Sometimes one goes looking for inspiration.

For me, whether that search is out the window, through my lens, in the stroke of a brush, or into my interior it is almost always fruitful. From my perspective, we are surrounded by an infinity that is constantly evolving. A place where everything is always imbued with renewal.

No two moments in the universe are ever the same, and in this reality lies magic beyond that which any incantation might evoke.

This kind of creative searching has its place; is essential even, but it isn’t the topic of this post.

Today I want to write a bit about that other kind of inspiration. The kind of inspiration that comes calling of its own accord.

Like a first snowflake settling on the still green grass, it can herald an oncoming wave, or simply one fleeting drop. Regardless its form or duration, it is unfailingly a delightful rush.

I absolutely love getting caught up in the flow of something new.

Recently I was accosted by a poem written by a friend and it sparked the immediate need for me to draw.

I was stunned to find that what I was drawing was a mandala.

I haven’t created a mandala of any kind in more than a decade. And if I had thought about why not, I might have said that my work had evolved—had moved in new directions.

Which just goes to show how wrong a person can be.

Below you’ll find my first new visual piece of 2010. It was inspired by this wonderful poem by Marianna Paulson:

Living. Breathing.

Breathing. Living.

Inspiritus -
inspiration -
spirit.

Awaken. Breathe. Live.

Now.

-
You can find Marianna at her website, blog, and on twitter.

-

Here is the image inspired by Marianna’s wise, beautiful, mantra-like poem.

I hope you will enjoy the viewing as much as I enjoyed the creating.

-

title - breathe life - by Kayt Hoch

I suspect mandalas may be making a new visitation to my creative life, time will tell on that.

Truth is, I still feeling like drawing. And the energy buzzing my fingers feels a lot more like a wave beginning to roll, than one lonely drop from an otherwise pale blue sky.

~~~

tech stuff - in case you care

The drawing was created from blank screen using Photoshop CS3 software. All elements of the piece were hand-drawn, (using a Wacom Intuos3 tablet) combined with two gradients (created by me), and integrated using various blending modes and transparency levels.

~~~

10 Comments »       (what is this?)

Selma over at SES posited this question as part of the writing prompt this week.

And it is a wonderful question.

An important and critical question for our world.

I believe that our global society is at a critical juncture. That we are living in a time of tremendous potential for humanity. That we are on a road to a better place.

Peace is possible, and each of us is essential to its unfolding.

That sounds pretty definitive. But I really believe it is true.

I believe the universe reflects back to us what we ourselves truly believe. Not what we wish we believed, or think we should believe, or say that we believe. What we actually believe. Deep down in our foundations.

Sometimes I think that sorting out what we actually believe, from what we’ve been told we should believe, or what we ourselves think is nice to believe can get a little confusing. But it can been done. We just need to look honestly at how we behave.

As the adage goes, actions do indeed speak louder than words.

You know exactly what I’m talking about. Actions say it all. They are real events. Tangible. Concrete.

(more…)

9 Comments »       (what is this?)

I’ve recently returned from visiting a beautiful part of Washington state called the Icicle Valley.

hiking above the village of Leavenworth
ii
ii

Icicle Creek
ii

These snapshots don’t do the place any kind of justice, but hopefully they convey a bit of its flavor.

It is truly a special area on our planet and visiting there always makes me reflect on how fortunate I am to live relatively near such a place.

And I always return to the city, quiet and contemplative.

And I return appreciating anew how much we humans need silence. How much the white noise of our cities works to push aside our calm—perhaps even our compassion.

And I come back realizing how easy it is to forget important things. Like how my greatest responsibility in this life is to care about, and care for, my world and my fellow travelers.

Below I’ve included two items that remind me of important things. The interconnectedness of everything, how much we have yet to do, and that it isn’t hopeless—we can make progress when we try.

I recommend checking out both of these with the audio off.

In the second item, the soundtrack contains interesting information, and I enjoyed listening to it once. But I find the visual oddly compelling without the audio and have watched it that way a few times so far.

Here you’ll find a sobering look at one aspect of our planet’s health.

And this video offers a hopeful look at one facet of the solution.
ii

ii

Wishing you a peaceful day with some quiet in it.
ii

[video via ecogeek]

9 Comments »       (what is this?)