Stephanie's Studio

H is for Help When mired in a creative block, it's hard to see your way clear. You can easily get enveloped in all sorts of negative thoughts: F ear I solation H opelessness D efeat I’d suggest writing your negative, but very real thoughts on a blackboard, if you have one handy, and then erasing them, mindfully, with an eraser. Otherwise, write them out on paper, with a regular pencil, erase them, and toss the entire sheet in the recycling bin, or trash, if you don’t have one. Either symbolic act is not an immediate fix, but doing these sorts of physical activities puts you on a road, cleared of blockages. Reaching out for help is not something we all enjoy. First there is the idea of admitting that we need help. Then there is the daunting task of finding just the right type of help. Our dear friend, the Internet, makes this seem easy and hard, all at the same time. Entanglement by Stephanie Rose Bird Here are some ideas for help with maneuveri...

C is for Coloring for Adults Long before it was popular enough for the books to be sold at Borders or Michaels, I got into Coloring for Adults. There were some wonderful coloring books featuring goddesses and heroines that captured my attention, and I began coloring them in. Coloring is a very relaxing and all-encompassing activity. The repetitive movement of the hands, back and forth, and back again, relaxes the mind. Today, artists are deliberately creating coloring books that are meditative. If you look for adult coloring books on Borders or Amazon, you’ll find that many of the books have the word “meditative” or “relaxing” in the subtitle. My son bought two adult coloring books for me when he was on a trip to San Diego. People that know I’m an artist asked him, why he would buy me such a thing? He simply replied that she loves them. The truth is, when I don’t feel up to writing or tackling a painting or drawing, I turn to my coloring books. As in my previous post about ...

I first shared a rendition of this post last year during A to Z on this same day. During the 2014 I didn't have a theme. This year my theme is exclamation points, including words I'm very excited about. I'm presenting this word/sound again because OM is the "O" word I'm most excited about, hence this revision, clarifying and deepening my thoughts. It is the best word I have to offer beginning with O because it popped into my mind this morning and wouldn't leave. It is important and significant for its transformative potential. OM is everything and nothing at once. Back in high school we had a funky Spanish teacher who always had all sorts of animal hairs stuck in her clothing. She was an older woman, compared to the other teachers. I remember her because she was different and had many surprises up her sleeve. You could not judge her by outer appearances though the visual clues keyed you into her way of being in the world. I didn't study Spanish wi...

Art by Kathy Fornal Recently I took an angel workshop. I've flirted with the idea of angels for many years but I wasn't quite sure what to make of my interests. The workshop has been transformative in many ways. I learned what to call the interactions I've had with angels. I learned more about the order of angels. Most importantly, I've reestablished my workings with them in a more informed way. Some of you may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about. In some ways I wonder myself, yet I know they have been a constant in my life.  I learned in the workshop that angels do "walk-ins." This is where they appear in human form and interact with you briefly, only to be never seen again. Moreover, you must speak out loud to them. You are assigned two guardian angels for your lifetime. They are always with you. Our workshop focused on the messages of the archangels.We communed with them through divination and meditation.            ...

It's been an interesting end to the summer. I've found work, as I shared previously, and it's meaningful to boot. The type of freelance writing jobs coming my way enhance rather than distract from the direction of my path. Even while working, I find myself deepening my spirituality and credit a lot of this to the Law of Attraction . Before I even knew what the Law of Attraction was, I began to notice people popping in and out of my life in a way that suggested all of it served a purpose. In my line of work, which involved working with lots of different students, I connected in meaningful ways that were mutually beneficial because of this coming together. Lacking the words to describe this phenomena, I could only say we crossed each others paths for a reason. Years later, I read a book that changed life as I knew it called  "The Secret." Now that I understand the Law of Attraction and embrace its precepts more good is flowing in and negativity is swiftly dep...

If you look over to your right on this blog and scroll down through "Popular Posts" you will come across one I wrote several years back about my  Pagan Retreat in Appalachia . That experience took place at Cerren Ered in a rather secluded location in the Smoky Mountains. It is pretty much off the grid. I found peace and respite in that magickal place. With a well fed soul, I made art, danced to my heart's content and connected with 'salt of the earth' folks. There's something about being up at a high altitude that makes the heart rest well, to say the least about invoking the spirits, while also inspiring creativity. Last week, I shared some thoughts on meadows in the post  Meadow of Dreams . In addition to traversing the meadow that lives in our primordial mind during meditation, we also visit the mountains through that practice. This journey towards all that is mystical and powerful in the mountain, is echoed in hatha yoga as we take on Tadasana (mountai...

Recently I planted seeds in my garden from a seed mix packet. Actually, I used several different packets of heirloom wildflower and sunflower seeds. In the past, I have either started my seeds indoors in the spring under controlled conditions or purchased small plants to put in the garden. I am not sure why but this year the seeds called out to me. I didn't stop to question the reason for their attractiveness. I decided to go with them. There is something mysterious about seeds that buying or planting potted plants can't beat. Seeds are full of surprises and potential, referred to in the Yoruba language of West Africa as ashe . You just don't know exactly what you're going to get. You have to have faith. You need to trust the process and in things that are out of your control. I checked in on my seedlings a few minutes ago. Many have sprouted up. With the heavy rains we've recently received, they are flourishing. The perplexing part is that because the...

Remember as a child, being told, “Now, just be still?” I do. Mother’s and caretakers are sages. They know things that we as a child couldn’t even imagine. Stilling your mind, can lead to a steely resolve needed to make critical changes in your life. Changes you may have lacked the focus to carry out because your mind was in such fast motion. Stillness can lead to greater creativity and even productivity. Are you wondering what this crazy post is about? I can just imagine that because everything in our 2014 world says to stay constantly in motion. There is the subliminal message that if you don’t keep moving you will die. No, I’m not being dramatic. That is the latest wisdom. Being sedentary, sitting around for hours on end can lead to an early death. Sitting around for hours isn’t what I’m advocating. We are all so accustomed now to sound bites. You hear a little something on the news or read it and then go with it. The kind of stillness I’m advocating is found through doing yoga ...

One of my dreams for my job was to help institute a yoga and meditation practice once a week in our meeting room.  Sadly, for a variety of reasons it never materialized. Still, I realize I need grounding and centering in my life, as we all do, particularly artists and writers.   We live and work, dreaming up stuff that is all generated from the head. The body and spirit suffer.  It is so important that it should be a mantra: body, mind and spirit must remain at equilibrium. But in this busy world, trying to work and make money, how do we do it? My suggestion is to stay true to yourself in everything you do and to remember about the body, mind, and spirit connection as a daily practice. Even something as simple as deep, controlled breathing is calming and brings energy from the mind space into the body space. Controlled breathing is also relaxing enough that it can activate the spirit and bring you into spirit realm. Another body, mind, spirit exercis...

For a brief few moments my mind emptied of endless chatter and thoughts.  I saw an empty space at first and then out of the hollow came first a soft whistle and then just the voice of the Goddess. It had to have been Brighid.  It is almost time to come out of hibernation.  Soon you will be feeling the vibrational energy of the sun’s heat, as I warm the earth.  Stay quiet and still for now but realize the dormancy is about to end; new life, warmth and beautiful colors are waiting to come to the fore, for today is Imbolc!