Have you met Teresa Deak of Given to Gratitude? I love her combination of being very real about the ups and downs of life, whilst still being dedicated to a practice of gratitude. Today Teresa steps Behind the Mic to share her eloquent and insightful thoughts on photography as gratitude practice. Teresa, step right up…

Gratitude as Spiritual Practice
by Teresa Deak

As I write this I hear birdsong from my backyard even though the windows are all closed. I huddle inside keeping warm with sweaters and slippers and feel grateful.

I’m grateful that I don’t have to be outside in the rain. Grateful I have a warm dry home and an abundance of sweaters and slippers.

And I’m grateful for the rain. Some of the things I love best were longing for it: flowers, trees, lakes, rivers, even us.

Still, I hope for and wish for a reprieve from the wet. Just a few minutes would do. Minutes when I could take my camera outside and capture the vibrant colour the rain has awakened in the autumn leaves. But the clouds are thick, the light dim and that reprieve will not come today.

So I return to gratitude.

This is a common theme for me, finding gratitude even in the midst of longing. And for me it is the fuel for my spiritual engine.

Easy to say, but what do I mean Gratitude, and how do I connect with her?

I take photos. Like some people go to church or pray, I take photos.

The first time I was led by her to something amazing I had a broken shoulder. While I had one arm immobile and had little I could do in the hot summer but sit and appreciate my surroundings, I one day became lost in the sea of purple that is a pansy. When I was startled from my trance by the shock of orange at its center I realized that I had been somewhere.

I felt I’d travelled to a place within and beyond, something grander than our imagining and deep at the center of everything. Words are such a clumsy means to express it. They are never quite enough, never quite right.

Shortly after that day I acquired my first digital camera. Suddenly the expression of this feeling became a lot easier. Without the weight of words to muddy the experience, I could capture something with my lens and share it with others who could feel it too. This is what I do on Photos You Feel. There are words there, too, my version of poetry. But it’s the photos, really, that carry the message.

It’s taken years of sharing, years of diving into this sensation that is so hard to name, years of blogging and connecting and losing myself in this presence, in the Infinite, over and over again for me to revisit the idea that she needs a name.

Because there is so much more to this than merely taking photos of pretty things.

There is this awareness, this seeing something beautiful in sometimes the most mundane of moments.

There is a feeling of community, of connection with something greater than me and my lens, with people who share this same journey.

There is a respect and desire for kindness to these glimpses of something eternal and mysterious.

And there is thanks. There is always thanks. I am so thankful to see what not everyone sees. I am so thankful to have this camera that can capture it, that sometimes captures something I didn’t even see in the taking. I am so thankful that I can sort through these images, melt into them again, that I can share them across the electronic universe. I am so full of thanks that others see the divine in them also.

And all of these feelings, all of these elements – the awareness and kindness, the community and the thankfulness – they are all parts of one thing that is so hard to name. But with much meditation, much thought about how they all work together, I’ve decided that this shall be called Gratitude.

And so it is. When I need to refuel, when I need to remind myself that alone is a myth, the universe is right here ready for me to tap into. When I need to breathe life into my soul again, I can dive into any part of that process. The photo taking, the sorting or the sharing, and I can fill up on Gratitude right there.

You might be getting the impression that my spiritual practice is taking and sharing photos. It’s part of it, but it’s not the core of it.

The photos are key for me, but what is key for you is whatever lets you sink down into Gratitude.

This is my practice of Gratitude. Letting myself become fully drenched in the moment, alive with thanks and awareness and community and kindness. The giving in to that feeling. The release of my white knuckle grip on the tether to everyday life and the slipping deep into her water. The practice is to become Given to Gratitude.

So for me the photos and their sharing is the ritual, the key that will almost always open my heart, but the practice is Gratitude.

Knowing this, I can practice Gratitude anytime, even without my camera, even without the gorgeous sunshine. Sinking into Gratitude can be thankfulness for any bounty, can be doing a kindness for someone, can be stopping mid-sentence to enjoy the two flickers on the neighbour’s house (which are actually there, right now, as I write this), or connecting with my soul-family.

And each of those acts, each of those moments in Gratitude, fills me. Like a well fuelled vehicle, I have what it takes to continue.

What ritual will bring you to Gratitude? What practices can you begin that will let you feel free to be drenched in her waters?

Gratitude, like Beauty, is in all things. And in small things. Can you see she is in you?

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What about you Magpie? How do you interact with Gratitude?

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Thanks.Giving. Here at Magpie Girl, we say “thank-you” to our generous guest posters by making donation in their honor. Teresa has chosen to direct her donation to The Girl Effect a non-profit organization dedicated to education, health care, and justice for girls worldwide. If this article was helpful to you, please click here to make a donation. (Thanks, you.)

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With a spirit that lights up the room, and a generous heart, Teresa Deak brings Gratitude into her every action. Using a camera to explore the small things we often miss, her photographs evoke a sense of the mystery in all things. With gratitude as her guide, she shares the raw honesty of her experience with us, and encourages a place for gratitude in our own lives. Photos shared at Photos You Feel give a glimpse into that small beauty. Join Teresa at Given To Gratitude for a journey to welcome gratitude into your everyday with joy and abundance.

There is no doubt about it. It is the grey season.

Here in the Pacific Northwest we don’t tend to talk about summerfallwinterspring. We talk about Summer — meaning the 4-6 weeks from August to mid September; and Winter, by which we mean the grey season, stretching from mid-Sept through the end of July.

My physicality and personality are not well adapted to this grey, yet somehow I keep being drawn to places with seasons like this. The damp “bay shine” of my childhood in the San Fransisco bay area, my adulthood in Seattle, three years spent in Vancouver BC, record-breaking winters in Copenhagen–I keep calling places with grey “home.”

Thankfully there is something new to add to my arsenal of vitamin D, the happy light, and a solid dose of antidepressants. Fellow Pacific coastie, Vivienne McMaster, is offering a beautiful online photography course this winter: Light Hunters, Getting Through the Grey.

Each Monday through the winter you’ll get a prompt and instructions on how to appraoch this different kind of light through the lens of your camera. An inspiring group of fellow photographers (newbies to pros) will gather ’round you in the private Flickr group, and the beauty of the pictures will carry you through.

Need help surviving the grey? Just click here to join the Light Hunters. ($39 CND for a season full of inspiration.) See you there, Magpie.

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Curated Care (formerly known as Tools of The Trade) features carefully selected courses, books, and other treasure that will feed your beautiful soul. I take pride in only reviewing only trustworthy, totally-worth-it products and services.  I am not an affiliate of this product, but after I asked if I could feature it here, Vivienne offered me a complimentary seat in the class. (Thanks, you!) To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. Thanks for being here today Magpie!

“Everyone chases after happiness, not noticing that happiness is right at their heels.”
-Bertolt Brecht

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Vivienne McMaster helps people feel seen, beautiful, and playful through photography. Her latest ecourse, Swan Dive, helps emerging photographers explore the depths of their unique visual voice.

You might also like: The Richness of this Present Moment (slideshow)

“The sexual embrace can only be compared with music and with prayer.”
-Marcus Aurelius

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Vivienne McMaster helps people feel seen, beautiful, and playful through photography. Her latest ecourse, Swan Dive, helps emerging photographers explore the depths of their unique visual voice. Dive in, September 5th.

You might also like: The Richness of this Present Moment (slideshow)

“All the works of man have their origin in creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination?”

-Carl Jung

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Vivienne McMaster helps people feel seen, beautiful, and playful through photography. Her latest ecourse, Swan Dive, helps emerging photographers explore the depths of their unique visual voice. Dive in, September 5th.

You might also like: The Richness of this Present Moment (slideshow)

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

-Henry David Thoreau

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Vivienne McMaster helps people feel seen, beautiful, and playful through photography.  Her latest ecourse, Swan Dive, helps emerging photographers explore the depths of their unique visual voice. Dive in, September 5th.

You might also like: The Richness of this Present Moment (slideshow)

“Sometimes the beauty is easy. Sometimes you don’t have to try at all. Sometimes you can hear the wind blow in a handshake. Sometimes there’s poetry written right on the bathroom wall.” – Ani DiFranco

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Tonya Hyde is a dabbling photographer with roots in Seattle and currently living in Vancouver, Canada. She is a knitter and a dog lover (her lazy lab was almost featured in one of the photos this month). As a very tactile person, she aims to bring a sense of touch and feeling to her photography. She loves to photograph the details and find new perspectives to tell her visual stories.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madgiddy/

“A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching.” – Sivananda

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Tonya Hyde is a dabbling photographer with roots in Seattle and currently living in Vancouver, Canada. She is a knitter and a dog lover (her lazy lab was almost featured in one of the photos this month). As a very tactile person, she aims to bring a sense of touch and feeling to her photography. She loves to photograph the details and find new perspectives to tell her visual stories.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madgiddy/

“I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel.” – E.B. White

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Tonya Hyde is a dabbling photographer with roots in Seattle and currently living in Vancouver, Canada. She is a knitter and a dog lover (her lazy lab was almost featured in one of the photos this month). As a very tactile person, she aims to bring a sense of touch and feeling to her photography. She loves to photograph the details and find new perspectives to tell her visual stories.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madgiddy/

“Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.” – Dr. Seuss

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Tonya Hyde is a dabbling photographer with roots in Seattle and currently living in Vancouver, Canada. She is a knitter and a dog lover (her lazy lab was almost featured in one of the photos this month). As a very tactile person, she aims to bring a sense of touch and feeling to her photography. She loves to photograph the details and find new perspectives to tell her visual stories.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madgiddy/

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.  Author Unknown

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Tammy Lee Bradley is the founder of Mortal Muses, a photography collaboration with female photographers from around the globe.  She is also a wife, mom to three beautiful young men & four crazy dogs, and former corporate accountant turned kitchen designer at the Cabinet Cottage .  You can find her daily at her blog… “wandering through life in search of moments of bliss and folly.”

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest. -Robert Montgomery

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Tammy Lee Bradley is the founder of Mortal Muses, a photography collaboration with female photographers from around the globe.  She is also a wife, mom to three beautiful young men & four crazy dogs, and former corporate accountant turned kitchen designer at the Cabinet Cottage .  You can find her daily at her blog… “wandering through life in search of moments of bliss and folly.”

One of my community-building goals here at Magpie Girl is to gather up all the most helpful tools and resources and pass the word along to Y.O.U. I take pride in recommending trustworthy products, and people who give you the biggest bang for you buck. To see some evergreen products and service providers I enjoy, click here. To read all my review posts, click here. And to learn about my current crush, read on!

Darrah Parker: Photographing your life, one slice at a time.

This is Darrah Parker. Isn’t she almost unbearably cute?

Darrah and I met on Twitter. I saw her photography and said, “Hey Darrah, you should teach people how to take these kinds of photos!”

And she said, “Hey! I want to. Can I brainstorm with you?”

At the time I was living in Copenhagen, and she was in Seattle. But as soon as I landed back in town, we started meeting together to dream up all kinds of things for our soulful businesses. Darrah lent me her photographs for my Art of Noticing class, and I sing the praises of her Slice of Life Project. Because you know what? Neither of us want you to miss out on what Mary Oliver calls “your one wild, precious life.” We are quite serious about it folks. You only get one life. Savor it (with ease.)

This summer Darrah is helping you capture images of your one wild, precious Summer with another round of the Slice of Life Project. I call this class “photography for the rest of us.” It’s gentle prompts and encouraging reminders nudge you toward taking photos, without scary tech-speak or tough assignments.

Listen friend, these precious peach-filled days slip by so fast. Slow down. And notice the slice of life that is on the plate in front of you.

Class begins July 11th. Click here to register.. (You won’t regret it!)

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You might also like:

To see a gorgeous collection of student photography from the last click here, click here.

To see how taking Darrah’s class inspired my own work, click here.

Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. -George Eliot

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Tammy Lee Bradley is the founder of Mortal Muses, a photography collaboration with female photographers from around the globe.  She is also a wife, mom to three beautiful young men & four crazy dogs, and former corporate accountant turned kitchen designer at the Cabinet Cottage .  You can find her daily at her blog… “wandering through life in search of moments of bliss and folly.”

Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon. -Winne the Pooh

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Tammy Lee Bradley is the founder of Mortal Muses, a photography collaboration with female photographers from around the globe.  She is also a wife, mom to three beautiful young men & four crazy dogs, and former corporate accountant turned kitchen designer at the Cabinet Cottage .  She can find her daily at her blog… “wandering through life in search of moments of bliss and folly.” .

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. -Anne Lamott

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Christy Vidrine Bauman is a photographer and counselor living in Seattle.  She and her husband Andrew run a non-profit called Collective Hope which starts small sustainable businesses within third-world communities to help aid with jobs and empowerment to the native people of these countries. Collective Hope is currently in Malawi, Africa and has begun a farm, medical clinic and community water well to provide work and resources for neighboring villages in the district of Kaduwa, Malawi.

Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because the time is short. Civilization is another word for respect for life.

-Elizabeth Goudge

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Christy Vidrine Bauman is a photographer and counselor living in Seattle.  She and her husband Andrew run a non-profit called Collective Hope which starts small sustainable businesses within third-world communities to help aid with jobs and empowerment to the native people of these countries. Collective Hope is currently in Malawi, Africa and has begun a farm, medical clinic and community water well to provide work and resources for neighboring villages in the district of Kaduwa, Malawi.

Hope is the dream of a soul awake. -French Proverb

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Christy Vidrine Bauman is a photographer and counselor living in Seattle.  She and her husband Andrew run a non-profit called Collective Hope which starts small sustainable businesses within third-world communities to help aid with jobs and empowerment to the native people of these countries. Collective Hope is currently in Malawi, Africa and has begun a farm, medical clinic and community water well to provide work and resources for neighboring villages in the district of Kaduwa, Malawi.

“This was love: a string of coincidences that gathered significance and became miracles.”
— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Half of a Yellow Sun

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Christy Vidrine Bauman is a photographer and counselor living in Seattle.  She and her husband Andrew run a non-profit called Collective Hope which starts small sustainable businesses within third-world communities to help aid with jobs and empowerment to the native people of these countries. Collective Hope is currently in Malawi, Africa and has begun a farm, medical clinic and community water well to provide work and resources for neighboring villages in the district of Kaduwa, Malawi.

Every rose that is sweet-scented within,
That rose is telling of the secrets of the Universe.
Rumi

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Suzanne Nolan is joining us this month for Good Shabbos.  She is a photographer with roots in South Africa and the UK where she currently lives.

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Good Shabbos photography is featured most Sundays at Flock: soulcare with Magpie Girl. Find out more about this inspiring online community here. We’d love to have you join us.