Outlet Zine Issue #1

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A quarterly zine for people who want more fun and satisfying lives by exploring their physical, spiritual and creative outlets. Issue #1 "Why Do You Need an Outlet?"

Transcript of Outlet Zine Issue #1

OUTLET WINTER 2012 | 1

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OUTLET ZINEEDITOR

Sarah Richardsonsarah@outletzine. com

COVER ILLUSTRATIONZac Holmes

www. zholmesillus. com

GRAPHIC DESIGNMegan E. Evans

http: //www. evermeg. com/blog/

ADVERTISING INQUIRIESadvertising@outletzine. com

GENERAL INQUIRIESinfo@outletzine. com

SUBMISSIONS

You may submit manuscripts, art,

photographs, journal pages to be

considered as in issue

contributor. Refer to

outletzine. com and

facebook. com/OutletZine for

individual issue themes. We will

contact you for more information

should we accept your submissions.

By submitting your work, you are

also giving Outlet Zine permission

to use your work on our website,

on our Facebook Page or in the

zine at any time. Send all

submissions to

submissions@outletzine. com.

ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSSION

Each issue of Outlet Zine will

feature apportunities for

collaboration. Themes will be

announced in the current issue, on

the website and on our Facebook

Page. We will feature a photo

montage of all activity

submissions in the zine. We can

accept digital photos of your

contribution up to one month prior

to the issue publication date. To

protect your privacy please turn

off the location setting on your

camera or phone. We will pick two

or three responses to the issue

discussion topic for each issue.

By submitting your pictures and

responses, you are also giving

Outlet Zine permission to use your

pictures on our website, on our

Facebook Page or in the zine at

any time. Send all pictures to

submissions@outletzine. com with

the theme title in the subject

line.

QUESTIONS

To submit a question for our Sex,

Spirituality and Creativity

columnist, Fran Gallaher, send

your question to

pluggedin@outletzine. com six weeks

prior to issue publication date.

© copyright outlet zine 2012

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IN THIS ISSUE

Gratitude 6

Letter from the Editor 7

Writer Biographies 8

Themed Activity 12

Reader Response 14

Collaboration 15

Plugged In 16

DIY Guerilla Gardening 20

Inspiration 24

Journal Exercise 25

App Review 28

Get Started with Knitting 29

Dress The Part 32

The Practice of Presence 36

Collage 40

Why Do You Need An Outlet? 42

Journal Page 44

Why I . . . Paint 45

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GIVE THE GIFT OF OUTLETOutlet is the perfect gift for someone you love--that includes

yourself! Subscribe to a full year of Outlet, four issues, for

just $25. You' ll receive:

Issue #2 "Find Yourself"

Issue #3 "Get Physical"

Issue #4 "The Dude Issue"

Issue #5 "Look Inside"

Bonus for Issue #1 subscribers. Convert your subscription to a

paid one year subscription and receive a collectible embroidered

"Charter Member" patch.

Offer good until midnight on March 15th, 2013.

Visit www. outletzine. com/shop/ to keep Outlet Zine coming!

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What' s coming in Issue#2?

DIY Mixed Media Journal

Five Step Plan for Creative Thinking

Get Started With Cooking

Find the Courage to Fail

Plugged In, Fran Gallaher' s " no

question goes unanswered" advice

column

Convert your Issue #1subscription now to read all

about it.

www. outletzine. com

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EDITOR'S NOTEGRATITUDEThis Zine would not be possible without the interest, kind words,support and encouragement of my dear friends:

Thank you Andy for supporting me from the very beginning--evenwhen you didn' t really get what I was doing. It' s exactly thiskind of unconditional support that makes me love you beyondwords. And thank you for the detail work you provided at the endby proofreading the finished Zine.

Thank you Michael for listening to me talk about this project.Your interest has helped me learn how to tell the story. Thanksalso for providing key images for this issue.

Thank you Lisa for your excitement and enthusiasm—and for takingme to the Yves St. Laurent exhibit. Every day I know you I amthankful I heard your “Om” in yoga class and booked a massage.How long has it been now? Twelve years? Here' s to the nexttwelve.

Thank you contributors! You have blown me away by your artistictalent. You have inspired, motivated, guided, cheered andadvised me. I am grateful to be surrounded by such interestingand talented people—Zac, Megan, Catherine, Allegra, Cynthia,Fran, Dawn, Michael and Pat. The great thing about editingOutlet is I get to read your work over and over. And now I getto share it with everyone else.

This has been a fantastic journey. And I don' t believe thejourney is over yet.

The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet ourlessons come from the journey, not the destination. Don Will iams

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I began 2012 with an ambitious

goal--write a book. Before

there was time to blink a third

of the year had passed. Even

though I’ d given my book

project a lot of thought I had

nothing on paper and it felt

like time was slipping away.

Then one day, it hit me. A

completed book is static while

a magazine contains fresh,

dynamic and varied content.

Instead of writing a book I

would start a zine. The exact

date the lightning struck is

etched in my mind. I was

attending a gallery

retrospective of the fashion

career of Yves St. Laurent.

Inspiration came in a

creatively rich setting. The

energy surging around that

space must have electrified my

muse. And my new year’ s goal

put me in the right frame of

mind to listen and to trust.

I’ ve been fascinated with

zines, self-published magazines

with non-traditional content,

since the late 90’ s when I

subscribed to Teesha Moore’ s

first publication, The Studio

Zine. The black and white zine

blew my mind with photos of

Teesha’ s personal journal

pages, musings on an unlimited

variety of subjects and a

tremendous volume of artist’ s

submissions. Soon after I

subscribed to more art-themed

zines like Pisces Rising, Dog-

Eared Magazine and ARTitude

Zine. Later Teesha went on to

create two more full-colored,

zines, PLAY and Art and Life

which I eagerly devoured when

they arrived in my mailbox.

That anticipation is exactly

the feeling I want to capture

with Outlet Zine.

Outlet’ s subject is dear to my

heart. While writing for my

creativity blog, Beyond Do Re

Mi I noticed something curious.

Even though my career in music

is a creative field it often

feels more like a job and less

like food for my soul. I needed

something else--an outlet. Once

I made that connection I looked

beyond myself and saw

similarities in my circle of

musician colleagues and

friends. The realization that

outlets are necessary for

everyone is the inspiration for

this zine. It' s a place to

share our outlets.

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CONTRIBUTORSAllegra Wermuth - Allegra Wermuth is Assistant

Principal second violin of the Colorado

Symphony. She runs a private teaching studio

and is co-editor of the online knitting

magazine Petite Purls. She lives with her

daughter outside of Denver, Colorado.

Catherine Beeson is a professional classical

violist and violinist. When she’ s not curating

and restoring great masterworks of the 17th-

20th centuries or shlepping her kids around to

every suburban kid activity under the sun you

can find her whipping up some new random tasty

thing in the kitchen, longing to compete in

roller derby (GO LUMBER JILLS! ) , or dreaming up

new and more fun ways to teach school kids how

to manipulate music the way they would if it

was clay, finger paint, or food. Occasionally

she hurls water balloons filled with seeds

somewhere in need of color and then waits a

really long time.

Fran Gallaher is a Meditation Coach & Soul

Guide, a speaker and a presenter. "Fran uses her

highly developed sense of intuition to

recognize personal, creative and leadership

potential in her clients while assisting them

in developing their intuition and purpose as

well as a soul-directed path toward their most

passionate, genuine and charismatic expression.

Fran is unique in that she assists her clients

in decoding their own experience by clarifying

emotions, intuitions and desires, as well as

conducting highly personal, dynamic and

transformational visualizations and meditations

as part of her sessions. To receive individual

coaching from Fran or to have Fran speak to

your small or large group, please call or email

Fran today: 303 722 5115 fran@lightways. net

www. lightways. net.

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Cynthia Robinson has played first violin with

the Colorado Springs Symphony-Philharmonic

since 1980. During that time she also enjoyed

performing with celebrities in Colorado Springs

and Denver, at Fiddler' s Green, the Pepsi

Center, the World Arena, and at the Red Rocks

outdoor amphitheatre. She also enjoys playing

many ‘gigs’ each week, up and down the front

range. She also loves being the violinist for

the musicals at the Fine Arts Center with her

jazz buddies in the pit band, and playing gypsy

jazz, celtic, medieval and classic rock

favorites with her guitarist friends at local

restaurants, churches, retirement homes, for

private parties and weddings. She teaches

instrumental music at the Fountain Valley

School of Colorado and performs with Hausmusik

String Quartet in large private homes around

our city and in Woodland Park. She received her

B. S. B. A. degree from the University of Denver,

and in her spare time enjoys photography,

playing electric violin in Manitou Springs,

quilting and painting. She' s hoping to get back

to riding her 1994 Harley-Davidson 1200

Sportster Hugger as soon as things slow down a

little bit.

Megan Evans helps entrepreneurs, small

businesses, “book people” and nonprofit

organizations share their stories and get

results through graphic and web design and

illustration. Originally a Kentuckian, Megan

now lives near Denver, Colorado (just shy of

the Rocky Mountains) . She is also a writer (and

reader) of fiction and is writing her second

novel.

Pat Kay is a student who writes a fashion blog,

Pat Kay Bites and creates sets for Polyvore in

her spare time. She likes the band "Queen" and

cats.

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Dawn Herring is a writer, artist, and host of

#JournalChat Live for all things journaling on

Twitter. She is the author of The Birthday

Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child,

a how-to on creating a visual collage birthday

gift to celebrate your child' s unique

personality, a family tradition she has kept

with her two daughters. he encourages folks to

refresh themselves daily to enhance their

personal power and to be true to their

authentic selves through her weekly Refresh

Journal and her blog, Refresh with Dawn

Herring. One of her passions is journal

writing; she enjoys sharing information about

the benefits and techniques of journaling on

the social networks and discusses these

benefits with a new topic each week as host of

#JournalChat Live on Thursdays, 5 EST/2 PST, on

Twitter. She enjoys painting with watercolor,

art journaling and collage, and reading

inspiring, motivating texts. She is the mother

of two grown daughters, grandma of one grandboy

and is the cat owner of a furry female feline

named Sophie. You can reach Dawn through her

website, www. dawnherring. net, or by email at

journalwriter@sbcglobal. net.

Zac Holmes, our cover illustrator, is a recent

graduate of The Rocky Mountain College of Art

and Design where he majored in Illustration. To

see more of his work or inquire about freelance

illustration go to zholmesillus. com.

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CHALK WELCOME MATS

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READERRESPONSE

ImagefromArtChixStudio

Question: Do you really need an outlet?

Response: The first thing I thought was 'The WORLD really needs you to have anoutlet' . We often think about creativity as a selfish thing, you know, something to doin our 'spare time' just for ourselves. But think about it, creativity is all around us.Literally every human made object you see was once an idea in somebody's head.Every concept from female emancipation to sending people into space was oncenothing more than a thought. Without an outlet, they would have remained thatway. Creative people create the world around us. The more people participate inthis creation, the more rich our world wil l be. The more people share and exploretheir creativity, the more full , actualized beings we have to create our society,environment and the systems we live in. This can only be a good thing, right?

Jani Franck

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COLLABORATIONACTIVITIESEach issue of Outlet Zine will feature apportunities for readercollaboration. Themes will be announced in the current issue, on thewebsite and on our Facebook Page. We will feature a photo montage ofall activities submissions in the zine. We can accept digital photosof your contribution up to one month prior to the issue publicationdate. To protect your privacy please turn off the location setting onyour camera or phone. By submitting your pictures, you are alsogiving Outlet Zine permission to use them on our website, on ourFacebook Page or in the zine at any time. Send your photos tosubmissions@outletzine. com with the theme in the subject line.

RESPONSESWe will pick two or three responses to the current topic for eachissue. By submitting your responses, you are also giving Outlet Zinepermission to use them on our website, on our Facebook Page or in thezine at any time. Send all responses to submissions@outletzine. comwith the theme title in the subject line.

DISCUSSION

Would you like to comment on a response or anything else in

Outlet Zine? We' d like your voice to be heard as well. Please

comment, agree, refute on the website forum or on our Facebook

Page. Or send your comment to submissions@outletzine. com. Be

sure to include the issue number and topic in the subject line.

ISSUE #2 TOPIC: PROCRASTINATION

Procrastinating keeps us from the things we really want to do.

We expend so much energy postponing tasks that never get to

satisfying parts of life. Have you found a way to combat

procrastination? Share your secrets at

submissions@outletzine. com.

ISSUE #2 ACTIVITY: LOVE NOTE TO YOURSELF

Write a love poem, make a valentine or decorate an envelope that

contains a top secret message--for yourself. These are

suggestion; not rules. We' d like to encourage all your

spontaneous outbursts of affection for yourself in whatever form

they happen to appear. Send photos of your love notes to

submissions@outletzine. com

ISSUE #1

Many thanks for your submissions to Issue #1. In many cases the

wonderful welcome mats were created by my friends. Thank you for

shouldering the responsibility for the first issue' s activity. I

hope you had fun in spite of all my nudging. You are very dear

to me.

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PLUGGED IN:Sex, Spirituality & Creativity as Outlets for the Soulby Fran GallaherOUTLET is launching my advice column—this column—in its inaugural

issue. In these not-so-dusty pages I will answer your questions

about sex, spirituality and creativity as outlets for you and for

your soul.

I’ ve worked with all kinds of people with all kinds of challenges

for more than 25 years, first as an intuitive, then as an

Executive Coach and now as a Meditation Coach and Soul Guide.

When I work with my clients I feel as if I am part diviner, as in

those people who carry a forked branch and look for water deep

within the earth, looking for the areas of greatest flow in

someone’ s life or the areas of potential flow; part channeler,

channeling the soul; and part visionary, visioning, along with my

client, the life that would provide them with the greatest amount

of passion, purpose and fulfillment.

Over and over again, my experience of guidance has lead me to the

areas of sex, spirituality and creativity. These areas, when

flowing, generate the greatest amount of aliveness and healing,

passion and purpose, and lead to the greatest fulfillment.

Perhaps because of this tremendous aliveness these three areas of

life, sex, spirituality and creativity, are also the most heavily

conditioned areas of experience in our culture. We are told what

we can and cannot do in these areas from the first time we put a

hand down into our diaper, ask a question about God or about good

or bad people, or pick up a crayon. Some of us explore these

areas during adolescence; few of us continue that exploration. If

we do return to our explorations, we will encounter that inner

critic, the agent of social conditioning, otherwise known as the

superego.

The first job is to recognize what is called a superego attack,

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that buzz kill that comes when you, perhaps innocently, question

the conditioning you have received. Why do we limit pleasure? Why

must there be an intermediary between us and God? Does the art we

explore have to be perfect every time?

The second job is to notice if we really need a buzz kill. And do

we agree with our superego? Does shame really need to come down

upon us because we’ re asking questions or trying out a new idea

or technique (in any of these areas) ?

The third job is to learn to defend against the superego. There

are many ways to do so, and the many ways we can defend (against

the superego) may come up as I attempt to answer your question.

The most important defense I have discovered so far is the one I

have discovered for myself: I realize that I don’ t need to be

shamed, by myself or anyone else, in order to do what I determine

is right. Right for me, right for someone else, right for the

situation.

QuestionsFor the inaugural question I offer here two questions that I made

up as a kind of composite question I have received over, lo,

these many years, in one form or another, in my work. Please,

dear readers, send your original questions to me, Fran Gallaher,

at info@outletzine. com. I will be able to read and answer those

questions I receive six to eight weeks before the publication

date (March 15th is the next publication date) . In the meantime,

here are my made up, most common, questions.

Common Question #1:My husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner has decided he/she

will no longer participate in sex at all/certain types of sexual

activities/sex on Fridays or whatever day of the week, time of

the month, location in space, location in/on their body or mine,

location relative to me/location relative to someone else, etc.

etc. What do I do? Am I wrong to want the type of sex they have

decided against?

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If you are in a committed relationship then your

husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner HAS NO RIGHT TO MAKE A

UNILATERAL DECISION. PERIOD. Your

husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner needs to INITIATE A

DISCUSSION WITH YOU that might, at some point, produce an, ahem,

pause, then another ahem, BILATERAL decision. The other person

(I’ m tired of writing that string of roles separated by slash

marks) can say what their preference or problem or challenge is

and then OFFER it up for DISCUSSION. WITH YOU. Because that’ s

what a relationship IS. It is not a forum whereby unilateral

decisions are offered up as LAW. Instead, the whole point of a

relationship is to decide TOGETHER what to do when one or both

persons has a need or a desire that involves or impacts both

people.

If the person you are with is incapable of having a discussion or

incapable of coming up with a fair decision about what to do then

that person is, wait for it… wait for it… INCAPABLE OF BEING IN A

RELATIONSHIP AND SHOULD BE RELEASED FROM ANY SUCH COMMITMENT FOR

YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING AND THEIRS.

It is only because of the shame that our culture has visited upon

us and insisted on that any member of a so-called relationship

EVER has to deal with another person making a decision that

affects both members of the partnership. One partner ends up

feeling shame because their needs and desires are in conflict

with the needs and desires of another.

If one partner is truly no longer interested in one type of

sexual pleasure or any type of sexual pleasure then I believe

they are morally required to exempt themselves from the COMMITTED

partner agreement rather than expect or demand that their partner

adhere to their new austerity program.

There. I said it.

It is cruel and it is abusive to expect that another person give

up certain sexual needs or practices because one person has

decided it should be so.

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Common Question #2I want to explore creativity (or athleticism) (or whatever) in

some way that does not interest my partner. I want to hang out in

a coffee shop and journal or take singing lessons or take a

writing class or learn to knit or go fishing or go to the zoo or

go to the theater or go to an art museum or stand out in a field

or go hiking or run a 5k or buy new running shoes (even though I

haven’ t gone running yet) or WHATEVER and my partner (or best

friend or family member or entire family or neighbor or entire

church community) thinks it’ s

silly/boring/unnecessary/unreasonably expensive/dumb/unnecessary

(I know I said that before but it’ s worth repeating because it’ s

the ultimate criticism) or says that I don’ t have talent or I

never seemed to want to do that before or I never did it before

or they didn’ t know I wanted to do it or I never said anything

about it before or no one in their family or mine has ever wanted

to do that or everything has seemed fine until now or what has

that new friend been saying to you or WHATEVER. What do I do?

Go ahead and do it. Yes. Your partner will get over it.

OR It will make you famous and rich and you won’ t want or need

your partner any more or your partner won’ t want or need you any

more.

OR You will die if you don’ t do it.

OR You will discover, as you die, that it was, really and truly,

the cause of your death.

Really. Just do it.

If it won’ t harm anyone but might make someone, like your

partner, uncomfortable or pissed off, and you are sure that’ s not

the reason you are wanting to do it, and it also is challenging

enough for you to produce a little discomfort for you, too, but,

again, won’ t harm you or them or violate your agreement of

commitment, then…DO IT.

I await your questions.

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DIY GUERILLAGARDENING

By Catherine Beeson

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Guerrilla Gardeners, ResistanceGardeners, Green Ninjas, whatever

the title it all amounts to the same thing ‐making those neglected spaces in our citiesgreener and more creatively driven.

I can’t remember what I was looking forwhen I stumbled across this movementseveral years ago, but it was the perfectdistraction from my not so perfect worklife. I’m in what people think of as acreative field but in fact it’s pretty darnconservative with loads of rules both writtenand unwritten. This was exactly the kindof subversive creativity a suburban momcould get behind!!

Here’s Wikipedia’s definition: Guerrillagardening is gardening on land that thegardeners do not have legal right to use,often an abandoned site or area not caredfor by anyone. Sounds illegal, andtechnically I suppose it is. But there are somany grey areas here. I went for it! Theguerrilla gardening movement appears tohave started in the 70’s in New York withthe Green Guerrillas (check outgreenguerrillas.org) but the term was coinedwell after our most famous Americanguerrilla gardener Johnny Appleseed wasdoing his thing. I perused the veryinformative site by Richard Reynoldsguerrillagardening.org (who also has a bookentitled “On Guerrilla Gardening” publishedin 2008) and found two basic categories ofguerrilla gardening. One requires a serioustime commitment. Soil preparation, usuallya nighttime “attack” with a team, andrepeated trips back to the site formaintenance. The other was more myspeed. Random “bombings” of places thatneed a bit of wildflower TLC. I recently ran

this idea by my kids. My excellent daughterimmediately said “That sounds like the book‘Miss Rumphius’!” (Written and illustratedby Barbara Cooney in 1982, ‘Miss Rumphius’describes the title character’s travelscollecting seeds before returning home tosow them making “the world morebeautiful”.) Would she and her brother beinterested in making and dispersing waterballoon seed bombs as a Saturday activity? I didn’t have to ask twice. We had a tonof fun, ended up conscripting a small militiaof Green Ninjas, and are now eagerlyawaiting the results.

Here’s how we did it.First, we thought of an area that neededsome attention. We picked one that wewere likely to pass by throughout the yearso we could keep an eye on it. In thiscase it was an open space along ahighway with an access road that we taketo get to school.Next I researched native wildflowers thatwould be perfectly happy to spring upwith nearly no attention. I also wantedperennials and it was important to all ofus that at least some of these shouldpromote healthy bee activity.For our seed bombs we decided on waterballoons. It’s so great that the balloonindustry has caved to public pressure andbeen using natural latex. This means theballoon is biodegradable and will returnto the earth at about the same rate ofspeed as an oak leaf. A very smallportion of balloons are NOTbiodegradable.

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We checked the bag carefullybefore purchasing!

At the garden center we found a nice variety ofseeds and basically bought them all . At under 2bucks per pack it seemed like the right thing todo. Plus we would have enough to Green Ninjavarious locations as time and creative energypermitted. The balloons came in packs of 100after all . . .

Back at home we had a strategymeeting with the original Green NinjaCrew.

We poured all the seeds into a bowland mixed them around.

GREEN NINJA ADVENTURES

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Then we fil led each balloon with about20 or 30 seeds. After carefully fi l l ing theballoons with water and tying them offwe were ready to mobil ize.

One of the original GNC had a play date. More mil itia!Here they are taking a few bombs with them to use on awalk later that day. Update: a runner came by just asthey were getting ready to toss. The adult GNCmember instructed them to hide the bombs in their shirts quick! and said in a conspicuously loud voice Andthis, children, is a fine example of an aspen tree! Thenafter the runner had passed, they completed their act ofdefiant beautification by smashing balloons and runningaway.

Meanwhile, back at headquarters, aneighbor popped by to say hello. TheGNC grew by another adult and a veryeager 2 year old ninja! We grabbed thebucket and made our way to the site.

Bombs away!

Make your own bombs using a variety of

methods found here.

For some really cool reading and great

ideas from other people’ s guerrilla

gardening projects, take a look here.

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INSPIRATIONOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is thatwe are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness thatmost frightens us. We ask ourselves who am I to be bril l iant, gorgeous,talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child ofGod. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothingenlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecurearound you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born tomake manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us;it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously giveother people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our ownfear, our presence automatically l iberates others.

~ Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections

on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

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JOURNAL EXERCISEFind Your Authentic Creative Outlet

by Dawn HerringIt makes you smile. Or laugh. It energizes you. It builds your inner confidence so you

feel good about yourself. It makes you feel enabled and purposeful. It's just plain fun.What is it? Your Authentic Creative Outlet.When was the last time you responded to a life experience, whether solo or with another,where you had these good vibes going on? Perhaps yesterday? Last week? Last month?Well, hopefully it's been recent, right?Let's assume so and do a little digging to see what authentic creative outlets you candiscover that will enhance your life experience even more. This can be especially helpfulif you're not fully aware of the creative outlets you may already have and simply don'trecognize them as such.

Your recent day's activities can be a fabulous source to excavate.

In a notebook, on a piece of paper, or in your journal, make a LIST of what you'veexperienced in the last day or week. You don't have to go into major detail; a brief phrasewill do.Here's an example:Walked to the park; chatted with daughter at lunch; worked on a writing project; playedwith grandboy; worked on watercolor painting; answered business phone calls; ran intosomeone at the grocery store.You get the idea.Now go through that list, then recall and note more specifically how that experiencemade you feel. A one word description will do. Examples are: Nervous? Excited? Happy?Overwhelmed? Anxious? Energized? Reluctant?Put a star next to the ones with the positive associations. Now ask yourself and note how

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often you engage in that activity, whether solo or with another. When you find anexperience that adds to you, you either want to increase the amount of time you spenddoing that activity or do it more often. Like spending more time with an individual whoadded to your energy (there's a good chance you have added to theirs as well.) Lengthenthat walk or add more minutes to that painting session. (You may feel more apt to cutshort a creative, healthful outlet for another "responsibility.")Whatever gives you that added boost of refreshment can be a great source or just agreat start for an authentic creative outlet. Creativity often grows, so something you enjoydoing may turn into something even bigger and better. Always keep yourself open tothose possibilities.Now that we've activated awareness on activities you are already engaged in, let's goback to that list and note the negative associations. Yes, those. (No need to cringe here;there is some good stuff coming your way!)Take one that really stands out to you and write a detailed description of what happenedand what prompted those uneasy feelings. If you have any associative memories, eitherfrom your recent past or even as far back as childhood, make note of those too, forresonating connections.Once you have completed that, look back at your positive life experience list and pickone that has had the most impact on your overall well being. Now take the time toengage fully in that activity to help you work through the worst of your detailed challenge.When we are dealing with a negative situation that leaves us feeling out of sorts, angry,or even resentful, the last thing we would consider is how we can use that situation inconnection with a creative outlet.But we can.

Because when we discover a true outlet, one that is suited to our personality, ourpreferences and our purpose in life, that outlet wil l enable us to initiate three vitalactions toward ourselves:

AppreciationThat positive expression that adds to your energy and your sense of well being will helpyou keep a balanced view of your responses, attitudes, and emotions, no matter what

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situation you have faced. We can always look inward at any life experience, then see andrecognize our value, what we see as "right" about ourselves in that situation; whether it'show you held your tongue, how you added something relevant and helpful to another'spoint of view, or how you showed yourself respect.

ValidationIt's easy to beat ourselves up when we see what we did as a failure, especially when welose our cool and end up embarrased or when what we offered didn't quite meet up withanother's expectation. Our authentic creative outlet will give us room to validate ourfeelings, emotions, and our point of view without emphasizing the wrong thing the wrongway. This validation can help to center us and even take the sting out of those negativeemotions and get us back on the right track.

NurtureThis creative outlet is going to give you a stronger sense of well­being, as you learn tolove yourself with all your foibles, challenges, and perceived "failures." It will uplift yourself­esteem and help you release pent up emotion so you can forgive yourself and othersin the process.When we engage in the most authentic creative outlet possible, we can use those outletsto gain a fresh perspective on our more negative life experiences and actually learn moredeeply about ourselves. This can help bring positive change that will enable us torespond to future challenges with increased confidence, a more grounded and balancedcenter, and a stronger sense of self and our purpose.You can always use those daily activities for future creative outlet detective work, sinceas you change and grow as an individual, new positive experiences will show up in thatlist that might just make a more focused creative outlet foryou enabling you to continue that nurturing, validating andappreciating dimension as you work through the morechallenging aspects of life.

Be sure to fully engage in at least one creative outletevery day for an increased quality of life experience andwell being. In other words, don't forget to refreshyourself!

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APP REVIEW

WreckThisAppscreenshots

Wreck This App is the perfect traveling journal companion.

Actually it' s more of an anti-journal which makes it ideal for

folks who are reluctant to journal. Based on Keri Smith' s wildly

popular book, Wreck This Journal, the app version allows you to

doodle, smear, drip “paint” and make a glorious mess of your

iPhone, iPad or Android screen. There are a variety of tools to

use and pages of assignments giving an idle commuter endless

opportunities to comply or defy. Allowing you to import your

photos to deface or doodle to your hearts content, this app is an

excellent way to journal on the go. And when you' re done you can

share your destruction via social media or erase and play again.

Wreck This App is rather expensive but well worth the money.

$4. 99 at the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

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GETSTARTED

WITHKNITTING

By Allegra WermuthI am a professional musician. I am also

a writer, crafter, teacher, mother andfriend. I like to wear many hats. Peoplemight disagree with me but I think it's whatkeeps me sane.

Throughout my childhood and adolescence,I wanted to be a writer. I was obsessed withreading and loved writing childrens storiesand other fiction. Then I got bit by the musicbug. Got two music degrees and landed agood orchestra job.

Sounds dreamy doesn't it? I get to playthe best music ever written alongsidewonderful colleagues. Along with theorchestral repertoire, I also play a lot ofchamber music and solo work. Such anincredible creative outlet. A friend of mineonce said that after you've played asymphony by Gustav Mahler, you don't needto go to therapy because such a piece runsthe gamut of human emotions. She'sdefinitely correct. Artists are blessed becausewe get to express ourselves without words,with just pure emotion.

You'd think that would be plenty,wouldn't you?

As much as I love being an orchestralplayer, I am one of many. One voice blendingin a sea of others. Hmmmm. Where is myvoice?

Eleven years ago I learned how to knitand immediately became obsessed with it.Not only did I love how meditative it was,but it was a new creative outlet. Workingwith wool and other fibers feels great onthe hands and the quality of these yarnsare quite amazing. Probably my favoriteaspect of knitting, besides the actual designs,is color. I love color and like to think thatI live in color. I see color in music and inmood. So being able to create somethingwith color (and the colors that are availablein yarn, especially those colorways createdby hand dyers are phenomenal) is such agreat gift.

Once my daughter was born, she becamemy muse and I started designing my ownhand knits. Through the Internet, I made alot of connections in the crafting world. Ifound great resources online, tutorials, blogsand podcasts. Through reading blogs andlistening to podcasts I quickly became friendswith a fellow crafter named Brandy. Weboth were knitters, both found out at thesame time that we were pregnant, and hadour daughters within two days of each other.I liked how we had all of this in common.And it didn't stop there. We both starteddesigning cute hand knits for our daughtersand would try out each others patterns.One day we were chatting via emailcomplaining about the lack of hand knit

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Would you like to get started with knitting?As with all new projects, start small , , get helpif you feel discouraged and celebrate all ofyour successes!

patterns for childrens wear online. While nursingmy daughter later that morning, I practicallyfell out of my chair. I knew what we needed todo: we needed to start an online knittingmagazine that focused on children's wear.

Little did I know when I approached Brandywith this idea that she designed websites for aliving. And that she was a budding photographer.It was serendipity.

Thus Petite Purls wascreated. We have beenaround for three yearsnow, providing a topquality, beautifulmagazine for fellowknitters. Not only dowe offer beautifuldesigns quarterly, wealso have a separatecollection that lives onthe site indefinitely. It

is called "Back to Basics" and it's full of verysimple designs‐‐‐ perfect for beginners and alsogreat for more advanced knitters who mightwant to add Colorwork or a new stitch patternto a simple design. And Brandy and I are livingout some of our creative dreams: I writepractically everything that you read in themagazine, edit and work with top notchdesigners; Brandy uses her background skills asa web designer to code the site, is the photoeditor as well as main photographer and weboth create the design collections together. Itreally doesn't get much better than that.

I feel incredibly blessed to have music in mylife and to have brought so many of my otherpassions together to create something that Iam incredibly proud of. It's like coming full

Of course you' ll need a little help

to learn how to use the tools and

speak the language. The most

pleasurable way to learn is from a

friend who knits. Make a play date

and get started. Allegra was lucky

to learn from her father. If you

like the energy of a group, one-on-

one instruction and are able to pay

for a class and supplies then

contact the local knitting store

for their beginner' s class

schedule. Prefer to learn on your

own with a kit? Google "learn to

knit kits" for adults and find

supplies and instructions packaged

and ready to go. Or buy your

supplies and search YouTube for

how-to-knit videos or borrow a book

from the library. And be sure to

explore Ravelry--an enormous (more

than 2 million members) social and

e-commerce site for knitting and

crocheting. As with all new

projects, start small, get help if

you feel discouraged and celebrate

all of your successes!

circle in a way. Who knows, maybe I still havethat Great American Novel still in mesomewhere.

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Images courtesy of Petite Purls. Clockwise fromupper left photos by: Stacy Ziegler, Linda Klein,Linda Klein, Brandy Fortune. Photo on facingpage by Brandy Fortune.

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DRESS THE PARTIf you haven’ t yet summoned the courage to pursue your outlet,

here’ s a little nudge. What better way to help you follow

through than by dressing the part? The following pages represent

the fun and fantasy of your outlet. Our stylist, Pat Kay is

heading up a fashion series with a twist--a regular column with

looks designed to compliment the outlets explored in each issue.

The looks featured here are chosen to stretch your imagination

and offer you the opportunity to assume a secret identity.

The Knitter. She’ s ethereal with a touch of mystery. The

knitter' s delicate, neutral look of flirty skirt, cream smoking

slippers and clutch is dressed down with a chunky, marled

cardigan.

Painter She. Our androgynous city girl is dressed to soak up

inspiration while strolling the streets of Paris wearing a

timeless striped pullover and distressed boyfriend jeans tied

together with black accessories and Chelsea boots.

Painter He. Decidedly downtown cool, this boy gets his spark

from the gritty side of life. Classic pieces like a knitted

beanie, vintage wool CPO jacket and high tops ground his urban

edge.

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THE PRACTICE OFPRESENCE

By Fran Gallaher

The most satisfying activities for me–the most satisfying outlets for me–are thosethat feel meaningful because they take me to deeper places within myself or they

require me to excavate to find deep places within me, or both. Once I’ve accessed myown depths a truly meaningful outlet seems to then require that I grow myself up toaccomplish and refine its expression and then get it out to the world, where it can activatedepth in others.

A storytelling instructor once told me that our stories are not nearly as interesting oruseful to others as we might wish to believe. Instead they act as catalysts to evoke thepersonal stories of others. In other words, listeners—or, more often in my case, readers—accesstheir own depths, remember their own, similar life events, experience their own epiphaniesbecause my efforts to access my depths opens a path downward to the depths withinthem and upward into consciousness where it enriches their lives with greater meaning.

The Practice of PresenceIt is my practice to go within. Sometimes I emerge with creative material; sometimes

my journey within causes me to become more sensitive, more impressionable to the world.Like a child awakening from a nap in a new place, my next contacts with the world arefresh and new, less structured by my social and cultural conditioning. The creativematerial that contact evokes, and the subsequent struggle to articulate what I have found,resonates within my listeners and readers. My journey becomes theirs, my memories orobservations are replaced with their own new, fresh perspective, and the riches I speakof or write about that reward me are replaced with the unique riches they bring to thesurface in their own experience.

When we access our depths I believe we are accessing our own soul. Somehow, thejourney is one that goes both within and without, taking us outward into a more expandedself. Within each of us are portals that can take us deep within and catapult us outwardinto the soul and further, into the Cosmos. Writers and speakers, actors, filmmakers,musicians, vocalists—artists of any kind who have meaning for me are accessing their own

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soul and broadcasting that activity. When Iattempt to duplicate the sensory, emotionaland intellectual experience their art provokesin me with my own creative acts I somehowfollow their path downward and then backupward and, on a good day, outward to theworld, the cosmos and, as Buzz Lightyear saysin the Toy Story movies, “To infinity andbeyond!”

The Path of PresenceOver time the path becomes well trodden and my outlet, whether it is a more personal

one, such as meditating, journaling, practicing yoga or hiking, or one intended for a wideraudience (as in more than just me) such as blogging, writing, speaking or storytelling,becomes an experience of presence. I become more aware of myself, aware of my depths,and present to my story.

Presence is present moment awareness. It is being in the now. But, more than that, thepractice of presence invites the soul in from its place somewhere beyond our earthboundexperience into our immediate, moment‐by‐moment, felt‐sense experience. As I practicepresence I can become aware of my own soul and, over time, aware of its purpose. Whenmy experience is informed by the perspective of my soul and its purpose, my life and myactions can have greater meaning and, therefore, greater purpose.

As I mentioned, meditation and journaling are both wonderful ways for me to practicepresence.

Meditation is Pure PurposeMeditation is pure presence and so can be more challenging. Here are two simple

meditation practices to try:1. Take a couple of breaths and, once you feel a little more settled, pick an inhale and,

at the top of that inhale, when your lungs feel full, pause for a moment. Then exhale, takeanother inhale, and pause again. Be sure you are not causing yourself to feel breathless.Do this a few times and then, at the bottom of an exhale, when your lungs feel empty,add a pause. If you get at all breathless, skip a pause. Otherwise, begin to imagine asquare. Each breath and each pause become one side of the square. An inhale, then apause; an exhale, and another pause. Try to make each inhale equal to each exhale;

This soul presence reaches thehearts and depths of othersthrough my art and through myattention and my awareness.

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make each pause equal to the other pause. Create a square in your mind, measuringeach breath.

You may find that breathing this way allows you to relax. You get caught up in yourexperience, caught up in the relaxation, and forget to measure your breath. That’s a goodthing; it means the method is working. Whenever you find thoughts intruding, go back tothe method. When the method falls away, let go.

2. Take a couple of breaths and imagine that you can breathe down into your legs, intoyour feet, and down into the earth. Imagine that you grow roots that delve deep into theearth. Those roots automatically seek out, find, and bring earth energy into your experience.You discover that your lower body, from a few inches below your navel, all the way downinto your toes, has an affinity for earth energy, for drawing energy up into your lowerbody and grounding you.

Now imagine that you have an energetic opening at the top of your head. This openingis like an infant’s soft spot or fontanel, or like a whale or a dolphin’s blow hole. Imagineyou can open this as wide as the widest part of your skull. You are opening to the energyof Heaven, to the energy of the sky. Imagine that this heavenly, atmospheric, energycarries with it inspiration, intuition and creativity.

Together, these energies ground you, balance you and connect you. Sometimes yourlower body will bring in more earth energy, or bring it higher than your low belly. Sometimesyour upper body will dominate, bringing in greater Heaven energy. Either way, you connectto the gridlines in the earth and to the skyways, to the etheric pathways between thehearts and minds of others.

Journaling is Integration and ValidationThe journaling method I use is one Julia Cameron describes in her excellent book, The

Artist’s Way. It is called The Morning Pages and involves writing three pages of longhand,first thing in the morning. I don’t always manage first thing but I try to a few days a week.Otherwise, I might add to her method and journal the things I am grateful for later in theday, or write through some emotional upset, or validate a success to myself.

If you have ever spent time around a young child, they need, they require, they evendemand, validation. “Mommy, mommy! I did a BIG jump!! I did a BIG jump!!” They havenot actually done the BIG jump until and unless Mommy or some other adult in attendancehas validated it to them. As adults, we still crave validation. WE do it with our friendswhen we call a friend and say, basically, the same thing: I did a BIG jump!! At a certainpoint, all this seeking after validation becomes inappropriate. We run out of adults whoare willing to provide validation for the fact that we followed our budget or didn’t drink

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Lyrics

byJM

R

so much on a school night, or got to bed early or worked out or didn’t go on an eatingbinge, or whatever it is we know we need to do. So journal it. Write it down. And the actof writing it down actually provides us with validation.

Journaling—writing out our thoughts and feelings—creates new neural pathways. Itinvolves far more nerve pathways than typing and may provide new or different pathwaysthan speaking to a friend. It creates the experience of validation as well as emotionaland psychological integration. It is incredibly valuable.

I have journaled my way through many difficult experiences. I literally wouldn’t be herewithout journaling.

Find Your MethodsSo yoga, hiking, rollerblading, rock climbing, pole dancing—all of these can be

methods for you to practice deep, present moment, awareness, to practicepresence. Find your method—and be prepared for that methodto shift over time. Be open and unafraid to practice presence.Maybe your practice, for a time, is rocking and nursing yourcolicky infant. Maybe it is sitting with your mother who hasAlzheimer’s—or with your father who is angry that he haslost his mate to such a cruel disease. Maybe it is listeningto your neighbor who has received a recent and veryfrightening diagnosis. Our practice of presence issometimes something we get to choose—andsometimes something that chooses us.

Presence is ContagiousOver time these acts allow my soul to rise

from deep within me to radiate outward allaround me. And this soul presence, this soulradiation, reaches the hearts and depthsof others through my art but also throughmy attention and my awareness. Outlets thatmay have originated as outlets for my thoughtsand emotions, observations and skill, becomeoutlets that stream soul material from beyond me,through me and outward toward others. I become soulful,skewered by the trajectory of my own soul moving from thepersonal to the universal.

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Use collage to inspire your next project or point you inthe right direction. Here, collage is used to inspire acd cover.

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CollagepagebyJMR

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WHY DO YOUNEED ANOUTLET?

By Sarah RichardsonOutlet Zine is about exploration. I don’t

think I’m alone in feeling reluctant to pursuewhat I truly want to do. Each of us has aunique outlet. A certain calling that makesus feel alive, free, fulfilled. It is the essenceof our self. So why do many of us deny it?Why is something as simple as following ourtrue path so difficult to accomplish? We arefull of excuses‐‐”There’s not enough time.”“My family needs me.” “My job needs me.”When the fact is these excuses mask thereal reason‐‐we’re afraid.We begin our lives as explorers. Imaginestarting over‐‐every taste, every touch,every sensation is new. And then as wedevelop and grow so also grows our socialconscience. That's where our fearbegins—with the super ego. Also known asour inner critic, the super ego controls oursense of right and wrong with frequent,liberal sprinklings of guilt which cause usto internalize messages about who we shouldbe and how we should behave. The onsetof puberty is our next vital time. We'rebristling with excitement. Eager to explorethis new set of experiences we're primedto take on an ever expanding world. Thenwe notice our differences, compare ourselvesand start believing that we don’t measure

up. We try to fit in. Our fear grows as ourneed to conform arises. By the time we’vereached adulthood fear is so fully ingrainedthat we deny what we truly want. We ignoreour true selves. Fear has blocked access towho we really are—explorers of the world.It is possible to love your work, have thecareer of your dreams and still long for amore satisfying life. Instead of pursuing afulfilled life we become our jobs. We arestuck‐‐getting up every morning, trudgingto work, coming home to collapse, and doingit all over again. Why do we live somewhereelse‐‐hiding behind our iPhones, talking toour facebook “friends”, dreaming of summer,living vicariously through reality TV andwaiting for the weekend? Here’s a biggerquestion: Why is there a need to escapefrom a life we truly love?Let’s look at this scenario from a differentpoint of view. Just think about it. Wouldyou wake up with a fresh outlook if youwere a painter who just happened to teachschool by day? What if you actually livedyour deepest desire instead of pretendingto participate via hobby television showsand magazines? Why be your JOB when youcan be YOU?I’d like to share my story. I have played theviola since I was ten. From the moment Istarted it was all I ever wanted to do.Lessons, youth orchestras, music camps,music school, orchestra jobs, chamber music,teaching—my life was brimming full of musicfor 30 years. That was how I defined myself‐‐I was a violist. After college, I played inregional orchestras while my then‐husbandfollowed his career in an ever‐changingindustry. We moved seven times in 16 years.

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After one particularly stressful relocation Ifelt discouraged with our nomadic life anddelved into paper arts. In it I found the joyof creating, a vibrant community and myoutlet. I found I gained strength from mynew creative outlet. It allowed me to holdonto a sense of myself and connect withothers. I still depended on music. I was stilla violist but I had something more.Three years later we arrived in Denver andI was tired. Tired of hustling for gigs, tiredof playing auditions and deep down, afraidto put myself out there again, I decided totake some time and get my family settledin our newest city. Nearly a year passedbefore I started to make my way into themusic scene again. Then, in an instant,everything changed. Half a mile from myhome, driving back from the grocery storemy vehicle was t‐boned by a pizza deliveryguy in a hurry. My car was picked up andthrown onto the driver’s side. The resultinghead injury left me in a deep depression.Not knowing what was wrong I lay for weeksin the dark soothed by the warmth of myloyal cat. Ultimately, I sought help, founda doctor who diagnosed PTSD and began acourse of treatment which included anti‐depressant medications, sessions with apsychologist and flashing light therapy.Traditional medicine combined with yogaand massage changed my life.Once treatment brought me back I plungedheadlong into the world of art. ThankfullyI had discovered my outlet because I didn’tplay the viola for more than two years. It'shard to believe that the only thing I everwanted to do was not an option for me.When I was finally ready I took baby stepsand made it slowly back to music. My steps

may have been smaller than they neededto be but I wasn’t in a hurry. After all, Ihad my outlet. Fifteen years later I can lookback on my wake‐up call with a freshperspective. I thought my beloved careerwas all I needed to sustain me. Now I knowthat my career is music; but my life is richerfor my outlet.Are you a man, woman, spouse, parent?Where are you in your journey? Are youfresh out of college, starting a family, caringfor aging parents, retiring? Your life dependson reaching deep inside and finding yourtrue outlet. My husband has a t‐shirt thatsays, “Exercise, Eat Right...Die Anyway.”It’s hard to imagine a less hopeful way tolive. Surely there is more to life than waitingfor the work day to be over so you canconsume a meat‐lovers pizza while staringvacantly at a television show about searchingfor sunken treasure off the coast of Florida.The tough love message says, “If your trueself longs to search for sunken treasure thenget off the sofa and learn how to scubadive”. The compassionate version comforts,”I know it’s hard and I know you can do it.Here's my hand; let's take one step at atime”.And that brings me to the point. Things likejobs, cities, homes, relationships and ourbodies are changeable. They can transformat any moment. Think about your list ofexcuses. Today is the day to remind yourfamily, your boss and yourself that you havesomething important do. At the end of theday, or the end of your days, the only personyou answer to is yourself. Don’t be afraid.The time has come to continue yourexplorations. But this time look deep insideand find the real you.

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JournalpagebySER

We wander for distraction,But we travel for fulfi l lment

Hilaire Belloc

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WHY I PAINTBy Cynthia Robinson

Because I just have to attempt to re‐create a beautiful moonlit night scene that isetched in my mind forever. Late one evening after work about two years ago, I wastaking the scenic way home, which avoids the interstate highway and meanders througha beautiful little valley along the front range, at the base of Pikes Peak overlooking Gardenof the Gods in Colorado Springs. Sunset had occurred over an hour before, so the sky wasnearly black, with just the hint of a blue glow remaining above the top of the shortermountains at the base of Pikes Peak. The Eastern sky and the canopy directly above mewere both very dark, with only a hint of stars sprinkled through the night sky. Directlyabove the front range and only slightly above and to the right of the top of Pikes Peakwere a beautiful crescent moon partnered with Venus, glowing beautifully in the clearsky. I thought to myself, “I just HAVE to paint that!” I had never had the urge to paintbefore, but when I saw that view, for some reason I just had to try to create a version of

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it without the use of acamera or othertechnological device.Within the next twoweeks, I spoke to twoartist friends of mine inthe quaint and lovelylittle town of ManitouSprings, and decided togo right to the oldest artsupply store around andstock up on watercolorpaints, paper and othersupplies. It feltwonderful. I called mysister who is very talentedand artistic to ask for abeginner’s lesson (she hadbeen very good withwatercolors 20‐30 yearsearlier when we still livedwith our parents andother siblings). She said,“Sure”, so I drove to her house the next day. I felt an urgency about learning to paintthat I had not felt about anything else in years.After a couple of very helpful hours with her, I went back to the art supply store andbought a wonderful book with step by step instructions (“Trace & Paint Watercolour” byTerry Harrison, Geoff Kersey and Arnold Lowrey) on how to create some original watercolorscenes by the book’s artists. I dove in and tried several of the scenes…multiple times.Each time I tried a scene, I learned more about how the paint reacted with more or lesswater, more or less paint, more or less time in between color applications, and so on andso on. It was one of the most rewarding things I’ve tried as an adult. I felt much like I didafter several lessons and rounds of golf: “This is SO fun and wonderful…even though I’mreally not very good at it.” I haven’t really figured out why either activity is so rewarding…but I’m thinking that it’s because I’m doing something I NEVER thought I would attempt,and I’m not BAD, and I can see improvement each time I spend time focused and learningmore about “How To.”I painted a scene from the pink Great Sand Dunes located in southern Colorado, nearAlamosa….14 times. Each time the colors turned out a little bit differently, the shadowswere more intense in some and the height of the hills were proportionately different, butI learned something with every ounce of paint and water that I put on all of the thosewonderful, thick pieces of watercolor paper. For two musician friends’ birthdays, I paintedscenes that came to my mind while listening to some of their musical creations; theyseemed to love receiving something handmade that related to their music. It was rewardingfor all of us! I’m still working on getting that beautiful moonlit scene on paper, but I’mnot giving up, and each attempt is getting closer to what I saw as I drove home thatinspiring night two years ago.

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Artwork by Cynthia Robinson

Cynthia's abstract painting"Salsbury Cathedral" is featuredart on her cd, "An Emerald Il lusion" .

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CONNECT WITH YOURTRUE SELF