The Politician's Hand

I've had cause for much of my adult life to be in the presence of celebrities and politicians. This evening after a lovely dinner out among new friends, smiles and goodbye hugs were exchanged. My friends joyfully extended themselves, savoring our time together, thinking on fun times to come. The evening celebrated the opening of a meaningful, non-profit arts institution. We toasted the success of the woman who birthed the project: a remarkable, gifted, creative, humble, generous, and intelligent,...a politician to be. During jubilant farewells, I heard a strange statement, "So-and-so doesn't hug," referring to this magnificent young woman. The Politician doesn't hug. With her hand formally outstretched, far from her body, stiff and curt, she kept safe distance: in the important practice of protecting her personal space. Photographers will be everywhere as her rightful leadership path emerges. Her presence is meaningful to the press, and will become moreso. My heart ached. This extraordinary woman who is phenomenally generous with her personal funds, intelligence and energy supporting the arts, teaching people to fish rather than throwing promises away...this woman I will vote for when she is ready for office. But oh, how my heart ached. This magnificent woman, whose mission is Love, whose focus is productivity, wellness with strength and kindness...well. She doesn't hug. Is this OK for me as a citizen of this loving country? I have created the environment where leaders must so protect their virtues that the simple, truthful act of a heart-to-heart hug with a new friend cannot co-exist with a political dream. It's a powerful choice. I don't know her motive: if this is a sacrifice for her, or even if the 'no-hug' policy is politically motivated. But with much experience in celebrity folds, a famous 'hello' squeeze turns into an tabloid instant affair if photographed. Simple as that. Who are we becoming as a nation that open affection is prohibited for our leaders? For our entertainers? What about for beloved new friends of friends? I'm not sure. It just 'IS'. I'm a hugger. Heart to heart. Soul to Soul. Gratitude to Gratitude, and Song to Song. I send this noble woman a hug, silently, from my laptop right now. Over the airwaves. Through the void. I hope, in some small way, she feels my appreciation for all she is doing for the community. I look forward to seeing what she does for the world. I'll be behind her, sending her silent hugs all the way. Blessings, Robbi

On Overwhelm

What am I meditating for? My life is hectic now. If I act as I profess, I wouldn't even say these words. and true prayer, meditation, reflection, contemplation, (whatever your way) alleviates that. But here I go again with another day of overwhelm. Three portraits on my easel being finished simultaneously. I've returned to 3 quarters of full time school to complete my BFA. My home is being renovated (all floors torn up and no kitchen). I am far from peace. That said, I am incredibly grateful for the abundance all around me (received 27 calls on my birthday!), and yet I cannot get a grip! Six months ago, a friend invited me to Buddhist Sangha, and last night I finally stopped in. Sangha is the Buddhist practice of coming together to meditate. For an hour, we sat in silence-deep silence. With a strong man 'holding the space,' he brought us back from our thoughts continually. How turbulent my mind has become! Out of an hour, I had a total 12 seconds of almost quiet mind! Ground zero start-over guaranteed after breaking my spiritual practice. During the second hour, we listened to a CD on the Buddha's instruction. (Paraphrasing) It was said that we would never find peace if we meditated/prayed for peace. Buddah said to pray for Connection to the Source. Connect to the source. Imagine that. These past two months I have been praying for balance, internal peace, time! Pray for time? Does Time want my prayers? What the heck was I thinking? All I have to do is sit, quite my mind as best I can, and FEEL the Spirit within me! Connection. In the philosophy/religion Science of Mind (I've just completed my License Practitioner training) the teaching is such: in prayer (I am IN prayer, AS the prayer), there are 'steps' one can use to connect... 1) Recognize Spirit is all there is. (whatever name you give it.) 2) Unify with this God. (I am of this God; of its substance.) 3) Realize my desire. (This is the fun one. State my desire, and feel that I have it, i.e. the teachings of the wildly popular and best selling book and movie, The Secret. You have to feel it with every sense; your participation in or with your desire.) 4) Thanksgiving. (Thanking God that it responds to my call. Thanking God for existing and being within me.) 5) Release. (Sometimes this is the most difficulty. You've really gotta let the prayer GO! TRUSTING that God's gotcha covered, and has the power to create your dream within you. Its not an outside power either. You are releasing and trusting yourself, too.) This stuff is good, juicy teaching. I dig it enough to have studied through license. Now I'm off to Wisdom University to study more diverse paths. (After my full time BFA is complete (wish me luck)). I feel peaceful now. Thanks to that Sangha last night. Oh, and thanks to my doing the work to connect WITH my God, and not just appeal to it for my peace. God is my peace. How could I have forgotten? In the words of the great Homer Simpson, "Doik!"

Who is Your Candidate?

This website http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460 hosts a quick, informative exercise created by Public Radio to impartially determine which candidate most supports your personal views. Answer 11 questions. Click the "find your candidate" button. (oh, did I mention its fun?)

Waiting on the World to Change; Use Your Art

I wrestle with my mind every time I hear John Mayers 'Waiting on the World to Change'. There are few songs which activate me as this one does. It angers me. This amazing artist is singing about 'waiting' until someone steps up to create the change we want. 'we don't have the means to rise above and beat it... 'hard to be persistent when we're standing at a distance... 'if we had the power... Yet his music impacts the world. The actions he took to become the great artist he is has NOTHING to do with waiting for anything to change. I've watched people step over a person, unconscious, on the streets of New York. Watched a huge guy beating his woman in a subway until I jumped on him, and then others joined me. What about Voting? Giving your goods to a charity rather than trashing them? Turning the lights off when leaving the house (can anyone, at this point in history, deny global warming?) If we are passive with things which matter right before our eyes, then how will we have the integrity, or the velocity to act when it truly matters? How can a generation of 'waiters' end a war? Feed a nation? The 'Waiting on the World to Change' video shows graffiti artists working. Whether you like or believe in the art form of graffiti is not the point-these folks are DOING something to affect their world...expressing themselves; creating! Not sitting on the couch in front of the tube, deadening their minds with the opinions of others. They aren't dazing around doing nothing as the song suggests. Who is going to step up to change my life/my world but me? Our position in the universe is What We Make It. I dig this artist like crazy, and I hope his next song speaks of action. Whatever pulls his heart, demands his mind; I want John Mayer's next song to be about greatness--the kind that got him where he is. And inspiring us to act on our own greatness. Lil slice o' Mandela would be nice.

Killing in Excess; Override Your Crocodile Brain

It is hard for me to leave Africa. Africa is home to my humanity. I feel it in my bones. Being on Safari reminds me how so many of us live in our reptilian brain. As the crocodile who kills. There is no thought. No emotion. No judgment or right and wrong. It’s just what he does. It’s his life. And yet we humans have Choice. To consciously override our reptilian-survival-brain into a place of Conscious Choice. Overriding fear so we don’t have to keep killing. Why, then, do so few people make the effort? And keep killing in excess like the crocodile? (Our souls, our dreams or each other.) Problem is, we do Feel about it; have consciousness around it, because our thought process is more complex. So there is really, no excuse for the human. Except for lack of Self-Motivated Choice. I wish everyone could see hundreds of wildebeest and zebra cross a crocodile river. See the babies swim back and forth, looking for the mother which has just been snapped out of life by the great and powerful jaws of a 4 meter crocodile. And the baby bleeting, crying out for its mother. Swimming through the peril back to the other side to find her. And perhaps back once again. Calling. Looking. And then finally left by the herd to lie in wait for her, expecting her to come up from the depths of water to feed it and protect. I learned early on about this waiting. Waiting for her to reemerge from the depths to feed and protect me. Maybe that's why I'm stripped raw when I see an event such as this. The gift I was given around my mothers death was a Consciousness around 'taking care of each other'. I tithe 10% of my income to worthy causes. I urge you to give what you can, of time and/or money, to an efficient, meaningful charity which pulls your heart. I'll be listing 10 on my website soon which I have researched and truly believe in. My Human Consciousness allows me to know that this is the Strong and Good thing to do. Let me know how I can support you in giving of your heart to something you believe in. And any commissions that come to me through this blog, mention 'Africa' and receive 10% off your commissioned portrait price. Blessings and Love, Robbi Firestone

Out of Africa; Into the Garden of Eden

Having just returned from a 2 week Safari in the Masi Mara, Kenya and Londolozi, South Africa, I am overcome with visual contrast of returning to the Pacific Northwest. The silent density of grays surround me in my return to the deep fog of Washington State. The color palette of life here is far from warm. It feels quiet, but not serene. In Africa, where colors are sharpened with saturating, inspiring light, the people and animals are stroked with such detail I feel enlightened again. Where fushia bougainvillea pour from the gates of the poorest neighbors, and the Masai people travel across the horizon weaving red trails across the golden land with their vibrant tribal dress. Black rhinos disappear in sways of tall grass and crocodiles sharp disappear before my eyes; the light allows nothing to be hidden. But the cleverness of evolution defeats the light as a giant black rhino disappears before my eyes into 10 feet of brush.... Nowhere is more evident that these animals are designed perfectly in their evolution...Africa not only pounds the heart in my chest, but enlivened my soul, blessing my eyes with the wonders of color and light, and mystery. At Dave Varty's glorious Londolozi Camp, in depth of nightfall we sat in open jeeps, 20 feet from five full maned, adult lion brothers who roared their presence to the stars. (Imagine dancing in front of a booming speaker; how it pounds through your skin; removing your brain, deep into your belly. This 'depth' of sound comes from the throat of a lion roaring. Now imagine 5 lions, in chorus to brother 6. Pavarotti would be astounded.) We witnessed leopards mating, continuously through the night. We saw seven 'crossings' of wildebeest and zebra surging through rapid river, to get to the 'grass is greener on the other side'. Crocodiles took many. Babies were brave to cross twice seeking mothers. Zebras brayed and risked their lives-leaping in dangerous waters edge- to demonstrate to families following which cliff steep path to climb safely. People who 'prayed for a kill' were very few within minutes. Water buffalo came to our tent-step, elephant bulls 'arm wrestled' clacking tusks and trumpeting challenge. One elephant stood on 'tip-toe' to reach delicious branches high above. 'Out of Africa' cannot begin to tell the story of the real place that is home to us all. The migration at Masi Mara showed me that Eden must have been there- right there- as minions of steinbok and waterbuck, warthog, elephant, kudu, topi, birds of every color, zebra, wildebeest and lions fat with feed all stood together, Peacefully, in one plain as far as my eye could see. I now believe in that epic, legendary place that was known as the Garden of Eden. Blessings, Robbi

Want Versus Resolve

Commencement. I attended the Graduation Ceremony for two remarkable young men this weekend. The extraordinary keynote speaker was their high school English teacher, and one of the most humorous, insightful speakers I've ever heard. Upon entering their new life, he urged the young grads to focus on a concept brought to him by his father; a military man. The concept of Want Versus Resolve. In my studies, I've found 'want' of something to be suggestive that I don't have it already...that I don't have the capacity at this moment to have it. In my experience, I'm capable of having whatever I wish, but I must have resolve to get it. And then do the work. What do you think?

Hungry for a 30 Minute art project. Ideas?

Ever check out the website http://www.ashesandsnow.org/? You must, if not. Artwork of such power and beauty makes me hungrier to be alive. To Breathe. This is True Artistry. Alchemy. I could only hope that my work shows a degree of this Integrity…. I went briefly in my studio hungry for a 30 minute project. Any ideas? Kinda tough when painting in oil… my art journal is a good option… but I didn’t have that pile of papers and glue ready at hand for a swift kickdown on paper… You wanna see a REAL Art Journal? Check out (http://www.anahataart.com/). This woman cranks from a creative place superhuman and papayalicious. She is the one who inspired me to emerge from my pain-in-the-butt seriousness into loving myself through art journaling. I burst into tears when she said she was moving from LA and I’m sure I freaked her out! I never told her that just by her Being Who she is, she inspired me to live my art again…that she actually gave , my art back to me after 20 years without her even knowing. I hope she inspires you too. And she is a magnificent woman. Buy her stuff. I do constantly. Anyone you'd like to tell they've inspired you? Time to say goodbye to my old art journal. Time for new juice, and breaking down some barriers. Maybe time to jump out of another plane? I'm ready to really get creative coloring 'outside of the lines' of life. Blow the roof off and burn the doors down. (Maybe start by just kicking the doors down?). All the old journal pages aren’t 'used', but somehow a chapter of my life is closed, and I don’t know what closed it. Maybe the ending of my Practitioner Class. I’m about to embark on a journey taking myself much less seriously. (thank God and FINALLY!) If you catch me being too sincere, call me on it. K?

Courage through Cancer

Yesterday I found out that a former friend of mine-- one of those who 'came to my life for a reason, or season, but not a lifetime', had a double mastectomy last year. She's young, early 40s, exquisitely beautiful; a woman of great heart. A Double Mastectomy. Cancer. After my initial surprise, our mutual friend said, "She looks great. She's had implants, and still feels wonderful about herself." This is still settling in for me...the Courage. To move through something as grave and challenging as this must have been for her- and to know on the 'other side' of it, she knows still, how beautiful she is. That's Power. That's Courage. Someone admiring my work today asked via email, "Where do you find your inspiration?" He thought I was being modest when I responded, "From the women who sit before me." I meant it. Women are amazing, Powerful Beings. As are Men. But I just love Being a woman, and having women of this level of infinate persepective and gratitude in my life, even if it is for a season. I send a wish from the deepest place in my heart for all women who are moving through the challenge of breast cancer. Thank you to the Susan B. Komen Organization; http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm My biological mother died of breast cancer when I was 5 years old. I recently found out that as she fell ill when I was 3, she began telling me to speak with her after her passing. That she will always be with me. This is how I Know, with undisputable Truth, that I am held; by ancestors, by Spirit, by God, Saints or Angels... whatever name each of us chooses; I am held. So are you. I take a moment to bow to my former friend, Alicia. I am grateful for her life. That her life is present here with us. I hope I can paint her one day. And I'm grateful for her inspiration and our time spent together. And for my own health and well being. And for yours. Blessings, Robbi

Big Bros Big Sisters; the Alchemy of a Lil 'Sis

6.1.07

Guess what? I got a call from Big Brothers Big Sisters today, and they think they have my lil’ Sis match for me. http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.guLUJbMRKtH/b.1622903/k.BD7C/Home.htm

An initial, milli-second sharp breath of fear (‘oh my GOD! Responsibility! What have I gotten myself into?!) was immediately replaced by this crazy sense of excitement at my ‘counselors’ description of this young, energetic, creative girl.

I asked ‘why me?’ and he said the word ‘goofy’ several times… um…um…ok, some of my friends call me Anne of Green Gables, yes, but I like to think of myself as…you know--a sophisticated city girl. Hopes dashed once again. Yes. The Truth. I’m goofy, I’m a farm girl, everybody knows it no matter how lush my paintings and studio. Drat. Anyway, my ‘most likely’ lil’ Sis sounds absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to meet her now!

I had an amazing mentor growing up who took me under her wing for the next 25 years, and my life was changed for always, Good ways. Could I possibly have something to contribute to this young ones life? I truly heart-hope so.

I’ve longed for a while to balance my Self centered life with service from my heart-- not just serving on Boards of the Hollywood Council of the Arts, or Spiritual communities using my business savvy, but actually, truly, giving from my HEART. Its time to give my time, not just my tithe.

Moving from the razzle-dazzle big city LA lights to the blooming little art city of Tacoma has enabled me to really settle into my own skin. Just to feel some focus; be more real, and move more into my heart space.

Who woulda thunk it? (I'm gonna teach my 'lil to speak like that...whaddah ya think?) : )

This is good. Today was a nice day. I love my new life. I love Love.

See ya!

Ashes and Snow Magic

6.1.07

Ever check out the website www.ashesandsnow.org? You must, if not.

Artwork of such power and beauty makes me hungrier to be alive. To Breathe. This is True Artistry. Alchemy. I could only hope that my work shows a degree of this integrity….

I went briefly in my studio hungry for a 30 minute project. Any ideas? Kinda tough when painting in oil… my art journal is a good option….but I didn’t have that pile of papers and glue ready at hand for a swift kickdown on paper…you wanna see a REAL Art Journal? Check out (www.anahataart.com). This woman cranks from a creative place superhuman and papayalicious. She is the one who inspired me to emerge from my pain-in-the-butt seriousness into loving myself through art journaling. I burst into tears when she said she was moving from LA and I’m sure I freaked her out! I never told her that just by her Being Who she is, she inspired me to live my art again…that she actually gave it back to me after 20 years without her even knowing.

Anyway. I hope she inspires you too. And she is a magnificent woman. Buy her stuff. I do constantly.

Time to say goodbye to it. It’s finally time for me to start another book and really get creative. Blow the roof off and burn the doors down. (Maybe start by just kicking the doors down?). All the pages aren’t complete, but somehow a chapter of my life is closed, and I don’t know what closed it. Oh, maybe the ending of my Practitioner Class. I feel complete. I have a feeling I’m about to embark on a journey taking myself much less seriously. (thank God and FINALLY!) If you catch me being to sincere, call me on it. K?

Guess what? I got a call from Big Brothers Big Sisters today, and they think they have my lil’ Sis match for me. An initial, milli-second sharp breath of fear (‘oh my GOD! Responsibility! What have I gotten myself into?!) was immediately replaced by this crazy sense of excitement at my ‘counselors’ description of this young, energetic, creative girl.

I asked ‘why me?’ and he said the word ‘goofy’ several times…um…um…ok, some of my friends call me Anne of Green Gables, yes, but I like to think of myself as…you know--a sophisticated city girl. Hopes dashed once again. Yes. The Truth. I’m goofy, I’m a farm girl, everybody knows it no matter how lush my paintings and studio. Drat. Anyway, my ‘most likely’ lil’ Sis sounds absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to meet her now!

I had an amazing mentor growing up who took me under her wing for the next 25 years, and my life was changed for always, Good ways. Could I possibly have something to contribute to this young ones life? I truly heart-hope so.

I’ve longed for a while to balance my Self centered life with service from my heart--not just serving on Boards of the Hollywood Council of the Arts, or Spiritual communities using my business savvy, but actually, truly, giving from my HEART. Its time.

Moving from the razzle-dazzle big city LA lights to the blooming little art city of Tacoma has enabled me to really settle into my own skin. Just to feel some focus.

I reconnected with a magnificent artist friend of mine from LA who is moving to Ojai…and we talked about the simple joy of meeting girlfriends for coffee each Wednesday morning and talking about their kids, yard sales, our wills…(yeah. Wills. How’s yours coming along? Hint. You are gonna die.) Anyway, in Los Angeles, meeting girlfriends weekly for coffee logistically could simply not happen. We were lucky if we could squeeze in a night of one full moon circle a month! (eeeek! Yes, Wicca!!!)

Now, when there is an art happening (like a crazy fun one coming up here put on by the Tacoma Museum of Art called ‘the Iron Artist), I can go! And all the other groovy fun artists will go! Because there aren’t 1,000,000 other things to choose from that particular night.

I dunno. I miss Agape www.agapelive.com. I miss some friends. I definately miss the weather,,, but you know what I don’t miss? Not knowing myself.

This is good. Today was a nice day. I love my new life. I love Love.

See ya!