Today

On my mind today:

* Sometimes the dark periods are necessary to uncover the path to my most meaningful work.  As many examples as I have of painful experiences leading to brilliant light, I still forget this.  All the time.

* In those moments when I feel broken, raw and small, the best thing I can do is to pick up the phone and call a friend.  Even if all I manage to do once I hear a voice on the other end of the line is sob, there is a meaningful exchange that takes place for both of us.  We are both lifted in profound ways, and it is these moments upon which the strongest foundations of a friendship are built.

* All of my greatest challenges give me opportunities to practice being the kind of person I want to be.  It takes practice to become a musician, an athlete and an artist; it also takes practice to be our very best selves.  Practice is the operative word - quiet repetition, focus and discipline - whose only reward is the knowledge that I have done my very best.  When I release my last breath, this is all I will take with me.

* After all these years as an artist and seeker, I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing half the time, still feel like I am making it up as I go along, but maybe that's all I need to know.  Life will always be a process of making things up as I go along.  All I am doing, really, is writing a story.

We are all writing our own stories, and all of these narratives create the story of the world.  If the earth was shattered into a million pieces tomorrow, your story would be part of that explosion, would become part of the matter that was flung across the galaxy with the stars, into the heavens.  Our stories, in the end, light up the universe.

*****

Holiday Extravaganza Announcements:

Yesterday:  Jennifer won the Creative Thursday Give Away - Congratulations!!

Today:  Leave a comment today through the weekend to be entered in a drawing for a copy of Ordinary Sparkling Moments.

Next Week:  Three more Give Aways from three fabulous artists...stay tuned!

Comments

[Gina]

I love that you see each persons story as a part of the universe - it's refreshing and a great reminder that we all mean something.

Thank you!

[Sandra]

Thank you for this post. It helps to be reminded that it takes lots of practice to get where you're goin'. I'd love to win your book.

[Indigene]

Hey love,
I'm sending enormous love & hugs your way! I've been practicing too! I'm practicing to have a greater love for people than I actually do; I'm practicing to be a better friend and relative...hey...I'm practicing just being me! It's wonderful knowing that you exist in this mix-up world and are so willing to share. Blessings & peace to you.

[Barbara Israel]

Whoops, I believe I left my comment on the wrong day. I am commenting to enter the drawing for your beautiful looking book. I do not own it yet. Would love to win it as it looks amazing.

[Cindy Jones Lantier]

I haven't been visiting my blogs often recently, so I've missed so much of what you are talking about. Even so, you have touched me profoundly. You are truly gifted. I'm off to get a drink and a munchy and read through past entries, just to catch up.

I wish you well.

[mccabe]

warm wishes to you
in your darkest hour....

with understanding,
mccabe x

[Sara Moon]

You are inspiring, Christine!

[Juli Kalbaugh]

Christine,

Somehow I stumbled upon your blog a while back and have been so encouraged by your writing and your art ever since. Thank you for having the courage to share it with us!

[danaspakle]

it is hard to see the sparkles in life all the time, to be twirly and creative propels us forward but we must be still too. it is uncomfortable to be human. the endless posiblities are always waiting. we are all just writing our own adventure stories. all sheroes & heroes of the world struggle with dark forces. may the light be with us all...
*

[lisa]

practicing.

[Tara Bradford]

Very wise words, Christine. Life is a journey and we are always making it up as we go along, shaping our stories. Based on your recommendation, my friend Gillian and I went to the Henry Darger exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum in NYC last weekend - astonishing! We were blown away by his work and the darkness from his past involved in creating such work. It was a great trip, except I brought the flu home with me from Philadelphia. Hope your book appearances are all going well. xo

[krista]

hi! thanks for the chance to win! i believe in the power of the inner sparkle!
namaste,
krista

[Beth]

practicing to be our true selves....this is so profound !!

am I too late for the drawing ? I have your book {LOVE IT} met you at squam and would LOVE to win a copy for my mom, as one of her christmas presents !!!

xo

[Rebecca]

We're all making it up as we go along, occasionally erasing and starting over, sometimes blotting the ink, sometimes smearing it with tears, but oh! then something wonderful emerges on the page which makes it all worth it.

[lindsay]

i ran across your blog tonight for the first time. it's inspiring to see a fellow artist, writer, explorer who seems to really accept and understand what that type of lifestyle requires (practice) and means. It's scary sometimes because as creatives we don't really know what we're doing for sure ... but I don't think the suits do either :) -Miss linz

[jenica]

hey beauty. thanks for the encouragement. most of the time as an artist i'm scared shitless, feeling like people are going to find out i don't know what i'm doing. it's encouraging to know that i'm not alone.

xoxo

[Nadia]

I think I "begin" again and again all the time. I try to be the best I can be and at times I still feel bad that I couldn't have done better. I learn something new everyday about who I am and who I aspire to be. I think it keeps life interesting, don't you? happy weekend!

[Star]

I think we all have times (some more, some less) when we feel like we don't know what we're doing...and not just in our work lives. We just have to keep on keeping on and see where the journey takes us, and knowing that others have those same experiences helps us along the way.

[Leah]

it's true that often our dark moments lead to great personal discovery and blessings that we can't see in the midst of the dark. hope brighter days are ahead for you!!

[Graciel @ Evenstar Art]

My only wish today is to be my very best self. Tomorrow it may expand to wishing for the very best peanut butter ice cream. But I want to eat that confection as my very best self. I completely agree with you, it takes practice and is the very best of goals.

As always, I am refreshed by my visit to your corner of the world.

[Anna]

it's so easy to forget the light that came after the dark... but so nice to feel the light on your face!

[Emma]

I definitely feel like I'm making it up as I go along, too. :)

[rowena]

We are on the same journey.

And we are the authors of our own story.

[Carmen Torbus]

Winning this would be a Christmas wish come true! I can't wait to get my hands on this book!!!

Namasté,
Carmen

[sara]

such common experiences, so well put; thank you. it's all practice and process!