Seeing in a new way

I recently had a talented young man in my photography class and he was using a fish-eye lens on his camera.  I try and keep away from "gadgets" and work with just my camera, but the images he created showed me a whole new way of seeing the world and so I decided to add a fish-eye lens to my camera bag.  I'm having such fun playing with it.  It allows me a whole new perspective on very ordinary things. 
Every photograph looks like a small world in itself.

SoulCollage® Evolving

Seena Frost's new book "SoulCollage® Evolving" will be out in November, and Seena has kindly agreed to be a guest on my blog shortly after the release of the book to answer questions about SoulCollage®.  I trained with Seena in June 2004 as a SoulCollage® facilitator and SoulCollage® is a process that I incorporate into my life to remind myself to listen to my inner voice.  It also allows me to spend time in the flow of creativity, to relax and let go.  If you haven't experienced SoulCollage® this video might give you an idea of what it is all about.

 

10.10.10: Another Gift on the Path

There are some days that don't happen very often, in fact they only happen once in a lifetime.  10:00am on the 10th day of the 10th month in the year 2010 was one of those.  It seemed to be a day and a time that should be recognized in some way and so I decided to walk my labyrinth, starting my walk at 10 minutes to 10 and spending some time in the center of the labyrinth so that I walked out at 10 past 10.

I always know that I have made the right decision when there is a gift waiting for me on the labyrinth path.  This time it was a small white feather.  To me it was a symbol of softness and purity as well as peace and I was grateful to find it there.  It makes me aware that my labyrinth responds to me as I interact with it.

Later that day a participant in one of my workshops found a cocoon on the labyrinth.  The cocoon was empty, the creator-insect having flown free.   A cocoon is a symbol of transformation and rebirth.  Change sometimes involves effort but it is how we grow and evolve, and is a necessary part of our journey.

This reminded me of a poem by Mary Oliver called "Black Swallowtail":

The caterpillar,
    interesting but not exactly lovely,
humped along among the parsley leaves
    eating, always eating.  Then
one night it was gone and in its place
    a small green confinement hung by two silk threads
on a parsley stem.  I think it took nothing with it
    except faith, and patience.  And then one morning

it expressed itself into the most beautiful being.

I wonder what life would look like if we lived it with faith and patience?