Creativity

Sunset Metaphors for Life and Comments on Dewitt Jones Interview – Picture to Ponder – v7-issue 3

by Sheila Finkelstein on January 13, 2011

I was still reeling from the wisdom and generosity of sharing that Dewitt Jones treated us all to in my interview with him on Tuesday night when really moving responses started coming in.

Long-time subscriber, and now dear friend, Linda Gipson wrote a beautiful tribute to the powerful response she had to him. I was so moved, I called and asked if I could use her as “guest writer” for today’s issue. I said I would feature one or two of her most favorite sunset photos today, as a tribute to her. Were I to eliminate anything she wrote, I would be depriving you, so I will start here and complete on the blog.

Linda Gipson Massage Therapist, Houston Texas, Business Card Linda Braun Gipson, a Registered Massage Therapist, in Houston, Texas wrote [my bolding]:

“The first thing Dewitt Jones said that grabbed me was that he tries to approach each subject with “no agenda”. This is exactly what I tell prospective clients when they ask what kind of massage I do. Many are looking for a simple answer, like “Swedish”, which they think tells them something… it doesn’t. Some people get it… most don’t. But I got it last night… this guy speaks my language!

When he went on to discuss “the connection” being the most important aspect of photography… he had me wrapped up and sold. Again, I’ve always told my students that first, you connect with the body. Â [For full post – Today’s Photos and Queries and more of what Linda wrote – [click to continue…]

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Creativity, Focus, Juice in Life – Upcoming Interview with Dewitt Jones

by Sheila Finkelstein on January 10, 2011

Photo of Donner Lake by Dewitt Jones “Sometimes when we stand in nature, open as the new dawn, Everything seems so simple. Remember that moment, that simplicity….all week long.”

The above image and quote by Dewitt Jones is from one of his weekly “Celebrate What’s Right With The World” series of photographs.

As I’m preparing for my interview with Dewitt tomorrow night (Tuesday, 1/11 at 8:30 PM), I spent the weekend immersed in watching his videos and taking notes beyond those I originally took.

This is a “Don’t Miss” free call! especially, if you have been a appreciating Picture to Ponder for a while, even as long as six years. You will definitely come away with an expanded view on ways of seeing, visually and in all areas of your life, both with a camera and without. You’ll feel the juice in your life. [click to continue…]

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Creativity, Focus, Walls in Picture to Ponder – v7-issue1

by Sheila Finkelstein on January 6, 2011

I am ecstatic about the start of my New Year and hope yours is starting off well also. A few times in past issues of Picture to Ponder I’ve mentioned Dewitt Jones, a top National Geographic photographer, keynote speaker and more. Last year, I randomly clicked on a link in one of the ezines to which I subscribe and was treated to his 3-minute JUICE video.

I was super-excited with the uniqueness of the story, Dewitt’s response to the little boy “hero” and the passion for life and photography that was shared. I went on to watch the other four previews of his training videos. They include “Focus Your Vision”, “For the Love of It”, “Everyday Creativity” and “Celebrate What’s Right In Your Life.” If you have been a following the blog posts for a while, you can see from the titles alone what drew me in.

I so resonated with what I heard! Almost everything that Dewitt speaks throughout all the videos, in his philosophy on life, on creativity and being present in our worlds, and so much more, are the underpinnings of what I’ve been a stand for in my years of teaching and now in Picture to Ponder, my courses and my coaching. [For Today’s Photos and rest of the story – [click to continue…]

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Relieving Holiday Stress Using the Camera – Patterns through a Glass

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 22, 2010

Last week I had the pleasure of having lunch with Kaitlyn, my college-freshman granddaughter, to celebrate my birthday. The camera was with me and, being involved in conversation as we ate, I stayed pretty much focused on our discussions.

Toward the end of lunch I decided to see if there was anything visually interesting that I might photograph.

I took some pictures of her above her glass and then decided to focus on the glass itself. (Photo on right is initial scene)

It was when I zoomed in on the imagery in the glass that the photographs became interesting. In the first photo below we see a wide variety of pleasing textures and soft colors. I’m moved to stay in it for a while and yet the dark line (her drinking straw) almost cuts the picture in half, falling outside the principles of good design.

patterns in glass - Kaitlyn is behind

As you see below, I thus cropped the larger photo with the straw repositioned in different places in each of the two other photos. [click to continue…]

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Using Photography to Create Connections – Ripples and Reflections – Picture to Ponder – v6-issue 49

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 16, 2010

If you have been followingÂ Picture to Ponder for a while, you’ve undoubtedly realized that I consider my camera as one of my best friends.Â It and/or its predecessors have joined me and my family in celebrations and on trips;
1- it has shared in the joys and some of the sorrows in my life;
2-Â over a period of many years our similar yet different views with our cameras opened some exciting conversations with my beloved husband Sam and me;
3-and, many times its served as a form of meditation AND definitely a stress-reliever.

I make it a practice to ALWAYS have a camera with me and as you know, I encourage you to do the same as you develop the practice of photographing ANYTHING that catches your eye.

Other’s cameras and mine also serve as conversation openers, thus connectors, when out among other people. Today, as I was walking on the boardwalk at Wakodahatchee Wetlands, I pointed out the reflections below to a woman who had paused to ask what I was photographing.

boardwalk reflections in Wakodahatchee Wetlands
Reflections – Rhythms and patterns from the boardwalk [click to continue…]

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Through and From The Lens Photo Course Transforms Seeing

by Sheila Finkelstein on December 4, 2010

Through and From The Lens –Transforming the “I Can’t”s / “You Can’t”s to “I Can”s –
Using Your Camera to assist you in making the difference

Sheila Reflected Twice in a Camera lens

I have just relaunched my Through and From the Lens Photo / Seeing course with the first session in January.Â The name does not make sense to most people, so why would I use it? Mainly because I have yet to come up with another name that describes the course.

It is in the looking “through” the lens of, in this case, the camera and seeing what comes “from” it that gives us a new understanding ofÂ happenings in our lives.Â For the most part how we see and interpret what’s going on comes from past-based, often limiting, conversations. Many of them exist in our head, often running the decisions we make, or, perhaps more importantly, don’t make. Â [click to continue…]

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Changing Perspectives Inspired by a Yellow Pepper – Picture to Ponder – v6-issue 45

by Sheila Finkelstein on November 19, 2010

This week I had fun spending a lot of time with raw vegetables and fruits, cutting, blending and eating them for my friend Rachelle Anslyn’s and her partner Thomas Radtke’s Make It Real, Make It Raw detox blast. Not surprisingly, as I was cutting vegetables, especially peppers, certain imagery grabbed my attention. I, of course, went for my camera.

Today’s Featured Photos –

yellow pepper on table and chair back reflections

yellow pepper center - abstract

abstract close up of yellow pepper

The top photo is the cut half of a yellow pepper with the center section of the opposite half turned upside down placed in the center of the half we see. When the photograph first appeared on my monitor, I was unable to identify the lines on the right. I was puzzled for quite a while. Yet I loved the play of light and shadows on the wood, finding a peacefulness emanating from the whole picture. I thus decided to use it as one of today’s feature photos.

Once making that decision I needed to determine what it all was. I originally assumed that the pepper was on my wooden cutting board. I finally realized that, in fact, I had placed it on my table and that the angled “grey” lines were the slats of a white chair pushed up against the table.

The middle photo is a very close-up view of the pepper’s center, creating, what to me is, a very whimsical image. As I inserted that photograph here my eye was drawn to the color and grace of the dark, curving “line” on the left.

I went back to Photoshop Elements to see what it would look if I went in and cropped the photo to highlight solely that line. Thus the bottom photo was born.

I hope you have as much fun with these as I did. If you start “playing” with your own cut vegetables, I’d love to learn about your experiences.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
Today’s photos lend themselves to another one of the recurring themes in Picture to Ponder – looking at objects, people and things from a multitude of perspectives. In addition, of course, there is my constant message for “paying attention to whatever grabs your eye.”

So, as I did with the pepper, I invite you to firstly, to divide in half an object, situation, or your thoughts about a particular person. Then look at both “halves”. Do you see differences? Do they change with repositioning?

Then zoom in more closely. Does anything change? Can you find any humor in that at which you are looking either with your eyes or with your thoughts?

Lastly, with the latter perspective, find one thing that is appealing in what you’ve noticed. Zoom in. Move around it. What new do you see?

Despite my saying “lastly”, you are of course welcome to continue your exploration.

When finished, please post your experience in the COMMENTS section below.

As always, have fun and open up to new possibilities.

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Silk – Texture or Reality, Perception and Focus – Picture to Ponder – v6-issue43

by Sheila Finkelstein on November 3, 2010

Today’s issue of Picture to Ponder evolved from some of my experience of “creating” during the last two days. I wound up spending a good amount of time adding new images to products in my Nature Art Gift shop. This included creating prints of the silk painted mandala featured in last week’s Picture to Ponder as well as portions of the garlic bulb imagery below. Also at a customer’s request I put the “Sh*t Happens – I find the beauty” on a mug. She loves the message and wanted one for herself and one for a gift.

After working on the mug I went to the garlic bulb segments featured here and on the blog in September. I particularly love the photograph and wanted to have it on a calendar in my kitchen. (The calendars are actually a very cost effective way of getting 8X10 -approx – prints. I simply cut off the calendar part when finished, or before.)

As I started working with the photo in Photoshop Elements, I “accidentally” focussed in on one portion of it. I then became enraptured with the silky texture and created a page with some variations on one of my sites. Stilll excited, I’ve put a composite of three of them here for

Today’s Featured Photos –

3 views of garlic bulb

As you can see the top two are the same view rotated 90 degrees, each projecting a different feeling. The “silkiness” that so appeals to me remains in both.

For the bottom image I created a “montage”, mainly to show the original image with which I had started. There are a couple of more images on the garlic page where it is easier to spend time with each image separately.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
Today’s experience and story relates to being open to the unexpected, focusing in and shifting perspectives.

I am assuming that more than likely you never pay too much attention to a garlic bulb if/when you take it apart to get separate the cloves. In the case of the above two segments I was taken aback when I made the “discovery”, kept the pieces for photographing and for further exploration with my camera. Ultimately, as evidenced by the above, the photographs themselves became another playground for exploration.

Is there anything that has caught your eye or attention recently that you chose to spend some time with and look at in a different way? If yes, what opened up for you out of that experience? If no, I invite you to find something very “ordinary” and see what new you can mentally/imaginatively create from it. And, of course, even if “yes”, I suggest you do this.

I also invite you to really zoom in on pieces of the object, person or situation and see what new you can find. Does the shift in visual perspective, create any other changes for you?

As always, have fun and open up to new possibilities.

Then please post your experience in the COMMENTS section below.

Upcoming – Jump Start Course for Your Brain
My friend Suzanne Holman, who is doing the three week Jump Start Course for Your Brain sent me five page report with tips for maintaining Brain Health. She said I can pass it on to you. In PDF format, I invite you to download it at BRAIN HEALTH FOR BOOMERS.

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Claiming Pride or Bragging – Silk Painting in Mandala Form – Picture to Ponder – v6 – issue 42

by Sheila Finkelstein on October 27, 2010

Today’s featured photos are in somewhat of a reverse order. I was very excited with a mandala I painted on silk this past weekend. I am thus sharing it here in the top photo. The lower, unidentified yellow flower is photographed in front of my house in mid-day bright sun. This caused the background to be “blown out.” It’s here today not as a “good” photo. Rather it’s an illustration for part of today’s story below.

Speaking of “stories”, if you are one who enjoys mine, I invite you to check out the Partner Story page that I created through the eyes of a possible business partner.

It came from a free flow writing assignment I gave myself as part of my “30 Day Impossible Goal” discussed in the past two issues. The, thus-far, imaginary story could have been written by someone experienced in business who loves turning creativity and ideas into money. If you know anyone who might have an interest, or know someone else who would, please refer him or her to the Story Page or to the Business Partner page.

I also want to bring attention to the section after today’s Self-Reflecting Queries wherein I’m inviting you to check out two different, exciting, upcoming programs.

Today’s Photos –

Silk Painting - Mandala 1 by Sheila Finkelstein

Yellow flower sparked silk painting mandala 1

The top silk mandala was photographed placed on white tissue paper over yellow fabric. The tissue is creating the texture.

The lower one is, as I wrote above, an unidentified flower in front of my house.

Today’s Photo Story –
I am participating in a three-week Women’s Creativity Workshop using silk painting as part of the process. In the second session, after a discussion warm-up, during which the facilitators introduced the “Circle” and “Mandala” as concepts, we were shown some examples in books and a few samples painted on silk.

I was particularly drawn to a couple of the mandalas where hearts were used as the central focus, singly or in repetition. Although I loved the heart, there was the stronger part of me that didn’t want to be a “copycat.” Even though whatever I did would be very different, somehow I wanted it to be my own idea.

As I was “pondering” all of these made-up, head-game stories, I looked out the window and from across the yard a yellow flower, similar to the one above, on a bush in a distance, caught my eye. My mantra “take a picture of anything that catches your eye” kicked in. This time I did not grab the camera, I went for the brush and started my second silk painting, the one above, with the yellow flower as the center focus.

Yes, I know, the one I painted has 5 petals and the one in the photo has six, so I’m not sure if it is the same flower. Next time I will make sure to use the camera also to “capture” what catches my eye. [NOTE – Thank you to KI, for her email pointing out that she saw 5 petals in both.Â Looking at the yellow flower with fresh eyes, I see, of course, only 5 petals. Don’t know how it came to be 6 in my thinking.]

Bottom line, I love the above painting. I did one other last week. You can see it and my first silk painting on Silk Paintings. There is a link there also to see the beautiful silk paintings of Virginia Wilson, the instructor.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
Today’s experience and story relates to making decisions on subject matter for a painting, whether to use someone else’s idea or your own, or the former and make it your own. There really isn’t a “right” or “wrong” here in the situation I described above.

The point in even bringing it up is the invitation for you to look at your patterns in choosing your own actions. Does something have to be your own idea? If so, does the same carry through when working with another on a partnered project?

In reflecting on this, is there something that you now see that might empower you in future actions with yourself and with others?

And, in a totally different conversation, given I was sharing something of which I am feeling very proud, I invite you to look into your recent, or older, activities. What can you find that leaves, or left, you feeling quite proud?

Did you publicly claim this in any way? If not, might there have been a fear of the old “not right to brag” conversations running you?

In either case, I invite you to publicly claim an act or action of which you are proud and post it in the COMMENTS section of this post on the BLOG

Please do “play” with these queries. Have fun and open up to new possibilities.

Two Upcoming Programs –
Tomorrow night, Thursday, October 28th, Marney Makridakis is facilitating a f*r*e*e Teleparty, ACT in Action – A Closer Look at the ARTbundance program. It will include coaches working and playing with clients and an ARTsignment with a follow-up workbook with more exercises for those who registered (no charge) for the call.

Marifran Korb, www.soulfulsolutions.com, who followed the link here last week to the no charge ARTbundance AWE of Attraction replay wrote to me: “Oh, I meant to tell you that I LOVED Marney’s ArtAbundance class. I am so grateful you sent the info to me. I want to make a whole lot of lenses for my KaLOVEascope. Her creativity with words and concepts is magnificent and
inspiring.”

And another wrote, “I forgot to tell you how obsessed I am with ArtellaLand!!! WOW!!” Again, see ACT in Action for the 10/28 call and ARTbundance for replay of call from two weeks ago.

And – If you are one who has concerns about memory issues, even the common ones we all have, and want tools for sharpening your memory, I invite you to check out the upcoming program my friend Suzanne Holman is doing – Jump Start Course for Your Brain On her page she states, “Are you ready to sharpen your focus, improve your ability to remember, and totally optimize your brain?” Simply click on Brain for details and to hear Suzanne’s very brief introduction.

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Expectations and Judgments – Cat’s Whiskers Flower – Picture to Ponder – v6 – Issue 40

by Sheila Finkelstein on October 13, 2010

A couple of quick items before today’s photo and queries. In the last issue I mentioned I’m a seeking an Art Rep / Business Partner. I have since created a web page description and link which I’d greatly appreciate your looking at and then passing on to anyone you think might be interested or who might know such a person. Quite possibly he/she is a retired, experienced business person. See ArtRepPartner.

Next, if you are one of our subscribers who enjoys creative experiences, I think you’ll appreciate the following information. I was on a call last night with Marney Makridakis, one of the most creative artists and business people whom I know. I worked with Marney several years ago and had forgotten of how full of ideas she is, always testing, implementing and following through.

Tomorrow night (Thursday, October 14th), she’s offering a complimentary teleclass, The Awe of Attraction: Using the ARTbundance Principles to Break the “Law” and Find the Love! It’s all about using art and creativity as powerful new tools to attract more of what you want into your life. See ARTbundance.

There will be several hands-on creative activities done during the call. Marney will also be introducing an upcoming program in which she will be training coaches in using creative practices in new ways. To get a taste of the broad areas, in general, in which Marney’s creativity has taken her, see Artellaland.

Lastly, before today’s photo, I invite those of you in business to check out the information on Molly Gordon’s upcoming Profit Alchemy 101: Four Weeks to a More Focused Profitable Business program. Simply click on Profit for information.

Today’s Featured Photo –

cat's whiskers

Cat’s Whiskers in the American Orchid Society Gardens in Delray Beach.

Today’s Photo Story –
In a recent walk in the AOS Gardens I was attracted by the above flower, as much as for its name as for its imagery. Then in a couple of different conversations, in subsequent days, “cats” and “cats’ whiskers” came up… the cats that are animals, that is. The coincidences, thus, reinforced my decision to feature the above flower in this issue of Picture to Ponder.

At first, I thought the photo as not “good enough” to stand alone, that you might want another photograph of a “more beautiful” flower. And, then, I placed it on the page with a contrasting photo and the whiskers “wanted” to be the center of attention.

As I spent time simply being with the photo I got caught up in the dance of it, the movement in the flower itself and the play of lights and darks in the contrasting background.

I invite you to do the same, stay with the photograph for a moment or two and see what comes up for you.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
One of the things I thought I would be addressing with the Cat’s Whiskers is our “expectations.” When you read “Cat’s Whiskers” in the subject heading were you drawn in because you love cats? Put off because, perhaps you dislike cats? (Those who were might not even have opened this issue.) Or, were you simply curious as to why cats’ whiskers would be featured in Picture to Ponder?

There are probably several other variables and more questions that I could suggest above. The bottom line is that I suspect you had some reaction/response, a little different from your usual one here.

My point to this conversation is to notice how our behaviors are so often colored by our expectations, or the way we think things are, simply from assumptions or judgments we’ve made.

I invite you to look into your life now. Were there were any recent circumstances where you made a quick decision on doing, or not doing, something, or one on talking or not talking to a particular person? If so, were there clues that the situation might have been different from your immediate assessment?

Should nothing immediate come up for you as you ponder the previous questions, I invite you to pay attention in the next day or two, or more, to the number of times you automatically make a decision based on a preconceived notion. As you begin to notice these, are you finding that there are some minor shifts you’d care to make in your perceptions.

Please do “play” with these queries. Have fun and open up to new possibilities.

As always, you are welcome to share your responses in the COMMENTS section below. Note the new “Notify me…. ” option so you can get emails when others comment. Looking forward to our connecting there. Thank you so much.

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