May 1, 2012: I take my spirituality seriously. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have fun with it. Decided I wanted a silly meditation. Sat on the floor (which I can only do on a good day, and then only for a minute or two, given my disability). Taking a pseudo-Buddhist meditation pose, I started doing fake chanting, making the sort of ridiculous sounds that oldtime Hollywood would have fake monks make in a movie.

This amused me, improved my mood, and distracted me from worries about the day’s various and sundry problems. 

Then, I swear to God, my cat started circling me, walked a full circle around me. She slowly oh so slowly walked a total of 3 to 4 full complete circles around me, processing like a hierophant as I continued my innane chanting! I couldn’t believe it. I started laughing so hard. I could not stop laughing, I laughed and laughed.

This lightened my spirit tremendously. My heart had wings. Desire for those wings is one reason I meditate. Also, instead of having to start a meditation by struggling to become centered, the cosmos had sent kitty to make me relaxed and in the moment. I was easily made ready to do a more serious meditation. I lay down on the floor, for a beautiful peaceful meditation during which guidance I needed about how to approach the rest of the day came. 

May 2: There are hundreds if not thousands of ants and their eggs in my mailbox! (Rural living!) I was so happy yesterday when we staved off the beginning of an ant infestation in my kitchen, before it had a chance to cause trouble. But now, all the way across the street from me (I lived rurally so my mailbox is across the street), there are way more ants than the few that were in the house. 

Looking into the mailbox, I kept saying, “Little gods, they’re little gods, little gods come to visit me.” (I’m a pantheist.) And chanting “Little visits from God,” and “God’s Little helpers” (I also serve the Goddess, whom I often call God, as well as have a pantheon of Gods who run my life. Obviously, I live in contradictions. I do it happily) as I doused the critters in the mailbox with vinegar that was scented with peppermint essential oil.

At the time of writing this, I’ve only just finished cleanup on the mailbox. I don’t know yet what message the little gods were trying to give me. But my point here is: I have to share the two events I’ve recounted because they’re typical of my whole day—it’s like I live in a mystical three ring circus. I think I’m its holy clown but my cat is the better trickster. And she is not alone, because my day by day is filled with the wondrous absurdity of life. I constantly experience outrageous synchronicities, a continuous kaleidoscope that is fun and funny and reveals a beautiful yet absurd cosmic pattern. This pattern, or call it a flow, fills me with love and joy from the Divine and offers its guidance. If I abide by the guidance, it is so abundant as to smooth my every step. Of course, I’m typically human so I am far from perfect in following the wonderful input. But bit by bit, I grow.

I’d love it if you posted below, and shared a time when the Divine used humor to give you guidance or power or just just plain ol joy!

I can’t wait to see what will happen next.

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I started a blog on my other site. Two separate blogs, two separate RSS feeds.  The RRS feed for the new blog is in the right hand sidebar (on a phone or Ipad it might be at the bottom) here: http://www.stardrenched.com I hope you join me there, I have wild plans.

Digital Art, the Unrepeatable Moment, and Living in the Now
March 2012

I painted this digitally. The background is a photo of a fan-shaped paper-cutting I made in the 90s.

This blog is not just relevant to artists. It is more about living fully. That is the most important art. One could extrapolate from this blog, applying my creative process to any part of life. See the closing paragraph; I hope you will comment about your own way of nurturing an ecstatic state.

 When I started making digital art, I made a commitment. If I painted a little rose, paisley, or other ornamentation for a picture, I would not save the ornament. I would not stockpile these details. I wanted each new painting to be a work unto itself.

An exception is when I feel I have not made the best use of an ornament. Then maybe maybe MAYBE I’ll try to find a way to use it again. But most likely I will delete it, no matter the temptation.

This makes things ways more work. Way way more. It is worth it. I no more want to be caught up in repetitious use of ornaments than in rigid thought, I want the gorgeously unrepeatable moment in my life, over and over and over and over. That’s what I want to repeat (as well as some words in this blog, apparently, LOL). I am no master painter; at the time of this writing, I am just shy two years old, a fledging at painting and drawing; but I am an old hand at living in the moment. And, though creating visual art is not my main thing—in fact, it is far from it—I want maximum joy, integrity, and exploration of my inner and outer world in everything I do.

Direct revelation and other joys of mysticism happen in the now.

There are other exceptions, all aimed at living fully. I might use an ornament again if I think I can learn something by doing so. E.g., find different facets of it. I’m not setting restrictive rules here to stifle myself, I’m trying to do the exact opposite—nurture an ecstatic state.

It is about knowing what will help me grow and be happy. On occasion, I have included one of my paintings—I’m not referring to ornaments now, but to a whole painting—in a composite of my different works. This is an exploration for me; I perhaps find new experiences in the pieces—new moments—as I take them into new contexts. I find that exciting. It illuminates my inner world so I see it better. It builds my personal mythology by letting it expand into various contexts.

A painting is usually part of my mythic self. When I put some of these myths together, I create (and discover) the larger, more complete myth.

An actual painting might represent a personal truth, maybe a longstanding one or perhaps one I discover through the painting process. I like to gather my truths together, and see where that leads me.

Another way repetition helped me: I wrote and illustrated a Faerie tale (which I hope to post soon on my other site). It was fun to use the same ornamentations throughout to build a fantasy world setting for the story. And it added a sense of whimsy.

Someone else might find saving ornaments a creative exploration. I support that. We each have our own way to find joy and completeness. But for me, no stockpiling! No creating file after file until digital clutter is massive. I want space in my life for life.

This blog is less about digital art than it is about the ecstatic path. I would love it if, below, you post any way you make room for or otherwise create fullness of being.