Category — Sideshow
Relig-ish: J.J. Abrams and the power of mystery.
“Maybe there are times when mystery is more important than knowledge.”
As my regular readers will know, I am preparing to teach three Relig-ish courses beginning this fall, and to gather the tribe together at a retreat next spring. Most of the writing I’m doing right now at Magpie Girl and Flock is to prepare all of us for that adventure. Through the writing process, I’ve come to realize that if we are going to explore right-fit spirituality together, I need to talk to you more about postmodernity.
If any of you have studied postmodernity, you know that it’s followers love to hate definitions. I spent three years at a graduate school where being PoMo was all the rage. We jokingly used the lack of definitions to our advantage. Whenever we came upon something we didn’t know anything about, to hide our ignorance we would cock a half-smile and say in a mock-condescending tone, “Well, it’s very postmodern.”
Ask a postmodernist for a definition and they will hem and haw, and then then they will say: “It’s more important to ask the question.”
(Maddening, isn’t it?)
Getting comfortable with what Sabrina Ward Harrison calls ”The True and the Questions“
(Sigh. I keep getting crushes on Jewish boys. If you can’t see the video of this one, try clicking here.)
J.J. Abrams- creator of Lost, Fringe, and this summer’s blockbuster hit Super 8 is a master of postmodern mystery. Stuff that’s never explained! Twist and turn to inspire fan fic galore! Gazillions of viewer questions! Abrams really knows how to keep you going.
In his TED talk Abrams talks about the deep value of mystery. Each and everyone one of his key points applies to the postmodern quest for right-fit faith. Here’s the bits of postmodern film-making that are also key ingredients to creating a right-fit spirituality:
- Curiosity. Curiosity is required if you want to delve into the mystery of you and how your soul works in this world.
- Deconstruction: You must be willing to take things apart to see how they work. If they no longer are working for you, you need to deconstruct them to figure out how to fix ‘em.
- Magic & Faith: What is the line between magic and faith? I’m not sure but I know it’s a fine one. Creating space for the inexplicable opens you up to new knowledge.
- Mystery: Allowing yourself to live in the mysterious leads the way to discovery. Mystery is the catalyst for imagination, and imagination is essential to creating a new kind of faith. You have to learn to be okay with mystery even if it makes your squirm, even if it makes you crazy.
In a recent John Stewart interview, Abrams talks about two other fascinating aspects of mystery: community and emergence.
When Abrams’ team of writers started working on LOST, they began shooting without a complete plan for the series. Plot lines were thrown down, twists were made. Abrams says he had no idea where some of them were going. In fact, the fan communities on line began to make connections that the writers had not imagined or intended, and this shaped the course of the story. The truth of the tale emerged organically as the community remained present to the mystery. How cool is that? That’s what the Relig-ish tribe in diaspora is doing now – standing in the mystery, being curious, deconstructing what we have, and seeing what emerges next.
If you’d like to join us in this process, please get on my mailing list. This is the gathering period, and I don’t want those in need to miss out on anything. Plans are in the works for a series of Relig-ish offerings beginning this Fall: Core I, II, III; Curating Christmas and Easter; and, Mystery-willing, a physical gathering of the tribe next Spring.
I hope you’ll join us as we journey into the unknown. May mystery be your traveling companion today.
Much Warmth,
Rachelle
SYTYCD: Are you an Armchair Critic?
The intersection of Art and Spirituality is my favorite corner. I’ve been able to spend quite a bit of time there lately and my tired soul is getting filled back up, Up, UP.
Dance is the art form that’s feeding me the most—so much so that The Hubs just accused me of being a dance addict. (Guilty as charged.) So You Think You Can Dance is back on which means I can watch Sonya Tayah choreograph, and Melanie Moore dance. The competition for “America’s favorite dancer” has it’s obvious shortcomings –dramatic announcements, choices based on “good television” rather than artistry, and worst of all, the hot tamale train. And yet, in the U.S. it has brought dance to our attention like nothing before. Before SYTYCD, America’s dance vocabulary consisted of MTV hip-hop and the occasional trip to the ballet for The Nutcracker. Now millions of viewers are learning about ballroom, contemporary, jazz, broadway, and all kinds of street dancing (“whacking” anyone?). Not to mention the occasional foray into Bollywood, demonstrations of Thai dance, and even an ill-fated attempt at Russian folk dancing.Learning to appreciate different art forms expands the scope of our charts and the depth of our souls. Through SYTYCD we are indeed becoming more expansive. And because SYTYCD is a competition we are simultaneously learning to be an Armchair Critic.
Critique can be a valuable tool. It can hone your art and improve your skills. It can also take you out of an artistic moment and leave you sitting in the critic’s Herman Miller.
(If the video isn’t working for you, try clicking here.)
I recently watched this performance choreographed by Stacey Tookey. I thought it was lovely, and I watched each dancer with rapt attention. But when the judges spoke later about it’s depth and impact, I realized I had only seen it in critique-mode. Because this is a a competition I was watching each dancer, looking for good lines, impeccable timing, authentic emotion. The piece was designed to be seen as a whole, to be experienced as a moment – not as a tool for honing my dance critique skills.
By watching this piece in an analytical frame of mind, I traded true beauty for the fictional role of “Clever Critic.” I left the corner of Art and Spirituality, and in doing so I missed what could have been a transcendent moment.
When we take on the role of The Critic, we remove ourselves from the position of Withmate. We are no longer journeying with someone, but instead we are directing their course. When critique is asked for explicitly, it is helpful. Indeed these dancers would not be at such a high skill level if they had not been offered critiques. But when The Critic is our default position it harms both ourselves and those whom we are picking apart.
As I approach dance in the coming weeks, I intend to do so with a wondering and learning heart. I intend to look at each piece as a whole. To engage in the story. And to spend as much time as possible sitting on the front stoop at Art and Spirituality.
What about you? What helps you quiet The Armchair Critic so you can “Be Here Now?”
Cast Member: The Fortune Teller
At the edge of the circus, in the shadow of the big top, there lies a gypsy wagon. Wheels worn, paint chipping, it’s colors fading—one can just see the symbols that tell the tale. A scattering of white stars. Lined palms. A crystal ball.
Approach the wagon, then. Step through the fringed-curtain and sit at the round table if you are….
The Fortune Teller
Curious, but tolerant of mystery, the Fortune teller has a way of knowing more. A reader of energy, thoughts, and emotions, The Fortune Teller offers oft-unseen sights to those who travel beside her. Likes: candles, metaphors, fringed scarves, things that look ancient, roots. Dislikes:things “everybody knows…”, certainty, solid explanations.
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What is your circus persona? Shows us a picture of your backstage pass, and get featured as a Circus Cast member. (Link love included!) To get your backstage pass, sign up on our mailing list. (Top o’ the page, stage right.) Then email me your photos.
Tune in Friday to meet one of our Fortune Tellers! On with the show!
One Q Interview: Jolie Guillebeau, 100 Paintings in 100 Days
egg, 7×5 oil on hardboard panel
This morning in our One Q Interview, I’m excited to introduce you to my soulsister, Jolie Guillebeau. Jolie is an artists living in Portland, Oregon, and has just kicked off a new project: 100 Painting in 100 Days. There’s something on the easel every day at Jolie’s place — and lucky you! You can buy her art work at ridiculously low prices. The painting from day one costs just $1. Day two, $2. You get the idea. I’ve already bought a beautiful still life of an egg, and I’m skulking around her mailing list waiting for other kitchen-related items to appear.
Jolie has taught me a lot about setting your vision and reaching a firm, clear goal. (That second part is problem for my monkey-mind). Today she talks to us about goal setting, and reaching for 100.
Q: You and your hubs are like the queen and king of goal setting. What made you choose this ambitious goal of 100 paintings in 100 days? What are you hoping to learn about yourself and your creative process in the midst of this challenge?
Queen of goal setting? I’m not so sure.
Mostly it was about getting myself back in front of my easel. 2009 was a really hard year in a lot of ways for several reasons. We moved away from our community in Seattle to Portland (where I didn’t know anyone), and I lost my moorings for awhile. I had artsy friends in Seattle and worked at a museum, so I was getting regular feedback and always talking and thinking about my work with other people. Once we moved to Portland, I missed that and I found my well of creativity dried out pretty quickly. I floundered and my self-esteem plummeted.
It took me nearly a year to find roots here in Portland, and find some of that community again. By December, I had that support, and I was on my way again, but I hadn’t really picked up a paintbrush in months. So (of course) I set goals. We went away on our annual goal setting vacation, and I read (or re-read) a few books that inspired me: Making a Living Without a Job
On that trip, I decided my word for 2010 would be “Stretch.” And I tried to figure out what that meant for me. I’m pretty comfortable with my painting style, which was something I worked on in the past, but because of perfectionism I’m pretty slow. Which means that it generally takes me around 30-50 hours to get a painting to a point that I’m happy with it. At that rate, it’s pretty hard to sell a painting at a living wage. So I decided to stretch my perfectionist tendencies. Making 100 paintings in 100 days was the best way to do that for me.
Also, making a commitment like this puts me in front of my easel everyday. I have to paint now, people are watching. I don’t have time to let myself get stuck. And, for me, the more I paint, the better I feel about myself and the quieter The Gremlins get.
Want to hear more from Jolie Guillebeau? Join us at our on-line soulspa, Flock: soulcare with Magpie Girl. Our 1Q interviews always turn into 3Q Interviews in the Flock. Jolie’s answering our questions about balancing “fast and dirty” work with quality work. She’s also helping us suss out healthier ways of thinking about how (and how much) we get paid for the work of our hands (and our hearts.) Come join us in the Flock!
Susannah Conway: Unravelling Prettily
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As many of you know, I am in deep blog crush with Susannah Conway. Not only did I gain many riches from her magically popular Unravelling courses, but she also keeps me company here on the other side of the pond as we Twitter our day away. I think you two should meet!
But before I let Susannah introduce herself, let me pontificate a little about the bounty that comes from her talented eye.
A gift of Susannah’s photographylet’s the receiver:
-step back in time.
-bring back gentility.
-capture the pretty.
-sigh a little.
Susannah’s photos-and-journal Unravelling courses help you:
-see who you are from the toes up.
-cherish your favorite things.
-honor your connections.
-feel accomplished.
What treasured gifts from a dreamy lady! Friends, meet Susannah Conway…
Artist’s Statement
Susannah Conway is a photographer, writer and the creator of the Unravelling e-courses; she is also a Polaroid obsessive, an extroverted introvert and a fake blonde. She spent many years as a fashion editor and freelance journalist in London, and enjoyed attending fashion shows because she liked to watch the people in the audience. In 2005 her partner died from a sudden heart attack and her entire world crumbled. She returned to the south coast to heal in solitude, and over the years has rediscovered her true calling though her passion for photography and writing. She now shares her wisdom with people around the world via her blog, Ink on my fingers, and her e-courses, and is currently writing her first book. She is proud to call herself a ‘family of one’ and likes travelling to far-off lands. Her superpowers are absolute truth-telling and shining the light. She remains a work-in-progress… always.
Rowena Murillo: The Show and the Tell
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I feel a little hesitant to write about Rowena Murillo’s work, because I feel quite unsure about how to describe how it effects me. I’ve been thinking about this the last few days, and the only thing I can come up with is that Rowen is so in it. She doesn’t stand outside her work and create what she thinks will sell, or even what she thinks people might need. Instead she creates what is present. And you know what? It is exactly what people — at least what this person, needs.
I think part of it is that Rowena has a naturally perfected balance of the show and the tell. She doesn’t show us too little, making it impossible for us to get at the meaning. And she doesn’t tell it too us to straight, which would make us resistant to the obviousness of the message. Instead she gives us just enough direction to get us into the rabbit hole, and the pull of wonder takes us the rest of the way.
Speaking of rabbit holes, don’t miss what Rowena is doing on her blog right now — a new series of Flying Girls as an altered book, rooted firmly in the words of Miss Alice of Wonderland. And as you do your holiday shopping, please remember her well-stocked Etsy shop with affordable prints.
Someday I will have a datebook with page after page of Rowena’s goodness. Someday I will have a painting as large as my living room wall of Flying Girl Swims, or Explore Undiscovered Lands. Someday we will share opposite sides of a second-hand table, painted red, and make wonders. But until that day, I think we all should say a little “hallelujah” for the way Rowena and her Flying Girls help us live in our own skin. Can I get an “Amen?”
Artist’s Statement: Rowena Murillo
”I almost never know what I am going to paint until I put the brush to the paper. Or perhaps I have an idea of where to start, but the process of creating transforms the concept, the idea, and the artist.
Visions don’t come real. Accidents detour the plan. Unexpected happenings change the goal. Synchronicity picks the path. But I keep going. I keep looking at what I have and seeing what I could have. I am guided by the process.
My philosophy on life is much the same– follow the serendipity and acknowledge the beauty, and through that, find meaning.”
Beautiful Whimsy with Naoko Stoop
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Sometime Twitter yields real treasures. Such is the case of Naoko Stoop, a beautiful artist I discovered via a kind tweet. Naoko’s beautiful images transport me to magical world. Handcrafted scrapbooking goodness combined with fine draftsmanship make each image a delight to the eye. After viewing this slideshow of her work, I feel like I’ve been submerged in a warm bath.
Naoko has beautiful prints for sale on line, as well as perfect, understated hoilday greeting cards. You can find her at ther site Brown Paper Bag, or at her Etsy shop. And you can learn more about this clever artist in her statement below. Thank you Naoko, for bringing warmth and whimsy to our winter days!
Artist’s Statement: Naoko Stoop
Hello, I am Naoko Stoop, a self taught artist, based in Brooklyn NY. I love to read fairy tales from all over the world, and live in a magical world myself.
Since I was little, I was fascinated with creating things on used paper: old books, newspapers, magazines, wrapping paper, letters and envelops.
My “Brown Paper Bag Collection” came from this fascination. I use recycled folded brown paperbags as my canvas. They have already had a sense of purpose in their previous forms. It is like detatching them from their old roles and combining with my mischievous drawings to create something new form something old. After a lot of experiments with paper and various inks, I have established a way to draw on used paper bags without losing the color and texture of the medium.
I also draw a little girl with a red knit cap. This series is playful and cheerful with colorful paint on wood panels. She is not someone but she is everyone. She is a childhood image that everyone has in her or his mind. I am trying to create images that project the beauty in life.
Please visit Naoko Stoop at her website and her online shop. Tell her Magpie Girl sent you!
Rhiannon Connelly: Through Watercolored Glasses
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Meet Rhiannon Connelly of Starry Blue Sky Photography, maker of surreal images and dream like landscape.
Rhiannon and I met via Twitter (hers:mine). When I put out a call for photographers to guest post, she politely answered. When I saw her work, I eagerly said, “Yes, please!” I am mesmerized at the way Rhiannon draws these images out of Polaroid photos—and at how she took a sense of lack (no more Polaroid film) and turned it in to abundance (a 12 city project.) Anyone who has tried to shoot the major cities of Europe knows how hard it can be to capture the picturesque street scenes on digital, much less on old-school film cameras. And Rhiannon does it with true expertise. I hope you enjoy these images; the beautiful song Rhiannon chose by new-to-me artist Karine Polwart; and Rhiannon’s own intriguing story. Please let her know what you find intriguing about her work, and give her thanks for contributing a little bit of beauty in to our worlds today.
Artist Statement: Rhiannon Connelly:
My name is Rhiannon and I’m a portrait and fine art photographer from Scotland.I started out photographing a broader range of subjects, including weddings, but over the last couple of years have been narrowing my focus mostly to these two areas.
With the portrait side I hope to play my part in documenting stages in the life of a family or individual. I had a great aunt who was a keen photographer and she really captured my childhood on film, so I appreciate how valuable this can be later on. It is also a real thrill to have someone tell me that their portrait was the first time they ever had a photograph of themselves that they really liked. I am constantly trying to keep evolving as a photographer and working towards creating a more individual style
On the fine art side for the last five years or so I’ve worked with Polaroid film and an old SX70 camera in a technique that I call “Polaroid Painting”. [Read more →]
Vivienne McMaster: the richness of this present moment.
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Meet Vivienne McMaster, blogger, photographer, passionate soul. I first stumbled upon Vivienne a few years ago when she was embarking upon the 365 Days project with Flickr, which is a year’s worth of self portraits. (How brave is that? Seriously.) After watching her year unfold, I was definitely in love — both with Vivienne’s vivacious spirit, and with her clear, colour-drenched photography.
Now playing with several projects including an on-going self portrait series, arty TTY shots, adorable Holga images, and quirky polariods, Viv is doing the world a service by giving us a a long cold swallow of beauty on a daily basis.
Vivienne had to skip Soulsisters in order to take her sweet ten-year-old traveling companion to Folkfest. While I missed having her at the cabin, I feel like we are all the better for having her take in that world through the viewfinder. How she gets such goregous, lively shots in such a crowded, crazy venue is beyond me — but I’m sure glad she does.
We here at Magpie Girl are lucky enough to preview a sample package of Vivienne’s most recent, color saturated shots. I feel like each one holds a myriad of stories. What captures your fancy in these long cool draughts of lovely? (Click on thumbnail to get their full-sized goodness.)
Vivienne was just robbed and lost her computer, among other treasures. So please support her work by commenting, raving, and purchasing prints. May your world be richer today because you saw it through Vivienne’s lens. Cheers, Viv!
Artist’s Statement:I’m Vivienne, a portrait and fine art photographer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. My photographic interests are very widespread and I let myself follow the muse to wherever and whatever I’m drawn to photograph. That sometimes makes it hard to pinpoint one specific style or content, but does allow me to be on an endlessly developing and interesting photographic journey. [Read more →]
