Artful Realisations

My New Blog

2011-06-07T17:05:00.004+10:00

I have decided not to spend energy on this blog for a while as I rarely feel I have anything interesting to say.

I decided to create another blog dedicated to the messages I receive from higher non-physical sources. This information is far more wonderful, energetic and worthwhile than my usual prattling. If you are a spiritual soul, you might enjoy it.

http://thegentletruth.blogspot.com/

Now and Then

2010-10-02T19:24:00.008+10:00

'Be content now and you will be content then.'

This was part of a message I received last night. It seems simple enough, which, in my experience, always translates to ‘difficult’.

Years ago I was given this simple truth— ‘Patience has no end’. I was flabbergasted and humbled. It’s a stupidly simple concept, yet my patience has always had its limits, therefore I’d been missing the point. But that discussion will keep for another time.

My ponderings of 'the future' prompted the message ‘Be content now and you will be content then.’ It seems so elementary, yet understanding a truth doesn’t mean being able to live it. To create a contented future you must live it now and now and now, even if all you are doing is dreaming, believing or feeling. It's the vibration that counts and each vibrational now chains together to become then.

I was once told that you don’t have to experience something in physicality but merely to take on the feeling of it and it will manifest in your life… Here is the message…

"All that people seek is a feeling. In every single endeavour a feeling is the desired outcome. This feeling can be gained in the moment, in every instant, without taking the long road. It is just a matter of grasping it; of being it. Once you have this feeling encompassed within you it will manifest into reality in a solid form, as the essence of you expressed outward. But the solid expression of this feeling will no longer be a need within you so there will no longer be a struggle to gain it.”

The struggle seems to be the whole sticking point. We struggle. Are we addicted to the struggle; to the hard road, the long haul, the bloody path? Is it that which makes our lives worth living; that we must overcome something to deserve an accolade or a qualification? Is striving the measure of our inner success? It seems so. It seems that we can never be content as we are. We must compete and have more and lead the pack before we qualify for success. How can our future (and our now) be content in a world of striving?

Is it actually possible to be content now and if so, how do we achieve it?

I was simply advised to look ahead, not behind or even sideways. In other words, do not concentrate on what caused the problems but on what paves the future. Are we seeing the positive now or are we bogged down in the anguish of our past? What is our motivator and where is it leading?

A feast for thought.

All additional thoughts welcome.

Mural Facelift 2010

2010-07-05T19:20:00.027+10:00

I thought it was about time I blogged, considering it's been a year since my last post. I've clearly had nothing to say, and I'm still not sure I have anything worthwhile, but, that said, here's something... (WARNING: It's a long one!)

I thought I'd follow the progress of a mural revamp. Here's the story so far...

Back in 2008 at the Mannagum Festival at Poulter Reserve, Greensborough, I painted a community mural with 80 kids (and a few parents). It was painted on the 4 walls of the Dog Obedience Club Shed and had a doggy theme.

There was supposed to be a graffiti coating applied to the finished mural. This allows any graffiti to be wiped off easily. But, as things go, it wasn't applied in time for the taggers to get their cans all over it. Over a period of 18 months, the local graffiti kids went nuts. Many attempts were made to clean it off, but in the end the spray cans prevailed. Watch this video to see the result, or see photos below...

So, finally, the local council - who commissioned the original mural - have financed a facelift. And so I began by whiting out the graffiti. See quick vid and photos below.

Then re-painting the original design over the top of the white-out.

But wait... this afternoon as I was sitting in my car right on dusk, having just spent 3.5 hours working on the mural, when three figures wandered nearby and one brazen lad, who later told me his name was John Coobin (which I'm sure it isn't) ran up and tagged the mural. I just happened to have taken a shot 10 mins prior, so here are the before and after shots.

And here's a really bad, blurry shot of John Coobin doing the deed...

and then heading off to his mates as I stood there taking pics and imploring him not to do it again!

Here he is, hiding his face...

So, it remains to be seen what else transpires as I attempt to restore the doggy mural... Stay tuned.

The Simple Bling of Truth

2009-07-21T21:29:00.008+10:00

Lao Tzu, China (sixth century BC)

If there is to be peace in the world,
the nations must live in peace.
If there is to be peace among nations,
the cities must not rise up against each other.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
neighbours must understand each other.
If there is to be peace among neighbours,
there must be harmony in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
we must each find our own heart.

Lao Tzu, like the other Taoists, is so simple in his wisdom. Many centuries later, we may have advanced technologically but the simplicity of truth has never altered. It never will.

Perhaps we are just too distracted by the smoke and mirrors of our modern world to really notice the gentle 'Isness' that blows in the wind and holds every heart as it beats. There is no upgrading it, super-powering it, or annihilating it. And it has all the bling it needs.

Incredible Technology

2009-07-20T16:43:00.003+10:00

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Be As You Are

2009-07-04T20:04:00.002+10:00

I recently dug up a piece of wisdom I received some time ago and thought it would be brilliant to share. It doesn't seem to matter how often you read or hear truth, it still rings like the clearest of bells...

Be As You Are

In the letting go of judgement on your being; in the release of self-criticism that attempts to contain you, you will find great peace and contentment.

How can you be who you are and flow in the way of the universe if you cannot accept the whole of yourself? How can you love others properly if your eyes are trained for fault? How can you bring goodness upon your life if bitterness guards the door?

When you can let go of self-criticism you will find peace in all circumstances. Your life is a product of you, therefore in the acceptance of yourself comes an acceptance of all you create. You will not berate yourself if you do not create perceived miracles in every moment because you will accept and honour the limitations of yourself on this plane.

You will learn to view your limitations not as limitations, because you will not have expectations on what should be. You won't see what is not - just what is. A person only finds limitations when expectations are set.

In the acceptance of self, you will find acceptance of others. You will honour their perceived limitations through loving eyes and an open heart. Soon, even their limitations will not be seen as such, but just as what is. And then, when what is becomes all that is, you will cry freedom to the universe.

If you can live as yourself in every moment, without the burden of self-judgement, you will fully awaken. If you cover your true nature to appease the rule-makers it will lead you to break your spirit, lose your wings and wear clay boots. They will judge you for dancing when you should be walking, for laughing when you should be in serious discussion. Your true nature is unlimited perfection and you are not the property of shadows.

Love that you are. Be as you are. In this state you will fly.

The Journey

2009-06-29T20:04:00.013+10:00

How far would you be prepared to go for 'enlightenment' - to exist in the benevolence of your unlimited, loving nature? I don't think we have to do anything profound or difficult to awaken to our true natures, in fact I think it's probably quite the opposite; but it's become a generational habit to strive in order to 'achieve'. So, in the spirit of die-hard striving, what would you be prepared to do and how gratefully would you do it?

Would you complain if it took you 10,000 lifetimes of struggle?

Would you moan if you chose to murder or be murdered in order to 'get the message'?

Would you bitch if you had to die of leprosy or cancer or E-bola if that's what it took to give your soul back its freedom?

I've been pondering the idea that we're all on a quest of awakening yet we whine and complain every step of the way for every niggle, prickle and hardship. We even invent drama to spice up the long, tedious ride. Are we not grateful for our journey to freedom? Is that why it takes so long?

Perhaps we would be better off loving (or at least being thankful for) our pain and difficulty. Would that neutralise it so that we stop finding the potholes and see only the beautiful scenery? I think yes.

It is pretty optimistic to suggest that we could all love our way to enlightenment instead of bitching and fighting. We are so used to the fight. Yet loving our journey would be a smoother, more joyous path and we might even get there before we lose our load on the first sharp bend.

So it's all about the currency we carry as we journey towards ourselves. Are our pockets filled with joy or despair, acceptance or warfare, smiles or frowns?

Beauty

2009-06-29T08:14:00.009+10:00

God at Work?

2009-06-06T20:15:00.005+10:00

The talent of child artist Arkiane leaves me open-mouthed and awe-stricken: http://www.artakiane.com/akiane_art.htm.

At only seven years old her talent surpassed the average adult artist. Now she is 13 and her ability leaves most, 'sputtering in her paint fumes', as one artist put it. She is truly inspired.

Arkiane claims that her ability is a gift from God. I have no question about that. If you are believer in a 'higher power' you might share my sentiments. If not, you may see her as a brilliant freak of nature.

I would be interested to hear different views on Arkiane and others of her ilk, especially if you are an atheist or agnostic. Is her work divinely inspired?

A Great and Rare Gift

2009-06-05T20:25:00.004+10:00

Yesterday, after a day of overwhelming, eternal sadness, I did something I have never been able to do. I looked at myself, tears streaming, and truly loved who I saw.

Usually when I stare at my reflection I see the surfacing wrinkles, puffy eyes and tiredness, and then I turn away. But yesterday I saw the very depths of me, myself, my soul. I saw my own grace and I was caught by it.

The woman staring back wasn't the 'little me' that I criticise openly, who often fills me with disappointment. It was the 'grand' me, who I've never 'seen' before. Sure I've felt her quite often, gently imparting her wisdom, but to physically see her was profoundly mind-blowing.

I wonder whether I am behind the eight-ball on this. Is it a common experience, to look at yourself and feel love, respect and acceptance? Or is it a great and rare gift? For me it is definitely the latter.

I hope this respect and love holds. I hope it is more than a fleeting vision in a mirror. I hope that having seen a glimpse of my true self I will never forget her.

Truthfully Tolerant?

2009-05-22T09:25:00.010+10:00

I've caught myself out. Again.

I consider myself tolerant, compassionate and accepting yet I'm intolerant of the intolerant. The irony of that is delicious, yet slightly acidic, food for thought.

Is tolerance a blanket idea? If you are advocating tolerance then should you be living it? I say yes, in the spirit and truth of it. Yet I find myself having great difficulty tolerating the bigoted, chauvinistic, xenophobic, uncharitable, unforgiving, antipathetic types. It even feels good to derisively sprout those horrible terms and condemn the miserable sods who personify them.

And therein lies the conundrum. How dare I preach tolerance when I am unforgiving and uncharitable myself? I judge the ‘small-minded’ yet applaud myself for being a bigger person, more accepting and dignified than they.

I am embarrassed.

There are ideals and convictions inside us all, wholly consuming truths that guide our decisions, friendships and alliances. I personally cannot abide racism, for example, and that seems laudable enough. Yet there is definitely a lesson about love there. I do not love the racist. My tolerance is a muted shade that lacks a level of love.

Can I ever be that wholly loving being for whom tolerance doesn’t even exist as a concept? Love in its true, unconditional form knows no shades of tolerance, forgiveness, patience, truth or anything. Through the pure eyes of love there is no judgement and no definition. So for as long as I brand myself tolerant, I am not.

I am love shaded, and every day I hope I can make a point of noticing those dusty shades. When I pat myself on the back for being tolerant or forgiving I will try to gather some humility and notice the shine missing from my own scorn.

An Ocean View - Are You Someone Else’s Wash-up?

2009-05-03T22:40:00.000+10:00

When viewing the stormy ocean of life very few people resemble deep flowing water. Many appear as destructive waves that wreak havoc in every direction but most look like the ragged debris left after a storm. I confess to having been a scrap of wreckage, devoid of strength, and washed up on a filthy, desolate shore. An ugly but honest metaphor.

It’s not particularly hard to become the flotsam left by the king tide of others’ personalities, especially if your sense of worth is shaky. The wave-types, whether causing ripples or tsunami-strength monsters, can have the power to tip, slam and carry you miles away from your centred self. The resulting loss of equilibrium can diminish your esteem, creativity, confidence, calm and ability to cope.

While lying clapped-out on the shore I asked myself, ‘Why so shakeable?’ Why had I allowed myself to become weather-beaten and so inefficient at supporting me? Was it learnt behaviour, social role-playing, horribly low self-esteem? The questions came by the millions but the answers didn’t. I lay in a broken heap pondering, analysing, speculating, and then, after far too long, I realised it’s all about the view.

My vision had been exhaustively focused on the treacherous waves; how to dodge them, calm them, leap over them and bandage the wounds caused by them. I was so utterly at their mercy, in my own mind, that I had become their willing victim. I was concerned only with the waves and their power. What room did that leave for focusing on me? I had diminished my own self to nearly nothing, and that had to change. I had to stop seeing myself as a battered, shattered shard of somebody else’s refuse.

So began the excruciating haul towards changing my view, refocusing my energy, and seeing a calm ocean where there was once a hundred tsunamis. I had to believe I deserved gentle seas and soft breezes, and, when I encountered a storm, keep my eyes on the horizon.

There are still many days when the rain hits, waves pound and I am tossed into the rocks. But now my view is different. I rarely see myself as a scrap of debris washed-up by an enemy storm; I see elegant, sculptured driftwood floating toward the calmest of beaches.

What is your View?

What Fills Your Cup?

2009-05-01T13:28:00.003+10:00

Having been a Twitterer for a few months it is obvious to me how addictive it can be. This led my eager-active brain to ponder the idea, 'What fills my cup?' Or yours.

It seems that most people don't seek to fill their cups (themselves) from the well of resources within but rather they outsource it. The myriad options may be drugs, alcohol, work, relationships, drama, food, exercise, computer games, even Twitter! Basically anything that serves as a hit of some kind to keep you cruising to the next fuel stop.

Instinctively I know my cup isn't empty, and that I have an infinitive fuel resource, yet I still search around myself and get thoroughly caught up in it. It would be far less tiring to look within. So why don't I?

I often make powerful statements to myself about becoming self-reliant, and 'drinking from my own cup', yet I am teased and tempted and taken away. It's like being a rebellious teenager to my great wise parent self. I can only hope that one day I won't 'need' any of that and I will be able to stand whole and complete as myself.

So let me ask, 'What fills your cup?'

The Truth about Gluten-Free Bread

2009-04-30T14:14:00.003+10:00

Okay, I'll elaborate a little on the previous post, in an attempt to drum up sympathy for a tragic minority.

In mid-2008 I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. Coeliacs can't eat gluten. I suppose that doesn't sound too bad, after all, who orders gluten at the local takeaway? The short answer; everyone. For the uninitiated, gluten is in several common grains such as wheat and barley, and those two alone are in just about everything we eat.

A quick inventory: Bread (Forgodsake), cakes, biscuits, pies, burgers, sausages, most chocolate bars, beer (God no!), Vegemite (God NOOOOOOOOO!), and almost everything else that qualifies as processed food. Wheat, in particular, is cheap to produce and tastes good, so it is stuffed into processed food as a filler or thickener, or as the main ingredient.

I have also been a vegetarian for nearly 25 years. It was a rather rude shock to suddenly drop almost all of the rest of my diet, just like that. Without detailing a menu of what I can eat, I'll just say that the list keeps growing thanks to companies like Orgran who have created gluten-free pastas, breakfast cereals, cake mixes etc. BUT, the biggest disappointment to most coeliacs is bread.

In short, gluten-free bread sucks, unless you have a penchant for chip-board. It's dense, cakey, crumbly and tastes like footpath. And it's expensive. You can't toast it. You can pop it into the toaster for fifteen minutes until it resembles a house brick, then try applying butter, but it will usually crumble before you get that far. If you haven't sent it across the room by then, you can try eating it. Sometimes it will taste a little better than glue but mostly it's grub-appetising.

Luckily I'm not much of a bread person. I miss my beer and malt (Maltesers!) and a decent sponge cake, but gluten-free bread is an unwelcome intruder at my place. I'd like to discover a truly decent, readily available, light, tasty, inexpensive loaf of it. But then I'd also like world peace.

The Joys of Gluten-Free Bread

2009-04-30T09:28:00.000+10:00

There are none. No, really.

Keeping Myself Honest

2009-04-29T20:08:00.000+10:00

I finally succumbed to a Blog. Goddammit! It's just like the time I admitted watching Big Brother and Idol and every other stinking reality show out there. I was/am totally bitten. Can't deny it.

I fought the urge to Blog but it was a fierce attraction, like plastic and dust. The writer in me burst a foofer-valve (what is that?) and screamed into Blogworld. I'm still trying to work out exactly why. I hope it wasn't a secret yearning to belong to the 'me me me' generation where a bezillion town-criers shout 'Hear Me, Hear Me!' That is substantially annoying.

On that general theme, Twitter is reminding me of an endless stream of static where you occasionally hear something worthwhile but mostly it's just variations of white noise. And maybe that's all this will be, another bothersome frequency.

I would ideally like to accomplish the essence of the blog description - to keep myself honest, which is a bit of an ask in a public forum, but that's my hope. I've always been fearful of my own honesty because it gets me in trouble, so if fear grabs hold I might just quit out. In the meantime, I will do my best to stay honest and avoid being a total web-wanker.