How many of us as women are bold enough to trust our expression and put out to the world with passion our “body of work” as artistic (whatever form that takes for you), creative beings with immense potential?
I don’t just mean those of you among us who call themselves “artists” and make it their livelihood, or are seriously committed to artistic expression. I mean all of us!
A week ago now I was blessed to have lunch with 5 “livelihood artists” who are each uniquely expressing out into the world what it is that comes through them. They have consciously chosen to share themselves embodied in the artistic expression of how they see and experience the world.
It was a blessing for me to be around them for many reasons. As I gazed around the table at the expressions on their faces, the clothes and jewelry that they wore, and heard the lively conversations I realized once again that the opportunity for expression of “art” is interwoven in every moment of our lives.
In Bali, Indonesia there is no word for art because it simply is innately a part of living for the Balinese. They grow up singing, dancing, painting, carving, writing stories, drawing, weaving, and so many other forms of expressing. After being with the Balinese for a couple of weeks a few years ago it struck me that expressing ourselves in unique and artistic ways is truly a necessary part of embodying ourselves as a whole and evolving human being.
On that note please take some moments to view this video that was sent to me by one of those beautiful artists. Thank you to Patricia Lyle in my new home of Austin, Texas for you inspiration and your new friendship! http://www.PatriciaLyle.com (she is the woman sitting next to me on the right)
Take time to produce a body of work that says, “this is how I saw the world”. Live with your life wide open!!
I turn 63 years old in just a matter of a couple of weeks. Two days before this day of my birth celebration I am taking flight by heading off down the road to visit family, friends, and new places all on the way to my new home in Austin, Texas.
Unhooking from a “conventional job” with all the trimmings, leaving my little cottage in the Oregon countryside, saying farewell to friends, and generally being aware of letting go of perceived limitations there is an excitement that is building inside.
There is no “job” to greet me on the other side, home to put my belongings in, man to greet me with open arms, family to be closer to, or known territory to feel “safe” in….yet there is possibility, mystery, and new territory to open to and explore. Is this what looking past limits is made of?
Mary Oliver said it in her poem, A Summer Day, with the line – “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I love this line! Do you know? Well, it is never too late to breathe wildness into that precious life and find out! We may not know how, but believing in the innate gifts we hold inside is essential.
“Whether a woman knows it or not, she is a vessel of great magnitude born capable of reshaping humanities destiny if she only knew the true depths of her innate gifts. Be prepared now to see the fierce face of the feminine rock as her inner geographies of volcanic strength erupt from a love she has held in her belly for life all of her days. This is not a gasp of her last breath. It is her birthing cry into her wise leadership on our planet.” ~ Alisa Starkweather
Each of us as women need to hear of others that are doing this same thing as we leap off into the passionate expression of our deepest longings. Below is a very powerful TED video with Caroline Casey which is well worth the time spent to listen to it in its entirety.
How will you spend the next days/months/years of this one wild and precious life?
Some of you might recognize this Tarot card which was given to me as a symbol for this last year of my life. Everyone will see something different within the image and the symbols. In fact, everyone will see and feel exactly what they need to at this juncture of their life within the depths of the images.
This card has been on my altar as a guiding light for finding trusting, and surrendering to my authentic “voice” – amongst the many competing ones all around – in an emboldened, passionate, sensual and expansive way.
In that vein, I would like to share with you a piece called ROAR!!! by Cinda Stevens Lonsway. As I read this story energy raced through my body. It was exactly the words that I needed to read right in this moment to inspire me to courageously continue bringing my voice and connecting with the likes of YOU – the Wildly Free Woman!
….and now for the Shaking The Trees part! Eight years ago now there was a song that was created by Peter Gabriel called “Shaking The Trees”. I had forgotten about it until today when I came across it once again on a Facebook post.
I gift you this video to go along with ROARING for I do believe that the two combined will have you not only up and dancing, but making sounds that only you can make. Don’t be shy now!!
There was a circle of women sitting together having come to join each other in sharing what it was to walk a sacred, creatively authentic path as a woman in this world. The small island on which this retreat was located held us within the energy of her natural beauty. There was a leader of this group who stood before us in her power and with her unique voice. She vibrated with confidence and a wisdom that was palatable to everyone in the room.
The present assignment was simple, or so it seemed. Each woman was asked to share what brought her, and whether she had any expectations of the week that we would share together. I immediately felt the fear of being transparent within this circle of women. It was a full body charge running from the top of my head all the way to my toes….and it wasn’t particularly comfortable. I felt like a deer in the headlights as my turn quickly approached.
As each woman shared eloquently (or so I judged) her journey to get here, and what she hoped to uncover for herself, I felt like I was the lone ranger with all of this fear of not being able to speak within the circle. As long as I was the facilitator or leader of a group I seemed to be quite fine thank you very much, but when put in the position of being a participant where I felt not in control of what would come out of my mouth – well it was pure terror!
Most of my life had been spent in a man’s world, literally! Motherless since 14 with 4 brothers, a father to take care of me, 2 husbands and another long term partner, 3 sons and many years in the conventional medical world, I wasn’t really certain of how to be in the company of women let alone bring my authentic powerful voice to the forefront. I had been too busy anticipating the needs of men and everyone else around me to trust what my own voice had to say.
Well here was my chance, in this circle of women bound together out of a desire to mine the depths of our individual and collective hearts, souls, and minds – and dance together with our bodies in uninhibited movement.
It was then my turn in the circle to share, and do you know what I did? I passed! Oh, yes a lesson learned a 1,000 times over that when you pass on bringing your voice, no matter what the circumstances, you not only miss out on finding out more about yourself, but you also hold back your unique thoughts, feelings, and ideas that could empower or break open the woman sitting next to you, the woman across the circle from you, or the woman on the other side of the world!
Yes, I finally did dismantle the fear that was keeping me silent, and shared a couple of days later in my own timing. That seemed to part of my lesson as well these many years ago now. Honoring when I was ready to bring my voice by loving myself in the moment of absolute terror, and then committing within myself to bring my voice before the week was out. It was what happened between the terror and the bringing that was truly the heart of the healing for me. I let go of being perfect and committed to bring the whole of me – no matter what.
The “no matter what” was important for me in this safe circle of women, for so like many women we seem to hold a deep cellular memory of having been somehow “punished” for bringing our voice, our talents, and our opinions to the table of the world at large. I say, let’s create another cellular memory for the girls that follow behind us and for the women of today and yesterday.
What does happen between finding our voice and bringing it out into the world in all of our relationships and endeavors??
There is a video below that is powerfully short and to the point. Chills swept my body as I realized that although I have brought my voice out into the community, in relationship, and out into the world I have reached a point in age when there is not as much time to bring that unique voice of mine as there was when I was 20, 30, 40 or even 50.
What is it that will encourage, support, and sometimes give us a little lovin push or shove, as the case may be, to find and bring our voice? I say – each other!
We need all of us to break any silence we have kept for reasons only we know deep in our hearts…tell your story and impact the world, reclaim your voice when you have lost it, be fearless, listen to your inner voice and act accordingly, let go of being perfect, talk about what is important to you with other women and ask for help when needed, live your life in integrity and on your own terms, let go of trying to be everything to everybody….Be completely, transparently, and powerfully YOU!
P.S. Couldn’t help but include this little video as a post script. Just watched it and still have a smile on my face. Talk about finding your voice. It comes in many ways of expression!! Enjoy!
More than 5 years ago now I attended a Global Healing conference in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. The keynote speaker was Desmond Tutu (who made himself very available to us!) and there were 800 people attending from all over the world. It was an incredibly powerful experience that transported me into a global citizen and expanded my awareness about life and my own contributions to the world.
After the conference I had created an additional 10 days to just be on my own and explore the amazing country and people of Bali. There were many things about this culture and these people that captivated my heart and soul. One of them was the natural beauty of the people, the country, and the way of life…and I am not talking external beauty only here. There was an essence that was felt, a light reflection of what is real substance within each living thing….. A sacredness of whole being if you will.
It was here that I was able to find and celebrate my natural beauty, throw away my self consciousness around how I looked on the outside, and luxuriate in all that is beautiful. It was here that I fell in love with myself and had it reflected back to me over and over again…and yes, I did find myself in a tub with flower petals floating in the water just as in the picture above!
As I stepped into this new found natural being of beauty others were attracted and I found love shining back at me from every possible source. The Balinese people know when a person is being authentic, and as I let go of inner constraint I was welcomed into families and villages, held Balinese children, sat with heads of villages to talk about meditation and the finer points of drinking milk straight from the coconut (oh, did I make a mess of things much to their enjoyment!), had intimate dinners with embraces and kisses in the moonlight by a lotus pond with an Australian participant of the conference, and was even invited onto the backs of motor scooters by locals to tour the island.
I found that natural beauty is something each and every one of us as women hold within, and that when we open to the giving and receiving of love with full and authentic expression and acceptance there is a radiance in our being that draws others in.
Below are 2 resources that I feel you will enjoy and appreciate. Pass this on to women you know and let’s collaborate with each other to accept, express, and celebrate our natural beauty and full potential!
The NEW Beauty “She said, “Jules, If I didn’t know you, I would hate you.” This message was delivered to me, 24 years ago, at a critical and tender time in my life. It reverberated endlessly, from my fragile ego, to the depths of my soul, and back around my hear…t. This was a painful and difficult message for an approval-seeking young adult, who worked tirelessly to move beyond the “ugly and imperfect” obstacles from childhood adversities. I replied, “Seriously? You would HATE me?” “Yes. You are beautiful and successful. You’re perfect! You have it all. If I didn’t know you, I would hate you!,” she repeated.
Sadly, she really did not know me and all my insecurities. Her words pierced my people-pleasing persona and shattered everything I believed to be true. Beauty and success epitomized the cultural contract we were “supposed” to fulfill as super-women. But nobody told me about the part that if, or when, you fulfill the contract, people would hate you.
This was a bewildering, sick game: be beautiful, successful and hated, or imperfect, ordinary and never measure up. The pathetic irony in the entire paradigm was I NEVER felt beautiful or successful to begin with and most of us NEVER did.
In spite of the invasive and prominent media-defined images of beauty, women are waking up. No longer will we sit by and watch our daughters be put in powerless, anorexic, heroin chic boxes, destined for plastic surgery. Traditional notions of beauty are being shattered. Women no longer want to have our appearance prescribed, nor do we believe it defines who we are. We will not wear a mask that hides our identity and buy the right labels to make us feel worthy and complete.
We are re-defining beauty and wearing it proudly as it emanates deep from within our true knowing. As we discover the radiant light of elegance and grace that flows from our core, authentic self-expression is the new glamour. We are birthing a fresh allure. Our NEW beauty is raw, organic and deep. It isn’t something that pleases the eye, but rather an essence that stirs and quickens the soul. Have you re-defined beauty and embraced your mystique?
Macduff Everton said, “There is a difference between pretty and beautiful. Beauty can astonish us. Inspire us. Make us dance. Make us weep. Beauty can be magical. Beauty can transform us. Beauty lets our soul sing. Beauty can have such depth that you don’t even notice at first, or ever.” Live your beauty! Let it shine. BE YOU, beautiful, and help usher in the NEW beauty. ” Dr. Julie
I came across this video yesterday and wanted to pass it on today to all women as it is a fun way to celebrate all that it is to be a woman, not just a mother! Catchy tune that I immediately started to sing and dance to!!
So many strengths in being a woman! If we will daily remember our worth, act out of that embodied space, and remind each other of our strengths….the world would shift in a moment!
As adult women we sometimes realize in open, aware, and quiet moments that we have come far away from our Source – that remembering and living of the magnificent, loving, confident, wise, knowing, connected, and creative beings that we are.
When my 3 year old granddaughter Sorenna told her mother, “Mommy, there is a baby in there!” and her mother said “no honey there isn’t” having no idea that she was pregnant, Sorenna was coming from an innate knowing……a sense of the sacred energy of creation felt by those that are consciously connected and not distracted by the stimulus that daily pulls us away from our Source.
In fact, upon Sorenna’s insistence, her mother decided to get a pregnancy test, and guess what? Yes, I will have a grandson in September, Sophia will be a mother again, Sorenna will have a brother, and my son will have his long awaited son.
Just today I watched a video (which is below) of one of the wise ones still connected to what is important in life. I don’t know how old Sadie is, but I do feel that each of us should take what she says (and is!) to heart!
In addition, I have added a short video, put out by theAwesome Women Hub of women who are sharing what they feel the world needs next. This could be you or me on this video…and I do believe that Sadie and Sorenna have a place there as well.
Remember who you are….live it daily…..and remind each other!!
Sadie tells us “Believe In Yourself”!
Awesome Women Hub Asks Women What The World Needs NEXT
Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the Creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The Creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing — until there is only … the dance. ~Michael Jackson
I was rather amazed by this quote by Michael Jackson. Amazed because it captures so perfectly what dance and movement is to me in my life….and which I definitely do not do enough of !
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake up and dance into the beginning of your day, even for just a few minutes? We often forget in our very complex, over stimulated, busy lives that there is a simple remedy to remind us of these magnificent bodies that we inhabit. Not only a reminder, but a “wake up call” to breathe deeply and to move in a way that brings us back home to the moment – to our aliveness!
“17 seconds of focused pleasurable visualization is stronger than 2000 hours of working to obtain a goal.” – Esther Hicks
What if you combine words, breath, and visualization with movement to start your day? What if you shimmied into that beautiful body of yours (it is the only one you will ever have!) and felt that feminine power express and energize. Wonder what the day would be like starting out that way??
Sometime this week I invite you to start your day with your favorite music and dance your way into your day….or, try out Tonya Freeman’s Shift to Bliss: Dancing Meditations and Visualizations. By clicking on this link you can listen to some of her tracks and see if they fit for this earthy morning ritual.
“In ancient times, woman as Priestess, as Goddess, danced the Sacred Dance in the beauty of her nakedness. She danced in the temples, on the hills, in the valley, by the ocean, in caves and in the desert. The Sacred Dancer connected herself to the entire universe. She was one with all things. The dance was not only a way of telling the story of life it was a celebration of life itself. Uni-Verse. One Song. The Song of Love. Women knew the magic and the healing power of the Sacred Dance. They knew that by dancing together and for one another that they were doing the work of the Great Mother Goddess. They enjoyed a direct connection to the Divine Femi9 Energy. “
– Diva Mama Tonya
I say, we don’t dance and move enough from our sense-filled- self in our Western culture. It is about time we started to – daily!!
The Dance does live on…… and is a creation from our own uniqueness and creativity – a prayer for the day. Shake it up, clear it out, strut your stuff, and…..get to movin sistah!
When we were children magic was a natural part of our everyday life. We looked upon the world as an unending place of adventure, surprise, and magical moments if we grew up in a loving and caring family. Not everything could be explained, but we knew without a doubt that it was somehow connected with us, and we were connected with it.
Sorenna Making Bubbles
Recently I found that I was to be a grandmother for the second time. My sons partner Sophia had no idea that she was pregnant until my very connected and wise 3 year old granddaughter Sorenna told her one day as she was cuddled up with her – “Mommy, there is a baby inside of there (pointing to her belly), and it is my sister!” Of course Sophia denied that, but Sorenna insisted. Soon after that a positive pregnancy test revealed that Sorenna “knew” – she is connected! Whether it is to be a sister or not is still in the unknown.
The point of this post is a reminder of the magic that is indeed all around us and the wisdom of interconnection and knowing that we all have deep within our cellular structures – our heart and souls. Might it be a boring life indeed if this awareness was lost completely…..and it is NOW when we most need to remember the delight in the simple moments of interaction with life playing out around us and within us.
Here are a couple of videos that were passed on to me this week. The first is showing some very magic bubbles – be certain to catch the small girls delight near the end of the video. After viewing that one then sing along with Curtis Mayfield as he sings the great soulful gospel song “It’s All Right”!
As you go through your week find the magic moments and stay open to wonder. Pass it on!
Giant Stinson Beach Bubbles
It’s All Right with Curtis Mayfield – Have a good time!!
Pure magic and brilliantly written for the times we find ourselves in now!
Come back to the remembering of a world where all was intimately interconnected with the natural world, and magic prevailed throughout the land. Travel with 12 year old Tilly and 13 year old Zack in an adventure of a life time – an adventure that reminds us of who we are and how far away from that we have fallen to. You won’t be able to put it down…I couldn’t!
This video speaks for itself! As you listen to each woman, remember that you too have a part to play in this global transformational shift. We are being invited as women to examine the powerful creative expressions that we are holding inside and are being asked NOW to take action in whatever form is wanting to be birthed through us.
I invite you to go to Omega’s website as well to see other videos of keynote talks by some distinguished faculty at Omega Women’s Institute. We all inspire and inform each other!!
“Omega’s annual Women & Power conference is one of the most celebrated women’s gatherings in the world, unique in its rich diversity of speakers, performers, and participants. The conference is dedicated to empowering women to bring hope, healing, and change into their own lives and to the world around them.
Last year, the conference was a call-out to women of all ages and backgrounds to become the leaders we have been waiting for. Whether you are a professional, activist, volunteer, student, artist, mother, spiritual seeker, or social visionary, it is time for us to dig deep, retrieve our authentic voice and values, and lead with courage and heart—at home, work, and in the world.”
How many of us as women are bold enough to trust our expression and put out to the world with passion our “body of work” as artistic (whatever form that takes for you), creative beings with immense potential?
WildlyFreeWoman 