Last week, when speaking of the, then, upcoming Through and From The Lens course, I shared some statements by Marifran Korb, Relationship Coach, on the beauty she now sees in her world as a result of participating in the TFTL course.
In a second conversation she had some very interesting things to say about how the camera has become a means for her to “take charge” of her life. At one point, she stated:
“I use the camera for being more at peace with myself and my world. When I use the camera I feel like I’m in charge and sometimes in life you’re not. With the camera you’re choosing what you’re looking for or you are in charge of what you see. . .and how you see it.
For your convenience I have put both audio interviews on a new page with a link to transcripts of what she said in each of those seven-minute interviews. See Marifran’s Words.
Today’s Photo and Story -
Late afternoon sunlit palm leaves in Green Cay Wetlands.
My camera(s) and I went out for a walk with the intent of breaking through the sluggishness I was feeling. Almost the first thing I saw, at the beginning of my walk, were these “spot-lit” leaves, reminding me that there is always some brightness that exists somewhere. I, of course, started taking pictures,
and [click to continue…]
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 -
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.
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 -
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.
Today’s issue of Picture to Ponder is a slightly different “take” on one of our recurring themes that of “paying attention.” I admit the photos certainly appear to be an odd combination. On the other hand, I hope they bring you the same smiles that I get when I snapped and then reviewed them. More below.
Usually the photograph dictates the writing in Picture to Ponder. It’s somewhat reversed today as you’ll see below. I invite you to simply experience the photo and then check the “story” of it and how it came to be Today’s Featured Photo -
“Kaitlyn’s Moons”
Today’s Photo Story -
Today’s picture is symbolic of the nostalgia I’m feeling. Given it’s the start of a new school year, or approaching it, and/or for others nearing the end of Summer vacations (if you are in the United States) I suspect you, too, might be experiencing some emotional ups and downs.
My granddaughter Kaitlyn, a little over two years of age in the above photo, is now 18 and leaving for college this weekend. A very talented and special young woman, I’ve been reflecting and writing on some of her precious attributes to include in a card for her when she departs.
In the process of writing I went back through some old photos to trigger and reinforce memories. The above photo is on the cover of a book she asked me to create for her, when she was 3. I’ve always loved the photo and it seemed to call out to be featured today to represent the walking boldy into the future that so many of us and/or our children or other associates are doing.
The title “Kaitlyn’s Moons” evolved from the fact that Kaitlyn called the leaves “moons.” Those of you into astrology may have fun adding an interpretation to the moon shapes showing in the photo.
Note: If you do, please share this with us in the comments below.
Self-Reflecting Queries -
In addition to Kaitlyn’s starting college, her brother is starting high school next week. My older grandson in Georgia started last week. His younger brother started 5th grade, the end of his elementary school years.
A lot of movement and changes are taking place. I invite you to now reflect on your own life. Where are the changes happening? They may not be major ones and I’m sure you can find some?
What is your response to changes? Are you enlivened? Fearful? Do you go forward confidently or waver and perhaps withdraw? Are there patterns that you can identify?
I am still querying these myself, noticing the spaces where I allow myself to be held back?
Rather than attempt to put forth any answers here today, I’ll leave you with the queries and invite you to post in this issue’s COMMENTS section below.
It is my intention for today’s message to be brief. When you scroll down and look at the two different photos you may wonder at their relevance to one another. Usually I look for a theme and, using art principles, I always attempt having them hold together and relate both visually and aesthetically to one another
Not wanting to intrude on your individual responses, I’ll expand further in my notes below the photos.
Today’s Photos -
To give reference to the perspective from which it was shot, the top sunset photo was taken from the balcony of a penthouse apartment in Boynton Beach, FL.
Although she looks somewhat pained, I love the regal, queenly appearance of the woman in the clouds whom we see in profile facing to our right. If you enjoy exploring further, you might see the second much smaller profile face in her “neck.” It, too, faces to the right. Then there is the one on our left at the top of her full hat, facing skyward. I suspect you will find more.
The image in the lower wood knot photo brought a quick smile to my face when I almost stepped on it on the boardwalk at Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach. She looks like she is winking at us with the eye on our right. She has the feel of a “Greek Goddess and also an angel, though the wing we see is misplaced. It wouldn’t be attached to her cheek. RE Art and Composition:
To complete on my thoughts from the introduction, what’s holding together the space that these two photos are occupying is that:
1. The subject of both is women, albeit imaginary ones, and
2. There is a bit of burnt orange in the wood that picks up on the orange in the sunset. Colors in the wood are also repeated throughout the sky and clouds in the top photo.
There is a similar linear pattern in both, though horizontal in the top and vertical on the bottom.
Today’s Photo Story - No story today beyond what I’ve shared above in the photos and, as I see it, there is plenty of “juice” for many stories. Why not have fun and make up some of your own.
If you have children, or know any, I invite you to share these photos with them and listen to their observations and stories. And, certainly don’t neglect the “children” within the adults in your world. Please invite them to have fun with you also.
No more words on either. I invite you to BE with each, fully for a moment or two, less or more, and simply experience the images.
Self-Reflecting Queries -
Today, I also invite you to reflect on your responses, or reactions, to today’s photos. Did you see the faces I saw? Did you have judgments on my observations on the photos, or other things I might have said?
If so, was your response, or judgments, part of a pattern that you can identify and match to other situations in your life? If so, is there anything you can take from it, remind yourself of, and/or acknowledge yourself for, to further empower yourself in those areas or others?
And, as I stated last week, and at other times, it’s all made up. What stories are you making up in your life today? Are they serving you? providing fun? openings for interactions with others?
Thanks for “playing.” As always have fun with these queries and looking/seeing. Also, please post your responses in the COMMENTS section below.
Thanks to my friend, Lynn Terry, in whose Elite Mastermind Group I participate, I learned about Gary Vaynerchuk’s book CRUSH IT! (Why “Now is the time to Crush It and Cash in on your Passion”). Based on Lynn’s review on her blog, I purchased the book. It came quickly fromAmazon and I’ve been enthralled. It’s been a fast, powerful and empowering read. The thrust of the book is about learning “to navigate the digital waters of social marketing to build a business and promote a personal brand based around what you love most.” (p.14)
As I skim the pages now to look for my highlights I see numerous pink strokes on “personal brand” – “The thing that most people don’t realize is that in today’s world your business and your personal brand need to be one and the same…” (p. 28) So as I’m reading, I’m considering, once again, “What is my passion? Where is it?” I’ve done countless courses and reading on this and…. Then, Clunk!, I remembered the photo I took that I was so excited about the day before -
I sent this out to some friends, with the tag, “Sh*t Happens – Find the Beauty”, and I realized this IS my passion and my brand, “Finding the Beauty in Whatever Shows Up.” As a young child my favorite books were those in the POLLYANNA series. In later years, I came to recognize that it was her always finding the positive in any situation was what drew me in and quite possibly was instrumental, in part anyway, in shaping my future.
Thanks to Gary’s CRUSH IT! I feel like I’m standing in a more powerful place as I’m crafting/refining what’s next for me, at least in the speaking of it. I’m not sure I’m comfortable in standing in “Sh*t Happens – Find the Beauty” as my brand in those words AND it’s something to play with – have fun with.
The book is full of concrete and specific ideas for using Social Media and other strategies to monetize and more. I was familiar with much of it and there was some great information new to me. Lastly, just before breaking to write this post, I read Gary’s suggestion to put our brands on t-shirts. “What fun!” I thought. “I wonder if anyone would buy and wear a “Sh*t Happens – Find the Beauty” t-shirt.” “What the heck,” I decided. And I put the image on some T-Shirts in my Cafe Press Nature Art Gift shop. While at it, I added another image and message – “Fish or Fowl? Change Perspectives” – Changing perspective is always big part of my message and, you can see, rotating the above photograph, 90 degrees, creates a whole different image and experience.
In the top photo, I saw the “bird” in the upper left, facing to the left. Then someone pointed seeing the same shape as a bird facing to the right going through the top of the head of the “bird” facing us. I hadn’t even noticed that frontal bird until I downloaded it into my computer. So, as I write, the top photo has 4 birds. How many do you see?
Then in the rotation of it, as I prepared the photos for t-shirts, I immediately saw the “fish” (formerly bird) in the lower left. For now, I’ll say the larger image is a fish also. What are your interpretations?
Adding to my passion is sharing this with you, reminding you that there are many ways of viewing the same thing in our lives, both our interpretations and then those of others… none of which are “RIGHT”.
Here are the resulting images now on t-shirts. You can find them at Nature Art Gift Shop
As always, have fun with this and enroll others in having fun with you. Be sure to share your experiences with us in the comments below.
I’d also very much appreciate your thoughts on “Sh*t Happens – Find the Beauty” as the marketing brand for my work. Many thanks in advance.
Today’s Photo – I invite you to simply “be” with it, not even attempting to “figure it out.”
It has such a rich and different feel to it that I presented it without explanation in the weekly, emailed Picture to Ponder. The discussion and more photos follow here on the blog.
Background -
A friend of mine had such fun guessing at what the image is, I thought I would revert to my original intention when I first started publishing. In the introduction to Issue 1, Dec. 9, 2004, I stated:
“Several years ago someone I admire saw several groupings of photos that I had recently taken. She was quite moved and stated, ‘Sheila, the world needs to see your relationship to art and nature.’
After several minutes of further viewing, she said, ‘I don’t know where this is coming from, but something is telling me to tell you, ‘Don’t talk!’
And I, who always had a lot to say, understood. For me, to ‘talk’ puts something between you and the picture, possibly altering your response, certainly depriving you of the opportunity of discovering your own pure, initial response.”
Today’s Photo Story - This past weekend I was on my way out of a home where I interviewed a couple for a new neighbor article. As I was leaving, I noted the following “expired” Trumpet Flowers, clinging to the sides of a glass bowl/vase.
I started past it, telling Mayte, the woman I interviewed, about my “mantra”, “If you see something that catches your eye, photograph it and then decide if it means anything.” All the while, I had no intention of photographing it. I was simply suggesting that she do it. Then I realized it had “caught MY eye”, so I took my own advice. The ever-ready camera came out and I started photographing, first the vase, then focusing in on individual flowers. The top photo is a close-up of one of the flowers. Below is a second.
(Note – Check Monday’s post below, for a demonstration of another of my “tips”, “When in a funk take you camera out and photograph whatever catches your eye.” The change in “literal” focus, spills over resulting in focus shifts in what is transpiring in your world.)
Self-Reflecting Queries -
Today, I invite you to explore your response to one photo only in Picture to Ponder today with no description.
Were you able to simply be with it? Did you have a response to the colors? The textures? If so, was it in your mind or was it more visceral?
Did you need to know what the image is? Was there impatience, frustration, anger, or annoyance at not having an immediate answer? Curiosity?
Will you/did you go to the Web to check it out? How was this for you?
Finally, pondering the responses and emotions you might have experienced, I invite you to look into your life to find the areas, or times, when you might have similar reactions. How do you handle them? Might reflecting on this in the future, support you in different resolutions?
Far more questions than usual and please do find a way to have fun with them. Also, please post your responses in the COMMENTS section below.
For Those Unfamiliar with Trumpet Flowers – The following combo shows a Trumpet Flower bud and a close-up of the inside of another, taken at Tropic Plants.
Today’s post relates to trust – trusting ourselves and our instincts.
The featured image, a photo/drawing has been “beckoning” me from my patio wall for several weeks, requesting being shared with you in Picture to Ponder. (More in the “Today’s Photos Story” below.)
Today’s Photos -
Photo/Drawings of Echinacea Flowers from a field of flowers in the gardens of Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY
I present them for you to simply enjoy with no further aesthetic description or response on my part.
Today’s Photos’ Story -
As I stated above, the top picture is on my patio. It’s at the far end, directly in my line of vision from my kitchen, and gives me a lift every time I look at it. For several weeks I have been thinking about featuring it here in Picture to Ponder. Then, not finding it in my computer immediately, I let it pass.
This Echinacea photo/drawing was done almost 10 years ago, as was the one below it. The latter is actually the first of the series that I did and has always been one of my favorites. When it “showed up” as the cover insert in a binder I found last week, I decided to finally respond to my initial instinct to share the photo/drawing(s) with you.
“Photo/drawings”, my term, are something that I discovered/created while “playing” when I first got a color printer
and a scanner. They are scanned photos, printed out, and then drawn on directly with permanent ink pens. This art form predated my being on the web and were actually the impetus for setting up my first web site – Nature’s Playground.com – nine years ago. Given their evolution, the photo/drawings fall into the category of what I call, and have written about, my Accidental Art.
I got quite absorbed in the whole process, creating note cards, 8″ X 10″ prints and then uploaded them for printing on products on Cafe Press. It always pleased me when people told me they would often visit Nature’s Playground or my Nature Art sites simply for a 10-minute, reenergizing reprieve during the day.
And, then I moved to Florida, got totally immersed with my digital camera and other responsibilities and I “abandoned” (interesting to “hear” myself use that word as I write) the photo/drawing process.
So, on to today’s Self-Reflecting Queries. How does, or may, all of this relate to you?
Note – The other day I got an email from Facebook from someone who purchased two large prints several years ago. He stated that every time he passes them he “smiles with joy.”
Should the process appeal to you and you have need for large prints, or know anyone else who does, I do have an overstock inventory of several of the photo/drawing images, in prints approximately 18″ X 24″, on Nature’s Playground Large Prints page.
Self-Reflecting Queries -
I surprised myself, above, when I wrote of “abandonment”. So much of life is being in action, then moving on; going from one place to another. I have done a lot of this in my lifetime and although I’ve started lots of things, many of which I’ve dropped and not completed, I don’t recall having “abandoned” anything.
It’s an interesting query for me in my life and I invite you to look at areas where you may have incompletions in your life. Is there anything you need to do to be complete with them, either with further action, or simply by declaration? Is anything coming up for you that feels like there was “abondonment” involved?
If so, I invite you to write about it for yourself to see if anything “actionable” comes up for you. I also invite you to futher explore and then take that action or actions.
And, back to what originally I thought today’s queries were going to be (referencing its having taken me a month to feature today’s first-appearing image):
Is there any place recently you’ve had the thought or feeling to do something and have yet to take action? Is it a “trust” issue, or something else? Do you usually follow your instincts or do you wait and weigh all your options?
There is no “right” answer. It’s simply becoming aware of your mode of operation and perhaps gaining some freedom as a result, if this is something you desire.
As always have fun with this and please post your responses in the COMMENTS section below.
If you are ever feeling stuck or in a funk and you’ve been around me for a while, you might hear my voice say, “Grab your camera. Pay attention to what catches your eye and take some pictures.” I’ve written about this in articles and you’ve most likely read my RX in the PDF file you received as a new, or renewing, subscriber. You can claim it by subscribing to Picture to Ponder.
Oftentimes I do I forget my own advice. Though I almost always have my camera with me, I may not use it. Last night, in a funk, I went for a walk at Green Cay Wetlands. When I finally pulled my camera out, I remembered, “Oh yes. Why didn’t I think of this in the first place, as immediate access for shifting my mood?”
Today’s Photos -
As I started walking and taking photographs of wood knots, I got into conversation with a young boy, Grady, and his mother. I stopped and showed them the Green Cay Wood Knot Lion, still in my camera. We then discovered another possible lion, or other critter, right under our feet. Grady did not agree with his mother and me on what it was. So the next time I made a discovery, he went close down to inspect it.
Click on the photo to see Wood Knot the Boy is studying
We continued our walk, made some other “finds”, and then stopped at one point. My young friend climbed on the railing to watch the blue-winged teals. As I photographed, Grady continued talking about a story that was evidently on his mind from earlier conversation. His chattering along with the movement of the bird, is in the 32-second, fun video below.
Grady and his mother proceeded to move on as I stopped to record the two blue-winged teals below. This is a 34-second video in which you can experience the busy-ness of the teals and the peace of the scene.
Click on photo to see the video online.
Self-Reflecting Queries -
Obviously, from my story above, you can see that once again, I had accessed shifting my own “funky” mood.
Do you have a regular practice that will do this for you? If so, do you have a reminder system in place that will have you use the practice whenever needed?
And now, in a totally different conversation, let’s look at “paying attention.” If you’ve watched, and listened to, the first video with the boy chattering, you’ll have heard me break in with the suggestion to look at the water coming out of the duck’s beak.
I invite you, for the next day, or more, to pay attention to your own listening. Are you always full present to what the other person is saying or are your thoughts going elsewhere?
When you notice you’re not, are you planning on what you are going to say next, concentrating on something else, or is your mind simply wandering?
If/when you catch yourself, I invite you to stop, apologize to the person who is speaking, if appropriate, and ask for a recap. Then fully enjoy being in the moment with that person
As always, have fun with this, and please share your experiences in the COMMENTS section at the bottom of this post.
Awakened Wisdom -
I have been invited to participate, offering a bonus, in the launch on April 20th of a new book, “Awakened Wisdom – A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance”, by Patrick Ryan.
Over the past three decades, Patrick, an executive coach and a former Buddhist monk, has been on a spiritual quest that eventually led him to devise a system of teachings he calls “Awakened Wisdom Experiences” (AWE). For years he taught this system worldwide at his workshops of the same name.
Now, at long last, he has consolidated the teachings of Awakened Wisdom Experiences into a book, appropriately entitled, “Awakened Wisdom – A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance.” This means his unique spiritual teachings can now reach a much wider audience around the globe. You can read more about the book here: AWAKENED WISDOM.
The book Awakened Wisdom is written in two sections. The first is a deeply spiritual exploration on what it means to be human. The second section explores what Patrick calls “Eight States of an Awakened Life”. These eight states help you tap into your divine wisdom to create more of the life you want. Here are the eight states from Patrick’s book:
1) A Good State of Understanding
2) A Good State of Intention
3) A Good State of Words
4) A Good State of Being
5) A Good State of Purpose
6) A Good State of Effort
7) A Good State of Practice A Good State of Doing
In addition to bonuses from 40 other people, Patrick is giving away an EXTRA special gift of his own: An Awakened Wisdom VIRTUAL Experience!
When you buy the book, you will be given free admission to this special 2-day live “virtual” event, taking place on May 5th and 6th, 2010. On that event, Patrick will personally guide you through the Eight States of an Awakened Life. If you cannot make the live event, it will be recorded, but it will be available only to those who buy the book on April 20th.
To find out how you can buy this book on April 20th and claim Patrick’s gift, and the others, just go to Awakened Wisdom Launch When you go to that page, be sure you enter your email address in the form, and Patrick will send you a “launch reminder” to make sure you don’t miss the April 20th date.
For more photos and the story – 
“Kaitlyn’s Moons”
A Good State of Doing
