Tag Archives: beauty

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Peace is Important to Saving Mother Earth


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A Peaceful Picnic Among the Water Lotus        

Hello, everyone. Have you ever noticed how you can look at something over and over and not really see it? I have and I have realized something. What I have realized is that we need peace and we need to heal our planet. We must do them together if we are going to have any success. The concepts need to be interwoven for strength and workability.

If we work hard and accomplish healing the planet, and we end up in another World War, it won’t do much good. If we learn to live peacefully with each other. To love others as we love ourselves. If we manage not to fear the differences in cultures,skin color, or beliefs and we haven’t healed the planet, well, we will not survive either. So we must all work together to make this entire plan work. The full commitment of every person, government and religion is necessary.

We can’t do it without work, love, acceptance and honoring all that is sacred. What is sacred? Everything is sacred because Divinity is found within everything which breathes and lives. This includes our planet. So we need to find a way to weave the threads of the lives of all sentient beings together to form a strong yet beautiful tapestry that will reflect the love and holiness that is here among us..

 

 

lovinglifeandnature

The Beuaty of Nature in our World is something that we must preserve

Peace

Peace flows into me

As the tide to the pool by the shore;

It is mine forevermore,

It will not ebb like the sea.

I am the pool of blue

That worships the vivid sky;

My hopes were heaven-high,

They are all fulfilled in you.

I am the pool of gold

When sunset burns and dies-

You are my deepening skies;

Give me your stars to hold.”

                      ——Sara Teasdale

                                Teasdale won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1918

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Lake Erie Sunset; Huntington Beach, OH; Photo by Barbara Mattio

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Working Together For Our World With Love and Acceptance


99% of the American people working to hold up the World

When Bush first ran for President against Al Gore, I was deeply disappointed when he won. However, he won fair and square. The majority of the people spoke in his favor. We even had the controversy over Florida and “the hanging chads from ballots.” I will admit I was unhappy and a bit suspicious.

I am a pacifist and I will admit that I shunned vets after Vietnam. I’ve learned a lot since then. I was totally against the War in Iraq, but I understood that many of our boys and girls were choosing to fight in this war. So I gave them my prayers and support. I still wasn’t happy, but I accepted this second administration. I felt Bush was a “cowboy” and not the man I wanted to be President. Well, it was my opinion and my right to voice my views, rationally and logically. For eight years I did not let anger or conspiracies rule my thoughts and life.

Now, times have changed and Barak Obama has been elected by the majority and electoral vote of the American people. I must say that I am shocked by all of the hatred, anger, and illogical talk that is taking place. Twenty states talking succession. Really? So you are taking your toys home and never playing with us again. In an election, someone always loses. Sometimes it is Domecrats and sometimes Republicans.

Our Founding Fathers did not have the sort of rhetoric and extreme anger I have been hearing on the internet and in articles…let alone Social Media. I believe they would be disappointed that all they dreamed and fought for, American freedom would end up being trashed like this.

It is time for each citizen to look into their hearts and minds and look for the rational, loving, accepting human being that this country was designed for. Please put aside the angst and let us all work together to make this a country and world filled with the love and beauty that Divinity has had in mind.

The beautiful creation of Divinity.

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Love, Harmony and Beauty


I am writing because despite the fact I am not 100%, the world is calling to me.
I am so sorry that this man made a video which disrespected Allah. This is a thoughtless, selfish and sad use of free speech. The ability to exercise free speech is a responsibility and this man ignored his responsibility.

It is of no comfort, I understand, but people have made fun of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Buddha, and the Goddess religions.

What I have seen on the television is a situation where hatred and violence have erupted and lives have been lost. Not just Americans, but also many protesters.

People who have a love of the Divine need to remember that violence and hatred are not in harmony with sacred writings or sacred love.

I ask all of God’s people here on Mother Earth to reach out in love, harmony and beauty to heal the hearts of all who are in pain and grief. There is Unity in our beliefs and the love of The One who is everywhere and constantly within us even though you may not understand or believe .

Please stop the violence and hatred. We must all live here together. The only way to do that is to live in love, harmony and beauty; to grasp that all the illuminated souls are united within Divinity. It matters not what Divinity is called, there is One World, One love, and One life. We are all loved and we must begin to acknowledge our responsibility to live in a manner that will bring us closer to the One.

“Thy light has illuminated the dark chambers of my mind;
Thy love is rooted in the depths of my heart; Thine own are the light of my soul; Thy power worketh behind my action; Thy peace alone is my life’s repose; Thy will is behind my every impulse; Thy voice is audible in the words I speak;
Thine own image is my countenance. My body is but a cover over Thy soul; my life is Thy very breath, my Beloved, and my self is Thine own being.”

—Gayan

May we all forgive those who are unable to see the world through God’s loving eyes. May we embrace each other with harmony and may we see The One in every other person we meet. Blessings to all.

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The Beauty in Your Art and Your Life


Oak Alley Plantation, NO; Acrylic on stretched canvas; By Barbara Mattio

Artists, musicians, writers, dancers, photographers, painters, sculptors and a host of other creative people often feel that there is no beauty in life and that they must create it in their art. The problem is that not all of the beauty in your life is found in your poem, sketch, song, dance, novel. There is beauty all around and it is important to really see it. “See it” with your entire being. If you miscalculate the beauty and meaning in your life, despair will follow you.

Creative people need to experience beauty and find meaning for their creative outlets and lives. We, each of us, need to see ourselves as the beauty in life. Yes, there is an entire planet of beauty around us, but there is beauty within us also.

We each need to recognize that at the end of the day, we stand with what we have created that day and we need to actually say, “I am the beauty in life.” No, it isn’t egotistical. What any artist creates will touch the hearts and minds of many. That gives us a powerful meaning to live for and with.

There will be many times you critique your work and are not happy. You didn’t quite capture that small thing that in your eyes would make it fantastic. It is fine. An artist needs a mantra and I suggest, “I am the beauty in life.” This mantra, soothes the feelings of not accomplishing enough, it soothes the sorrow of loneliness, and feelings of being insignificant. Six words to carry within you, to remind you that you are exactly who and what you are to be in this lifetime. There wasn’t a glitch in the system when you came along. You are as you are meant to be, a beautiful person who has creative talents to share that beauty with others.

There is a big difference between creating and being successful. Creating is a God-given gift that needs to be shared and enjoyed by others. Success is buying into the rigid criteria that our society dreams up. This is why creating and being a big shot “successful” person can be divided by a deep ravine.

Often when we put success first, we become bored, hate ourselves for ‘selling out” and devalue the career we are pursuing. The key here is to create and not listen to the voices who can’t comprehend what we have created. For some, there is a perfect solution of a career that we feel successful at and a second creative endeavor that gives life meaning and direction.

Every time we create, there is a new ray of hope that enters the world through your life and helps to dissipate some of the negativity that we find in the world. Our souls and hearts make a counterbalance to hatred, violence, greed and apathy. That is a lot of beauty and meaning to add to this life journey we are on.

So take a bow, if only in your mind. You are not only important but you are vital to the well-being of the 7 billion+ people inhabitating Mother Earth. So write, draw, dance, and sing, rock out in that band and create everything that Divinity has put inside of you. You really make a difference!

Utah skiing trip

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Mellow Yellow Monday #2


It is Monday again. It always confuses me how quickly that happens! So it is here once again and I want to talk about art. There are many people who believe, and I agree, that the love of beauty is inborn. Landscapes are more popular than graffiti. Harmonious music is enjoyed more than discordant music.

Whether we look at pottery, writing, performance art, or music composition. Many feel that human traits are evolutionary and cross cultural lines. Scientists feel that tastes in art are shaped by natural selection.

I feel the love of beauty is inborn. Artistic values restore pleasure, beauty and skill back to a prominent place in our culture. The arts are no more remote from the evolved features of the human mind and personality than a magnolia tree is remote from the soil.

The tendency is to treat any form of art as secondary and essentially fluff. That is so far from the truth. The human soul needs beauty and beauty is as essential to the soul as oxygen is to our lungs. Creativity is a bridge between cultures and stimulates the brain so learning is increased.

Creativity is a way to discover your authentic self and to express that self by composing, dancing, acting, throwing a pot or painting a landscape. The creative soul is tied to the Divinity within. People often recognize this and some don’t. What they create still brings a message to those who see the end product be it a play, a symphony, a pastel drawing, an amazing garden or a smashing novel. Without the creative urge, we become diminished as humans and we don’t experience all of the life we have been gifted with. Creativity, of any kind, helps us to be more fully alive and to more fully embrace this plane of existence. Don’t hesitate, listen to your heart and soul and create what is inborn within you and be at one with the Universe.

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So part of your journey includes your creativity


 

Being a creative person is very different than being a scientist or an accountant. Life has many challenges for everyone. Living life is not easy. It is really difficult.

For those of us who are creative, we have to also deal with our obsession to create beauty and truth in whatever way we are drawn to. It is never easy to find balance in life and it is an essential goal for all of us as we walk the path.  This can be even more difficult for a creative person to accomplish and takes concentration away from the flow of artistic beauty within, but there is no more choice for the creative person than for anyone else.

Criticism can be devastating to the very life flow of creativity and yet is very necessary.  Creative people have the additional  job of trying to accept both criticism and praise and balance it with the flow of our creativity.

In addition, there is the challenge of creating meaning in the life of the artist. Whatever your medium, you are creating beauty in the world and meaning in your life. Beauty cannot be created by ugliness, only by more beauty.  One thing we seldom do as creative people, is to see ourselves as part of the beauty we have added to the world.

Creative people must accomplish all these extra tasks, in addition to what others must do to create successful lives for themselves

Balance and meaning are the foundation for the basis of  life.  Foundations are essential for all human beings and all must form a firm solid one. Beauty, spirituality, work you love, passion and love are all part of this foundation.

I have been looking at my foundation today and looking for cracks. Now it is up to me to seal and repair those cracks. It is all very necessary and never easy, but the foundation must be made solid for me to create more beauty.

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Bumps Along the Way


Photo by Barbara Mattio 2012


Photo by Barbara Mattio 2012
I am on a journey. We all are on journeys. You go along for awhile and step after step you move toward the future. You live in the moment and keep your mind positive and forward thinking. At times the road goes up and at times it descends. The flat regular surfaces of our journeys are the easy bits whether we are seeking our goals or pursuing a new fork in the road. We can even become complacent and think it will stay this way always. And then one day we start out and “Oops” we have an incline. Some days we have an incline and potholes. These make for tough days. I find for me it is best to remember that this road I am on is neither all bumps or all straight flat surface. Faith is needed for this because when you look all around and all you see are hillocks and pits it can feel pretty scary and uncertain. Most of us human being don’t do uncertainty very well. I do admit I know some people who thrive on it but I haven’t figured out a way to do that. Then we have the forks in the road. Which to take? Decisions to make. You look one way and then another and sometimes you flip a coin. Sometimes, there seems to be inner guidance trying to get our attention. Now another decision. Listen or ignore. From years of experience, I usually listen. I can’t say that I do 100% of the time, but I am a work in progress. Now when the potholes appear, I slow down, and I breath deep. I know they aren’t just going to go away; but I can choose to handle them better than I used to do.
Usually bumps coincide with emotional challenges or lessons we have yet to learn. I am getting better at not panicking and remembering to trust. Trust is not one of my best accomplishments. Now that I have experienced the connection of my soul and Divinity, I am improving because I know, just know I am not alone. The Beloved gives us something else that has helped me greatly along the path and that is beauty. Divine beauty is everywhere. I use it to recharge my batteries,so to speak. It can be a garden, the ocean, the mountains, the scent of the air. All bring me back to the Divinity that is within me. Then I can take another step and another until I no longer see the bumps and only see the Divine creation around me.

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting-a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo by Barbara Mattio 2010