Create with Spirit

Tristy Interviews Herself...

Just did a little self-interview at Whohub. 

It was a nice experience to write out my thoughts and ideas about who I am as a minister and spiritual director, these days. 

I chose the Harmony section as the best fit for me!

Love and/or Marriage

I am so happy to share this invitation to you all blog readers!

I am involved with a great project called the Cubby Missalette, and we are looking for submissions for our next issue. The theme is Love and/or Marriage. 

Here is the invitation. Please stretch your creative wings and submit!

Dearest Cubby Lovers,

We hope this finds you head over heels in somersaults of ecstasy at the beginning of this promising New Year. Love is in the air, and oh, what a breath of freshness it is! As Bill Fisher said recently, "The zeitgeist has never felt this good, ever."

For one thing, we can not help being madly in love with our new first couple, whose palpable love for one another is truly awww-inspiring to behold. Not only are Mr. and Mrs. Obama lovers in every sense of the word, but their partnership as they start this new journey of leadership has the potential to bring about a seismic ideological shift in America that could smash the past decade's paradigm of fear, hate and misunderstanding and bring in a new era of rationalism, empathy and love.

But as the loveliest rose comes equipped with sharp thorns that prick us, so do our love affairs sometimes wound us and make our hearts bleed. Our new leadership is a dream come true and yet, in our own beloved home state of California, the same democratic process has brought about a malicious ban on marriage between loving couples of the same gender.

Love and/or Marriage:
a Cubby Missalette

Neil Young said, "only love can  break your heart."
And The Beatles professed, "love is all you need,"

Love is a promise. We are drawn to it over and over again  - driven wild by its potential, satisfied by its fruition and disappointed by its frustrations.

We feel that now is the perfect time to explore the subject of love, as well as its companion, marriage, and to explore the myriad forces, both personal and political, that come to bear upon them.

We are pleased to announce our intention to publish a brand new Cubby Missalette, where we can explore the heart's greatest emotion and society's most hallowed institution, including all the exotic terrain in between.

SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We invite you to submit your lovingly wrought expressions on the subject of Love and/or Marriage.
This could be your thoughts, your feelings, your poetry, your prose, your drawings, your collages, your comics – anything that can fit into a 2-dimensional form!

And for those who are new to the Cubby, you can see past Missalette experiences here:http://cubby.net/missalette/index.html
Jol & Tristy are also overjoyed to answer any questions you may have or give further guidance in what we are looking for, for this exciting new issue!

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, FEB. 20, 2009
(Honoring Cubby Saint Kurt Cobain's birthday!)

PUBLICATION DAY: FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2009
Please note this is a FAST turnaround – just three weeks to create and submit. But what better subject to rally around and create something new? What better time to birth a new vision into the world?

We so much hope you will join us on this latest endeavor! Please contact either Jol at endofreligion@gmail.com or Tristy at tristy20@gmail.com to let us know that you are on board this crazy love train!

In gratitude,
Your Missalette  co-editors for this issue,
Trismegista Taylor and Jo(e)l Perez

Interfaith

My excellent friend Dan shared this animated video with me.

It really is one of the most beautiful, accessible, simple and profound descriptions of what it means to be truly Interfaith - to honor ALL paths, no matter what they look like. I hope you can watch it and share it with others in your life.

It was made by TheraminTrees.

Dream Resolutions

Anne Hill of Blog o' Gnosis does this great thing every year, where she goes over the dreams she had over the past year and makes new resolutions for the new year.

Here is how Anne describes it:

Dream resolutions...have nothing to do with the calculus of daily life — they are solely concerned with having the best dreams possible. Anything you like that happened in a dream, make a resolution to do it again. Anything that didn’t turn out quite right, you can do differently next time.

I love this idea! You can read hers here.

So of course, I had to see what mine are!

1. Even when I dive into the water and forget to take a breath, I can breathe underwater and my wings will not get soggy.
   
2. The hooded teens throwing bowling balls at my head might have a gift for me.
   
3. Love is a verb. It is a doing word.
   
4. I am not responsible for healing the broken birds in the world, just healing my own brokenness.
   
5. Let the unknown take shape.
   
6. The true hunting is over - no herds to follow.
   
7. It is O.K. to sleep on the floating mattress in the swamp, as long as my husband is by my side.
   
8. Make love to the lion and set her free.
   
9. Let the magic women lay their hands on my face and open my soul.
   
10. Shine in 2009!

What are your dream resolutions this year?

One Word Meme

I am a big fan of limits and boundaries. I often will only let myself draw with one pen, or use only one color in a painting. Boundaries make me more innovative and creative.

So when I saw this One Word Meme, I had to try it. All answers must be only one word and no word can be repeated:

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Where is your significant other? Bed
3. Your hair color? Chocolate
4. Your mother? Artist
5. Your father? Dreamworker
6. Your favorite thing? Love
7. Your dream last night? Guided
8. Your dream/goal? Freedom
9. The room you’re in? Nook
10. Your hobby? Improv
11. Your fear? Abandonment
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Mother
13. Where were you last night? Asleep
14. What you’re not? Angry
15. One of your wish list items? Clients
16. Where you grew up? Marin
17. The last thing you did? Tea
18. What are you wearing? Slip
19. Your TV? Boring
20. Your pet(s)? Grouchy
21. Your computer? Laptop
22. Your mood? Satisfied
23. Missing someone? Yes
24. Your car? Green
25. Something you’re not wearing? Underwear
26. Favorite store? Crafty
27. Your summer? Foggy
28. Love someone? Forever
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When is the last time you laughed? Now
31. Last time you cried? Morning

Fur

Just watched a film that literally took my breath away. Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, is an imagined idea of what the inside of the photographer Diane (pronounced Dee-Ann) Arbus' mind might look like.

This film is a must-see for any artist. I am so thankful that films like this are made. It is completely unexpected in every way and is full of divine, disturbing and wildly inspiring imagery. It really captures what it is like to see the world a little differently and to have only a select few freaks in your life understand it.

The film is written by Erin Cressida Wilson, and directed by Steven Shainberg (both from the film Secretary). They wanted to capture the birth of an artist and "what you have to leave behind to become yourself." The incredible Robert Downey Jr. is in this film (as the most amazing and mesmerizing character of the entire film) and while being interviewed about what he thought the movie was about, he said, "sometimes you have to see fear and head for it and you have to do exactly what would be considered entirely inappropriate...in order to make it to where you are supposed to go." If that doesn't describe the true creative process, I don't know what does.

This film is the story of freaks, not just freaks on the outside, but those who are freaks on the inside as well. It reminded me to move through my fears and create my own vision of the world, no matter how ugly or scary or misunderstood it may be.

You can watch the preview of the film here. And you can watch the making of of the film here.

Bearded Lady

Some of you know that I have a very deep love of beards and handle-bar moustaches. I also have a deep love of craft. The two have come together in the excellent removable beards made by the amazing Erin Dollar and you can buy them in her Etsy shop.

I am so grateful for people who make things like this in the world.

Improvising My Way Through Life

When I moved to Petaluma a few years ago, I left behind a dynamic and creative life in San Francisco. I had a wonderful group of friends who I collaborated with on all sorts of projects, from zines, to Church of Craft gatherings, to a community access television show.

Those people are still very much in my life, but Petaluma is a long drive from San Francisco, so I don't get to share in as much fun with them as I used to.

One of the things I loved doing in San Francisco was improv. Improvisational theatre is a form of theatre in which the actors use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously. I had the best teacher in the world, who recognized my talent and crazy imagination and encouraged me to stretch and try out my improvising wings in a number of different formats.

I fell in love with improv. For me it really is a spiritual practice (and you know I find spirituality in the strangest of places). When I walk out on to that stage, I don't know what is going to happen. I find I must trust a greater power than myself to come in and guide me and my fellow actors to a place of passion, interest and laughter. I am always surprised and amazed at what comes out of my mouth, or how my body starts to move. I find new aspects of my personality that I never knew I had. It was improv, actually, that helped me discover my inner preacher, that lead me on my path to ordination as an Interfaith Minister!

I was amazed to discover that once I started improvising again, my life started to shift. Suddenly opportunities that used to scare the daylights out of me weren't intimidating anymore. I take far more risks than I ever used to, knowing deeply in my heart that I will be O.K. - that there is something bigger than myself that is watching and guiding me.

Through a series of interesting events, I have found an improv troupe to perform with. We are the 6th Street Players and we will be performing the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month in Santa Rosa, CA, until at least June 2009. So our next shows are January 10th and 24th. Please come and see us perform! Buy some tickets!

I have found a new community of beautiful, creative, crafty geniuses in this group. There is something so powerful in connecting with people who truly are a part of my tribe. 

I want to encourage you to take the leap and do something you have always wanted to do. Is there someone who interests you whom you have never spoken to? Go up and say hello! Have you always wanted to learn how to paint? Learn how to ride a motorcycle? Put on a Puppet Show? Do it! Stay open to all the beautiful possibilities in your life and improvise!

Hambox Advent!

I am very proud to say that I was invited to participate in the most fantastic Hambox Advent 2008! Every year Lady Hambox gives us 31 days of Holiday Inspiration. There truly is no way to describe it. You must see it for yourself.

Be sure to click on all the days (so far) and check back every day for a new treat. The day I contributed to is December 11th, by the way!

Article in San Francisco Medicine Journal

I am very happy to say that I have a short article in the November issue of San Francisco Medicine: Journal of the San Francisco Medicine Society. This month's theme is "Art, Design, and Medicine." It's an excellent issue, full of great articles. 

In my article I highlight the amazing projects we showcase on the Arts & Healing Network, where I have worked for the past two years.

Download the PDF and enjoy! And please note the this PDF is a download of the WHOLE issue, which is worth reading, as it is chock-full of articles about art and healing in the health care industry.