Kisses From Your Burning Artist Inside

Is there a budding artist inside you? Or perhaps you're a dancer waiting for a chance to move? Could you be an actor looking to be noticed? Could you offer a sculpture waiting to appear from within you? Or, perhaps you aspire to be a costume designer looking for a way to design in your own unique way? Is there a person inside you running counter-culture to the person you're being and living on a daily basis, who needs to be let loose? Perhaps, you are a rebel with or without a cause?

Perhaps you can make this coming week your personal time to give this "other" you an opportunity to breath and live. Or, perhaps, this is the real you who simply finds a home in this culture labeled by the "mainstream" as "counter-culture". Whichever it is, this is an opportunity for you to be your own "artsy" self, at Burning Man:


(Video entitled "Kisses From The Playa, from 2007 Burning Man)

Burning Man -- the annual event held in the desert where people become the artists, dancers, lovers, and creative sorts -- offers you an opportunity to embrace these aspects of your own artist self.

This year's Burning Man theme, as described from the Burning Man Website, is an evaluation and exploration of the American Dream:

In 2008, leave narrow and exclusive ideologies at home and carefully consider your immediate experience. What has America achieved that you admire? What has it done or failed to do that fills you with dismay? What is laudable? What is ludicrous? Put blame aside, let humor thrive, and dare to contemplate a larger question: What can America contribute to the world?

Whether you go to burning man or not, why not make this a week where you embrace art, dance, freedom, peace, love, and hope for a connected humanity without barriers. Evaluate the American Dream in your own way and see if you can find the art inside you:

Why not release your inner "Pyromaniac" (safely, of course) and make a sculpture, paint something on a canvas, design a new costume, write a poem, sing a song, burn something, and dance to the beat of your own drum!


(Video entitled "Burning Man Short Film, from 2006 Burning Man)

Editor's Note: I'll be playing my sax with my band, BODY, and getting my own ya-ya's out. Maybe I'll even sing a new song entitled "American Dream" at Mr. Rick's in Avila Beach this Saturday night! Maybe I'll light something on fire, too. Kudos to my friend, Lacye-Loo, who is going to Burning Man in 2008 and inspired this post.
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What Does Nature Tell Us?

Have you ever gone through a tough time and received the advice to "Spend time in nature. Let God or the natural Spirit of the Universe speak to you..."?

I've heard people say it to me. I tend to seek out nature when struggling with a difficult decision or process in my life. My two favorite places in nature: the beach (ocean) and the forest (trees/wind). What I've been noticing lately, though, is that the actual water in the ocean is powerful, strong, continual, ebb and flow of tides and the crashing waves on the beach make their own melody. But all around my feet and in the air above me is LIFE! It's everywhere. Seagulls are flying along one direction while a flock of pelicans cruise by at low altitude before raising speed in the wind current. A sand crab bubbles inside the sand beneath my feet. A starfish is attached to a rock making a path and blending in. Other crabs, anemone, and urchins sway with each wave. Life is everywhere. It is the same in the forest.

If you go into a grove of trees, you may notice the wind rustling the leaves, and hear the sound of the branches creaking and bending with the force of the breeze as it pushes the branch here and there. But, again, all around my feet and in the trees above me I notice LIFE! A squirrel jumps from one limb to another. A caterpillar crawls over my shoe. A spider hangs in between the branch of a small twig. Nearby, a fly is caught in the spider's web. Again, life is everywhere!

You see, there is a natural cycle with life. We, as humans, also have a natural cycle of life. What are we doing about it? Are we embracing our natural cycle? Are we being our most passionate, most loving, most dynamic, most peaceful, most empowered self? If not, are we in the down-cycle? Perhaps we are simply cycling back towards our own greatness!

I recently experienced one of these cycles. Sometimes, when we are in the middle of the valley, we wonder if work, love, relationships, health, and other factors are ever going to balance back the other way again. Then, one day, we sleep a restful sleep. We awaken and decide to choose joy, love, and happiness. And, finally, the Universe responds, and the cycle starts to swing back.

It's exciting to be part of nature. What would nature tell us, today?

Does nature want us to make war, or make love? Does nature want us to love each other? Does nature want us to abuse resources like our water, fossil fuel, forests, earth, and sky? Or does nature want everything to blossom again in full bloom next year, and the year after that.

Are we listening to nature?

The Native American tradition is to be able to stand strong not just this generation, but to continue to honor and nurture our nature 19 generations from now. Are we acting in a way that will leave little or no trace in 19 generations?

What does nature tell us?
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The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Although known most widely in its abbreviated form above,

the entire prayer reads as follows:

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next. Amen.

And here is the full Original Serenity Prayer

by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

God, give us grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

Reprinted from The Voice For Love

Another way to view this prayer is along with this video put together with Enya:

May this prayer bring you peace and help in letting go of attachments that no longer serve you.

Remember, too, that laughter heals.
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