Treasures from the Deep

No, I haven't taken up deep sea salvage, this is about something entirely different.

I recently found treasure in our garden - treasure of an edible kind.  I was feeling particularly frustrated because I was struggling to get a new blade sorted out for the lawnmower, which seems to have become obsolete.  As I tugged the machine out through the crooked door of our old back shed something caught my eye, I looked down and saw an odd looking mushroom.  I'd seen pictures of ones like it - in fact I'd even seen some in the grocery store - they were called morels.



As I looked I noticed more of them - probably 20 or so in total, strange looking alien things growing in the garden.  I had never seen them there before!  Something inside me told me that was what they were - morels - but I know better than to guess at whether or not a mushroom might be edible.  This is where the technology of today is really serving us -- a little research, a few questions and I was 97% sure that they were indeed morels and not 'false' morels which can at best cause stomach upsets and at worse can cause death.  Because of their elusiveness and flavour they are quite highly prized these strange blossoms from the darkness, sometimes selling for $40 or even $60lb!



We decided to try just one, fried in butter to see what happened - oh sweet deliciousness!!  I couldn't describe the flavour, it was somewhat familiar, earthy, nutty, mushroomy and quite delicious.  These had much more of a meaty consistency than the usual mushrooms we get at the grocery store.  Seeing as we were still alive with no ill effects the following day we decided to cook some up for a proper a meal - pasta and morels!



 

What a complete surprise and wonderful treasure to have found.  Looking for information on morels it turns out they are a little mysterious - some people would say they are a yeast and not a fungus or mushroom.  There is no guarantee where they might pop up although it seems they favour disturbed land, land that has been cleared or suffered a recent forest fire.  I had done some clearing around the shed earlier in the spring, and trimmed some wood there in the fall and can only think that this is what caused them to grow.

I got to thinking about the mystery of their appearance, how such  treasures as this can appear from out of the dark earth and how this relates to life.  Treasures and growth can come from the dark places and times of our life - sometimes drawn out by disturbances to the routine and safety of our everyday lives.  Very often an upsetting experience, a loss, or breaking of something can allow us to grow, evolve and learn in unexpected ways.

My garden is a wonderful teacher!

Signs of Life

Sunday morning, first Sunday of May.

I glance at the thermometer to see the needle hovering below 10 degrees as though it is stuck, held fast by a force I can't control.  It seems to be perpetually hovering below 10 degrees lately.

I look out of the window, raindrops cling to the needles of the pines, beyond them the sky is white-grey, no promise of sun.



I could sit and bemoan the slow procession of Winter handing over to Spring, the fact that the daffodils are shivering in their pale buds, the bloodroot are refusing to unfurl and it's colder than I would like....  But early morning is my favourite time of the day and this morning I decide to go in search of signs of life.

My walk takes me down to the canal, over the lock gate and onto a path that traces a spit of land built years ago that separates the canal from the river.  There are trees and shrubs and water on either side.


Signs of life - come on Louise, look hard, you are sure to be rewarded.

The first thing I notice are buds, green leaves ready to burst forth.



 

Spindly branches bouncing around in the wind making it hard to get a good picture.  All around me is the sound of birds.  Redwings calling to their mates, robins, grackles and cowbirds - sounding the alert 'intruder!'.

The beavers have been busy gnawing and dragging trees and branches -



It's easy to see their pathways from one side of the track to the other, bits of twigs left in their wake.



Their lodge is on the right hand side - if you look carefully you might see it.

Threads of geese fly overhead calling to each other 'can YOU see Spring?'

A heron swoops through, close enough that I imagine I can almost hear the air beneath it's great grey wings.

Signs of Life.



Fungi clinging tenaciously to thin trunks, I'm constantly amazed by how that survives the winter, the ice and bitter temperatures.

Horsetail is pushing up, it seems as though everything is holding it's breath waiting for sun and warmth, waiting to let go and explode in a boom of greenery.



At the end of the trail I come to a point where the river rushes by on it's way to the sluice gates and the next set of locks.  From here I can look upstream to the migratory bird sanctuary.  Looking for green, seeing grey.



I see two little birds sitting on a branch in the misty wind - at first I think they are chickadees because they are backlit and I can't get much detail. Then they fly around and I see they are a pair of swallows.  I  think they are building a nest in a dead tree trunk, there are holes in it and one of them goes to to check it out as if to say 'what should I do next?'.  Then they are off and up and soaring on the wind, blown like leaves of feather, and around my head and back to the branch and away again.  It was beautiful, and I need to remember - Spring always comes.

On Despising Goals and Resolutions.

Are you good with Goals and Resolutions? My name is Louise Ingram and I am not!

It's that time of year again. I feel like a school kid at the end of term, trembling with a report card in my hand. Feeling like I'll be lucky to garner a few C's - the rest will be even less acceptable. What makes it all the harder is that I KNOW I should be getting A's -- deep inside I KNOW I CAN get A's.

[caption id="attachment_1102" align="alignnone" width="300"] Hope I'm not getting graded on my 'growing out' hair too![/caption]

I have Leonie Dawson's 'Amazing Year' planners and Jani Franck's planner for 2014 sitting here. These should be exciting, wondrous things to fill out so why am I not looking at them?

I have realised I have a HUGE monster hanging off my back. It's the 'you are just setting yourself up for failure!' monster. He's not pretty, he's loud and he's obnoxious and every year, at this time especially, he starts screaming in my ear.

Any time anything connected with goal setting comes up - he's there - eyes glinting with joy because he knows just how good he is. The worse thing about it all? He's right! Or at least THAT is what I've let myself believe.



Why set yourself up for failure? Why spend the year dreading that final report card that points out the long list of things I fell down on. My monster and I have a much better way - we drift. We drift along, take the good and the not so good and at the end of the year my report card is not so harsh. Since I didn't actually HAVE any goals, I haven't actually FAILED at them and there are even some good things that happened regardless. I may have even made a passing grade!

Of course there's a problem with all of this. I know it, even if my monster doesn't. There are actually several problems - not the least of which is the guilt that comes with not setting any goals. There's probably another monster involved there but I'm ignoring it at the minute. Everyone around me it seems is making lists, setting goals, dreaming big and I'm feeling guilty, beaten and a little scared.

I see what's happening, this monster is taking things and turning them into failures and weaknesses. I have given him the power to convince me that nothing good will come of opening those planners.

There is another voice however, it's much smaller and quieter at the minute - but it's talking to me - not about goals but about dreams. Those planners are for dreams! They are for the day to day dreams and for the really big ones. They are for the things that will make my heart sing when I write them down. The things that radiate joy when I think of them and the things that may or may not happen in the coming year.

The real report card I suspect does not come with admonishments on what we haven't done, but is instead covered with gold stars for each and every dream that we have had the courage to dream regardless of the outcome.



Without our dreams what do we have? If we don't dream we might miss some really important and wonderful opportunities just waiting to happen.

I'm going to try and give that monster a talking to, who knows, just maybe he'd prefer to be a dream coach instead of a Goal Grader.

Ten Things to Help Unblock

Here are ten tips that might help if you are feeling blocked.

We've all been there!  Frustration clouding our minds, that feeling of having come to the end of any creativity we may have had and comparing ourselves to other things and people we see.  Feeling not up to it - feeling not good enough - feeling blocked!



I've been feeling that way for a few weeks now.  I had been excited about setting up and getting to work on what seemed at first to be a brilliant idea 'The Blue Sky Caravan'.  Then it happened, little things chipped away at my confidence, wheels started spinning, progress came to a halt - I was stuck in the mud and that caravan was too heavy to push!

An email got me thinking and led to this post.

Overnight my blocks seem to have cleared, I'm feeling enthused, full of ideas and understanding a little more about the process.

Here we go - ten tips if you feeling blocked!

1. DON'T PANIC!!
   I realise that many times I am feeling blocked and unable to make progress there is a very good reason for it - its because I am learning something!  Sometimes I don't even realise that I am learning something, all I see is that I'm not progressing the way I want to.  When I make my beads I seem to go through fits and spurts and now I understand why.  The times I am unsatisfied and feeling stuck are actually the times that new ideas are percolating, or I haven't perfected some technique I want to.  Then all of a sudden one day something clicks and onward I go.


2. Try seeing things from a different perspective.
   Its so easy to get stuck looking at the block the same way over and over, and not being able to see through it.  Step back and look at it from a different point of view.
   
   [caption id="attachment_882" align="alignnone" width="300"] Graphic courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/science.alliance.now[/caption]


3. Make a list.
   Writing down the thing that is blocking you and breaking it into small parts in the form of a list may help.  You might find something small in the list that you can do to help you move forward. Perhaps it's just one thing that is holding you back.  Remember that saying - "Rome wasn't built in a day"!  However tiny the steps may be you'll be making progress.


4. Check out what others are doing.
   Search the web, look in magazines, or around in your community.  Notice what others in your field are doing - there's no need to copy, you'll likely find some ideas come to mind that will connect with what you already have and give you a bit of a boost.


5.  Switch it up!
   If its possible take a break and do something different.  Focussing your thoughts on something else for a while might be just what you need.


6. Don't Compare.
   Try hard not to compare yourself with others doing similar things.  Don't fall into the trap of  'its all been done before' and 'I have nothing new to offer'.  Nobody would do anything if we all believed that.  You are unique and if you follow your heart then the things you create will also be unique.  Life is for creating!


7. Try Brian Eno's 'Oblique Strategies'
   There's an online version here - don't dismiss what you get out of hand, think about it from different perspectives.  I just tried and got 'twist the spine' - my spine? a book spine?  a leaf spine? What kind of twist?  How can I put a different twist on something.


8. Just DO IT!
   Is part of the problem procrastination?  Is there something you need to get done that you keep putting off?  Is this what is stopping you from moving forward?  Yup, like the magnet my mother gave me 'better to do it than wish it done!


9. Take a walk in nature.
   Yes, something as simple as walk can help.  Nature offers much advice, all we need do is connect and breathe, think of the miracles of the season you are in and remember that even Nature takes a break in Winter to let things germinate. If you don't get unblocked you'll at least be guaranteed to come back with your mind feeling refreshed.


10. Still Stuck?
    Know that you are in the 'now', this is where you are supposed to be and things will progress as they should - give yourself credit for everything you've already achieved.  No-one else on this entire planet has done or can do things exactly the way that  you do!  Its hard to be patient but know that as sure as you got stuck you will also become free.  If you honestly can't do anything to move forward right now then take some time to be kind to yourself in whatever way seems best.  Take a look at these famous folks who overcame adversity and you just might find your roadblocks are really only pebbles.

Trains of thought

Yesterday I was sent a link to a website.

It wasn't a very pretty website, the animal photography for sale wasn't particularly good, mushy focus, composition that wasn't appealing and yet it got me thinking.

The first train  that my brain jumped on was the one that said 'this isn't very good - how can this person think that people will want to buy this?  The website isn't working properly, the whole thing is rather a mess'.

Then I realised I was on the wrong train!!



What I needed to consider was that the person who put this website up was putting herself out in the world.  She had likely worked hard to get the website looking the best she could.  She probably took all of the photos with love for the subjects and she had confidence in herself that allowed to her to get as far as she had.

She is out there, doing her thing, making a go of selling her photography, art and other products and for that she should be congratulated!

It's easy to judge other people by what we see, but much more rewarding to stop and think a little harder - to look for the things that might not be immediately apparent.

This person could be a beacon for those of us who might not quite have it all together, those with self doubts and those who are waiting until they get things just right.  Today is the day to put yourself out there, we can all find ways to improve what we do, but first we need to get started!

 



Which train are you on?

 

Colour Wheel

As our earth and the  year spins through it's seasons we are treated to nature's palette of colours.

None of these are more glorious than at this time of year - Autumn. 

 

It seems to me we may not have as many reds this year but instead have been gifted the most beautiful oranges and golds, set like jewels in the sun on blue skies.



 

I've always enjoyed the crunch of leaves underfoot, and breathed deep on those Autumn days that were still warm and glowing.  It's only recently though that I have come to really appreciate Autumn for the season that it is.  The season of slowing down, of preparing for the Winter ahead and the season of glorious nature giving us one last show before she sleeps until Spring.



 

Autumn is the most wonderful time to look around and really appreciate all that we have.  Not just in our own lives but in the wider world, in the procession of time and the changing carnival before our eyes.



 

On this walk I found a young oak.  The sun was lighting up the leaves in blazing greens, yellows, oranges and reds - all at once.



How can one small tree be so many things all at one time - show so many different facets of itself in one instance.



After all is not 'just' a tree?



 

A walk in nature at any time not only stretches our muscles and cleans our lungs but also refreshes our spirit and our mind.



 

This walk was a reminder to me - to let all of my colours shine, especially the elusive red!

 

Autumn

 



For a moment, an instant, a blink of an eye we have balance.
Dark and light, the constantly shifting dawn and dusk are for one brief twinkling, equal.
Twice in each year, Spring and Autumn, the day and night hang in harmony.

Now the longer nights approach, the green of Summer slowly fades and Nature gives us fireworks before Winter readies our world for sleep.  A brief blaze of colour, of swirling leaves, tossed skyward on chilly October winds.  A time of reflection, of giving thanks, a time of farewell and preparation for the darker days ahead.

I might be a raindrop

Think of a raindrop, a leaf on a tree, wave in the ocean, or a flower.  Yes think of a flower for that is what you are.  Blooming into being from somewhere beyond, and somewhere within.  Slowly unfurling to experience the sun and the rain and the wind.

With these things in our lives why is it so hard to believe we will never die?

Why is it impossible seeming that we have lived thousands, maybe millions -- maybe immeasurable lives?

We know without a doubt there is a finite amount of water on our planet and yet there are infinite raindrops, infinite waves on the oceans, drops of dew on the grass.

 

We are taught the cycles of weather and water in school, we understand the science behind the rain - some of it at least, we are taught that energy is a constant, it doesn't disappear, it just changes from one form to another.

 

Why should we presume that we somehow fall outside of the grand scheme of nature and the universe?  That we are a one off miracle.  These raindrops that fall, have been here before, they fell on armies of invading Romans, swept down the Nile before the pyramids were created, landed as dew beneath great lumbering beasts and were something else before then.  And yet, somehow, with each new storm, each springtime shower they are born again, the same and yet different - different and yet the same.

Perhaps we are raindrops, or flowers or leaves, most definitely we are each unique and will continue to be so, unique and yet the same.

 

Mystery has its own mysteries, and there are gods above gods. We have ours, they have theirs. That is what's known as infinity.  Jean Cocteau

Learning to be Fearless

Well, in truth, learning how to have less fear!

I've just finished Jani Franck's wonderful 'Follow The Butterflies' course.  I went into it not exactly sure what I was going to gain but hoping for more creativity and confidence.

Let me say, Jani delivered!

The biggest reward I got was learning to deal with those niggling little voices that were telling me 'you aren't good enough', 'it's already been done' and 'why should anyone want anything YOU have to offer'.  I may not be fearless, but I am much braver than I was!

We were told to celebrate our achievements at the end of the course and I wondered how I was going to do that.

In a moment of madness I decided that a video would be perfect.

WHAT!!???  EXCUSE ME????!!!

"you want ME to make a VIDEO?????!!!" my inner critic screamed

'Yes!' I relplied

"Oh you are going to look SO stupid and you KNOW how horrible your voice sounds recorded!" my GotNOconfidence monster screeched

"Go Away!  Take a nice vacation" I suggested

And I got myself set up to do the celebrating.

I sat and looked at the record button.

"Ha Ha! Can't touch that" chortled Don'tDOit monster

"You might be right" I replied.

I sat and looked at the record button, my palms got sweaty, my heart raced (yes it really was that bad), and I looked at the button some more.

Finally ever-so-bravely I reached my finger out and touched the screen.

The world did not end!  The technology told me it was recording and I better start talking.

So I did.

My first attempt was really not so bad at all, but I decided to try again because I had missed saying something.  Then ensued a dozen or more attempts each of which failed with me making faces, calling myself unflattering names and in the end just laughing.  Yes, I was actually laughing at myself making a video -- I was starting to have F.U.N!

Now, I know this isn't amazingly brilliant (but wait - yes it is!!  because I overcame those monsters!), the sound is awful because I guess my mic is just really bad, and the backdrop is a bit boring because I was out sitting in my sunporch but here (tada!) is the finished celebration!



On returning home from Louise on Vimeo.

Sharing it here on my blog is a whole other level of bravery because there is a chance someone might actually SEE it!!

On reflection, this turned out to be a very empowering exercise.  I sent those monsters packing AND I got a glimpse of myself through a different pair of eyes, maybe even saw how other people see me and you know what?  It wasn't horrific or stupid, in fact I quite like that person sitting there doing the talking :)

If you'd like to Follow the Butterflies with Jani just click the (affiliate) link below ;)



Click here to join Jani on a creative adventure to find your inner artist!

Nature is wiser by far.

I am constantly amazed by nature.  How the smaller things get the more wondrous they appear.

Yesterday was a misty damp morning, lots of morning glories were in bloom but what caught my eye were the tiny spiderwebs wafting in the gentle breeze.



What miracles occur while we sleep?



Who danced a thousand steps and more, floating through the air?  Covering great distances with silk and bravery.



This is the first year I've grown morning glories.
Oh nature you are wiser than wisest human could ever be, more an artist than we could imagine ourselves in our wildest dreams.



 

The smaller things get, the more their magnificence.

Dew was everywhere in the garden, for a moment I thought the roses had gone over and that their flowers were drying.

Until I looked closer -



 

Have we ever accomplished anything so remarkable?



 

I think not.

 

 

Do you want to follow butterflies?

I followed mine and found a wealth of wonderful things that I didn't know I had.

[caption id="attachment_498" align="alignnone" width="400"] Follow the Butterflies with Jani Franck[/caption]

This journey took me to places I wasn't expecting.

I thought I might get some tips on how to be more creative - I did :)

But it took me to a much deeper place as well, into myself, where I learned big lessons that I wasn't expecting.  Things I never even realised could help me in huge ways.

Every single one of us is Creative.


Whether you believe it or not you are.

If you would like to be more Creative do consider taking this journey with Jani.  Follow some butterflies and see what magical things pop into your life as you take the journey.

Jani has a new session beginning on September 22 - you can take this adventure from your armchair if you like - no mountaineering equipment required.

Treat  yourself -- go on -- you know you deserve it!

Click here to view more details

 

The Dream - The Blue Sky Caravan

Welcome to the Blue Sky Caravan, come on in, make yourself at home.  Take that cozy chair over there in the corner if you like, the kettle is on and something tasty is just about to be served.

You might be wondering where you are, well let me explain . . .

You have just entered a very special place - my Caravan of Creativity and Dreams!  It sits on the edge of a gently sloping field close to a beautiful greenwood.  Just over that rise there is a path, sandswept by the wind, that leads down to the sea.  Can you hear the seabirds?

My caravan is of the Gypsy style, with big spoked wheels and and a wooden frame.  Its decorated with many colours and carvings of most anything you'd like to see lie waiting to be discovered.  The arching green roof keeps me warm and dry.  Three steps lead up to a little stoop where a cat or two spend time lounging in the sun.



Inside?

Inside wonders await!

A ceiling of sky, blue, studded with fluffy white clouds - you know, one of those perfect summer skies that take you back to childhood days when time stood still and great adventures called.  The rug on the floor is a little threadbare from the coming and going of a great many feet, but its pattern is magical and many stories are woven into it.  A desk sits in front of a big window from which a glimpse of the sea teases the eye.  Excuse the clutter, its almost all creative, pens, pencils, paints, books, music and artist's dreams.  Yes, come on in and stop for a spell.

Up and running Fireseed and The Blue Sky Caravan

I'm excited and feeling ever closer to getting my website and blog running the way I would really like.

http://www.Fireseed.ca



The first week of Jani Franck's 'Blooming Creative' course (how to have a creative business) has really got me stretching myself.

We have been setting intentions and doing a lot of planning and thinking about how to start putting ideas into action.

There is a wide range of talent in our group, from performing artists, to visual artists, and many things in between.  The climate is one of sharing and collaboration, everyone supporting and listening to what others have to say.  This all goes to create a sense of 'I CAN!' and so it is I have been working on my website. Yay!

I've managed to sharpen the focus of the site so that it now has two clear topics - Fireseed, my glass beads & art, and my new baby - the Blue Sky Caravan which you will be hearing more about if you follow this blog.

I'm still reworking the text in the slideshow on the site, but feeling that at last I have a cohesive idea with clear purpose.

A Tale of Two Tables

My sister Ingrid sent me a picture of her new breakfast table.



 

I looked at it and looked at MY table that I was sitting at.  I felt a little envious - imagining a lovely clean table top and jokingly sent Ingrid an email back saying that her table looked a lot tidier than mine.



In no time at all came a reply that once again let me know I had picked the perfect sister:

But the creativity dripping from your table makes me smile!

How does your table look?