The Studio Voice

Summer 2013

COMMUNITY

“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know

there is comfort, where we overlap.”

! Ani DiFranco

Welcome to the Community Issue

A community is more than the people who live in our neighborhoods or attend our churches.A community is comprised of people we lean on, who encourage and support us. A community is our tribe, our entrusted confidants.

We are sharing stories and celebrating all types of communities and the impact hey have on our lives.

We’re excited to share this issue on Community with you and we are grateful to our contributors.

Sincerely,Amelia & Melody

UBUNTULauren Jacobs

I stared up at their faces while I sat on the bar stool sipping on my milkshake. Her name was Patience, his name was Lucky and here they were, working in malt shop in a white neighborhood. My feet barely found the foot rest, how could it? I was only 5 foot 3 but still I strained my little neck to catch a glimpse of their beautiful faces working hard, serving and sweeping. Patience cleared my food away and I smiled, she was so fond of me. She would ask me about my day, about school and about all those bullies that would frighten me. Lucky would tell me to take no notice of them, I was going to be something one day, maybe even a writer he would say and I would smile and dream in color.

I sat on that stool everyday and watched them. My mama owned that malt shop but I convinced myself that even if she hadn’t I would have still gone to that place every day. To see Patience and Lucky and hear their soothing, accented voices.

Sometimes I would notice that Patience eyes would fill with tears, people could be pretty mean to her. She would excuse herself from me and go in to the back, more often than not Lucky would put his hand on her shoulder and tell her, “Mama you’re going to be alright, don’t take no notice of them.” She would come back and force a smile, my; how fond she was of me.

A few years went by and I left for college, I was going to study to be a writer. While I was gone my mama sold that malt shop and took off to squander her fortune on some new beau.

I finished college and started interning for a big media company but before I did, I made one last trip. I went back to mama’s malt shop, sat on that stool and waited. From the back of the restaurant I heard the doors swing and there they were – Patience and Lucky, aged but still the same.

They hugged me so tightly and Lucky told me how proud he was of me and I could tell he meant it. We shared a milkshake and some fries and then said our goodbyes. But before we did I took their hands in mine and looked over at them, my spiritual family.

“Ubuntu”, said Patience.

“Ubuntu”,  I replied.

Nodding my head gently I comprehended its meaning for the first time, I am me because of you, I am a person because of other people.

I peered up at them, a young girl of 5 foot 3 again, whose forming had been because of these two and I smiled, knowing I had lived and I had made it because of Ubuntu. Lauren Jacobs is a woman abuse

activist with a Masters Degree in Divinity. She is likewise a counseling and English trainer, writer, abuse researcher, theologian and poet. She makes her home in Cape Town with her husband and cat.Learn more about Lauren Jacobs at her website

Lauren Jacobs

Bronnie Ware

One of the most rewarding things I have found since starting this blog is just how many beautiful, like-minded people there are out there. Inspiration and Chai started off in a little cottage down south, while possums fought with each other and kookaburras laughed outside. It now has a huge following every week.

But I still carry on and write the same way. I still ignore the green grammar line from the word program and waffle on with whatever sentence structure I want to! (I’m also sort of glad at times that I don’t always have to be dressed well for the occasion!). Yet despite the volume of readers, it also feels like the most natural thing in the world that so many of us have connected here. It just confirms my beliefs that regardless of the madness, chaos and shallowness in a lot of aspects of our societies, there are still plenty of grounded, lovely, and very real individuals in the world.

Whether we are living lives of solitude or without a moment to ourselves, it is important to remember that there are a lot of like-minded people out there, people living from their hearts and wanting a better world for everyone too. Even though there may be times you feel totally alone and misunderstood in the world, and we have all felt that at some time, it is comforting to remember that whether you know them in your every day life or not, there are still kindred souls out there wishing you happiness.

We all have skills to share too. And you are needed in this positive equation as much as everyone else. But every one of us also needs support systems. Sometimes these are obvious systems, like friends or families. Sometimes it is people who share similar habits, like a sports club helping you to achieve your goals. Sometimes though, it is not so obvious and you feel like you are doing it totally alone.

But having experienced miracles in my own life over time, I see that no achievement is ever done totally alone. Often the pieces of the puzzle are in place years in advance, without us having any idea of the relevance a particular person, job or situation is going to play in bringing things together, at a later date.

Yet when you look back and see all of those links, you realise just how many people are actually in your support system, whether you knew it or not. Sometimes they don’t even know it consciously. Yet they can play a major role simply by doing something that they’ve given very little thought to afterwards. Or perhaps it is the other way around. You are playing a vital role in someone else’s support system, without yet being completely aware of it.

Working Together

So I ask you as you read this, to send some goodwill out there to all of those who are trying to improve their life, to all who are working towards happiness, to everyone who offers their smile to the general public through their work, and to the others who will read this article. There are a lot of us connecting here and by having that awareness of each other, of all of us, we are already generating more goodwill in the world and in each other’s lives.

Nothing good can be achieved alone. We must work together. And while that often needs to be physically too, just a heartfelt intention to send goodwill around also helps enormously. If you are seeking support yourself, just trust it is out there and working its way to you.

We have to open up to it too though. Allowing others to help is a hard lesson for many. It was for me a long time ago.

But by learning to receive too, you allow others the pleasure of giving. If you remain closed to receiving, you not only block the flow of help to you, but you deny others that pleasure of giving. And as anyone who is a giver knows, it is a pleasure to give. But it is often the givers who are the worst at receiving. Like I say, I too struggled with it years ago until life threw so many curve balls at me, I had no choice but to learn how to receive. It was humbling. But it was also a fantastic thing to learn.

Now I understand that sometimes I am the giver and sometimes I have to be the receiver. So applies to everyone. And for that reason, it is important to be open to working together on all levels, to allow the flow of give and take to weave its balance around the world. Give some good wishes. Receive some good wishes. Give a helping hand. Receive a helping hand. None of us can do it all alone and at some time, we all learn to do both. It keeps things balanced.

Anyway, I am out of my favourite Chai tea, which is a mighty shame. So I am on licorice tea today. I’ll pick up some Chai next time I’m in the big smoke. But listening to the birds sitting on the fence and singing to each other and to me, the big smoke feels like a different planet entirely right now.

The mulberry tree is in full fruit at the moment, so I’ve been braving the long grass around the creek-crossing in big boots, dodging the hazards of red-belly black snakes and swooping magpies, coming home with a container and a belly full of mulberries, and stained pink fingers. I do love this time of year.

So like the mulberries that return in plenty after appearing like they’re gone forever, goodness too flows back again in abundance. So let’s work together for a better world and send each other some kindness in thought and deed.

Blessing to you all.

Bronnie Ware is a writer and songwriter from Australia. She is the author of the full-length book titled, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, available in 27 languages worldwide. It is a memoir of Bronnie’s life and how it was transformed through the regrets of the dying people she cared for. For more information, please visit Bronnie’s official website.

Bronnie Ware

Jenn Gibson

The way we interact with social media can be a tender subject, so I want to preface this post with a statement. I’m writing this with care and from my own experiences. I’m not writing this in a judgmental way or a holier-than-thou way. I’m writing this because it’s an important topic and I think we need to establish a dialogue around it. You all know I got nuttin’ but love.

A story: Around the time my day-job was social media, when I was leaving Kind Over Matter and creating Roots of She, I didn’t have a healthy relationship with anything surrounding the Internet.

I was online all of the time, I was constantly checking Facebook and Twitter, I was accepting every friend request on Facebook, following everyone who followed me on Twitter. I loved the hit of adrenaline I got when I saw new notifications because it made me feel important and also like what I was saying had value.

Then I got caught up in the numbers game of it all, I wanted more and more, like once I hit a certain number of whatever, it meant I was a success or I had arrived or I was validated. And that’s all such bullshit, I see that now, I’ve seen it for a while. But that’s where I was at, that’s what my relationship with it all was like.

I pinned and at-replied and hashtagged until… I was exhausted. It all was just so exhausting. To be online all of the time, to feel like I was missing out on something if I wasn’t online, to keep comparing myself to other people who used XYZ website to do whatever it was they were doing.

I realized I wasn’t using social media with thought and care and intention, I was just desperately trying to keep up with everyone else. I was trying to be the places where everyone was because those were the places I thought I needed to be.

I wasn’t being me when I was online, I was being who I thought everyone wanted me to be, who I thought I should be.

I started to notice that I was online I was really just phoning it in, I had scheduled so many things to post throughout the day, but I wasn’t present there at all. I was faking it, and that really isn’t my style. Everything felt so confused but this:

Presence is priceless, it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give. And I had stopped giving it.

Because Presence is Priceless

I took a (rather large and necessary) step back and evaluated why I even was using Facebook or Twitter or [insert social media platform here.] I came up with this.

I use social media because:1.    I crave deep connection with the people I care about.2.    I’ve found so many kindreds through the randomness that is the Internet and that makes me happy.3.    I appreciate the ease social media can bring as far as staying in touch with people.4.    And I use social media because it’s fun.

I wasn’t showing up in a way that felt real and good to me.Social media wasn’t fun anymore.So I changed everything.

I needed something smaller, more intimate – something that felt cozy.

Using so many different platforms, having so many people in the feed for each of those platforms – it was overwhelming.

I couldn’t connect with anyone because I was trying to connect with everyone. I wanted to build connections with people and I wasn’t able to do it. At all.

So, I unfriended and unfollowed a lot of people. The people I went to grade school or high school with, a lot of the people I went to college with. The old neighbors and most of my old roommates. The people I rarely talked with, the people I had never talked with. The people I just plain old didn’t like but had connected with because I didn’t know how to say no.

Let me tell you, it felt really good – letting go of the pressure of how I thought I should act, letting go of all of those people I hadn’t connected with, letting go of all that pent up stress and need for perfecting the Jenn Gibson brand (whatever that is). I felt so much lighter.

Then, I looked at all of the places I had accounts and if it didn’t make me feel good, I stopped using it.

What I kept: Facebook and Instagram.

HEADLINE

No more LinkedIn. No more Google+. No more Pinterest. And less Twitter.

And now it feels right.

So every time I update anything now, I take a deep breath and pause to make sure my intention is really my intention and not what I think it (or I) should be.

So every time I update anything now, I’m offering the gift of presence and attention and an unvarnished me.

So every time I update anything now? Yeah, I’m having fun and showing up and using my own gorgeous voice because it’s enough exactly the way it is.

So every time I update anything now? It just feels good, it’s just fun.

How has the way you use social media changed over time? How does it still tickle your fancy? What makes you want to pull your hair out? How does it make you feel?

Jenn Gibson is a writer, life coach & the creator of Roots of She — a collection of true stories & tender wisdom for women, by women. As a coach, she focuses on foundational self-care, helping overwhelmed women learn to live simply, and simply live. She loves yoga, Mexican food and the beach, and is not above stealing snuggles from Bean the Boy Kitten.

Website: Roots of SheFacebookInstagram

Jenn Gibson

Laurie RichardsonCommunity

Free book sharing library on the hiking path to Meadowdale Beach in Lynnwood, Washington bestows gifts to the community of beach-goers to enjoy as they soak up the (frequently elusive!) sunshine

The whole community of Seattle revels in the fleeting few weeks of amazing beauty of the blossoming cherry trees on the University of

Washington campus

Laurie Richardson

Laurie is a tree-hugger, faerie friend, animal whisperer, beach bum, snap-happy photographer living a beyond blessed, fairy-tale-come-true life in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, with her adoring saint of a husband and 3 fat 'n sassy Basset Hounds. She strives to keep her eyes and heart wide open to take in all of the amazing beauty so abundantly surrounding us, and her greatest creative joy is capturing in an image a moment which, in some small way, may speak to others on this journey of being a spiritual being in human form.

Website: Laurie Richardson CreatesFacebook

Pretty (& real!) coffee cups all in a row, ready for self-serve usage by the large and loyal community of patrons at The Red Cup Café in Mukilteo,

Washington

Chance Does Favor the Connected Mind Kelly Berkey

Being a full-time artist is a solitary business, or is it? I’ve found that even though most of my day is spent alone, I can only go so far in my work without being connected with another person. I have several communities on which without their love and support, I would never have been able to accomplish all that I have become in my life. Being solitary is wonderful to get work done, but without connectedness, my inspiration lacks.

 

My Soul Mate

My hugest connection daily is with my husband. I adore the bond we have when it comes to creativity. We can bounce ideas off one another into the wee hours of the night only to wake up and start back where we left off over coffee. My best friend once said, “Between the two of you, I have no doubt you could sell dirt.” My response?

“If we packaged it right.”

My point was, the two of us connecting is what makes the magic in whatever journey we are on.

After 28 years of marriage, we still have so much to share and say and talk about. It’s never ending and never boring. We are as different as two people can be and cannot work together in the same room, but we have seating for one another in our studios as we are constantly popping in to chat about some idea we’ve had.

My Tribe

My secondary community is a small tribe of painters, my Soul Sisters in Art. Together we paint, dream, share our talents, and keep one another inspired. We call ourselves the Bohemian Painters, or Boho Girls for short. Our Vision Statement: A collaboration of minds and talent to promote creativity, artistic expression and individual growth.

Yep, we’re rocking it!

photo credit: Kirk Decker Photography

The sweetest thing is whenever I drop in to his studio, he stops whatever he is doing and gives me his full attention. I’m happy to say, I’m getting really good at giving him all my attention these days too. It’s been a bigger learning curve for me to slow down and be mindful, but I’m getting there.

This small tribe is where I can play without the threat of judgement, where my soul can be free to discover new techniques and make mistakes. There isn’t any competition or holding back of knowledge. The paths we are on are slightly different, but through our connectedness we find ways of guiding each other along, knowing that we will continually weave in and out of each other’s path in a way that will bring us together collaboratively when the time is right.

Our dreams are sacred to us, and there is a safety in sharing our vulnerabilities. We honor each other’s vision and try to focus on being mindful around one another. They are the people I spend the most face to face time with besides my husband, and the gift we give one another is being present in our relationship.

My Family

My larger community is my family. None who live close to me as my bohemian gypsy spirit has moved my darling hubby and me more times than I care to count over the past 28 years. Even though they have never been happy with my wandering spirit, they have always understood and supported me through all my travels, believing that I knew better what was right for me than they did.How I cherish my family! They are always supportive, encouraging, and full of love for my big dreams. Calling my sweet daddy to tell him I was quitting my “safe” state job to focus on being a full-time artist was one of those moments I will never forget.

As a mother myself, I could hear the pain in his voice, the fear he felt at the moment of hearing his free-spirited daughter was making yet another big life change. He handled it with grace and encouragement, without judgment, having faith that I would make it work somehow.

They are my cheerleaders, always rooting for me and never tiring at my constant emails about what new endeavor I’m up to. My English professor sister will edit anything I send her way, without re-writing more than a word or two, allowing me to feel comfortable using my own authentic voice. I bounce ideas and dreams off my family constantly and always receive positive feedback and encouragement. They are my strength and love and light and joy and because of them I continually strive to be a better person.

The World Wide Web

The largest community I’m connected to are my fellow online artists. We follow one another’s growth in art and give support when needed. Even though I’ve been lucky enough to only meet a few of these lovely souls in person, I know that their spirits are connected to mine through their love of creating and desire to communicate their true selves through their artwork.

HEADLINE

I’ve enjoyed an online presence since 2009, and I love that every time I need a push or feel in a funk creatively, one of my online friends and I will connect. We can go up to a year without reaching out to one another, and then find ourselves all of a sudden chatting online, having a long over-due phone conversation, or Skyping face-to-face. It’s like they are there in the shadows, sending quiet encouragement, but ready to give a bit more of their time when it is truly needed. This, for me, is the beauty of being connected online.

My communities big and small are composed of people connected by a greater power than ourselves. My gratitude goes out to all those souls new and old who have made such an impact in helping me become the spirit I am today. I celebrate you as you celebrate me.

Kelly Berkey is a professional artist, blogger, bohemian barefoot goddess. She works from her home art studio in the beautiful countryside of Missouri where she paints colorful portraits, creates inspirational jewelry,  runs her two Etsy shops, photographs everything, plays her music way too loudly, and blogs obsessively about her artful journey.

Website: The Art of Kelly Berkey

Kelly Berkey

Amelia Maness-GillilandCreating Inclusion

I’ve been thinking about inclusion, community, and tribes lately. I find that, unlike high school, as I get older I am more interested in the quality of my relationships than I am the quantity of friends that I “collect.” Don’t get me wrong, as an extravert I am a regular people junkie.  But as I grow older, I have discovered that what I seek in relationships, in my “tribe” is people who challenge me, in some way, either in my way of seeing the world, how I approach my writing or photography, in my political views etc. I simply love what flies in the face of status quo. Consequently, creating inclusion requires me to be generous- not as a way of giving to the world, but as a way of being in the world.  This type of generosity has little to do with giving stuff like money or other donations. I am talking about the type of generosity that gives people the freedom to be who they are, without conditions, value judgments or any other filter to sift them through.

HEADLINE

For many, age and experience brings with it wisdom. Wisdom allows for us to make choices in our lives that are a reflection of who we are, truly, deep in the crevices.  When we become secure with who and what we are, no longer making apologies for it, but instead we hold our heads high and with a confident nod that acknowledges to the world that “yes, this is me” then we release our grip on fears and our insecurities, freeing our hearts, souls and hands to be extended to others. When we become generous with ourselves first, accepting who we are without conditions, then we sit poised, positioned to reach out to others, ready to create inclusion.

Amelia Maness-Gilliland is a professor in “real life” and a self professed cartographer of the soul, always.  She is a firm believer that it is our handling of the details of life that defines the quality of our days. She is dedicated to documenting these details and does so through her inspiring and often humorous musings on hr website.  She strives to live life consciously using her strengths and talents to make a meaningful difference.  Her goal is to inspire others to capture the details of their lives and recognize that we are all writing our life story with every single today.

website: The Blackhouse Studio

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Amelia Maness-Gilliland

Bohemian Rhapsody Original Painting Raffle

Community News & Announcements

The Bohemian Painters collaborated on this lovely 18x24x1.5 inch mixed media painting titled “Bohemian Rhapsody” as a way of raising money for The Friends of the Farris Theater in Richmond, MO and will be drawing a winner on Sunday, October 6th, at 2pm during their group Art Exhibit at the Friends Gallery.

To view a video these lovely ladies painting Bohemian Rhapsody, follow the link here

A Broadway style Jonathan Coulton Sci-Fi jukebox musical.

What:The Future Soon is a sci-fi musical, based on songs by Jonathan Coulton, where two young roboticists try to save the world while the girl who loves them becomes their cyborg nemesis.

Kickstarter Campaign is now live!

Who: The Creative Team

Jonathan CoultonSinger/Songwriter

Eric Shuss Creator/Writer

Gregg IrwinWriter/Creator

JeNeale Hill GunnellMusic Arranger

What:The goal of the team is to stage a “workshop production” which means doing the show on stage for the first time. This effort will require a full set, lighting, costumes, and special effects. The objective is to deliver a performance to determine things like what the audience liked, or didn’t like, how long it runs, any dialogue issues, pacing of scenes. Do people like the music, care about the characters and, ultimately, enjoy the show? That's what the Kickstarter campaign is all about.

When:The Kickstarter Campaign funding period is live now and runs until October 15th

The goal for the first production is mid- December

For all of the details about this production, the creative team, and the Kickstarter campaign please visit

Kickstarter

Website: The Future Soon

Amelia Maness-Gilliland’s image “Open” was jury selected to be included in The Sky's The Limit: First Annual Photography Competition, September 21-November 2 at The Renaissance Center, Dickson, TN

This first annual photography exhibit includes images that creatively interpret the theme “The Sky’s the Limit.” Jurors R.L. Gibson (Knoxville) and Murray Riss (Memphis) selected forty works for the exhibit and identified the three winning photographs to receive awards for strength in visually communicating the theme.

The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer

another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other

inspiration~ Pearl S. Buck

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