shamash says...

Feeding the Soul

The garden. After school. A glass of chilled white wine. Free Spirit, fresh in from Hanoi, has just arrived, her guitar slung around her shoulder. Behind me, in my artist's studio, all sorts of pastels, and oil paints, and paint brushes sit waiting for next week's art class. Creativity seems to flourishing these days in this city "Somewhere in Asia."

All the Jazz

I’ve always wanted to sing in a band. After all, it's one of my 43things. Last night, I made it happen.

Cultivating Your Artistic Life

“To be simple means to make a choice about what’s important and to let go of all the rest. When we are able to do this, our vision expands, our heads clear and we can better see the details of our lives in all their incredible wonder and beauty.” via Jeff, p. 154 from  The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life by John Daido Loori

“Letting go of all the rest” is an on-going, spiritual practice for me.

Distraction is so very seductive. The key is, I suppose, a healthy balance between dancing wildly at bohemian costume parties and staying home on a full-moon night to write when the entire kingdom is at the ball.

Then, from Tish G., another great reminder that calms my chameleon heart:

“Inside my heart, there's this little Buddha very serene, who always reminds me that it's all just zen. Life is all just zen. And the world falls away....everything matters and nothing matters. It is what it is, in this moment, and that is all. That is how you learn to move between the worlds.”

(image via Fabrizio Fiorenzano, FR Creations)

Forgetfulness: Amazing Animated Poetry

<><>

Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate and one of America's best-selling poets, reads his poem "Forgetfulness" with animation by Julian Grey of Headgear. It's worth a view!

Monsoon iPod: a Diamond in the Rain

The best things in life come in small packages. This chick don't want no diamond. Just give her something else that's small, compact, expensive, portable, and something that she'll wear everywhere. She be happy, then. Even during monsoon season.