11-11-11

I first started noticing 11:11 in 2005, right after moving to New Orleans; after Hurricane Katrina hit.

At the time, I had no idea what it meant when I would frequently find myself being drawn to looking at clocks precisely (and usually only) at 11:11 or 1:11.

Why was I seeing it everywhere, everyday, all of a sudden?

My grocery bills were adding up to 11.11 or 111.11. I'd receive 11 new emails at once. I'd be directed to addresses containing 1111 or 111.

1111 would simply show up in my life on a daily basis in some obvious form or another. At first, I thought it was mere coincidence, but frankly, it was beginning to freak me the heck out. They were too frequent to be random. I knew *something* was going on, and I wanted to find out what it was all about.

So, in 2005 I searched online, high and low, and came up with nearly next to nothing; except for one website. I contacted a Native American man who maintained the only website I could find mentioning 11:11 in regards to spirit. He kindly offered me insight when I contacted him. Part of what he told me was that "11:11 is a time prompt from spirit guardians. It is a very positive thing that is happening as the planet experiences a spiritual shift."

Spirit guardians, contacting us through numbers? Creative. Keep it up, Midwayers. :)

Since 2005, the familiar prompts still happen, though to a much lesser degree; the spirits pretty much realize they have my attention now. To me, the time prompts are little 'hi, we're just letting you know we're here' messages.

Accounts of people seeing 11:11 (11-11, 1111) are growing exponentially. Millions of people of all beliefs and religions are experiencing these time prompts. Other common time prompts from spirit are 3:33 4:44, 12:12, 10:10, and so on. The numbers have different meanings, and there's a lot more information to be found on the web today in regards to this phenomena.

By the way. After we moved to Chattanooga in 2007, we bought a house (which we love) with an address that just so happens to contain 111. That wasn't the reason we bought it, but it was a nice lagniappe. And I'm sure the time-prompt spirits were winking when we bought it.

it's easier to be vegan than most people think

When I tell people I'm vegan, the first thing they ask is 'what do you eat when you're on the road?' Doesn't matter where I go, I can always find something, whether it's a salad and potato, or steamed veggies and pasta. I don't need a whole lot of food (I feel better when I only eat small portions) and am happy with simpler dishes.

Needless to say, I do inquire if I suspect anything such as lard, fish oils and other such no-nos being present in a dish. But I have simple tastes when dining out, and usually steamed vegetables and rice have little to suspect.  :)

So, when I happen upon a veg cafe, I get pretty darn excited, and believe me; Atlanta has a lot to offer in the way of vegan dining. (More reason to love Atlanta.)

When my husband and I took another mini-trip to Atlanta last week to set up my art show, we tried Cafe Sunflower for the first time. Vegetarian with lots of vegan options.  Delectable dishes with explosions of flavor. The most amazing vegan desserts in the south. Highly freaking recommended. Check. It. Out.

http://www.cafesunflower.com/

inspired

The waves are growing stronger..... I am inspired.

spirit orbs

Orbs are spherical ‘lights’, or balls of energy. They may not always be visible to the naked eye, but they commonly show up in photos or film. Orbs can also be visible to the naked eye at times. 

Varying in size, they often appear in shades of white, and on occasion they may take on various colours. When we see these spheres, we’re seeing the plasma they’re creating, which is the fourth state of matter -- an ionized gas. These plasma orbs can be created scientifically. However, when orbs are displaying individual behavior, reacting intentionally in reference to the observer’s movements and thoughts, it’s apparent that these luminosities are conscious energies.

These spherical, glowing lights were at one time such a phenomena that they were given their own names. They were called ‘corpse candles’ in Wales, and in 19th century England they were referred to as ‘Will-o’-the-wisps’ or ‘Jack-o’-lanterns.’ But why are they always in the shape of a sphere? Because energy existing in a spherical form is the easiest form in which to move about. 

(Note: I'd taken the above photos at the haunted Myrtles Plantation in St Francisville, La.  I captured a procession of photos showing these particular orbs hovering around the cup of wine. Spirits for spirits. They reacted to me when I requested their presence, and seemed curious about us. The cat, shown in the second picture, seems to be aware of their presence.)

In today’s growing world of paranormal investigating, it seems to be the fashion to deem all orbs as nothing more than lens flares, rain particles, or dust particles. In other words, these whitish anomalies showing up in photos are, sadly, the laughing-stock of the paranormal-speaking world in the media.  Yes, some ARE dust, and rain, and bugs. But the point here is that some AREN'T. Alas, personal experience speaks much louder than mere opinions. Experience opens the eyes to realities much more clearly and powerfully than trendy proclamations. It's true that skepticism is healthy; we learn from questioning. In the same sense, we do not learn from continually discarding something without further, deeper consideration. How might anyone be so certain there isn’t something more to these floating spheres of light, which are sometimes visible to the naked eye? In this mysterious world of energy, no one can truly know what they are, or what they are not. Though it frustrates me to see seemingly open minds dismissing something out of assumption -- dismissing something which may very well offer relevance to the world beyond -- I continue my lifelong quest in understanding these spiritual spheres of lights. These energy forms may not all be human or animal spirits, though I'm certain a good number of them are. Several may also be faeries, angels, or perhaps even aliens. It's possible… 

I have a personal experience to share. When living in Louisiana, I discovered one single ball of white light, which would hover over the center of the dining room table. It wasn’t visible to my naked eye, but it would show up when looking through the lens of a digital camera. Once a photo had been snapped, the ball of light would float up to the corner of the room, as if hiding from sight. It would soon be completely out of sight and nowhere to be found all day. Curiouser and curiouser, I got up at 2 am the next morning, sneaking back into the dining room to shoot a few quick pictures of the table. There it was again! The orb, hovering above the center of the table in the same spot as before. In addition, it reacted the same way it had the day before, hiding in the top corner of the room. Able to see it in my camera’s lens, I followed it into the living room. It acted shy, attempting to escape me, so I left it alone by retiring to my art studio to work on some sketches. Sensing a presence a little while after, I shot a picture of the doorway. There it was again – an orb hovering a foot above the floor, watching me.

There is more to this story, but I'm not sure if you'd be ready to hear it as of yet; or moreso, whether I'd be ready to share it publicly. I will say that the strangest thing that ever happened to me involved this spirit orb, which further reinforces our connection to these spheres of light. So dust, shmust, to all you dust-shmusters out there lurking. There's a whole lot more to these anomalies than a lot of people give them credit for. If you want to believe they are ALL dust... be my guest. But you're choosing to cut yourself off from what I truly believe to be a rather powerful pertinent connection to other dimensions.

Oh... I have noticed that it’s common for these bright spheres of light to be present during celebrational events where there's laughter and joy to be shared. As well, they love to bask in the beauty of music. Try playing an instrument in a forest and take a sequence of photos with your digital camera (at least 50!) and see who or what shows up. I've also noticed that it’s common for the spirit orbs to be hanging around the vicinity of the shoulders, heart, and head. I believe they're connecting energetically with the person or animal by hovering in this area.

Spirit lights are constantly attempting to communicate with us, yet too many people remain closed to the subtle messages they have to offer. 

Try quieting your mind and connecting with the arrays of energies which feel right to you, for you may be delightfully surprised at what, and whom, there is to find.

influence vs imitation

They say that 'imitation is the greatest form of flattery.'

Is it?

We're all influenced and inspired by the works of others. This is natural, necessary and cherished. To be influenced is to be moved by something so strongly that it shapes and affects one's own creative voice.  To be of influence to another is a compliment. It means that the influenced appreciates the creativity of the influencer, taking action to incorporate aspects of the influencer into their own work in their own creative way. When this is done with honor and respect, it happens in a manner that the influence can be detected, but the result is still unique. And uniqueness, combined with fine craftsmanship, is an impressive (and to me, necessary) quality when it comes to artistic expression.

Lately, however, I've been spotting a few artists taking it beyond the boundaries by imitating other well-known artists. It's glowingly easy to spot when it happens. And, it's beyond infuriating when I see it happening to fellow artists who have created their *own* style over time, and worked darn hard to get there... only to find that someone has instantly stolen their works by recreating them with little change, claiming the works to be their own and giving no merit to those they stole from. There may be nothing one can do about copyright infringement when something like this happens, but I can only wonder at how an artist can sleep well at night by making a career of outright stealing from other artists.

Unlike influence, mimicry is offensive.

When someone takes something created by another, changes but only a few things about it and then calls it their own... well. That is a whole new ballgame. And it's NOT cool. It's not cool at all.

Several years ago, a friend spotted someone on Ebay who had blatantly stolen my works and recreated them as their own. It wasn't just influence: it appeared that they traced my images, making colour/design changes here and there. Regardless of the small changes, it was still a stolen image. How did this make me feel?  Angry... upset. Certainly not flattered. So, when I see this happening to my artist friends, I know precisely how they feel.  These are the sorts of 'imitation artists' who seem to think they can get away with such a thing without being noticed (for all the wrong reasons.) Imitation artists are egocentric and self-centered, and care not how their copying makes others feel. In regards to the shady Ebay artist, this ill behavior came to an end somewhat quickly when the artist was informed that we were aware of what they were doing, and requested that they put an end to imitating my art.

Alas, I know it hasn't been this easy for all artists who have had to deal with such characters. So. For artists who think they can get away with duplicating other people's works: the truth always catches up with you. Stop imitating other people's work. It's nauseating.

I've also come to the conclusion that the 'imitation artists' will mimic purely for better sales: they'll suddenly change their style drastically to replicate whatever they see that's selling well at the time, rather than create what comes from their very soul based on their OWN seasoned inspirations. In other words, they steal from the souls of others for what they *think* will bring them notoriety. And stealing is not food for the soul. Nor is the type of 'notoriety' such artists find. Imitation artists, selfish as they can be, want a piece of the cake and they'll do what it takes to get it, even if it means treading on another artist.

So, with that in mind, let me rephrase the ever-so popular quote.

Influence is the greatest form of flattery. Imitation is an insult.

songs

Songs: forming, morphing, speaking a language all their own. Communicating in a manner I've yet to fully grasp, but a with a warm familiarly, inviting me to dance alongside the voice of melodies as I journey inward, outward, onward, on new (yet ancient) creative terrain.

These songs have always lived here. And I've always lived within them.

donkey kong and pancakes

So. I had my first Donkey Kong dream last night.

Not that I anticipated that I'd specifically have a Donkey Kong dream, but you know how the dreamworld works.

Anyway. Something about going to a restaurant that involved being entertained by Mario, climbing to the top and fighting off the gorilla per usual. And once he reaches the top, he pours batter for pancakes. Then everyone in the restaurant would clap, expressing their excitement about the pancakes. I was a little worried about what might be in the pancakes, so I didn't partake in any.

the ocean of creativity

I've been immersed in a second round of songs, due (whenever it's complete) as album #2.

This doesn't mean the painting will stop. Not ever. Never, ever.

In fact, the music will only serve to enhance my art. When I compose songs, the desire to create more visual art increases. When I compose songs, the visual ideas flow more freely.

Consider my music a sound-interpretation of my visual art. One reinforces the other. And both come from the same ocean of creativity. All I know is that when I dive into that vast ocean, I never come up empty-handed. And often, what I find there might surprise.

As with the visions, the songs have been encapsulated within for far too long. I'd been playing piano (by ear) since childhood, and have been greatly influenced by music for as long as I can remember. So it's little wonder that the visions, like shapeshifters, begin to do a little dance of metamorphosis.

Visions become sounds, become visions, become sounds...

fragmented focus

Myspace. Then Facebook & Twitter. Now Google+. Oh, and let's not forget LiveJournal. Remember that? I appreciate the options for communication and use/have used all the above, but all of these combined cuts focus into fragments.

I no longer do the Myspace thingamajig, and rarely the LiveJournal thingamajig, though my accounts for both still exist. Twitter, a world-of-difference from FB, is shoot-from-the-hip spazzy, which is why I like it. Are all the quazillions really going to eventually up-and-leave the 'comforts' of FB for Google+ or fragmentally continue onward with both? Only time'll tell.