There’s a free screening this weekend of a new documentary, “Just Look Up” by Ariana Victor, which explores an eyeopening look at geo-engineering.
While uncomfortable to look at what’s happening, the film left me feeling encouraged to continue nurturing our sacred connection with the Earth, her waters, and our glorious sun.
Today, I complete my 36th year on this Earth, in this body.
I remember when I was 24, watching a talk online by an artist. She had slides being projected up front as she spoke. I don’t remember her name. I don’t remember the topic she was speaking about.
What I do remember is that at one point, she projected a photo of one of her first paintings. And she made fun of how “bad” it was, cringing to the audience, expressing embarrassment at everyone seeing this early work as she skipped ahead to the next slide. Audience members laughed as the speaker expressed her distaste.
My body recoiled.
It felt so wrong to turn on a creation and belittle it. A creation that your body brought into existence, in a context of a time past. A creation through which you explored, became, were changed, and thus affected the entire Great Web.
I knew then, in my bones: I will celebrate the first!
The playfulness, the curiosity and exploration. The courage, when it’s required, to try something you’ve never tried before, and see what it feels like in your body.
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Not having an audience helps me be more present to my experience, to playfully create, listen to the whispers, and have Many Firsts! And, for the purpose of the message, I’ll gladly share:
My first time playing with watercolors as an adult, in 2015:
While I’ve always loved having a documentation of the books I’m reading, podcasts have been a notable force shaping my consciousness for years. This year I want to capture the listens in a post, a bookmark of sorts, that I can look back on and remember a texture of this year.
And, while it doesn’t need to be said, I will make it visible that books and podcasts (easily tracked, measured) were not the main weather system of my year. I spent 5 juicy hours each month in four gatherings with my story/somatics community, plus many more hours interacting on our loamy Mighty Network. (The Loam is a large part of my year.) Ayla Nereo albums were the only music that accompanied me on my drive east. A blessed Fairy Friendship with nearly-daily Marco Polos. The Mountain Lion. The story of Root Living. Relationships with the more-than-human world. Connection with my widest, most loving self (also, The Great Mother). Etc. Read more