“Making friends is easier than eating chocolate.”
From Power of Positivity, “Have We Forgotten How to Make Friends?“
joy
Quality Time
She’s so busy with work and friends
We might butt heads but always make amends
I rise with the sun, while she’s deep in hibernate
How to connect? A quick brunch date!
Afflicted
your restless thoughts
are trembling dis-eases
a burden you strapped to your back
examine the contents
and
let
them
go
Freeform
I’m playing with form, color and inspiration. No great art here, just having a lot of fun. For the last one, I didn’t know I was going to write my name in Korean until I did it. It might have something to do with recently reading about Bruce Lee and how proud of he was of his Chinese ethnicity and because I’m so happy that Sandra Oh is the first Asian-American actress nominated for a best lead actress Emmy award. Who knows?
I started with acrylics, but it’s so hard to clean up (requires rubbing alcohol) and gouache is more forgiving. I’m sticking with gouache and watercolor for the near term.
This is a continuation of exercises from Flora Bowley’s online class. Check her out, she’s a great teacher.
Turn Towards the Light
“A teacher of fear can’t bring peace on Earth. We have been trying to do it that way for thousands of years. The person who turns inner violence around, the person who finds peace inside and lives it, is the one who teaches what true peace is. We are waiting for just one teacher. You’re the one.” ~ Byron Katie
Stop Running (Mindlessly)
To run on a hamster wheel means to do things without thinking and without an end in sight. It’s a lack of presence.
“How can you tell if you’re on The Hamster Wheel? Your focus narrows and becomes singular. You get reactive instead of proactive. You’re not breathing deeply. Your shoulders are tense. Your jaw may be gripped. Your heart is beating fast and you feel frantic. You experience chronic fight or flight syndrome, your adrenaline is pumping like crazy. You stop really ‘seeing’ people and they start to become objects.”
Click on the author’s quote above for tips on how to stop running on the hamster wheel.
Good Dog!
“In some ways, dogs are more connected to being than we are.”
Eckhart Tolle
Citations
*https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/30/a-black-blues-musician-has-an-unique-hobby-befriending-white-supremacists/?utm_term=.32603084cc7a
Elephantine
Toucan
Did you know that their beaks are “honeycomb-like” (lightweight) and virtually useless as a weapon? But the other animals don’t know that!
Tip of the Day (from personal experience):
Start your day with something that is hard to do physically…something that requires you to push yourself. Achieving it first thing in the day will give you a sense of accomplishment and vigor for the next 15 to 18 hours.
Ice Breakers Part Deux
It’s summer school, 8:45am and the second graders are doing ice breakers (see yesterday’s post)
Adam*: “I have a little dog, a big dog and a cat…that cat is not so nice.”
Me: “I see. Does the cat bite?”
Adam: “Sometimes. If you came to my house and tried to pet it, then yes.”
Me: (laughing) “Well, I’ll try to remember that.”
“Oh! I also have…had…a hairless rat.”
“Had? Did he die?”
“Yes. He’s dead.”
“Dare I ask…did the not-so-nice cat…”
“No, no. The rat, he just died. You know, it’s the circle of life thing.”
* (not his real name)
Kismet 