For millennia people from all over the world have used symbols as a form of expression and communication. Quite often these symbols are far more descriptive than words could ever be. There is amazing power in a visual image. As the saying goes...”A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Cavemen drawings, hieroglyphics, spiritual imagery, native symbols, the list could go on forever. When we look at a symbol it instantly invokes in us a particular feeling. It grabs our attention immediately. Some symbols contain a universal meaning which is felt and understood quite similarly by all those who view it, while on the other hand other symbols are highly interpretive and can call upon an extreme variance of feelings depending on where you are in a personal or cultural way.

Today I would like to talk about personal symbols in particular. Each person has a wide assortment of images stored in his or her memory bank, each with its own specific and highly personal meaning. Utilizing these images on a regular basis, I find, can be a very powerful tool in obtaining insight, revelation and inspiration. Personally I find that whether they are found in my dream state, as mentioned in an earlier blog entry, or in my regular daily life, there are certain symbols that speak to me on an exceptionally deep level. In a very direct way, they bring focus and clarity upon sight.

Personally my first and foremost symbol has always been the butterfly. Since as far back as I can remember I have felt a particularly close relationship to this creature. It connects with me on a very deep and profound level. When I reflect upon the tiny caterpillar inching its way along in the world; so small, so defenseless, so vulnerable and yet so incredibly powerful in its ability to ultimately transform into a magnificent butterfly my heart skips a beat. I am truly in awe of this miraculous wonder of nature. Often I have dreamed of what it might feel like to be a butterfly; dancing upon the wind, absorbing the pure life energy from the beauty in each flower, relishing every drop of sweetness in the freedom of flight. My heart fills with pure explosive joy when I contemplate upon this image and immerse myself in the sensation which this symbol produces within me. I find it to be an incredible source of inspiration; so incredibly uplifting, so incredibly free!

Another personal and profound symbol for me is the bird. The two that stand out above all others for me are the eagle and the sea gull. The eagle to me represents strength and spiritual freedom while the sea gull represents survival and grace. Every bird represents freedom in my eyes. I suppose that I relate freedom to flight. Flight defies the laws of gravity. It is the act of soaring high above the obstacles which attempt to drag us down in this world. Again, these symbols have the potent ability to invoke great love within my heart, filling me once again with the spirit of pure inspiration. In essence, these personal symbols are like golden keys for me. Upon sight they instantly open the lock releasing me from the chains that bind me to the worries of this world. They offer me the freedom to rise above. This to me is inspiration!

Along with utilizing these symbols for inspiration, I have found that they have actually proven time and time again to be a very useful tool in my decision making process as well. There have been so many times when I have been contemplating upon a route that I have taken, or am about to take, not knowing for sure if I have made the correct decision. Going with the flow of life is absolutely wonderful but I must admit at times it can be quite unnerving. But with the aid of personal symbols in these times of uncertainty I have found that it is possible to obtain validation in my choices and intuition. This in turn provides me with renewed clarity, faith and peace of mind. It is a truly wonderful, uplifting experience when all of a sudden as if from out of nowhere, one of my symbols will appear to me. The presence clearly confirming that YES I am in fact on the right path and all is as it should be. This enables me to once again breathe a sigh of relief and continue on with renewed strength and courage.

I would like to share a very personal story with you regarding my symbols and how they have helped me recently. At this point in my life I am facing a challenging situation which has definitely been testing my faith on many levels. Often throughout this ordeal I have quite miraculously been able to fly through these tests unscathed and unbothered, able to focus on the big picture. But then there have also been other moments, in fact many other moments when the tests seemed to have been far too much for me to bear. Just recently I came face to face with one of these incredibly dark and scary moments. Fear and doubt had me wrapped up tight in its binding cord of power. I was, quite literally, spinning out of control. With each turn the noose would tighten a little more. I felt strangled in my own fear. My mind was racing. I could not think straight. I could not focus. I tried desperately to find the familiar symbol of a rainbow, which up to this point had without fail provided me with an incredible amount comfort. I searched in vain for this symbol of hope. It was nowhere to be found. Finally in despair I found myself crying out for something, anything that would prove to me once again that everything would be ok. I desperately needed the assurance that events were occurring in the way that they should. I stood on my deck at one point staring out over the lake, I felt completely lost, disillusioned and abandoned. My faith was seriously shaken. My vision was blurred with tears. I had definitely hit rock bottom. When all of a sudden to my utter amazement a miracle occurred. Seemingly from out of nowhere a Monarch butterfly appeared before me. I did not see it coming but here it was. It hovered silently about two feet from my face. Its golden wings fluttered furiously. The sight of this, my own personal symbol right here, so close to me, so obvious, took my breath away. I gazed at it for a moment. Was I dreaming? Just then I could feel a thousand little wings fluttering in my own stomach. This was really happening! The realization of this incredible blessing jolted me upright. I must have startled the poor little creature because the instant that I jumped then it flew high into the air and was gone from my sight. At that very moment something in me changed dramatically. All at once faith and hope had been restored. It was as if this beautiful butterfly instinctively knew what I so desperately needed at the time and came to offer me the assurance that all would be well. Quite literally this little creature released me from this self imposed sentence in my own personal hell. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief knowing once again that yes, everything will be ok.

After reading this experience from my life, I%92m sure that you can understand why I felt so compelled to write about this particular topic. I felt the need to share this experience in the hopes that perhaps in some way someone out there may find the same comfort, insight and inspiration that I have. (Sharing tools and lessons learned.) Or perhaps it may simply have sparked an interest in a subject that you have never really considered to any degree. If this is the case then at this point you may want to ask yourself which symbols connect with you personally. What touches your heart in a meaningful way? What strikes a chord with you? A personal symbol can be absolutely anything that is meaningful to you in any way. If you have trouble choosing a symbol, you may want to contemplate on this question for a while and see what comes to mind. I am sure that at some point an image will present itself to you. When it does perhaps you may then want to contemplate upon this image. What are the qualities that you admire in this chosen symbol? It might be quite interesting to see what this process will present to you, what doors it may unlock and what insight it may bring. It may show you an area of strength or weakness in your life. It may show you a hidden desire that has been held in silence deep inside yourself. Or it may simply grant your heart the wonderful opportunity to sing in appreciation for the connection that you have with that particular aspect of life.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY POST. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PERSONALLY NOTIFIED OF MY NEXT AND SUBSEQUENT BLOG ENTRIES, PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO MY MAILING LIST. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS AND I WILL NOT BOMBARD YOU WITH ADVERTISING. I WILL SIMPLY LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS THE BLOG ENTRY IS POSTED OR WHEN A NEW PAINTING HAS BEEN ADDED TO MY COLLECTION.

I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE AN INSPIRING DAY
ALL THE BEST TO YOU NOW AND ALWAYS
PAM
Ps: since the writing of this entry further information has come to light finally once and for all confirming to me that the struggle I have been facing is in fact through. The nightmare is over and all is well. I will explain in further detail in next week%92s blog entry for anyone who might be interested. Until then…blessings to all…Pam

Have you ever been in the position where you just could not decide where to start first? Of course you have! We all have! No matter where we are in life; beginning, middle or nearing the end, it seems that we are constantly being put into the position where we find ourselves, once again, facing a new challenge in which we must take that first step. No matter what we%92re doing, where we%92re going or what our goals may be, we continually find that time and time again we need to find another way to begin. Don%92t you agree? And most often isn%92t this the hardest part of all for us? No matter what the experience we are about to embark upon, it seems that taking the “first step” can be quite a daunting task. Really, where does one begin?

In relation to painting, I personally find that staring into a blank canvas or paper can be quite an unnerving experience. In fact it is almost scary at times. Here I stand, yet again, facing another beginning. What will I discover this time around? Will I be able to fulfill my role in this process? At this point I can feel myself beginning to tense up. I am filled with anticipation, but at the same time I have to admit that I am also a little unnerved if not even scared. Am I up to this challenge? Will anything come through this time around? Can I possibly do this again? Thankfully, I eventually come to the conclusion that the answer to each of the above mentioned questions is a resounding “yes.” Fortunately due to the meditative aspect of my painting process, I am able to remind myself that really there is nothing at all to fear. I don%92t even need to “think” about what I am going to paint. I find that this immediately takes the pressure off of myself. As long as I can consciously remember to focus on my intention to allow the creative energy to flow through me in the way that it will, deep down I know without a doubt that at some point an image will emerge. This does take a significant amount of faith, I must admit. But each time that I practice this act of breaking free from my insane desire to control the end result, this faith steadily becomes stronger. Over time I have come to realize that all I am really required to do in order to begin a new painting is to relax, trust and know that when the time is right each step will present itself in its own way and if I pay attention I will see.

Sure, you say, that%92s fine for your paintings but what about the rest of life%92s challenges? What about all the other beginnings? How do you prepare for those? Actually, I prepare for those in the same way that I prepare to paint. Due to necessity, I have actually developed a five step process for myself that I use on a regular basis to help with this uncomfortable dilemma of where to start first. I use it every time that I paint and also in those moments when I am faced with another “new beginning” in which I have no clear idea of where to begin. I would like to share this process with you here and I whole heartedly welcome you to give it a try if you would like. You never know, perhaps it may work for you too.

STEP ONE: First I begin by focusing on my intention, which is simply to allow the creative spirit to flow through me in the way that it will, unhindered by any judgment on my behalf.

STEP TWO: I begin to breathe deeply, consciously releasing myself from distraction by gently letting go of the clutter that fills my mind. I find that repeating a mantra to myself greatly helps in this process. The Mantra that I personally use is called “HU”. It is pronounced Hue as in the description of a color. I repeat it to myself in one long drawn out breath, sometimes silently and sometimes aloud on any given note or in the form of a whisper. Huuuuu….. This is a sound that resonates with me personally. I love it dearly. It%92s actually the base sound that is contained in all life. The only way that I can explain it is to say that it IS the sound of the actual life giving energy that flows through us all and through every living thing, like the animating force that keeps life in motion. If you listen carefully you can actually hear it everywhere; in the wind, the rain, the birds chirping, running water, absolutely everything. But really when it comes to a Mantra any word that is particularly meaningful to you as an individual (love, peace, God, joy, spirit or any other sound that comes to mind) may be used in its place to help quiet the mind and open the channel to pure inspiration.

STEP THREE: I begin to relax my body. I physically let loose any tension or tightness that I might be experiencing at the moment. In order to do this I must first become aware of it. I do this by systematically checking in on each area, beginning with my feet, moving up to the top of my head and then down through my arms and finally into my hands and through the tips of my fingers. When I do find tension in an area I use a visualization technique in which I “see” the knot or tightness melting away like butter on warm popcorn (I absolutely love popcorn with butter. It is like comfort food to me and because of this I can easily bring this visualization to mind at will and with finely tuned detail. It is amazing how well this actually works in physically relaxing the body. I like to use melting butter but you may choose any visualization whatsoever, as long as it invokes in you that feeling of melting into total relaxation.

STEP FOUR: It is at this point that I am ready to let intuition take over. I “randomly” reach for a brush. Instinctively my hand just seems to know which one to choose. Then, with brush in hand, intention set, focused body, mind and spirit; watching, listening and feeling the flow of inspiration as it rushes through me, I am able to begin. In the case of a beginning which is unrelated to painting, instead of the brush, I randomly reach for the very first thought or idea that comes to mind, whether it seems relevant or not makes no difference at this point. This step is merely the beginning; the catalyst designed to put things into motion.

STEP FIVE: Similar to a formal meditation, I must constantly bring myself back to center so that I can maintain the still quiet state of being which is absolutely necessary in this process. In doing so I find that I am able to “hear” that inner voice that is guiding my way throughout this journey.

This is how I paint. This is how I live. It is the only way that I know how and at this time it is the only way that I want to approach things when I am undecided. It seems that no matter what the situation is, when I consciously remember to follow these five steps, quite miraculously, things just appear to fall into place. Synchronicity and coincidence become my constant companions. For this I am truly grateful.

At first sight this system may appear to you to be an extremely passive approach to painting and to life in general. You might be asking the questions: But where is the choice in this? It seems so haphazard. Where is the imagination? It seems so random. Where is the skill? It seems like a fluke. I assure you that there is absolutely nothing passive, random, haphazard or fluky about this approach whatsoever, whether in painting or in life. I find, in fact, that it is quite the opposite to passivity and any of the other descriptions listed above. I have also come to realize that creating and living in this manner is extremely active and energizing. While I am practicing this technique, I am constantly watching, sensing, feeling, and maintaining my awareness of any subtle changes in the energy that encompasses and flows through me. I can actually feel this energy coursing through my very being, injecting its life giving energy into the project at hand, whatever that may be. When you talk about choice, who wouldn%92t want to choose this? When you talk about imagination, what better way to ignite that fire? And when you talk about skill, I have discovered that during this process I have been able to accomplish things that never before in my wildest dreams have I thought that I would actually be able to do. Skills appear to develop from out of thin air if only perhaps for the moment at hand. Because of this I am able, in this state, to dance with confidence to the beat of my inner drum. One by one, doors begin to open and I find that steadily I am able to make my way through the maze of confusion. With this approach, I am also able to avoid the discomfort and disappointment of indecisiveness. If for no other reason, I find that it is always a good way to begin when I just cannot decide where to start. This is my first step.

Each time that I utilize this course of action I am aware that I must accept the fact that I will never really be sure of what will present itself until the time is right. This again takes faith. It takes absolute trust in the unknown powers of the universe. However, I also know through experience that without a doubt whatever does come through will in fact, be meaningful in some special way…if not for me then for someone else. Thus, as they say, I go with the flow; having taken that first step I can now look forward to discovering what will happen next.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY POST. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PERSONALLY NOTIFIED OF MY NEXT AND SUBSEQUENT BLOG ENTRIES, PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO MY MAILING LIST. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS AND I WILL NOT BOMBARD YOU WITH ADVERTISING. I WILL SIMPLY LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS THE BLOG ENTRY IS POSTED OR WHEN A NEW PAINTING HAS BEEN ADDED TO MY COLLECTION.

I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE AN INSPIRING DAY
ALL THE BEST TO YOU NOW AND ALWAYS
PAM