Coloring Books and ABC's

This past weekend one of my art students shared that her bunny had died.  She had had this bunny for 2 years and loved him deeply.  Her mother is also currently in ICU fighting cancer.  I asked her what might help.  She said that she just wanted to color in a coloring book.  So I purchased a LARGE box of crayons and a variety of animal coloring books for very young kids.  It wasn't long before all of us, the boys too, were all coloring.  The room was quiet for the most part.  As we finished our pictures we tacked them up on the wall.  I have to tell you all of the colored animals were truly beautiful.  We gave them to my student to take to her mother.
Marc Bekoff, a compassionate spokesperson for non-humans has what he calls the ABC's of animal protection and compassion:  Always Be Caring and Sharing.
To me, these ABC's are truly guidelines for all beings.
Sharing art can bring such joy.  Look at all of our children's art work that is proudly posted on refrigerator doors!

Sitting Down

One of my students wrote to me about why she was not painting: " Honestly? I've felt like the only thing standing in the way of me doing so was..well, myself."  This is true!  I have been asked numerous times what is the 'secret' to becomming excellent at anything.  The secret is this: the hard part is not the drawing (or painting or playing music...etc) the hard part is stting down to draw (paint, play music).

What moves the Heart?

I have been deeply moved by a number of stories in the news.  Stories of people being heart moved to action.  There was the story of Jessie a teen girl who used the money she had saved up to buy a car to help a badly hurt dog.    Another amazing story about a maintenance worker who while emptying the trash found Patrick, a starved and barely alive dog and found help.  A story about a wolf with neurological damage and people who helped her.
One of the questions I get asked a lot is what makes art...art?  The answer for me, is Love.  Whenever any of us truly Love then whatever we are doing becomes Art.  And this is art that heals....heals who see it, touch it, hear it.  Each of us have a sacred art and when we perform that art the heart of all is moved.  What is your sacred art?

"I believe the more you are like society, the less you impact it." -Howard Hendricks

Feeling pressure to be normal?  Are you influenced by what people might think about you?  Are you intimidated by the look of another person who thinks you are out to lunch?

Consider this:
1.  High levels of creativity are linked to high amounts of extra available energy.
2.  High levels of extra available energy are linked to having fun.
3.  High levels of fun are linked to being a kid.
4.  Being a kid means that you run with the moment.....
jump with a bounce...
follow your curiosity.....
laugh out loud...
are spontaneous...
explore life......
So maybe you have gotten the impression that the child in you is supposed to grow up.  The Puritans believed that also.  They maintained that having fun and being spontaneous were definite sins.
Your differences are what make you special, and if others think you aren't normal...celebrate!
Here is my progress on one of the paintings I shared earlier:

"I have touched with a sense of art some people – they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to that joy for an artist?"    Mary Cassatt