6.22.2010

regarding WONDERMENT!

"The first teaching of Baha’u'llah is the duty incumbent upon all to investigate reality. What does it mean to investigate reality? It means that man must forget all hearsay and examine truth himself, for he does not know whether statements he hears are in accordance with reality or not."

~ Abdu’l-Baha

i wanted to share with you, my dear two readers, this amazingly refreshing and wonderful TED talk. Marian Bantjes speaks about how it is so important to do whatever it is you do from your heart, your true self. i found this talk to be exceptionally inspiring as it resonated with my very core. it helped to remind me how i should be constantly inquiring with myself about what i am doing with my time, my life, my minutes, my breaths. you don't even know how much i love to hear stories of people who have found the
ir direction, their path and their unique way to share themselves with the world. I LOVE it. hearing things like this give me faith that i am not alone in striving and focusing on a GOOD life, full of spirit, joy, laughter and light. Bantjes asks herself at one point in the talk, "what is worthwhile for my time, my life" - and i think this is something we have to ask ourselves daily. for instance, in the Baha'i Faith, as Baha'is we are meant to bring ourselves to account every morn and eve. i love that practice because it gives us that opportunity to reflect and consult with ourselves, so to speak, on what is most important and if we are following our true path(s). Daily I strive to life my life with a huge sense of WONDERMENT. i have found myself getting really frustrated or stressed out about something lately and i have been able to just tune it all out, even if for a minute, and zone out on the wind outside, or the way the light shines in the room, hearing the ocean (even from south dakota. my point is, being there, being PRESENT and acknowledging and tapping into that lovely source of wonderment that i believe - is ALWAYS there. always urging you to pay attention, take a moment and be filled with the wonder and beauty that surrounds. i believe you will all enjoy this talk, whether you consider yourself an artist or not.

i wanted to dedicate this post to
my wonderful, inspiring artist girlfriends, Shirin Samimi-Moore, (Leili) Towfigh, Kylie Manning & Misha Maynerick-Blaise.



I a
m grateful for you all!

kylie also sent me this intersting article about guilt and creativity. you can read the entire thing here. kylie and i were just talking about the notion of "letting go" and how there is a stigma around it, rather a fear...and how sometimes i want to let go of something but then i feel i will go crazy/lose control! [I'M SO CRAZYYYY- HAHAHA!!!] but here is an excerpt i am particularly fond of:

Larry: When we really start creating, something lets go and begins to flow. It's like something takes over, and all these things that we didn't know we had inside come pouring out. But this "letting go" can be scary. A lot of people worry that they might go crazy. When we let go of the ego we may feel as if we don't have any control. But eventually the flow will stop, and the ego will come back. It's like a cork that bobs down, and then bobs back up. The same thing happens when we dream: the ego goes to sleep, and the unconscious begins to flow. Writers and artists literally dream while they're awake by diminishing the ego. The only difference between the creative process and insanity is that the ego leaves and never comes back.

and...another:

Larry
: Aloneness is much more than the presence or absence of others. We can be in a crowd, or with another person, and feel lonely. Overcoming loneliness is much more about getting in connection with ourselves. We're lonely because there's a part of ourselves that we keep "in the dungeon," so to speak. When we feel loneliness, it's that "jailed" part of ourselves that we're feeling. But we'll always be lonely if we think someone else can solve our loneliness.

Pythia: You also write that when we're in the act of creating, we don't feel lonely or guilty.

Larry: That's because when we're being creative the lonely parts of ourselves come out for air and join us. The main process by which we become whole is to bring the (inner) orphans out of the orphanage, and the (inner) prisoners out of the prison. This is the way authentic, creative work makes us whole.

what's your favorite part of the TED talk?
what about the article?
what does it make you think about?
[this was taken this weekend when baktash and i were driving back from an awesome swimming hole. this storm was INSANEEEEE!!]

6.19.2010

hard to the core



i snagged this from sasha via peef's page.
thanks buddy.

is this NOT THE craziest thing you've seen???

this is really sad, BUT his twirling skillz are madd crazy.

6.18.2010

you spell team: b-a-y-b-e-e-z


[click on images to make them larger...still trying to figure out why my blogger templates don't publish photos LARGE...any suggestions??]

as many of you know, life can be so damn challenging sometimes- where to live, where to work, where to breathe, where to settle and call a place home. transitions, adjustments, changes out of your control, opportunities abound...long story short- life can be hard at times. and i am so lucky to be able to have a teammate in all of this- one that is so devoted, positive, loving and fun. things are so much easier with my husband around, by my side, making me laugh.

we have our 1 year anniversary coming up. so pumped.

NOTE: some are speculating that this is insinuating that we are having a child. NO WE ARE NOT PREGNANT. i repeat - NO BAYBEEZ BUT BAKTASH AND I (that is our nickname - the baybeez). ya'll crack me up!! ;)

6.16.2010

INSPIRATION STATION

Be always kind to everyone and a refuge for those who are without shelter. Be daughters to those who are older than you. Be sisters to those who are of your own age. Be mothers to those who are younger than yourselves. Be nurses to the sick, treasurers for the poor, and supply heavenly food to the hungry.

~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

6.11.2010

6.10.2010


i am not an fan of absolute alky, but i do love this commercial: yah, the video cuts off, not much i can/care to do about that. sorry!

and i found these on a great blog i just fell in love with:

[www.hearblack.com]

6.08.2010

i'd like to think that John Muir and i would have been best buds.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir

As some of you may know, I went HOME. to alaska and the pac NW. it was amazing. going home is like coming home to myself in a major, major league way. i got so filled up, i felt like i was running on reserves for so long, and going home always makes me feel rejuvenated - laughing on beaches, tromping through old growth, smokin' cigs and drinking THE best creamy lattes, listening to the vibrations coming from the Chilkat Mountain range and loving myself. i made a promise to myself to go up there every year and run in the wet woods and swim in the cold waters. i am so very blessed.













"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." - john muir





"To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world." -john muir


6.06.2010

TED talk with Aaron regarding the Lakota People

my buddy, fellow advocate for the Lakota & phenomenal photographer, Aaron Huey gives a TED talk regarding the Lakota and Pine Ridge Rez.

Talk is titled: "in the shadow of Wounded Knee - a case for Indigenous Reparations":



Big ups to Aaron for being a fellow spokesperson for the Lakota; we need so many more white people standing up and speaking out about this. I hope to be able to do this someday soon too.

What do you think of the talk?

6.04.2010

hey portland! wtf?

as you may know, i love love love portland. coming across this today makes it even better....in a strange, weird, random way. but that is why we all love portland right? the mayor had a painting of isaac brock painted and hung in his office. it is pretty funny, and isaac was like my early to mid 20's angst music, which helped me through many tough times. here is the funny (and by funny, i mean WTF?) clip of isaac and mayor:

Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse Unveils His Rokoff Portrait from Mayor Sam Adams on Vimeo.