Presented with this lovely handcrafted gift from my sweet friend Orly, I was at once exceptionally excited and surprisingly intimidated. It has been quite some time since I have done any writing off the keypad. Possessing pretty pitiful penmanship, my concerns were about how to begin – what if I mess up on the first page- then the whole book is pretty much ruined. Orly’s response: “Journals are for messes. They are designed for experiments and explorations. Start writing…you can always erase, tape some nice paper on it like the chocolate wrapper. You can paint on it, tear it, write again, fold it, scribble on it, decorate it, or move on to the next page….It’s for no one to see (unless you want to show it)..there is just no such thing as ‘ruining it’..You don’t have to show “penmanship” or any other “XXXXships”…Journals don’t care…they want you to use and abuse them. If it’s too daunting to start on an empty page..get some cheap watercolor, paint a background and then your writing. Just don’t listen to your mind…It’s talking too much..(: “

So with my fear at bay I ventured forth into the night, pen in hand and just began…

12/8/08

I am blessed by the LOVE I am able to give and receive in this fine lifetime. I have met so many gorgeous souls, and I have learned from many gorgeous and not so gorgeous souls, and every instance and every connection has been a gift. The gift is not always recognized immediately, sometimes it takes many years or many lifetimes, but when that recognition comes so do the small threads of self actualization and with each thread the fabric of our being is lovely and lovingly sewed. At that precise nano-second of lucidity all of our enemies become our lovers, our faithful friends, our mothers, our fundamental nurturers – that are provided for us so we may venture further along our chosen path. Those we would never have anticipated that we would sit across the table and break bread with become our breakfast buddies, tablemates, and well-revered chefs of the daily menus of our lives. And with each meal there is yet another blessing, and that blessing is to savor the moments and eat heartily!

Thank you Orly for helping me begin again!

Stay tuned here in the near future for next years schedule of Orly’s Art Journaling classes – sure to be a fun and illuminating time at her “… jaunty journey journal jams!”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 2:12 pm and is filed under Art and Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.