Inspring Me Today: What's Your Dream Assignment?

Illustration by the beautifully wise Jen Lemen

Jen Lemen is someone who I have long admired. For her wise and real blog. For her inspiring artwork. For connecting me into a sense of being a citizen in the global community.

And now I have one more reason to admire her:  for her courage and vision.

For her and Stephanie Robert's (and the Shutter Sister's) vision for their dream assignment: picturing hope.

You can read Jen's account of the birthing of this project here. (And like many labors of love it sounds like there were some moments that required accessing the deepest corners of her heart.)

Below is the video that Jen and Stephanie Roberts put together to visually explain their vision. (Direct link to video here.)

I know there is hope everywhere. And I, for one, am all for documenting it down. Hope is vital and needed. And we need the reminder that hope always springs forth.

Shutter Sisters Dream Assignment: Picture Hope from LittlePurpleCow Productions on Vimeo.

This dream assignment project is part of a contest with a $50,000 prize. Take a moment to vote for them. (Note: you'll have to first register to do so. But please do; it's worth it.)

And then tell me, what would your dream assignment be? And can you have the love and hope to see it into fruition?

Finding Your Rhythm

One thing that has really been supporting my creative expression as a writer and an artist has been my learning to the bongos and the djembe. (I've talked about this before here and here.)

The djembe is a relatively recent addition — a new-found love discovered at a drum circle I attended in February. I've begun lessons on the djembe, too, and have been borrowing one to practice.

But yesterday, a djembe of my very own arrived from Wula Drum. She's a beauty, with a wonderfully full and strong sound.

There are so many reasons I love drumming: The grounding I experience when playing. The joy of creating sound. Moving past my limiting beliefs of "I'm not a musician" or "I can't make music." What it is teaching me about walking through fear and mistakes.

I keep telling people that I get my whole life out of my drum lessons with my primary teacher Jeff. Where I'm blocked. Where I stop myself in fear, rather going forward with a joyful sense of exploration. Where I can experience the beautiful gift of flow. How to be in conversations in a different way.

I ran across this bit below in a guide to being in a drum circle.

It reminds me that we are all musicians. The music is everywhere. We only have to connect in with the rhythm.

Your every moment is steeped in rhythmic processes. Your breathing, your pulse and heartbeat, your steps, the way you brush your teeth, all have a natural rhythm. Pay attention. Be aware of natural rhythms as they occur; this is the first step. Awareness of rhythms can be practiced anywhere, any time. A drum is not required. The bird singing outside your window can teach you quite a bit, if you're willing to give him your attention for a few moments. Rhythm isn't a temporary activity; it's a way of life. Turn on the radio in your car and do a bit of channel surfing. Find types of music you don't normally listen to, and pay careful attention to the rhythms. Pick out the various parts, and see if you can repeat them to yourself. Whether you speak the rhythms vocally or find yourself tapping them out on the dashboard of the car or the pasta pot in the kitchen, rest assured: your journey has already begun. Rhythm is a state of mind.

Tell me, where is the music in your life today?

P.S. If you haven't experienced drumming, I encourage to check out a drum circle. Most circles welcome beginners and have extra instruments to loan. Below video clip of the Griffith Park Drum circle (with lots of conga goodness) is a good summation of the gifts of drumming. Direct link to video is here.

Flowering Fridays: Unfolding Flowers

Last of the calendulas, front garden bed, November 2008

A link in Jeanette Maw's wonderful Good Vibe ezine had me exploring around the Spirit Library site this week.

I found this post by Jen Eramith of Akashic Transformations that talked of the energy of this month in terms of flowers:

What energy and experiences can we expect in March 2009?

The energy of March 2009 is very much like a flower. There is a sense of breadth. A flower grows up and then it grows out, its petals unfold. There is a sense in March 2009 of petals unfolding, of something in bloom. There is a sense of expansion and spreading but it is not the kind of expansion that people apply often to spiritual terms. It is not like expansion upward to the heavens or ethereal expansion, it is a very grounded expansion....

Is there anything else for us to know about March 2009?

Return to the metaphor of the flower. It is useful to think about the nature of flowers during this month. Think of yourself as unfolding and remember that other people are unfolding. That means that what you see in other people is not permanent. Tomorrow they will bring something else, later on they will have come further into bloom, they will know themselves better and they will be fuller. Give yourself and others room to grow in March. That will look different for each of you, but just consider giving one another some space. Do not move away from each other, do not be distant, but give yourselves some space to be who you are, to continue becoming who you are becoming. Be willing to forgive mistakes, be willing to give one another the benefit of the doubt, remember that you are all unfolding.

I love this idea:

"Think of your yourself as unfolding and remember that other people are unfolding."

Such a great reminder for me to know that I am in a constant state of growing, and that my flower today will not look the same tomorrow. (And to remember that it's okay, it's part of the process.)

Because I will continue to become who I am becoming.

And so will you.

The nature of nature is to change. And we limit ourselves and other when we assume otherwise.

There is magic in recognizing the unfolding. Joy in celebrating that it is ongoing. And grace in recognizing it in each other.

I definitely am feeling the blooming quality of this month. I am feeling new sprouts of possibilities and a strong desire for growth. A sense that something is definitely about to bloom.

And I'm unfolding, too. Learning, forgetting and re-remembering. Giving myself — and each other — the benefit of the doubt.

Tell me, what opens up for you when you begin seeing yourself and others as unfolding flowers?

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Flowering Fridays is a weekly look at flowers through the lens of what they might teach us about flowering fully in our life. Past editions are here.