SACRED.....Revisiting what it truly means.

When I wrote about the idea of what is Sacred the other day I did not truly know personally what that meant.  I had an idea from books, photographs, places, definitions but not a personal experience.  Or maybe not an experience I could remember at the moment.  But it is obvious to me now in hind sight that it was a yearning in my heart to know the Sacred.  It's funny how a lot can happen in a couple of days.  Things and people can enter our lives that change them, alter our path forever sometimes.

I had an experience over the weekend that I will not allow myself to diminish and say it was not life changing because it was.  It was truly so deeply meaningful and sacred that I am holding it close to my heart in a way that I can't describe clearly.  It could come out as sounding crazy... yep, I'll admit that.  But to me it was and is beautiful!

How that relates to me revisiting the truth of the sacred is this.  In my last post I don't think I gave the word Sacred the beauty that it deserves or realized the spaces in which it can exists.  I spent a weekend away last weekend... to be totally honest I went away on a Spiritual Retreat.  As I write that it seems funny to say that but I feel comfortable calling it that because that is the truth.  I won't get into the details of everything but I will say that I entered into it in a way kicking and screaming... not literally but I had a lot of trepidation and fear.  I knew about it for a few weeks and couldn't get it out of my mind.  But my own fears were keeping me from planning on going.  Finally, in a conversation with a wise friend and a honest look at myself and support of people who love me I decided to make the commitment to go.  Of course, as soon as I committed to the weekend, filled out the online form, paid the fee, the nervousness returned.  The courage I had felt just moments before when I made the commitment seemed to vanish.  But... I was committed.  Well, in the next day or two the weather turned bad and in my mind I started to worry... "Was it going to be cancelled?"  At this point there was a longing in my heart to go... to have a couple of days of quiet... even if that would be all it would be for me.  Quiet.  Well, on Friday the weather was icy but with a heart of determination and a little excitement I hopped in the truck and went.

It was set in a beautiful place on about 100 acres of land and peaceful.  Quiet and peaceful.  I spent the weekend with 22 people of whom I did not know but as I left them on Sunday they now held a special place in my heart.  Ok... I'm rambling now.  What I am trying to express is how I came to know the Sacred.  Not just know it in my head as a book thing.. a definition.. or a description in an Eastern Meditation book but know it in a way of my heart.

I believe now that the Sacred is around us.  It is in the air we breathe.  I believe in truth it exists in the space between two people when they come together to speak and hold one another in a space of love.  I believe it is in the space when we are alone and allow ourselves to be vulnerable with ourselves about ourselves.  I believe it is in the moment when we listen to one another.... when we listen.  It is in the quiet.  It is in the noise of life.  I believe it is in this life... the beauty and the sorrow of it all it is in the choice to see ourselves as who we are... to believe... to listen to the Sacred to know we are loved and that we were loved long before the creation of this world.

This is my heartfelt look into what it truly means to me to experience the Sacred.  

It is something that can be breathed in everyday it can be shared and cultivated.   

For that I am grateful!

Once again I have to share this poem for it has a deeper heartfelt meaning to for me.

THE TRUE NATURE OF YOUR BELOVED

Know

the true nature of your

Beloved

In

His

loving eyes

your every thought, word, and movement

is always, always

beautiful

Sacred Spaces and Ourselves

Happy Friday.... It's looking like snow here in Greensboro bringing with it excitement and a busyness with early school releases, scrambling with what to do with work and childcare.  It  also brings a stillness and joy with warm fires, hot cocoa and happy children who can think of nothing better than getting out of school early.  I am looking forward to the weekend.

I have been thinking a lot about sacred spaces this week.  What is a sacred space?  What do they look like and why they are important in our lives?  I refer to my studio as a sacred space. This week I have been thinking more about why that is...  I know the main reason is that my dad was huge in creating my studio space for me.  He helped our family turn a dream into a reality all because he loved me and my family.  He wanted me to have a space to create, a space for us to work and a space for our kids to play and make memories with their friends.  Really, that love given from him to me, that in itself makes it a sacred space.  A place to be ourselves, to share and be with friends and a place to grow ourselves into more of who we were created to be..... a place to just be and that's all.

Your sacred space is where you can find yourself 
again and again 

~ Joseph Campbell

You must have a room or a certain hour of the day or so where you do not know what is in the morning paper.  A place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are or might be.

~ Joseph Campbell

There are times I am so quick to jump into the day... to check in on fb, check the paper, online news...  It is not a bad thing to want to check in, to want to know what is happening around us.  I believe we all desire to be connected with one another.  Connection with other human beings is sacred in its own right.  It is to be cherished.  But to have a time like Joseph Campbell says in the quote above really struck me.  To have a time before it all... all the checking in... to take a moment to center and be with oneself.  I believe this is a truth worth listening too.  To step into the day with a strength about you, a quiet knowing of who you are.. what you are looking to see in this day... even giving yourself the chance to say... I am not excited about this day.  It is like giving ourselves an honest beginning to the day an opening to bring forth who we are and might be in our experiences.  I only say this as a reminder to myself to take the time, take the time to know me as I enter into each day.  Where am I starting from?  It is time not wasted.

Brian Andreas says it quite well in the quote on this sculpture
I have it hanging on the front of my studio.... 

"I've always liked the time before dawn because there's no one around to remind me who I'm supposed to be so it's easier to remember who I am."  ~ Brian Andreas

I love the idea of finding a nook in my home and creating a space for reading, meditating and or snuggling.

Thailand sacred spaces.

So after contemplating the week and being honest with myself I think these cold days have had me in a little bit of a creative funk.  After looking at sacred spaces and being inspired by the beauty of kindred spirits in the creative world I am ready for more creative days in the studio.  I am ready to spend quiet times in sacred spaces tending to matters of the heart and enjoy days of creative freedom.  

I am also looking forward to Spring.  I am not one to hasten on the Seasons because I think we need all of them, each for their own different gifts and reasons.  I can see how Winter is such a quiet and still time.  It's a time where we can't see the growth that is happening under ground but we all know it is there.  I feel that way about the world right now.  I see things happening in so many hearts of people I know and love.  Growth is happening.  We may not always be able to see it on the surface but it is there.  

Soon enough Spring will be here.  We will all be glad to throw open our windows, shake out our rugs and get our hands in the dirt.  We will breathe in new life.  Life will be visibly blooming in front of our eyes.  At times I have to remind myself that even now, on the colder days, a deeper growing is happening.... it's just not always visible at first glance.   Enjoy the weekend and all you experience. 

My Biggest Inspiration and Greatest JOY

So, before I get too far along in this blog I want to share some gratitude for some pretty awesome people.  I  owe the beauty in my life to my family, friends and the beauty of this earth but mainly to three people who share each and every day with me.  I was very lucky to meet this incredible man who decided to choose me 13 years ago.  Yep, I am the lucky one to have found him. I have been blessed with our wonderful children who l love dearly and feel the same love given in return.  They sure open my eyes to myself almost daily and their view of life and the world is one of joy and wonder.   What I have been thankful for as of late is the slowing down I have felt.  It is hard to settle into a slower pace sometimes and I wonder what to do with the space and time.  What I do know is that I enjoy being with these three amazing people.  My life is full because of them.

My creativity is also a gift cultivated by my family.  Without the love and support of my hubby I couldn't spend my days working and creating in my wonderful studio.  My children's art and drawings inspire me so much in my creative process.  Kids artwork is the absolute best!  I love it when they come out to the studio with a drawing of an owl and it becomes a cookie jar... It's crazy cool!

  

My son drew this beautiful bird reminiscent of folk art which now graces many pieces that come of out of my studio.  When I showed him the first bird design on a cup he said, "Wow Mom! It looks like a Moon Bird"... hence came the name, Moon Bird Pottery.  I will dig out the first drawing of the bird and post it sometime soon...  but for now here is the cup.

I just wanted to take a moment and be grateful 

for the wonderful family I am blessed to walk beside on this journey.

I'm sure glad to have them along for this wild ride. ~

i love you

Knowing our true Nature

I want begin this blog with a favorite poem of mine from a book of poems by Daniel Ladinsky.

THE TRUE NATURE OF YOUR BELOVED

Know

the true nature of your

Beloved.

In

His

loving eyes

your every thought, word, and movement

is always, always

beautiful.

I have been thinking about starting a blog to share my journey as a ceramic artist and as a way to share inspiration and creativity.  As I thought of this blog I knew creativity and ceramics would not be all this blog would encompass.  My days in the studio are prefaced by a ritual of morning coffee, reading and time looking at beautiful art and design to get my creative juices flowing.  My studio has become such a sacred space for many reasons during the last 6 months.  I enjoy the space for its freedom of quiet thought and meditation about life.  The creativity that happens in there is the icing on the cake.  

Being able to sit with music and incense burning and create is such a luxury that at times I feel guilty like I should be "doing" something else.  This is where I come back to this poem.  The true nature of the Beloved.... This is at the depth of what I think about on many occasions trying to figure out what I 'should' be doing.  What is the purpose of this life journey we are on?  Then I go back to the simplicity of this poem and what it says without any questions.  It states a simple truth.

In his loving eyes your every thought, word, and movement is beautiful.  

That offers so much freedom.  He does not say it is beautiful because you did or are doing something... there is just freedom to be you, to be creative, to laugh, to cry, to mourn, to dance, to sing.... To live and love.  So, with this in mind I begin this blog.  I hope for it to be a space to be creative, contemplative, inspiring and full of fantastic artistic goodness that makes you smile.  I hope you will journey with me. 

~ Christina