Beauty for your heart

I must admit I need beaty and this is what I am looking forward to. and I hope all of you enjoy it too!

Sunrise

There is a certain unique beauty to be found in the sunrise. A new day filled with hope and excitement. Well for some people. I must confess I am a night person. The night owl is one of my companions. I will often sit on my porch on summer nights and just meld with the stars and the sounds of the night. There is a sweetness and calm to the night for me anyway.

I was in Watertown, NY with friends many years ago. My friend Rick was a musician doing a gig up there. It was a fun night filled with music and laughter. People began to finally wonder off and my friend Rick and I decided to go for a ride and ended up at a Revolutionary fort and battleground. We sat and talked and talked and did solve the world’s problems. I remember the exact moment the sun began to rise. We sat there and watched it grow and glow. It became breathtakingly beautiful.

It’s beauty haunted me for a long time. It did not, however, change me into a morning person. But those moments, sitting watching the fabulous sun greet us with its pure beauty touched my heart and mind. It is one of those moments you store away to remember another time. These moments are important for us to have. We all need to record the important and impressive moments on our hearts and souls. They are able to help you through the hard times. They can make you smile when no one else is. They remind you of what is important in your life.

“Let every dawn of the morning be to you as the beginning of life. And let every setting of the sun be to you as its close. Then let every one of these short lives leave its sure record of some kindly thing done for others; some good strength or knowledge gained for yourself.”  —John Ruskin

No matter how your biorhythms work, make each day count. May we all extend a helping hand, a kind word or an unselfish act. May we all live each day with the goal of creating our highest good.

A starry, starry night

The new day begins with the sunrise

The Blessing of Trees

1000 year old trees in wales

I really love trees and the energy they give off is truly amazing. They are so strong and protecting. They help keep the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Mother Earth needs that assistance.When I was a little girl, I used to think trees sleep in the winter. And woke up in the spring.

“The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea,
speaks to me.

The faintness of the stars,
the freshness of the morning,
the dewdrop on the flower,
speaks to me.

The strength of fire,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never goes away,
they speak to me.

And my heart soars.”
——Chief Dan George

Truly Magestic Tree

Our most secred scripture is the “holy book” of Nature

“It is written on the arched sky,
It looks out from every star…
It is spread out like a legible lanuage upon the
broad face of an unsleeping ocean.
It is the poetry of Nature,
It is that which uplifts the spirit within us…
—Thomas Berry

A tunnel of trees

Oak Alley Plantation, Lousiana; Acrylic on stretched canvas; By Barbara Mattio

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For Our Mother Earth

“I swear the earth shall surely be complete to him or her who shall be complete,
The earth remains jagged and broken only to him or her who remains jagged and broken.
I swear there is no greatness or power that does not emulate those of the earth,
There can be no theory of any account unless it corroborate the theory of the earth,
No politics, song, religion, behavior or what not,
Is of account, unless it compare with the amplitude of the earth,
Unless it face the exactness, vitality, impartiality, the rectitude of the earth.”
—–Walt Whitman

Peace is Important to Saving Mother Earth

A Peaceful Picnic Among the Water Lotus        

Hello, everyone. Have you ever noticed how you can look at something over and over and not really see it? I have and I have realized something. What I have realized is that we need peace and we need to heal our planet. We must do them together if we are going to have any success. The concepts need to be interwoven for strength and workability.

If we work hard and accomplish healing the planet, and we end up in another World War, it won’t do much good. If we learn to live peacefully with each other. To love others as we love ourselves. If we manage not to fear the differences in cultures,skin color, or beliefs and we haven’t healed the planet, well, we will not survive either. So we must all work together to make this entire plan work. The full commitment of every person, government and religion is necessary.

We can’t do it without work, love, acceptance and honoring all that is sacred. What is sacred? Everything is sacred because Divinity is found within everything which breathes and lives. This includes our planet. So we need to find a way to weave the threads of the lives of all sentient beings together to form a strong yet beautiful tapestry that will reflect the love and holiness that is here among us..

 

 

The Beuaty of Nature in our World is something that we must preserve

Peace

Peace flows into me

As the tide to the pool by the shore;

It is mine forevermore,

It will not ebb like the sea.

I am the pool of blue

That worships the vivid sky;

My hopes were heaven-high,

They are all fulfilled in you.

I am the pool of gold

When sunset burns and dies-

You are my deepening skies;

Give me your stars to hold.”

                      ——Sara Teasdale

                                Teasdale won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1918

Lake Erie Sunset; Huntington Beach, OH; Photo by Barbara Mattio

Working Together For Our World With Love and Acceptance

99% of the American people working to hold up the World

When Bush first ran for President against Al Gore, I was deeply disappointed when he won. However, he won fair and square. The majority of the people spoke in his favor. We even had the controversy over Florida and “the hanging chads from ballots.” I will admit I was unhappy and a bit suspicious.

I am a pacifist and I will admit that I shunned vets after Vietnam. I’ve learned a lot since then. I was totally against the War in Iraq, but I understood that many of our boys and girls were choosing to fight in this war. So I gave them my prayers and support. I still wasn’t happy, but I accepted this second administration. I felt Bush was a “cowboy” and not the man I wanted to be President. Well, it was my opinion and my right to voice my views, rationally and logically. For eight years I did not let anger or conspiracies rule my thoughts and life.

Now, times have changed and Barak Obama has been elected by the majority and electoral vote of the American people. I must say that I am shocked by all of the hatred, anger, and illogical talk that is taking place. Twenty states talking succession. Really? So you are taking your toys home and never playing with us again. In an election, someone always loses. Sometimes it is Domecrats and sometimes Republicans.

Our Founding Fathers did not have the sort of rhetoric and extreme anger I have been hearing on the internet and in articles…let alone Social Media. I believe they would be disappointed that all they dreamed and fought for, American freedom would end up being trashed like this.

It is time for each citizen to look into their hearts and minds and look for the rational, loving, accepting human being that this country was designed for. Please put aside the angst and let us all work together to make this a country and world filled with the love and beauty that Divinity has had in mind.

The beautiful creation of Divinity.

Love, Harmony and Beauty

I am writing because despite the fact I am not 100%, the world is calling to me.
I am so sorry that this man made a video which disrespected Allah. This is a thoughtless, selfish and sad use of free speech. The ability to exercise free speech is a responsibility and this man ignored his responsibility.

It is of no comfort, I understand, but people have made fun of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Buddha, and the Goddess religions.

What I have seen on the television is a situation where hatred and violence have erupted and lives have been lost. Not just Americans, but also many protesters.

People who have a love of the Divine need to remember that violence and hatred are not in harmony with sacred writings or sacred love.

I ask all of God’s people here on Mother Earth to reach out in love, harmony and beauty to heal the hearts of all who are in pain and grief. There is Unity in our beliefs and the love of The One who is everywhere and constantly within us even though you may not understand or believe .

Please stop the violence and hatred. We must all live here together. The only way to do that is to live in love, harmony and beauty; to grasp that all the illuminated souls are united within Divinity. It matters not what Divinity is called, there is One World, One love, and One life. We are all loved and we must begin to acknowledge our responsibility to live in a manner that will bring us closer to the One.

“Thy light has illuminated the dark chambers of my mind;
Thy love is rooted in the depths of my heart; Thine own are the light of my soul; Thy power worketh behind my action; Thy peace alone is my life’s repose; Thy will is behind my every impulse; Thy voice is audible in the words I speak;
Thine own image is my countenance. My body is but a cover over Thy soul; my life is Thy very breath, my Beloved, and my self is Thine own being.”

—Gayan

May we all forgive those who are unable to see the world through God’s loving eyes. May we embrace each other with harmony and may we see The One in every other person we meet. Blessings to all.

The Beauty in Your Art and Your Life

Oak Alley Plantation, NO; Acrylic on stretched canvas; By Barbara Mattio

Artists, musicians, writers, dancers, photographers, painters, sculptors and a host of other creative people often feel that there is no beauty in life and that they must create it in their art. The problem is that not all of the beauty in your life is found in your poem, sketch, song, dance, novel. There is beauty all around and it is important to really see it. “See it” with your entire being. If you miscalculate the beauty and meaning in your life, despair will follow you.

Creative people need to experience beauty and find meaning for their creative outlets and lives. We, each of us, need to see ourselves as the beauty in life. Yes, there is an entire planet of beauty around us, but there is beauty within us also.

We each need to recognize that at the end of the day, we stand with what we have created that day and we need to actually say, “I am the beauty in life.” No, it isn’t egotistical. What any artist creates will touch the hearts and minds of many. That gives us a powerful meaning to live for and with.

There will be many times you critique your work and are not happy. You didn’t quite capture that small thing that in your eyes would make it fantastic. It is fine. An artist needs a mantra and I suggest, “I am the beauty in life.” This mantra, soothes the feelings of not accomplishing enough, it soothes the sorrow of loneliness, and feelings of being insignificant. Six words to carry within you, to remind you that you are exactly who and what you are to be in this lifetime. There wasn’t a glitch in the system when you came along. You are as you are meant to be, a beautiful person who has creative talents to share that beauty with others.

There is a big difference between creating and being successful. Creating is a God-given gift that needs to be shared and enjoyed by others. Success is buying into the rigid criteria that our society dreams up. This is why creating and being a big shot “successful” person can be divided by a deep ravine.

Often when we put success first, we become bored, hate ourselves for ‘selling out” and devalue the career we are pursuing. The key here is to create and not listen to the voices who can’t comprehend what we have created. For some, there is a perfect solution of a career that we feel successful at and a second creative endeavor that gives life meaning and direction.

Every time we create, there is a new ray of hope that enters the world through your life and helps to dissipate some of the negativity that we find in the world. Our souls and hearts make a counterbalance to hatred, violence, greed and apathy. That is a lot of beauty and meaning to add to this life journey we are on.

So take a bow, if only in your mind. You are not only important but you are vital to the well-being of the 7 billion+ people inhabitating Mother Earth. So write, draw, dance, and sing, rock out in that band and create everything that Divinity has put inside of you. You really make a difference!

Utah skiing trip

Mellow Yellow Monday #2

It is Monday again. It always confuses me how quickly that happens! So it is here once again and I want to talk about art. There are many people who believe, and I agree, that the love of beauty is inborn. Landscapes are more popular than graffiti. Harmonious music is enjoyed more than discordant music.

Whether we look at pottery, writing, performance art, or music composition. Many feel that human traits are evolutionary and cross cultural lines. Scientists feel that tastes in art are shaped by natural selection.

I feel the love of beauty is inborn. Artistic values restore pleasure, beauty and skill back to a prominent place in our culture. The arts are no more remote from the evolved features of the human mind and personality than a magnolia tree is remote from the soil.

The tendency is to treat any form of art as secondary and essentially fluff. That is so far from the truth. The human soul needs beauty and beauty is as essential to the soul as oxygen is to our lungs. Creativity is a bridge between cultures and stimulates the brain so learning is increased.

Creativity is a way to discover your authentic self and to express that self by composing, dancing, acting, throwing a pot or painting a landscape. The creative soul is tied to the Divinity within. People often recognize this and some don’t. What they create still brings a message to those who see the end product be it a play, a symphony, a pastel drawing, an amazing garden or a smashing novel. Without the creative urge, we become diminished as humans and we don’t experience all of the life we have been gifted with. Creativity, of any kind, helps us to be more fully alive and to more fully embrace this plane of existence. Don’t hesitate, listen to your heart and soul and create what is inborn within you and be at one with the Universe.

So part of your journey includes your creativity

 

Being a creative person is very different than being a scientist or an accountant. Life has many challenges for everyone. Living life is not easy. It is really difficult.

For those of us who are creative, we have to also deal with our obsession to create beauty and truth in whatever way we are drawn to. It is never easy to find balance in life and it is an essential goal for all of us as we walk the path.  This can be even more difficult for a creative person to accomplish and takes concentration away from the flow of artistic beauty within, but there is no more choice for the creative person than for anyone else.

Criticism can be devastating to the very life flow of creativity and yet is very necessary.  Creative people have the additional  job of trying to accept both criticism and praise and balance it with the flow of our creativity.

In addition, there is the challenge of creating meaning in the life of the artist. Whatever your medium, you are creating beauty in the world and meaning in your life. Beauty cannot be created by ugliness, only by more beauty.  One thing we seldom do as creative people, is to see ourselves as part of the beauty we have added to the world.

Creative people must accomplish all these extra tasks, in addition to what others must do to create successful lives for themselves

Balance and meaning are the foundation for the basis of  life.  Foundations are essential for all human beings and all must form a firm solid one. Beauty, spirituality, work you love, passion and love are all part of this foundation.

I have been looking at my foundation today and looking for cracks. Now it is up to me to seal and repair those cracks. It is all very necessary and never easy, but the foundation must be made solid for me to create more beauty.