see you. I hear you. I know you. You are not alone.” Who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t want to be on the giving and receiving end of empathy? It’s one of our greatest gifts. And what's even more amazing is it's a gift we can offer ourselves. To be empathetic with one's self and not throw yourself out in the the cold dark night is the birth place for love, joy, belonging, and peace.
So today I want to share three songs that I love because of their deep empathetic message. I love love love these songs and I become teary every time I hear them on the radio. I hope you have people in your life who love you and see you for who you truly are; and most importantly, I hope you see yourself and love yourself for who you truly are. You are loved. You are not alone. xo
"The time came when the risk it took
to remain tight in the bud became more painful than the risk it took to bloom."
- Anais Nin
"I hope you will go out and let stories happen to you, and that you will work them, water them with your blood and tears and laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom" - Unknown
"Pluck
not the wayside flower; it is the traveler's dower." - William Allingham
.
"We do not grow absolutely,
chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another;
unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm,
childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward,
forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells,
constellations." - Anais Nin
.
"Nothing fruitful ever comes when
plants are forced to flower in the wrong season." - Bette
bao Lord
I've spent a lot of time these past several years working out many things in my life, both internally and externally; and I am glad for all the changes and growth that's occured during that time, but I feel like maybe I've been waiting for something. Waiting to live my life perhaps? Or maybe waiting to get all my ducks in a row before I can start really living my life? I don't know, but I do know it doesn't feel good. And it turns out there's nothing to wait for. Life is here. It's happening. I can either let it wash over me and go peacefully, or I can continue to wait for...for...nothing. It's time to let life sweep me away. It's time to be at peace.
A while back I wrote a post about my turbulent (at best)
housing situation, and despite my good-intentioned attempts to stay positive
about the changes in my life I was bested by the stress of it all. But now that
some time has lapsed, as well as my *ahem* monthly
cycle, I'm pleased to be writing from a much better place, both literally
and emotionally. We moved into an apartment a month ago and despite my initial
depression about going from my dream home to what I'm calling a
"transitional home", I'm loving the simplicity of our new living
arrangement. Our possessions have been reduced by nearly half and our monthly
living expenses by almost the same. There is no yard work to keep up with
or maintenance repairs, and the only bills coming in are for rent and electric.
It takes only 20 minutes to clean the entire place, and even though it lacks
the charm of a 1920's bungalow I'm not freezing my ass off because of drafty
windows, or walking down three flights of stairs to do laundry in the basement.
I can honestly say that I'm relieved to be walking away from everything that
big, beautiful house would have ended up being: a lot of work, time, money, and unnecessary possessions. This process has changed our perspective -
or maybe it just clued us into what we really value - and we're now looking for
something smaller and simpler to call home. We don't know what that will be
yet, but for now home is this undemanding apartment with a great view and the
people we love.
