Creative Life Sampler

A Note of Encouragement You may recall the fires that raged in Southern California last October. Our car was packed and ready to leave at a moment's notice. Many communities, including ours, were without power. Camp lights were pulled out of storage, as I watched my cell phone's charge dwindle and waited to hear of evacuation orders. It was a long couple of days. After the dauntless firefighters had gained control of this emergency, I took this picture of a hill side which had been charred right up to the structure sitting at it's top. Blackened tree trunks were all that remained of the once healthy green trees at the side of the road. (Subtle color palette of browns and grays against the blue sky,... very beak.) On the surface, you would think there is nothing there. But December brought rain.  And in March fields of yellow, dotted with flecks of blue, where once it looked like nothing would ever grow again. (The charred trees are to the right o...

Blank Canvas- Nuggets of Creativity Smooth rocks seem to be an inviting blank canvas, and somebody decided to take paint and brush in hand to create some messages for the neighbors.       One was spotted on a street corner at the base of a stop sign, presented as if to say   "Stop, and love."      Continuing on our walk, there was one at eye level balanced in a hedge. At the edge of one home's landscaping, there was a collection of these decorated rocks. Perhaps we had located the creator of these colorful little message nuggets, or maybe we stumbled on an admiring collector. I would bet this idea was inspired by the tradition of dying eggs; we've seen several of them scattered along our walking route since Easter. When you stumble upon one, it's like finding a new treasure. All along the way, people are making their creative mark and adding to the blossoming colors of spring. The small chalking marks that appeared on a...

Creative Problem Solving Southern California has been practicing responsible social distancing and following stay-at-home guidelines for about a month now. While the world takes on these challenges at the macro level, the extreme situations in daily individual experience push us to be creative in the course of just trying to get through this unusual and difficult time. We are forced to adjust and adapt. For instance, we don’t get to the beach for our walks right now but we still walk the neighborhood, as do others in our community. It reminds me of fast forwarded highway traffic footage showing the ebb and flow of bumper to bumper drivers reacting to each other and making allowances for what comes in their paths. We’ve learned to adjust our pace, cross the street and walk in the bike lanes as we share the great outdoors. It is an opportunity to silently connect with our neighbors by demonstrating an awareness of their presence and a concern for the well-being of all. It...

And Silence, like a poultice, comes to heal the blows of sound. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. I ran across this powerful quote recently in an article on meditation, and I’ve been turning it over in my head ever since. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a poultice is a heated adhesive substance spread on a cloth and applied to an aching or inflamed part of the body. Think of that,- silence is a warm relaxing remedy for “the blows of sound.” Right now those blows come at us in the form of constant news updates and press coverage, discontent, fear, and restlessness shared between friends and colleagues, or just mounting personal fall-out from stay-at-home mandates. All of it calling for our attention.  It can weigh heavy. But, whether you are aching and weary over burdens or just inflamed with anger over having to face current challenges. applying the warmth of silence to our thinking brings relief. That refocusing can begin the process of healing our ps...

Simple project, Big Impact The call went out from our guild recently that local hospitals need face masks for their health care providers. Who better to enlist than people who sew and have a ready supply of cotton fabrics? For me, sewing is a creative outlet and has given me years of person satisfaction. But this is one of those times when I am grateful to have a skill that I can use to make a contribution for the greater good. These masks have a colorful cotton outer layer and two layers of white cotton lining. They are not the ideal solution to the current shortages, but are meant to extend the life of the masks that will be worn under them. Participating in this effort is an offering of support for the selfless, loving service of our local health care providers during this challenging time. For more information check out this link: https://www.instructables.com/id/AB-Mask-for-a-Nurse-by-a-Nurse/