Today, embrace the no money-back guarantee ....

'all at sea ...'day#27 of my dailydress1 journal (2011)*

“Awakening is not a process of building ourselves up but a process of letting go. It’s a process of relaxing in the middle—the paradoxical, ambiguous middle, full of potential, full of new ways of thinking and seeing—with absolutely no money-back guarantee of what will happen next.” 

 Pema Chödrön, Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change

In 2011 I started my first 'dailydress' journal.  Inspired buy the Sketchbook Project I started filling a moleskin sketchbook with a collage with an origami dress.  In fact the beginning of this blog shows the different pages of this journal.  And here is what I wrote about it on my art blog:

For this journal I create a page from some detritus that comes to me during the course of the day ~ a receipt, a paper bag, packing material, whatever catches my fancy; that is be the starting point. Then I build the page around that element and eventually I add an origami dress. Sometime the dress is large, sometimes small; one time the dress isn't even there, you get the idea. (link to full blog post)

It is interesting that I picked this image for today's post as I am 'struggling' with this feeling of groundlessness.  Lately I have felt pulled in so many directions I feel completely off balance and when I'm feeling adrift I tend to go back to my art.  And in fact I have been feeling a great pull to make another 'dailydress' journal?!??! so stay tune to see what happens ...

peace

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Day9: believe in yourself

Maya, Believe in yourself!! I do and so many people do!! You are amazing!!

You are a dynamo in so many ways!!! Embrace that knowledge and let yourself shine, fly, blaze!!! 

This quote by Marianne Williamson encourages us all to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous!!  This is one of those quotes that I hold close to my heart, and look to when I am feeling lost or down. 

Her suggestion that it is more fear of success that holds us back, not fear of failure, rings true to me.  

I LOVE how she asks us, who are we NOT to be the best person that we can be?!? How she reminds us that there is no place for us playing small.  We have been put on this earth to give and share our gifts, so there is no reason to hide yourself or your gifts!! 

And then my favorite part of this quote is when she suggested that when we do shine and share our brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous selves, we give others the permission to do the same.  I see it as she has given me permission to SHINE

So Maya, here is your permission to go out into the world and SHINE!! 

love, Mom 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

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May this dress help us to find stillness in this age of movement and distractions ...

In an age of movement, 

nothing is more critical than stillness. 

Pico Iyer

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may this dress remind us all to live in the NOW . . .

'happy birthday lisa . . .' from #dailydress journal

With the past, 

I have nothing to do; 

nor with the future. 

I live now.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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may this dress heal and liberate us with love . . .

page from my dailydress journal that I kept while at VSC in Mar 2011

“Love heals. Heals and liberates. I use the word love, not meaning sentimentality, but a condition so strong that it may be that which holds the stars in their heavenly positions and that which causes the blood to flow orderly in our veins.

Maya Angelou, Mom & Me & Mom

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may this dress remind US that there are mo mistakes, no coincidences . . .

day #3, dailydress journal, 2011

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself 

and know that everything in this life has a purpose. 

 There are no mistakes, 

no coincidences. 

All events are blessings given to us to learn from. 

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

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May this dress be a gentle reminder to take care of ourselves . . . .

(or for yours truly it may need to be a gentle kick in the derriere !!!! 

'take better care of self . . .  take better care of self . . . ' :)

'wild sweet me . . .' dress#31, dailydress journal #1

"If you want to do your best 

for future generations of humanity, 

for your friends and family, 

you must begin by 

taking good care of yourself."

Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche

link to the original post about this page of my first dailydress journal.

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may this dress help set us free . . .

Re-examine all that you have been told, 

dismiss that which insults your soul.

- Walt Whitman

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May this dress bring us clarity, patience and a refund $$$

The hardest thing 

to understand 

in the world 

is the income tax.

Albert Einstein

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may this dress be a reminder!!!!!

Don't forget to 

LOVE yourself.

Soren Kierkegaard

LOVE

all of yourself, all the parts:

good/bad, perfect/imperfect, happy/sad,

love U all! 
always and forever!!!

peace

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May this dress remind you to refuel . . .

or more to the point, (note to self)

may this dress remind us the importance of refueling/recharging!! 

I have to be alone very often. 

I'd be quite happy if I spent from 

Saturday night until Monday morning 

alone in my apartment. 

That's how I refuel.

Audrey Hepburn

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May this dress help us to see that we are exactly where we are supposed to be . . .

the time has come! the time is NOW!! 

to abandon the mental monkeys and carpe diem!!!

'wild sweet me' made at VSC, part of my dailydress journal.

“It wasn’t that everything was going my way, 

but I began to believe that the way it was going was perfect. 

I accepted that where I was in life, 

was exactly where I was supposed to be.” 

― The Hippie, Snowflake Obsidian

sending all peace of mind!! xxx

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may this dress give you permission to sit awhile and think . . .

Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.  

~Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

As my life has taken many twists and turns in 

the past weeks, months and years, 

I have been scrambling to stay afloat and 

to figure everything out before it all collapses. 

However recently I am aware of a deeper need to slow down 

and settle into this new phase of my journey; to listen to my heart.

I realize that racing and solving is not always the solution.  

peace

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may this dress bring you LOVE!!!!

Love makes your soul crawl out 
from its hiding place.  
~ Zora Neale Hurston

Today's dress is part of the daily dress journal I made in 2011,

during my time at VSC.  This page is made with the envelope from a letter Harriet sent me while I was there, and just this morning, while walking my trusty hound, Scruffy,  I was thinking about how 'at home' I felt during that residency,

living and breathing art, literally. 

  

I would get up around 7am, have a quick bite for breakfast, then head off to my studio until about 1 am, with occasional breaks for lunch and dinner.  And when I was not in my studio I was surrounded by fellow artists from all over the world!! 

I did this for two weeks loving the solitude and the submersion in the creative process. I lived in my sparse collection of work clothes, just so content in my own little world . . . 

Except I missed my girls SOOOOOO!! 

I know they feed my creative soul, 

they give me so much of what I use to make my art.  

They pull me out of my hiding place every day and for this I am endlessly grateful!!! 

xxxx

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may this dress remind you, bird by bird . . . .

Today I need to remember the wise words from Anne Lamott's father

 ~ 'bird by bird'.

As it happens I am prepping for 

2 shows opening in the next 7 days!! 

'Flirt",  the inaugural group show @ the Dedham Mother Brook Art Center & 

'the daily dress series' @ Baldwin Hill Art, Natick.

I am super excited about both shows, 

however this friday has arrived with a laundry list of 

things to do a mile long - 

so bird by bird . . .  

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table, close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”

from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

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may this dress bring you gentleness . . .

"Be gentle with yourself. 

You are a child of the universe, 

no less than the trees and the stars. 

In the noisy confusion of life, 

keep peace in your soul."

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

may this dress remind you that it's always darkest before the dawn . . .

To be a star, 

you must shine your own light, 

follow your own path 

and don't worry about the darkness for that is 

when stars shine the brightest.

Unknown

today I awoke with this one line from the song 

"Shake It Out", by 

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, 

running over and over in my head:

"It's always darkest before the dawn" 

(which I honestly thought was the name of the song, until this morning).

Each morning when I figuring out what to post for my Daily Dress Inspiration, I think about what I need to hear, or what is the vibe in the air on that day/morning; I quiet my mind and listen.  It is a very active and mindful practice.  

Today, when all I could 'hear' was this one line from the song, on repeat, over and over and over, I knew what today's theme would be. And this line is very appropriate for what I have been experiencing these past days.  

So today I embrace the darkness for it is helping me to shine, brightly.

I am going to shake off the looming sense of gloom!!

And I have faith that dawn is coming!! 

"Shake It Out"

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

(click song title to go to a video of the song)

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

Our love is pastured, such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

And I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
'Cause I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone
It's always darkest before the dawn

Oh whoa, oh whoa...

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat
'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me, yeah

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh whoa

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may this dress help you to embrace chaos . . .

Chaos is rejecting 

all you have learned, 

Chaos is being yourself.

EMILE CIORAN, 

A Short History of Decay

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May these dresses remind you of the gift that good friends are . . .

this dressjournal page was made with the scraps
collected during a delicious day meandering
Newbury St. with Ms. Maya and a dear, dear friend

A good friend is 

a connection to life - 

a tie to the past, 

a road to the future, 

the key to sanity 

in a totally insane world.  

~Lois Wyse

I am so thankful for my amazing friends!!  

These past years would have been so much harder of a journey 

without these amazing traveling companions;

 those who are in the 'hood, 

those who are a phone call away 

and those wonderful new FB friends ~

it is remarkable the power of a simply 'like'. :)

  

Thank you all for being my key to sanity!!! 

I'm so blessed!!!

peace

may this dress help you to know your purpose . . . .

"I believe we’re all put on this planet for a purpose, 

and we all have a different purpose… 

When you connect with that love and that compassion, 

that’s when everything unfolds.”

 – Ellen DeGeneres 

(Comedian/Personality/Philanthropist and 

a person who puts her money where her mouth is ) ~ 

Ellen DeGeneres gives $10,000 to waitress who paid soldiers' tab

(click above to view clip)

I stumbled upon this clip and was very touched.  I don't have a TV so I hadn't heard of this story.  But when I watched this short exchange I was moved.  Not only by the generosity of the waitress but by Ellen commitment to kindness.  Especially since the soldiers were concerned about their lunch bill because of our government's shutdown.  It just seems to highlight the absurdity of the situation when a woman who doesn't have much financial security helps the solders who are being penalized for working for an institution that were playing petty games with people's lives, saving and financial security.  And I ask what was gained or even learned by this tactic?!? It saddens me that egos and hubris seem to mean most in our government.

In fact I have seen this quote of Ellen's begin a sentence earlier:

“I work really hard at trying to see the big picture and not getting stuck in ego. I believe we’re all put on this planet for a purpose, and we all have a different purpose… When you connect with that love and that compassion, that’s when everything unfolds.” – Ellen DeGeneres 

I felt that for my daily dress inspiration that the ego part of the quote wasn't that important, but as it always happens, I now see that it is important.  

Thank you and peace ~ 

and don't forget this is the last weekend of 'breaking open' at Fountain Street Fine Art.  I am hosting an evening reception, tonight, to keep the gallery open later.  Please come by if you want.  

Also regular gallery hours are:

friday 11-5

saturday 11-5 (i'll be gallery sitting on 2-5)

sunday 11-5

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