The title, Eyes as Big as Plates”, comes from the eerie gaze of a dog (or a troll) that lives under a bridge in a Norwegian folktale. Two Scandinavian artists, Riitta Ikonen and Karoline Hjorth, developed a unique body of work, Eyes as Big as Plates, depicting people in their 60’s, 70’s. 80’s and older, […]
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Our family dog, Gizmo, passed away this weekend. His quirky, lively and soulful personality captured everyone’s heart. This fall he seemed to be particularly attuned to the season. Standing motionless sniffing the air, gently caressed by falling leaves, watching, instead of chasing deer. He seemed utterly present to nature. He seemed in touch with something
“Do you know that your soul is composed of harmony?”– Leonardo da Vinci Sometimes, all the strategies-exercise, meditation, breathing, journaling, yoga, etc. to create calm and fulfillment just feel like hard work. Just exhausting. The mental gymnastics of mindfulness, reflection and contemplation are draining, rather than filling the well. Trying to find tranquility by bringing
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The word belonging vibrates, sonorous and profound. Almost onomatopoeic in nature. It strikes at a feeling located deep within our psyche. Its absence leaves us bereft, fluttering fragile and unmoored in the wind. The warmth of its presence suffuses our body, mind and spirit with a sense of all being well in the world. How
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“The definition of vulnerability is uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. But vulnerability is not weakness: it’s our most accurate measure of courage.” ~ Brené Brown Given the first part of the definition above, it is no wonder that we want to sprint away from the whole idea of vulnerability. We want to build defenses so high
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“My journey has always been the balance between chaos and order” –Philippe Petit A metaphor for life?
Thought to Ponder from a Life on the Highwire Read More »
I want to pay better attention. I want to listen closer. I want to see more. My teacher resides indoors and outside, but also arrives via a book, This Is How A Robin Drinks (Essays on Urban Nature), by Joanna Brichetto. This magical book portrays all that nature offers to us if we can only
“The dose makes the poison” –Paracelsus (shortened version of his original maxim) This maxim beautifully encapsulates the ongoing dilemma of knowing the correct dosage of stress in our lives. Length of exposure can influence whether even small doses can be both beneficial or harmful. In this era of so-called personalized medicine, how often do we
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The busyness of the day-to-day grinds from morning to night. Practicality and “reality” dominate and reign supreme. The tiny voice of the soul whispers, maybe falls silent. Have we created an artificial dichotomy, that ensures mutual destruction? Has a symbiotic relationship been severed, without us even realizing? Yet, we do realize. We sense a hollowness,
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“But I’m just a sidewalk poet, a son of bitumen.” The people of Lyon, France call Ememem, an anonymous local street artist, “the pavement surgeon”. The work is called flacking, from the French word flaque, meaning puddle, also symbolically referring to an area that differs in appearance from the surrounding area. Beginning in an alleyway
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