Music Love

My soul loves music.  That is one thing I know for a fact.  Times of struggle, times of pain, times of great elation...music is there.  It accentuates a mood, or it raises you up higher.  Music helps to figure out what in the world you are feeling sometimes.  I am eternally grateful for music.  I grew up around musicians, and married an amazing musician!  I know my life is complete when I open my heart to the music.  The beauty of its universal language is astounding.  It does not matter if there are words that you can understand, and actually it does not matter if there are words at all.  The melodies, the harmonies, the waves of audible gold fly on into my heart and soul...bringing me back to bliss.  Thank you music, thank you musicians, I love you more than words can express. 

Art is Love

"Love Revolution" digital artwork by Serena 

I have taken for granted how much art has to offer. Ever since I was a child, and was able to hold a crayon and draw, I have been creating art. It was something that offered so much peace and enjoyment as a child.  In times of frustration, or extreme happiness, art was there for me. It helped me to express my feelings, where words fell short. It helped me find solace, when I could not make sense of anything else around me in the world.  Drawing and painting became an essential part of me. Whether it was practical or not, I knew I loved art, and would strive for a life where I would be free to express my creativity endlessly.

As I grew older, and took on the infamous adult responsibilities, I started to forget about how much I love art. I forgot how art was my eternal therapist, never criticizing or judging me, just there for me, to listen and help me see things in a new light. I was so busy, trying to live the life I was told was the life I needed to strive for, that I forgot about the things that brought me great joy as a child. I still knew that part of myself, but it was as if that part of me, was kind of locked up, while I was trying to sort out life.

My heart sings because after several years of art silence, I have rediscovered my love. I have returned to the sweet embrace of art. I see it everywhere, not just paintings and photographs...but in the clouds, in a hairstyle, in words, in ideas, in buildings, in nature...art is everywhere! It accentuates life, and adds to the beauty that is all around. Art can express so many different thoughts and ideas. Art can be whatever you need it to be. I know that I will always remember the joy that art brings. I will never again forget my roots, my joy, my love of art!

Breathe

"Blue Lagoon" original artwork by Serena

Days run together like droplets of water going down a storm drain.  Life can seem so busy, so rushed, and before you know it, many years have passed by.  You are left wondering, "where did the time go?".  If we forget to stop and enjoy life, we are hardly living in my opinion.  Like a robot without the mechanical parts...walking around, going through the motions, but never really stopping to appreciate all those little things, that add up and can change your whole perspective.  I feel the key to waking up and really living your life, is mindfulness...being conscious of what you are doing and what you are thinking in every moment.  One's mind simply needs to go where it wants.  Don't let all those worries and what-ifs plague your otherwise wonderful day.  Because there is absolutely nothing to gain in worrying about something. You will only gain ill health for yourself.  So there is the challenge...live your life, being mindful and conscious about your every thought and every action...and let go of stress and worry. Appreciate life and you will feel life appreciating you right back.  First step: Breathe...enjoy the simple yet complex act of breathing :)

Trees

"Tree" photo taken at Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah

I love trees. They are so majestic, so beautiful to me.  The very tall trees are amazing.  Deep seated roots, tall long branches, and thousands of pretty leaves.  I think we have a lot to learn from the trees.  The wind blows, and the branches sway.  The wind blows, and the leaves all dance like it is a party.  The seasons change, the leaves change, but the tree is still there, still the same trunk and branches.  So whatever life throws at you, think of yourself as a tree, let it go on by, and just keep reaching up to the Sun.

Ironic Technology Post

"Gamma Ray", technology produced art :) Thank you technology!

Technology is great. But when abused, it hinders and actually seems to end up hurting you. I have clocked in my fair share of watching movies and television shows, just tuning out of my life and into someone else's story.  I have found it harder and harder though to sit down and just absorb one whole movie. A part of me thinks that is due to the lack of quality material out there, and another part of me thinks it is part of growing up. Moving past the distractions and finding the moments that are real, is like creating your own movie, where you are the star. You can even hum your own soundtrack!  

I stopped using a cell phone a while back, and it took some time to get used to not having the ability to "text" someone. "Texting" is great, but so impersonal, and so much gets lost in translation. The feeling and compassion is lost, along with correct spelling and grammar. I understand it is faster to abbreviate a word, but I fear we are breeding a society that will not know how to speak a real language. Technology has so many of us spoiled, that we end up wanting things to go faster, faster, faster! So what happens if the tech fails? Our cars, homes, and daily lives would be chaos. We would all have to start from scratch. It would be scary, since so much of our survival is contingent upon how well our tech works.  

I love technology, but perhaps it would be okay to take a step back from it, from time to time, and practice calculating something longhand with a pencil and paper, without the calculator. It's good for your brain!  

Close Your Eyes

"Wormhole" original digital art/photography by Serena

Have you ever wondered if our dreams are closer to a true reality, than our waking life?  Dreams can be so magical, so adventurous.  If you have mastered lucid dreaming(where you are fully conscious during your entire dream) you can essentially go anywhere in existence(the library down the street, or Venus!).  I have only had a handful of lucid dreams, and they were so amazing.  I still remember them so clearly, as if they were tattooed into my conscious memories.  In the "real" world, magic is for magicians, and skeptics are the majority. "We will believe it when we see it", some might say.  But what if you can't see it, until you believe it?  Our dreams could be indicators and reminders that there is magic in the world, in the universe...and it is there for everyone to experience, if they want to :) So many songs, stories, and inventions, were inspired by dreams. I am going to try an experiment where I keep a dream journal.  I have heard that you can analyze your dreams and possibly solve problems or reveal insights into your waking life.  
My pad of paper and pen are by the bedside, so let the dreaming commence!

Finding Meaning in "Earworms", (those songs that get stuck in your head, sometimes for years!)

"Lights"photograph by Serena

This image reminds me of the inner-workings of the brain, all the thoughts and ideas that are swimming around in there.  Including those little songs that "pop" into your head, and you find yourself singing them for hours, then cursing them later on...eventually they do fade away, but sometimes I have fallen asleep with a song playing on repeat in my head, and woken up to the same song later on(Arg!).  I figured there very well could be a legitimate reason why these songs seem to jump into your head and they don't want to leave.

These lyrics are from "Rubber Ring" by The Smiths(this song has been worming it's way into my head for weeks now...)

Could they be messages from your subconscious?  Most songs that get stuck in your head, "earworms", have lyrics in them, and if you sit down and really think about those lyrics, write them down even, you may be surprised at the messages you receive.  You may also be pleasantly surprised to find that after you pondered the "earworms" meaning, it will stop attacking your subconscious!  I have found solutions to many different issues, by studying and dissecting the meaning and messages that lie within the lyrics.

Catchy songs could also just be meticulously produced to be "earworms", infecting your subconscious and causing you to sometimes end up buying the songs that you can't stop thinking about.  Some of these songs are the most annoying, the ones that you detest and wonder how in the world they were able to invade your mind space.  Try listening to a song you really love to eradicate the annoying song from your head.

I have found both of these possibilities to be true, so if you are singing a song and find that its lyrics and meaning are totally irrelevant to anything in your life, then move on to a song that very well may have the answers to your problems and insights into your dreams.

Sailing

"Little Bits of Sunshine" photograph by Serena

Every now and then, it is great for your body, mind, and soul to let go, and go with the flow of the wind.  Forget any worries and any stresses that have been bogging you down.  Imagine you are a sailboat and the strong wind is carrying you across the water, you are just sailing, just going with the flow of nature.  Be in harmony with the natural elements that are here, because they will be here whether we are or not.  Sometimes we almost need to "de-evolve", unlearn some of the technological activities we rely on so much.  Re-learn how to live in nature and really appreciate it, and it appreciates you back! :) Just like hugging a tree, you can't help but feel some love come back to you.