Oh such a curious time this week has been. Dare I say, this year has been. I feel a bit like I’m in an enchanted land, marveling at things, being delighted by things, finding myself curious about things, but also a bit detached.
Sometimes I have a marvelous recurring dream that begins by wandering around a neighborhood, a bit off the beaten path, a little hidden wonder, and suddenly there it is, a perfect house that I know is mine. That will have a plethora of hidden rooms inside to explore and wonders to unfold. And as I stand on the sidewalk before entering, I’m filled with excitement. Both for delights I know are there, and for the things I’ll yet discover.
And that’s a bit how I feel half-way through the first month of this new year.
So many things have captured my attention, so many things I want to tell you about, and then in the next moment I want to be still. I want to carefully attune to the tender seedlings I feel are growing within. I want my container filled with rich soil, and that’s what this time feels like. Like I’m enriching my soil.
So no productive tackling of projects seen through to completion, but rather dabbling. Dreaming. Journaling bits here, doodling patterns there; alternating between quiet conversations with my mind and passionate exchanges with my heart.
This is so clearly a filling-the-well time for me and I’m relishing it. But still, you know I love sharing what’s capturing my attention – spreading the swoon-worthy love.
I was surprised when a color, Lapis Lazuli blue stepped forward as my color to work with deeply in 2014. I’m thinking blue has a lot to say to me this year, and with an introduction like this I know I’ll continue listening. Nature is gobsmackingly, breathtakingly beautiful and amazing is ways that make my brain melt and my heart burst. I am utterly mesmerized by this video of blue flaming lava from an Indonesian volcano.
With the extreme winter conditions that ushered in the new year behind me now, I’m much more receptive to seeing snow in a more favorable light this week. And what’s not to swoon about this magnificent environmental art by Sonja Hinrichsen? Snow drawings on a scale that make me laugh with delight.
And while on the subject of beautiful pristine white art, let’s move from the immense to unbelievably intricate. Check out these paper sculptures by Rogan Brown. Oh my!
Did you know 2014 is the Year of the Fairy Tale? Well, at least according to Carla Sonheim who is offering a year-long class which begins next week. Of course I’ll be playing along – how could I possibly resist?! But even if you’re not smitten with fairy tales to the extent I am, do check out this short interview with her sister-in-law. Delightful.
I love the invitation of fairy tales that invite us to discover our hidden strengths, to rise up to the best of who we are, and to influence things in a way we often have no clue we’re doing.
Which feels to me like the perfect way to explore one of the themes I believe needs our full and focused attention – loving ourselves full on. I think I may become a crusader on this issue – challenging us to remove it from the illusion of self-indulgence and elevating it to what I believe it truly is – a spiritual imperative. There’s lots of work for all of us to do around this, I imagine. Which makes it all the more exciting to celebrate those instances when self love shows up in wonderful inspiring ways.
Photographer Natalie McComas is creating a portrait series entitled Beautiful in this Skin, and here’s one of the beautiful photographs of singer Patience Hodgson.
We’re all beautiful. Shiny, shiny, shiny soul beautiful. And it’s such a delight when we allow ourselves to reveal it.
Which leads me to my final swoon-worthy share. I had a blessing created for me. There is something big and bold and at my leading edge that I’m inviting into my life this year, and it felt like such a perfect consecration to begin this opening when Rachelle Mee-Chapman began a new offering Bespoke Blessings.
While what was created for me is delicious and beautiful and powerful, it’s also very personal so I won’t share it in its entirety. But I will share one line, which I will hold for myself, and for each one of my beautiful friends and readers of this blog. “…May Delight greet and sustain you with every reveal.”
And so it is.
Now tell me about you. What has you swooning this week? Are you in dreamy filling-your-well mode or are you busy creating and turned more outward? Have a favorite fairy tale? More of a snowman builder or snow angel creator? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
Thanks for multiple art swoons, Deborah. xo
This week my swoon is an open heart: a hand stitched open heart I wear around my neck. I move soon and I want to give them to my friends. I’ll tuck a peace crane and sweet verse as a start to their own collection.
Oh Susan – how perfectly wonderful! Totally swoon-worthy!
Fabulous Deborah:
A year of celebrating our own rhythms, extreme self-acceptance and fairy tale. Sign me up! And share some of that fairy tale art. lovey tl
LOL – put that way it sounds pretty darn good doesn’t it?! And you know I’ll be sharing – it all wants to spill out of me. 😉
I really love that you say it’s a spiritual imperative to focus on self-care. That’s why I chose “cherish” as my word this year. It can definitely come across as selfishness in a negative manner, but finding time to refill my well is so important.
What a beautiful guiding star word to have chosen Naomi. I totally hold space for you to know that there is nothing selfish about it. May your year be filled with delicious self-care so you can fully embody who you truly are and shine it freely.
I am swooning at the notion of a color to work with all year. The possibilities! (hand to forehead)
LOL – yes! And swooning most definitely requires hand motions.
What an exciting start to the year you’ve had. It’s beautiful to see you wandeirng aroudna nd wondeirng what hidden treasure will cross your path next. I appreciate all these things you’ve shared.
That’s such a perfect description of how I feel Astrid – on a grand and delightful treasure hunt!
It’s nice to be back, Deborah! New year. New posts. All sorts of swoon-worthy ideas!! I love that term.
I, too, had never considered the possibility of a color for the year. I think I would have to choose one for each season.
Looking forward to more of your posts.
Deborah, I’ve had an awesome month so far!!! New finch chicks gracing our lives, new ideas for this year, new friends through FaceBook, beginning The Desire Map book club calls, and generously sharing my time and skills this year to honor connecting with others in a more intimate, joyful and loving way!
I also won the Living Lush contest through http://templesacredflame.org. I don’t ‘win’ things and this has really thrilled me to no end.
Many thanks for your post. I’ve just realized that, for most of this month, I’ve been doing what you have been doing… not really producing anything of any physical consequence but cogitating ideas, art, soul-full and joy-full possibilities and loving every minute of it! There is time to bring them all to life!!!
Much love, blessings and peace to you!
Oh Jean – it does indeed sound like an awesome beginning to the new year! Such expansiveness and joy – it makes me grin in delight just hearing about it. And isn’t it perfect that there is an expansiveness in knowing that there will be time to create and bring things to life, even as we’re enjoying this time of exploring possibilities and potentials and filling our creative wells. Love to you!
I to had never considered a color of the year – but I feel a couple of colors have been trying to get my attention for awhile – I’d just never paid attention to it. I just love the sculptures you share by Rogan Brown – I’ve been looking at book art ALOT lately, still trying to figure out why I’m so drawn to this form of art. I think it has a deeper meaning that just being a reader. I like the fairy tale analogy – our creative worlds are the place that is ours alone.
Thanks for sharing
I’m always a little amused when I realize something has been trying to get my attention for a bit – I imagine it’s been waving a little flag or speaking in a language I don’t understand. It feels like I should have one of those slap my forehead V-8 moments. 🙂 I’ll be interested in hearing if you decide to consciously work with those two colors.
There’s so much gorgeous art in the world isn’t there? And I love that we get exposed to lots of new-to-us stuff through the web and each others blogs – it’s like we’re all curating the most perfect-for-us museums an galleries. Sounds a bit fairy-tale like, but that makes it even more delightful.
Thanks so much for stopping by Vickie.
As the moon is winding down, it is natural to want to withdraw inside a bit and reflect. Always a treat to read your blog! You always give me so many ideas to look into! 🙂 Down the rabbit hole I go!
LOL – I always think the rabbit hole is the best place to visit!
Oh, my current swoon is the words in your Bespoke Blessing. I am also swooning over sunlight and the ways that my dogs’ ears flop around as they run!
What delightful swoons Harmony! I particularly love the flapping of running ears. Makes my heart happy indeed.