Artist Date, Week Eight ~ Crystal Palace Meditation

This morning my hubby and I spent about two hours hiking the Sunrise trail via 145th Way at the McDowell Sonoran Convervancy.  This is one of my favorite hikes.  One reason is because it is down the street from my house, but also it is never crowded, and the views are breathtaking.  You can see the mountains far east past Fountain Hills,  plus south and west of the Valley of the Sun.  When you hike this unknown treasure, you feel like you are far away from it all, even though you are close to everything.  I can really connect with Gaia when on a hike in the foothills around my house.  Today the desert was green, the ocotillo was thriving, the sky was blue, and the sun was warm. It was a perfect morning.

My Artist Date today was participating along with Tom Kenyon in a global meditation where people from all over the world got together for one hour and meditated together.  This meditation is called The Crystal Palace Meditation.  The purpose of this global meditation was to access higher levels of creativity, innate within us, and gain access to what we refer to as our Higher Self—which is simply an aspect of your consciousness that extends beyond the constraints of your awareness as it is currently experienced within the constraints of time and space. This Higher Self—this interdimensional aspect of your consciousness—is a potential source of immense inspiration, wisdom, insight and creativity.

I have meditated on and off for years.  The longest meditation program I did was Holosync, which I did for almost two years.  I have not lately done any meditation programs, I have only participated in a global meditations.  The last two global meditations were for Fire the Grid.  The first Fire the Grid had me up before 4:00am so I could participate in that meditation.  Thankfully, this meditation today was at 3:00 pm my time, so there was no excuse in not doing it with the rest of the world.

My Higher Self has always talked to me, that is never in question.  But do I always listen?  Mostly, but I am open to hearing more.  I am always open to anyone who wants to show and teach me ways of opening up a clear channel to my Higher Self.  The gifts of a clear channel to your Higher Self—new creative thought, joined with wisdom, for the elevation of your own life and the elevation of your relationships, as well as your community through the mysterious arising of personal courage and inspiration.  Not bad for having a clear channel. 

Once in awhile I feel I need an adjustment or tune-up, so there is no static on my line to my Higher Self.  Doing The Artist's Way course was exactly what I needed, and my Higher Self made sure I found out about this course.  Like I said before, she always has my back. 

Trust this still, small voice that says,

"This might work and I'll try it."

DIANE MARIECHILD

Artist Date, Week Eight ~ Lancôme Makeover

Today I was invited to The Scottsdale Bead store for their annual Lancôme makeover party.  They had four make-up artists doing makeovers all day long.  You had a choice of an everyday look makeover, or a more dramatic night time makeover, or a Halloween makeover.  Since it was the day before Halloween and so many people had parties to attend to, they offered Halloween makeovers where they could paint anything on your face, like scary spiders and spider webs, or a wicked witch face.  I just went with an everyday look makeover because I was not going anywhere Saturday night, and I was having my mother-in-law over for her belated birthday dinner. 

I thought it was a great idea to have a make-over for one of my Artist Dates since I am doing this course in order to reinvent myself.  Every several years or so, I just need to reinvent myself, or a better description is to check in with my authentic self and see what needs a change.  Every time I check in with my authentic self I make changes, like a new career, or a new place/state to live.  I am at a point where I need to ask once again my authentic self, or what I call my Higher Self, where should I go from here. I am in a state where I am open to more good than I can even imagine.  When I am in this sacred open place, my Higher Self tends to go nuts and works overtime leading me to where I should be.  She (I call her a she) finds me a new career, or she gets me to move across country to my new state of Arizona.  She knows what I need better than I do, so I just allow her to guide me.  She always has my back, and I trust her implicitly even when my ego mind says she is nuts and it will never work out.  Maybe one of these days I will write about how my Higher Self got me through one of the most difficult events in my life with complete ease and absolute grace.  When you remember you have a Higher Self there to help you out, and you actually listen to your Higher Self from your heart center and not your mind, life becomes easy, joyful, but most of all magical. 

I went once again to the Old Town Scottsdale Farmer's Market.  I bought some pumpkin bread and cranberry orange bread.  I like this farmer's market because they let you sample all their products.  I sampled quite a few that I know I will definitely buy in the future like the peach and apple coppler.  Yum!

Taking a new step, uttering a new

word is what people fear most.

FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKI

Artist Date, Week Seven ~ Carving My Pumpkin

Last Sunday I went to MacDonald's Ranch, got on a hayride with all the little kids, and went out to their pumpkin patch to search for my Halloween pumpkin.  I bought one large one and two small ones.  Today I carved a design in my pumpkin. I had a lot of fun doing this, and made we wonder why I have never done this before.  This turned out to be a perfect Artist Date, not because my design and carving abilities were  perfect...they weren't and that does not matter one bit.  But the fact that I got in there and JUST DID IT was perfect, and that matters a whole lot.

Living is a form of not being sure,

not knowing what next or how. 

The moment you know how,

you begin to die a little. 

The artist never entirely knows. 

We guess. 

We may be wrong, but we take

leap after leap in the dark.

AGNES DE MILLE

Artist Date, Week Seven ~ Wednesday Morning Interlude at MIM

Today I went back to the Musical Instrument Museum for their Wednesday Morning Interludes.  Today's free concert featured the husband and wife team of Katherine McLin, violin, and Andrew Campbell, piano.

Last month I arrived at 10:05am for the concert which starts at 10:30 and was the 225th person to enter the theater.  Thankfully I got there even earlier today at around 9:55, because they had given out all the free tickets by 10:05.  They had to turn back so many people who eagerly arrived for the concert only to find out all the free seats were already gone.

The talented couple played for an hour which included Beethoven's Sonata in A Minor, Op. 23.  Two tango pieces by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. But my favorite was the Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25.  The Carmen Fantasy was written in 1883 by Pablo de Sarasate, and is a violin fantasy on themes from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. I had just been to the Opera in Cinema a few weeks ago and saw Carmen, so I was thrilled once again to hear the music from this very famous Opera.  The piece contains an adaptation of the Aragonaise, Habanera, an interlude, Seguidilla, and the Gypsy Dance.



I definitely plan on attending more Wednesday Morning Interludes at MIM.  I have a friend from Chicago who is a retired music teacher and she spends some time here in Arizona over the winter, and I cannot wait to take her to the Musical Instrument Museum this winter.  I am sure we will also go see a some concerts there...even the ones you pay to attend.  :-)

I don't have a lot of respect for talent. 

Talent is genetic.  It's what you do with it that counts.

MARTIN RITT

Artist Date, Week Seven ~ English Rose Tea Room

My next door neighbor goes away a lot for weekends and we always take in their mail, newspaper, and trash can.  Every time she comes over to my house to collect her mail, we always say we should go out to lunch, but it never seems to happen.  Two weeks ago when she came over to collect her mail once again we said we should go out to lunch.  This time, because I am in the midst of doing The Artist Way course,  I said to her that I have always wanted to go to the formal afternoon tea at the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree.  My neighbor who is English and still has all her family living in England has never been to the English Rose Tea Room, so she was delighted in my suggestion.  We invited a couple of our neighbors to go with us and today we enjoyed a very lovely and delicious traditional afternoon tea.  Even though I did not do this Artist Date alone, I am still counting it because the course got me off my duff to do something I have been talking about, but never seem to do.  Plus, it was nice spending time with my neighbors and having a real conversation with them for a change. 
 

The tea room is absolutely lovely, small and charming.  Their Duchess of Bedford’s Formal Afternoon Tea is served on antique bone china on a 3-tiered cake stand which includes tea sandwiches, scones with preserves and real Devon Cream, a selection of miniature cakes, pastries & petit fours, plus a pot of the most delicious tea I have ever tasted.

I have always wanted to go to a formal afternoon tea, and I knew that the Phoenician offered an afternoon tea, but the atmosphere and ambiance of The English Rose Tea Room cannot be beat.  Plus, according to my English neighbor, she said she thought the food here was the best.

It was not until the tea was over that we discovered that they have a huge box of beautiful hats that you are welcomed to wear while having tea.  Next year I am going to bring my mother-in-law and a few out-of-town guests there for tea, and I will make sure we all have on an appropriate hat. 


I have known about this lovely tea room for some time, but I have never gotten my butt there for tea.  Thanks to this Artist Way course I have no more excuses for not going anywhere anymore.  I just adopted the Nike slogan, "Just Do It."  The next time "I Do It" at the English Rose Tea Room, I am going to wear one of their pretty hats, and make everyone with me wear a hat too.

Listening is a form of accepting.

STELLA TERRILL MANN

Artist Date, Week Seven ~ MacDonald's Ranch Pumpkin Patch

I am 48 years old and have been married for 25 years with no children (by choice) and have never in my life carved a pumpkin for Halloween.  When I was younger, my sister who was nine years older than me, always carved the pumpkin for Halloween.  Once I was married I never even thought to get a pumpkin.  And since I never had children I never felt I had to get a pumpkin to display for the holiday. 

Well thanks to The Artist Way course I have reconciled that today.  I went to MacDonald's Ranch pumpkin patch to pick out my pumpkin. I could have just gone to the grocery store and picked up a pumpkin, but that would have not been as much fun, or would not have brought out the inner child in me.  I could have gone either today - Sunday, or on Monday.  But I thought it would be more fun to be there with lots of kids.  Since all my nieces and nephews are grown-up and don't care for these types of places anymore, I got a real treat being there today with all the little kids who were truly enjoying their adventures at MacDonald Ranch.

MacDonald Ranch has hayrides out to their pumpkin patch where there are hundreds of pumpkins to chose.  Once you got there everybody got off and started searching for the best pumpkin. I felt like a little kid when I got off the hayride in search of the best pumpkin in the patch of hundreds. Plus, they have a petting zoo, a hay maze, pony rides, gem mine, and western games.  If this place cannot bring out your inner child, than no place can.

I bought a large pumpkin and two tiny ones.  I already have them displayed on my kitchen island.  Later this week I will carve them with some design other than a traditional pumpkin face.  I had more fun today than I have had in a long time.  It was great being around all the little kids today, it helped me remember the little child in me that wants to come out and play once in awhile.

After spending some time at MacDonald's Ranch I ventured over once again to the Gem and Jewelry Show and bought a few more beads.  I have enough beads now for all the holiday presents this year and for all the 2011 birthdays presents.

Trust in yourself.  Your perceptions

are often far more accurate than

you are willing to believe.

CLAUDIA BLACK

Artist Date, Week Seven ~ Cosanti

I was planning on going to Cosanti last Wednesday, but due to the overcast, cold rainy weather I instead went to the movies.  Today was a lovely day to finally vist the Cosanti studio where they make the famous Paolo Soleri windbells.  I visted Arconsati about 10 years ago, but I hate to admit it, but I have never been to Cosanti, even though it is in my own town.  Sad! Well, The Artist Way course got my butt out once again and to the studio where they make these beautiful windbells.

I have seen the Soleri windbells all over town, but the studio where they make them really is a place you need to visit.  Most of the complex is out in the open with only a roof overhead.  It is not a large place, but still bigger than I thought it would be. 

They had their Fall Sale going on this weekend.

You could spend as little as $50.00 for a windbell,

or I saw some museum type windbells going for $29,000. 

I entered the drawing for a windbell; they will notify you by mail if you won.  Personally, I don't have any great trees to hang these gorgeous windbells on.  I find them so stunning, that I would prefer to have one in my house where I could look at it more often.

Paolo Soleri was one of the featured experts in Leonardo DiCaprio's 2007 documentary film The 11th Hour.  I was planning back then in 2007 after seeing this film to finally visit Cosanti, but it took me three more years to get there.  Why do we ignore great attractions right in our own backyard?  Well no more!  I have a list of attractions near me for future Artist Date adventures.

Shoot for the moon. 
Even if you miss it you
will land among the stars.
LES BROWN

Artist Date, Week Seven ~ Ghostbusters at the Scottsdale Library

Are the Scottsdale Libraries haunted?  Well today I found out.  The Scottsdale Public Library called on ghost hunters Sonoran Paranormal Investigations, Inc. to investigate the Arabian and Civic Center Libraries to see whether they are haunted.  The Arabian Library in particular had some of the strangest occurances like books flying off the shelf at poor librarians just like in the original film Ghostbusters.  Even patrons of the Arabian Library saw strange things that they reported.  At the Civic Center Library Kachina dolls locked in a display case kept falling over.

The ghostbusters from Sonoran Paranormal Investigations spent the night of September 25th investigating the Arabian Library, and the night of October 2nd at the Civic Center Library.  Today I attended the two hour lecture on what they have detected.

The ghost hunters did not capture anything at either library on film, but at the Arabian Library one of their tri-pod cameras fell over on the floor for no apparent reason when nobody was around.  They did capture at both libraries audio recordings which they played for us of men, woman and children saying simple phrases such as "hello," "it's a boy," "get out," and funny but at both libraries you could hear these voices saying, "whore."



Also, on the recordings the investigators would purposely make a knocking sound and ask the ghosts to make the same sound, and you could hear the same knocking sound being made.  The paranormal investigators took questions from the audience for over an hour.  To my surprise there were many very young children in attendance and they were the ones who kept asking over and over again some very thoughtful and probing questions.  They were actually the most fearless amongst the audience members.

I have to say it was a very interesting lecture, and the audience also provided much insight with their questions and tales of their own ghost experiences.  I myself am a bit smitten with ghostbusting because I have been in the company of one of the most famous ghostbusters of all time. :-)

Bill Murray and me in Chicago, March 1993
at Mad Dog and Glory screening.

We cannot escape fear.  We can only transform

 it into a companion that accompanies us on all

our exciting adventures...Take a risk a day-one

small or bold stroke that will make you feel great

once you have done it.

SUSAN JEFERS





Artist Date, Week Seven ~ Old Town Scottsdale Farmer's Market

Today started the new season for the Old Town Scottsdale's Farmer's Market.  But guess what?  I have never been to it before.  I have gone to other farmer's markets closer to my home, but never this one.  One very positive thing I can say about this one is that it is dedicated to selling food.  They don't have a lot of non-food items like some other farmer's market I have attended. They even have local people selling grass fed beef.  If you have seen the documentary Food Ink, then you will know grass fed beef is a better way to go.  I didn't buy anything today, even though I wanted to, only because I had two other Artist Dates to attend to after this one and I didn't want any food sitting in my car all afternoon.  I am going back to this farmer's market next week because now I have a list of food items I intend to buy.

After walking around the farmer's market today I also strolled around the shops in Old Town Scottsdale.  I go to Old Town a lot.  I was even just there shopping on Monday with my husband's aunt and cousin who were visiting from Chicago.  I usually go there with out-of-town visitors, but today I was there all by myself.  I actually went to stores that I wanted to go to, and not just the touristy one that our visitors want to see.  Spending some time all by myself in a place I frequently go to with others was a very enriching experience for me.  I saw things that I usually miss when I am with other people. 

After my little shopping excursion I walked through the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall on my way to my next Artist Date at the Civic Center Library.  The Mall is so beautiful with all the flowers, trees, fountains and art sculptures like LOVE.   It was lovely being there when there were no crowds; you could really take in the beauty, tranquility and peacefulness of this place.



There is no must in art

because art is free.

WASSILY KANDINSKY

Artist Date, Week Six ~ International Gem and Jewelry Show

I just came back after spending a few hours at the International Gem and Jewelry Show.  I am tired, and my eyes are spinning around.  So much to look at today.

I use to go to this show when I lived in Chicago, but then I only cared about the jewelry that was already made.  Today I pretty much just concentrated on buying strands of beads so I can make my own bracelets and necklaces.   The entrance ticket is also good for Saturday and Sunday, so I may go back if I think I might need something else.  Let's face it...you always want something else...but do I really need something else? It's all about how much money do I want to spend.  The 6th week of the Artist Way course is all about tackling a major creative block - money.  You are asked to really look at your own ideas around money and creative abundance.  This week  explores the ways in which our attitudes limit abundance and luxury in our current life.   I'll let my intuition lead me back to the show or not...that's how much I trust it. 

The more we learn to operate in the world based

on trust in our intuition, the stronger our

channel will be and the more money we will have.

SHAKTI GAWAIN



Artist Date, Week Six ~ The Social Network

I had an activity in mind for an Artist Date today, but after I saw the weather outside I opted for a different Artist Date.  It's funny how spoiled I am now that I live in Arizona.  I see a few clouds, a sprinkle of rain, and the temps a little cooler, and I decide to stay inside today. I come from Chicago where it is windy and cold, but now I am such a weather wuss. 

The funny thing is that I always see tons of films, especially around this time of year because these are usually the best films of the year and the ones that will be nominated for many awards.  But since I started doing my Artist Dates I have not seen one film, other than going to the Scottsdale International Film Festival. 

So today I went to see all by myself ironically, The Social Network.  Now I go to movies by myself all the time.  I have my husband, mother-in-law, friends and neighbors who will accompany me to the theater, but since I like to see a lot of films, especially independent art-house films that some people don't want to see, I am quite use to going to the theater alone.  Which suits me just fine.  Nobody I know had any interest in seeing The Social Network.  Honestly, I really did not have any great interest in seeing this film either, but since it is getting so much Oscar buzz, and I love to discuss online all things OSCAR!...I just had to go see it for myself. 

I thought the film was very good...excellently written, acted and directed.  Going in I knew nothing about the story of the Facebook founder and very little about Facebook for that matter.  I don't have a Facebook account, nor will I ever get one.  I agree with Betty White when she said in her Saturday Night Live monologue, "I didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time. I would never say the people on it are losers, but that’s only because I’m polite." 

I don't feel the need to have a Facebook account because the most important people in my life have my phone number and I am very happy to discuss with them their life and or my life.  I have told family members and friends about The Artist Way course I am doing, and said I was blogging about it, just like anyone would journal about an experience, for my own creative expression.  But never did I give them a link to my blog and say read it because my life is so interesting. Nor did any of them ask me for the link.  Why?  Because they have their own interesting lives to live.

Last Sunday I sat next to a man in his 60's during the concert at the el Pedregal, and for about an hour during the concert he sat there and read stuff on his BlackBerry.  I was thinking to myself... here you are at this lovely concert and are not fully enjoying it, but reading shit on your BlackBerry. 

When Julia Cameron wrote The Artist Way back in 1992 we didn't have access like we do now to the internet and all this social networking.  I wonder what she thinks now?...is this adding to or comprising our creativity.  I would guess comprising.  In one of her earlier chapters she asks you to take a week off from reading.  But in 1992 she was referring to magazines, books and newspapers. Julia says, "If you are stuck in your life or in your art, few jump starts are more effective than a week of reading deprivation.  It is a paradox that by emptying our lives of distractions we are actually filling the well."

 Most people today would find it hard to take even a day off from the internet, emails, and all their social networking sites.  Personally for me, the internet has definitely helped inspire my creativity, but I'm also not obsessed with it where I need to be connected 24/7, and especially during a concert.  Also, I think if you spend more than ten minutes a day reading about someone else's life on either Facebook or Twitter, than you really need to GET A LIFE!

So if you are reading this blog, please just click off it, and go do something to nurture your own creativity.  :-)

As an artist, it is central to be unsatisfied! 

This isn't greed, though it might be appetite.

LAWRENCE CALCAGNO

Artist Date, Week Six ~ Fall Wine and Jazz Concert

Now that the weather is perfect, there are so many wonderful Artist Dates I can go on outside.  But I headed out once again to the el Pedregal for their Wine and Jazz Concert.  Today's performance was Lisa Pressman a vocalise singer (singing without words - think of the original score to the film Titanic and that's vocalise singing) and her husband, Tim Ponzek, a classical guitarist along with a group of the Valley’s finest musicians performing on bass, drums, percussion, sax and keyboards.

After the concert I went to Old Town Scottsdale and met up with my hubby at his favorite place, AZ88.  He really enjoyed his Bombay Sapphire martini more than usual today because his Chicago Bears lost.  :-(  Oh well, I had a perfect day!

Always leave enough time in your life to do

something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. 

That has more of an effect on economic well-being

than any other single factor.

PAUL HAWKEN

Artist Date, Week Six ~ Designing Jewelry

Friday night I went to an Open Bead Night at Bead World in Scottsdale.  They allow you to bring in your projects and beads so you can create right in their store.  They have tables set up for you to work on, and they provide you with any tools you need.  They also had appetizers and desserts to eat.  It is really a nice little beading party they throw.  So I brought in my clear quartz crystal beads I previously purchased in order to find gold beads and spacers for six bracelets I am making for family and friends for the holidays.

On Saturday I sat down for over three hours and designed six different bracelets.  The six bracelets I made all have the same color scheme, clear with gold accents, but are totally different.  I have not yet bought clasps for them.  I wanted to see how they turned out first, then I will decide what clasps will look best on each bracelet. I really enjoyed sitting down and designing these six bracelets. I love the design part, not so much the putting it together part.

I also bought some metalic gold trim jewelry boxes at Michael's with each persons initial on the box, and I decorated a little gold gift bag with beads and an angel ornament. I enjoy finding the perfect gift box or gift bag to go along with whatever gift I am giving. I am into the presentation as much as the gift. :-)

I'd rather have roses on my table

than diamonds on my neck.

EMMA GOLDMAN

 

Artist Date, Week Five ~ Opera in Cinema - Bizet's CARMEN



Bizet's Carmen - one of the most popular Operas of all time.

I have been reading for some time now about the Opera and Ballet in Cinema at the Harkins Theaters, but I have never attended. I have never even attended an opera. So once again this Artist's Way course got me off my ass, and I went to see one of the most popular operas of all time...Bizet's Carmen. This was a LIVE performance from the Gran Teatre Del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain. Since I don't follow opera, I was not familiar with the storyline, but there is no one on the planet that has not heard the music in Carmen, especially the infamous song, Habanera. The theater was about 75% full of opera buffs. Since I did not buy my ticket in advance I got there about 45 minutes before the start time of 11:00am. I was the only one in line at the ticket window, when a woman came out of the theater door and asked me if I was going to see Carmen. When I said "Yes," she said she already had an extra ticket and she handed it to me. I immediately said I will pay her for it, but she would not take my money. I thanked her for the gracious offer, and she and her friend were off.

A woman who came by herself sat a seat away from me. At the intermission we started talking and I told her I was doing the Artist's Way course. She being a writer was very familiar with the course. I told her how I got the book at my local library, and was planning on buying it now since I am dedicated to finishing the course. She said she has two copies of the book herself, and offered to give me her spare copy. I thanked her, but said I would just buy my own copy. The Universe was very generous to me today, and wanted me to have so many things for free. I LOVE that! Synchronicity like this for me NEVER goes unnoticed, and is always appreciated. Life gets easier and more joyful when you know the Universe always has your back.

I will definitely make time to go back and see another opera by myself again, plus I already have plans on taking hubby to go see The Nutcracker in December. Even though it does not count as an Artist Date, that's okay, sometimes you just want to share a pleasurable experience with someone you love.

We are traditionally rather proud of ourselves for having slipped creative work in there between the domestic chores and obligations.  I'm not sure we deserve such big A-pluses for that.

TONI MORRISON

Artist Date, Week Five ~ Desert Botanical Garden

I have been to the Desert Botanical Gardens numerous times over the years, and have brought my out-of-town visitors to view this beautiful place.  I have attended many concerts there and also enjoy going to the Las Noches de Las Luminarias during the holiday season, and Agave on the Rocks event during the spring.  I have also attended lectures and special events for Earth Day there.  But the one thing I have never seen there is their Butterfly Pavilion.  Twice a year they have for several weeks a Butterfly Pavillion that you can walk through. 

I was watching last week my favorite sitcom, Modern Family, where Manny is afraid of butterflies. Right then and there I decided I need to go see the Mariposa Monarca Monarch Butterfly Exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden. You walk into this pavilion and are surrounded by the most breathtakingly beautiful butterflies.  I could have sat there for hours taking in the sights of these gorgeous creatures.

I was telling one of the staff about the Modern Family episode, and she told me that the older kids are actually more afraid of the butterflies than the younger ones.  She said in the spring time they have about ten different species of butterflies in the pavilion and these butterflies will actually come and try to land on your nose and head.  She said it freaks out some of the older kids.  The monarch butterflies will fly around you, but they never try to land on your body.

I have never taken advantage of this fabulous butterly exhibition at the Desert Botanical Garden, but now I am hooked.  I will make sure I go and see the spring butterfly exhibit as well.  Hopefull, I will have some beautiful creature land on my nose.  I guarantee you that I will not freak out.

While I was there I stopped by the Ottosen Gallery in Dorrance Hall where Artist Gwynn Popovac’s Biomythic Masks are on display.  They are visages of human features blended with the shapes, textures and hues of natural habitats  - desert, tide pool, ice fields, meadow lands.  In a sense they are humans mimicking nature, and they offer visions of us as biomythic beings - spiritual animals aware of our essential inextricable bond with the natural world.  Gwynn says, "They are conceived to be wearable; I feel this is essential to the definition of a mask...the possibility of putting it on.  Seeing through the eye holes of a mask can elicit a shift in consciousness.  I believe masks have been, and continue to be, a means to expand human compassion - for all life forms - all flora and fauna, each other, our planet."

       When the soul wishes to experience something

she throws an image of the experience out

before her and enters into her own image.

MEISTER ECKHART

Artist Date, Week Five ~ Anthony Mazzella Concert Guitarist

Another beautiful day in sunny Arizona, so I headed out once again to the el Pedregal for their Wine and Jazz Concert.  Anthony Mazzella was today's featured performance. The crowd and the music was very mellow compared to last weeks concert with Affinity.

Watching him play his different guitars is exhausting, yet his music is so calming.  His performance and music definitely depicts the two places he calls home - New York City and Sedona, Arizona. 

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards:  they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier.  The way it actually works is the reverse.  You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.

MARGARET YOUNG

Artist Date, Week Five ~ Briar Patch Marketplace

Every autumn when the weather starts to cool off here in the Valley of the Sun you can pretty much go every weekend to some kind of art fair.  The big art fairs I usually go to every year are the Carefree, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Tempe art fests.  If you need to buy a $5,000 lawn ornament, then the big art fests are the places to go.  But I usually go at least once a year to the Briar Patch Marketplace which is one of the largest arts and craft festivals around.  Here you actually see people buying things rather than just gawking at all the works of art you admire, but will probably never buy.

I was not sure if I should even count this as an Artist Date because I would have gone anyway, and I always go to this by myself.  If I go to any type of art fest or craft fair to actually shop, then I always go alone.  I only like going with my hubby or friends to artfests when I am going to just get out of the house and walk around to look at works of art.  I'll count it as an Artist Date even though I have three more preplanned dates with myself this week.  I am my favorite person to go on a date with...hubby is going to start getting jealous.

Genuine beginnings begin within us,

even when they are brought to our

attention by external opportunities.

WILLIAM BRIDGES

Artist Date, Week Four ~ The el Pedregal Wine and Jazz Concert



I don't know what the official temperature was today, but it was cool enough for me to spend an entire afternoon outside listening to music.  I so far have had all of my Artist Dates inside, and I need to get outside in the fresh air and sunshine.  So I ventured up to the el Pedregal Marketplace for their Wine and Jazz Concert featuring the long time valley favorite band Affinity.  My husband and I have gone to dozens of concerts at the el Pedregal over the years, but this is the first time I actually heard the band Affinity.  They became a local hit ever since they started playing in the 80's and 90's at the Biltmore Hotel.

Hubby stayed home to watch the Arizona Cardinals lose another football game and I had a fabulous afternoon.  I got there around 12:30 and stayed until the last song at 4:00.  I sat next to a nice couple who live in Surprise and are from New York.  We had a nice discussion about being from big hectic cities as compared to now living in Arizona; I'm originally from Chicago.

As I write this blog my husband is watching the New York Giants beat his beloved Chicago Bears.  My husband is having a bad day.  Poor baby!  I am definitely what you call a Sport's Widow, but at least I am one happy and peaceful one. :-)

All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. 

The big art is our life.

M.C. RICHARDS

Artist Date, Week Four ~ Scottsdale International Film Festival

I LOVE films.  Not only do I love going to see films, but I enjoy even more discussing films with people, whether in person or online.  I read probably more blogs discussing movies than any other type of blog.  To me, film is an art form just like painting or sculpture.  Everyone can look at a painting and see something totally different, and with film two people can come away with two totally different interpretations of what they saw on screen.

The Scottsdale International Film Festival is in its 10th year and sadly I have never attended even though I prefer the small independent art house films over big Hollywood blockbusters.  So The Artist's Way course got me off my ass once again and I went to the film fest on Saturday afternoon and met some interesting people.  The real die hard festival people not only go every year, but they will go and see 10 films over the weekend.  They put me to shame.  I picked only one film to see this year, so maybe next year I will increase that number a bit.  The film I saw was from Belgium and called The Over the Hill Band.  This was the perfect film to see while doing The Artist's Way course because it was about reinventing yourself, and rediscovering your creativity.

The film is about a recently widowed 70-year old named Claire who is at a loss about what to do with her life. More than 50 years ago, she sang in the rock ’n’ roll band Sisters of Love with her classmates Magda and Lutgard. She talks to her gal pals and suggests a musical reunion. She even tries to convince her down-on-his-luck musician son, Sid, to manage them. Sid ultimately agrees to direct the “girls” but on the condition that they bring their repertoire up to date with his music, and that they enter an upcoming talent contest. Watching the oldsters get back in touch with their inner vixens during a series of rehearsals is pure pleasure.

The main characters are a perfect illustration of how anyone can reinvent themselves at any age.  They are able to reconnect to their creative heart centers and rediscover their creative self once they lose the fear that grips them.  I could not have picked a more perfect film to see during this planetary shift we are all going through. 

Eliminate something superfluous from your life. 

Break a habit.  Do something that makes you feel insecure.

PIERO FERRUCCI