Stellar Generosity

I rediscovered this gem in Pronoia (by Rob Brezny) tonight:

Sacred Genius of Generosity

“The Sun, each second, transforms four million tons of itself into light, giving itself over to become energy that we, with every meal, partake of. For four million years, humans have been feasting on the Sun's energy stored in the form of wheat or reindeer, as each day the Sun dies as Sun and is reborn as the vitality of Earth. Every child of ours needs to learn the simple truth: She is the energy of the Sun. And we adults should organize things so her face shines with the same radiant joy.

Human generosity is possible only because at the center of the solar system a magnificent stellar generosity pours forth free energy day and night without stop and without complaint and without hesitation. This is the way of the Universe. This is the way of life. And this is the way in which each of us joins this cosmological lineage when we accept the Sun’s gifts of energy and transform it into creative action that will eneable the community to flourish.”~Brian Swimme, The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos

Blessing Update

Yay! I sent out ten blessing packages today. Seven were requested and three were inspired.

I believe I've sent more than 30 by mail and distributed at least 30 locally (although I haven't been doing that as much lately) since February. That's pretty respectable. And it feels good that I'm not losing steam, I'm actually gaining it and really thinking about the potential implications of expanding the project in various ways. I'm on fire!

It seems that the packages grow with each batch. I end up sending multiple art cards, poems, and quotes, as well as the artful envelopes and tokens. Instead of changing what I send, I just increase it by each new design. It's like the more I give, the more I want to give. I believe this project is the most motivating action I've ever undertaken. I can't give enough. I can't create enough. Even in my quiet, non-active moments, I feel the underlying pleasure of knowing I have this to come back to. Creatively blessing people brings me so much joy, words are ridiculously inadequate to describe it. Wow. If this is what living our bliss feels like, I highly recommend it!

I've been doing some research online to see what other types of kindness and generosity sites/projects are out there. There are some great ones (see the links in the sidebar), but they are few and there isn't anyone doing exactly what I'm doing, which as an artist, gives me a lot of satisfaction. I thrive on being at the edges of humanity's creative evolution, bringing truly new and unique ideas (or old and forgotten ones) into our collective experience. In our culture of materialism, giving something away for free to people we don't know, especially something that we've created (as opposed to something bought and passed on), is a unique and new idea. I'm not bartering. I'm not seeking anything in return (except maybe to get more exposure so that I can give more away).

Someone who emailed me today has inspired me to consider making sets of cards for people to request and distribute in their local communities. It would be a great way to slowly increase my exposure while passing blessings on. If you're interested in participating in the Conspiracy in this manner, email me (blessingconspiracy@hotmail.com).

(If you're a new reader, check out the standing invitation to see how you can be blessed or pass on the blessings.)

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This is how things should be: "In the Babemba tribe of South Africa, when a person acts irresponsibly or unjustly, he is placed in the center of the village, alone and unfettered. All work ceases, and everyone in the village gathers in a large circle around the accused. Then each person in the tribe speaks to the accused, one at a time, recalling the good things the person has done in his life. Every experience that can be recalled with detail and accuracy is recounted. All his positive attributes, good deeds, strengths, and kindnesses are recited carefully. This ceremony often lasts for several days. At the end, a joyous celebration takes place, and the person is symbolically and literally welcomed back into the tribe." -Jack Kornfield, *The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace*

Boxes Taken

There will be more soon. Keep an eye out!

Do you want a blessing box?

I have two decorated blessing boxes with a set of 40-50 inspirational quotes inside that are up for grabs. The first two people to email me with their snail mail addresses will receive them as gifts from the Conspiracy.

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"Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of the colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change. Each time a person stands up for an idea, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, (s)he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." -- Robert F. Kennedy

Happy Mandala Monday!

I found a fabulous mandala making software that will help me make more original and lovely blessing art cards.

Meanings

I decided to look up the meaning of blessing today. I hadn't really considered the true meaning of the word when I was inspired with the name of this project and thought it would be appropriate to be know what it is.


Relevant meanings of blessing (from dictionary.com):

To invoke divine favor upon.
To honor as holy; glorify.
Something promoting or contributing to happiness, well-being, or prosperity; a boon.
Approbation; approval.
A desirable state.

So every time I send a blessing out into the world, I am invoking divine favor upon recipient; honoring the divinity/sacred in the recipient; glorifying the recipient; contributing to the well-being and prosperity of the recipient; approving (validating) the recipient for who they are; and (hopefully) inducing a desirable state.

Wow! That's pretty cool.

Celebrating Today

Every day should be Earth Day!

I just read a blog post over at zaadz.com from a mother whose 7 year old son came home from school yesterday terrified because he was told at his school Earth Day celebration that "in thirty years the earth will be boiling and his children will die." Isn't it an act of terrorism to incite terror in children?

From dictionary.com :
terrorism --n : the calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear

I am reminded by a quote I've been seeing everywhere lately by Albert Einstein that says how a problem cannot be solved by the same consciousness that created it.

We cannot counteract any act of terrorism, war, and fear mongering by reacting in fear and anger. We can only counteract the darkness in the world with our light. We must focus on positive, love affirming actions. We must incite love in every heart, especially our children's, then there will be no room for terror.

This is what the Conspiracy of Blessings is all about. Just like Ghandi's famous edict, I am being the change I want to see in the world. I want more love. I want more kindness. I want more empathy. I want more generosity. I want everyone to realize that the more we give, the more we receive. That sharing the resources of the world with the world will only bring more love, more happiness, and more abundance for us all.

I am not reacting to the terror and violence of humanity. I am not a (re)activist working against the words and actions of others. I am approaching my attempt to make a difference in the world from a place of love and compassion.

The blessings I have received in my own life since undertaking this endeavor last December are mind boggling. I seem to have catalyzed a process of rebirth, in which I shed old fears and old perceptions of myself to find a beautiful, abundant, happy person underneath. It seems that as I act in love instead of fear, the biggest fears of my life are falling away and I'm seeing love everywhere. Longstanding scars and fears have been illuminated and healed these last five months. I am beginning to realize I am already living the life I have always hoped for and now it's time to dream bigger.

Oprah says the Universe can dream a bigger dream for us than we can dream for ourselves. I think I'm finally ready to get out of the way and let the Sacred Dream for me take over. Are you?

Catching Up

I haven't posted in awhile. I've been in an introspective phase that I'm now transitioning out of.

I've received two wonderful packages of my own in the last couple of days. One from an artist who wants to pass some creative blessings on to others through me and one from someone who sent me very cool zines about crafting and community building in exchange for a blessing. I love the connections I'm making!

I've only received one request for a blessing this last week, so I think the wonderful exposure I've received at a couple of sites has run its course. I need more exposure. I need more requests to fill! I'm loving the immense satisfaction I receive from creating and sending out blessings. If you have any ideas of how to get my site out there that don't cost money (I want to put all my financial resources for the project into the art and postage) or a site that might be a good link exchange, please let me know.

I'm off to color some mandalas. I'll leave you with these lovely thoughts...

Out of love,
No regrets-
Though the goodness
Be wasted forever.

Out of love,
No regrets-
Though the return
Be never.

~Langston Hughes

"If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day." ~ Alex Noble

Wisdom

Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Make visible what without you, might perhaps never have been seen. ~ Robert Bresson

Creativity in Abundance

It's been another highly productive art making weekend. I've made envelopes, tokens, and new art blessings. Now I just need people to send them to. :)

Resistance and Encouragement

I have to be honest. I have been experiencing resistance the last couple of days in response to the intensity of my inner critic. I have been feeling unworthy of holding space and responding to the stories of people who've asked for blessings for friends and loved ones.

But I have overcome my resistance today, primarily because I have received an abundance of support and validation for what I do and who I am. I wish everyone in the world could experience the kind of support that I do when I take creative and emotional risks. My husband and my friends are so incredibly encouraging about my art and my desire to make a difference in the world. I am so very blessed.

Please Take a Look

Please take a look at the comment posted to the entry before this one. Sara has requested crafty donations for a raffle to raise funds for her husband's treatment for a brain tumor. This is an opportunity for everyone who reads this to become a part of The Conspiracy!

Love

“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.” ~ Leo Buscaglia, 20th century Dr. of Love

Leo Buscaglia was my first teacher on the long road to this project. I was introduced to him many years ago (I was only 15) by an older friend and read everything I could find by him. I was thrilled in my innocence with the concept of a world where there was a Doctor of Love. Then the difficult circumstances that I lived through the next few years convinced me of a different world for a long time. I perceived the world as a lonely, loveless place for me. I was mentally ill. I became a teen mother. The problems between my alcoholic stepfather and passive aggressive mother escalated. And things only went downhill from there until I hit bottom at 22 by participating in an abusive relationship. It has taken 17 years to find my way back to Leo and realize the message of my bliss was handed to me so long ago. He planted a seed in me. It's nice to discover it's finally blooming.

Showers of Blessings

This has been quite a weekend for the Conspiracy. I am in shock and awe of the blessings the Universe is showering on me because I finally listened to my heart and followed through on its urgings.

Artella honored me today by sending out my project as today's morning LinkLatte to all their members. What unexpected and awesome exposure for what I'm doing!

I'm continuing to receive deeply meaningful requests for blessing packages. The ones that go out in regular mail can't just be called cards anymore because I include a variety of cards, tokens, and handmade art with each of them. I was inspired for one of my requests to send out one of my altered boxes with 30 inspiring quotes on the floral business cards inside, a whole new blessing project to bring inspiration and encouragement into the lives of others. I've also made a set of 6x6 art card mixed media collages that will go out with some packages. I'd love to have something unique and handmade in each package, but may get too many requests for that to happen.

Last night I was requested to send a package to Seattle that will be passed on to one of the survivors of the Seattle house party shooting. Wow. I wish I had a way to bottle the love and compassion I want to express to these grieving souls. I don't know that my creative expression is adequate, but I will do my best and trust that the loving intent will shine through.

Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to make new packages for local distribution. Hopefully I'll get to catch up this week, but I won't complain if the requests keep coming in. This is obviously something I am meant to be doing exactly as I'm doing it. There have been too many serendipitous and magical responses to this project for me to doubt it. I don't know that I've ever felt this in synch with my purpose here on planet earth.

Thank you, each and every one of you that visits me here and feels joy for what I'm doing. I believe one of the most basic human needs is for our godselves to be witnessed, which is why I consider it an honor to witness others when they are being authentic to their divine nature. You are witnessing me be my best and most connected self here and now, which is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.