Create with Spirit

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.

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.

Stop Shopping

Oh my Lordy, it's Holiday Time again. I am here to remind you that in this particularly difficult economic time, it is not only O.K. but joyfully wonderful to make your own gifts this year. In fact, why not start a new trend of making gifts for all the future holidays that will come upon us?

To inspire you, watch the latest video from Rev. Billy & The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir. They have some wonderful ideas, including some gifts that the "non-creative" can give (although I believe everyone can make something!).

And remember, now is the time to start those projects, so they are ready for the holidays!

More Obama Art

I have just discovered that there is a whole blog dedicated to all the Obama art being created out there!

Check out the Obama Art Report!

Crafting the Revolution

Oh my, two political posts in a row! I try to keep politics off the blog but these two points are too important, and both relate very deeply to creating with spirit!

There is a great thing happening right now - artists are supporting the great change that hopefully will come with the election of Barack Obama in November, by selling/auctioning their work and donating everything to the Obama campaign.

Here are two that stand out:

Dan Funderburgh made this gorgeous 3 color, letter press poster and is selling it for $30. All proceeds go to the Obama campaign.

and

Quilter and designer Denyse Schmidt is raffling off this cool quilt, with all proceeds going towards the Obama campaign. You can buy your raffle ticket here.

So many of us are feeling frustrated and frightened for the future - supporting these crafty fundraising projects is a great way to do some good work and make a change in the world. Or maybe you have a crafty project that you would like to create for the Obama campaign?

Good Things are Happening in the World!

I am very lucky to work for the incredible Arts & Healing Network. Twice a week I get to immerse myself in all the amazing healing art projects that are happening around the globe. I always joke with my fantastic co-worker Danny, about how great it would be if every corporate news program had to start and end with a news story about something positive and healing happening in the world. They are happening all around us! We just don't hear about them!

So, along those lines, behold The Federation of Students and Nominally or Unemployed Artists:

Instant Grant Program from Steve Lambert on Vimeo.

I can tell you that by far, the most e-mails I get at the Arts & Healing Network are requests for money or how to fund healing art projects. Our country does not value art the way many others do, and artists here are continually struggling to create and share their work. What's the first thing to get cut in any public institution (be it a school or the federal government?) - ART. When really, art is one of the most important parts of creating a healthy and sustainable culture of imagination and peace.

I love these folks because they did something so simple. 10 artists got together and raised $100 each. Then they gave it away to people who needed the money to finish a project. Genius - simple - beautiful. And they helped over 40 artists.

In all the fear and darkness we are experiencing right now, with the economy and the upcoming election, PLEASE remember that incredible, wonderful things are also happening in the world.

And I'm going to take that statement one step further and ask what simple, powerful acts you can do this month? Every action you take, no matter how small, is valuable and we have no idea the ripple effects they can have in the greater world.

Who Does She Think She Is?

Just heard about a new film called Who Does She Think She Is? Created by Pamela Tanner Boll, the film tells the story of five artists who are also women and mothers, and how they try to honor their creative process as much as taking care of their families. All artist mothers are up against enormous pressure in our culture and society. There is a paradigm in our society that if you are making art and taking time to honor your own creativity, then someone else is losing something. Women are trained to give of themselves first, and then think of their own needs when everyone else is taken care of.

I haven't seen the film yet, but I have read reviews of it and watched the extra-long trailer and it has already brought tears to my eyes.

Here is the shorter trailer (a longer one can be seen on the site):

I'm especially struck by the quote: "I feel like I'm lost in the woods and I'm all alone, with no companions, and I hear wolves." That is often how I feel as an artist, and I'm not even a mother! I am in AWE of women who manage to take care of their families and get into the studio. It's really incredible. I rarely allow myself the time to create as it is - how will I do it as a mother?

I think this movie is a must-see for all creative people, female and male alike!