These are photomicography–photographs from microscopes. I especially like the Differentiation of Unicellular Dictyostelium. Looks like penguins (or ducks?) ice skating. The photos speak for themselves. Enjoy.
Facilitating Creative Breakthroughs
These are photomicography–photographs from microscopes. I especially like the Differentiation of Unicellular Dictyostelium. Looks like penguins (or ducks?) ice skating. The photos speak for themselves. Enjoy.
This coming winter I’m teaching Psychology of Metaphor at the Institute of Imaginal Studies. In December of 2006, I was interviewing with the Director of IIS and he asked me what I wanted to teach. I found myself blurting out, “Metaphor.” But the truth was, I didn’t know anything about metaphor as an academic subject, and I’m certainly not a linguist. Spirit was speaking through me…Spirit knew that developing and teaching a class on metaphor would open up a whole new world for me. And it has done that.
We typically think of metaphors as simply being some sort of slick linguistic device, but what a metaphor does is link two unlike things together in a way where we are able to get a new perspective or understanding about the matter. When we are exploring something new or unknown, we have to use metaphorical language because it’s the only way we can describe our experience. (For example, we may describe life as a journey, or refer to a relationship as being “in over my head.”) Metaphors bring us into what I call aesthetic space or third space, where we can see deeper connections, gaining fresh wisdom from the association. Metaphors create aesthetic space and aesthetic space is necessary for human development. In short, without aesthetic space we can’t grow and evolve.
In graduate school I was fascinated by a book titled Free Spaces: The Source of Democratic Change in America. In their book, authors Sara Evans and Harry Boyte talk about how political movements are formed by having “free spaces” (voluntary associations from churches to social clubs to civic groups) where people can congregate, connect and talk with one another. When you think about it, the only way new things can come in to our lives is if we have the space to receive it. Space is actually what creates real change, don’t you think?
When I was a kid, my teacher would take our class to watch local musicals and I would always wonder: why don’t people in “real” life sing in public? The answer I came up with as a child was that people must have sung together on street corners or when they were baling the hay or gathering after supper, just like the people on stage did, and somewhere, somehow they stopped. The singing-on-street-corners world was the world I wanted to live in as a child, and I still dream of this world.
I was reading a blog entry a few months ago that was about singing (Survision: Bird gotta sing). A woman named Linda commented on the post: “I have this theory–as recorded music became more omnipresent, we stopped singing to ourselves in our own private operas. What a loss to human culture. Singing becomes a performance instead of a private yoga. I was particularly aware of this change in culture when I was a union organizer. I just don’t understand how you can have a revolution without singing together. I doubt it’s ever happened.”
Hmmm. That’s a theory that makes sense to me. We stopped making our own music when “professionals” came into vogue and people specialized into career tracks—some people became professional musicians, and the rest of us stopped singing and and just listened. (After all, we aren’t as “good.”)
Almost two years ago I started a music circle at my house. There are a couple guys who are both accomplished musicians, as well as exceptional in supporting all of us “non musicians.” But honestly, the most special moments are often when someone belts out something without the music, making it up in the moment. It isn’t about performance, it’s about communion. I always feel like I’m in church, singing to God. We always end the night with full hearts.
Public singing was the topic of an NPR program last summer–“Find Your Inner Broadway and Let it Out.” Marc Acito was the person being interviewed. Unfortunately, the program didn’t start a public singing revolution, but maybe there’s still hope. Lately I’ve noticed myself singing about whatever I have in my head—trying to find my keys, looking for the parking spot, and even last night when I couldn’t sleep I started singing, “I’m so happy….” playing with various pitches in the melody (I really don’t know where that song came from, it was just there.) As Marc Acito wrote in his blog: “When the emotion is so big, all you can do is sing.”
Empty yourself of everything.
Let the mind rest at peace.
The ten thousand things rise and fall while the Self watches their return.
They grow and flourish and then return to source.
Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature.
The way of nature is unchanging.
Knowing constancy is insight.
Not knowing constancy leads to disaster.
Knowing constancy, the mind is open
With an open mind, you will be openhearted.
Being openhearted, you will act royally.
Being royal, you will attain the divine.
Being divine, you will be one with the Tao.
Being at one with the Tao is eternal
And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away.
–Lao Tsu (in the Tao Te Ching)
On November 15th, I’m going to be teaching a one-day class at Book Passage in Corte Madera. Here’s the writeup:
In this workshop, we will have an intimate conversation between art and writing, using art and its principles to shape and inspire the written word. Innovative writing exercises that engage the provocative relationship between words and images will encourage fresh ways of expression. Collage materials and other types of art will be used to open us up to a rich, aesthetic realm. The art forms may merge and you will be free to explore new possibilities for your writing. Both experienced and beginning writers will find this workshop valuable in inspiring their creative process.
Call Book Passage at 415.927.0960 to sign up by phone, or click on the following link to register on-line.
http://www.bookpassage.com/class_detailed.php?id=329
Better sign up early! It filled up last year :->