We Are All Connected

those are galaxies in that photo - it blows my mind :-)

When Leah posted this month's Creative Every Day theme of Cosmos, I was so excited!

Thinking about our amazing bodies in our amazing world and it's place in our amazing Universe is one of the things that feels incredibly spiritual for me. I am in awe of both the vastness and the intricacy of the cosmos.

My mom sent me a link to a video a few months ago that perfectly expressed the joy and awe that I feel when I think about 'All That Is'. It effected me and inspired me on a very deep level. I often watch it a few times a day.

It's partially electronic music (warning for those of you who don't like that :) but the music is not overly what hooked me - it's the words of the various scientists in the video.

We Are All Connected by Symphony of Science:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGK84Poeynk

Below the video, there is a part where they have entered text sharing the words in case any are hard to understand. I found it helpful.
If it doesn't show, you can click on the little down arrow that is right under the number of views the video has had.

In the video, there are some clips of physicist Richard Feynman - who I hadn't heard of!
He was so charismatic and joyful that I got curious and read more about him. He's a very fascinating guy.

For those of you who would enjoy watching simple physics things explained (like how light works, why ice is slippery etc) there is a fun series of videos by him that I loved. It's called "Fun To Imagine". He has a great gift of explaining in ways that non-scientists can understand.
Note the sound quality is poor - I had to turn them way up to hear.
Some of it is complex enough that it boggles my mind a bit and I really love how passionate he is. It felt like the passion itself helped me to understand things that may normally have been impossible for me.

part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pYRn5j7oI&feature=related

part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITpDrdtGAmo&feature=related

part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRxAn2DRzgI&feature=related

Further parts should be listed on the right of the youtube page of those videos. let me know if you have trouble finding them.

Collage: Falling In Love With My Body

In a previous post, I shared about a dream I had that inspired me to make this collage and, hopefully, will inspire me to exercise entirely for myself. Not from any 'should', or because it's healthy or because it will make others like my body better.
Entirely for ME. So that I will be able to enjoy living in a strong, fit body that I like the feel and look of better than I do now.

I want to focus on working toward strength, flexibility and fitness - not a specific shape or size or lack of lumps and bumps :-)

I am hoping that in the process of getting more fit, I come to feel more comfortable being present in my body, and perhaps even fall in love with it. Being present is a huge challenge for me.


I enjoy what has blossomed in this collage. I'm still looking forward to adding in more details and decorations with black, white, silver and gold pens and the blank area below the word STRENGTH wants... something. Time will tell me what it will be :-)

Part of me is still feeling daunted. I find big change can feel very difficult to me and exercising regularly - without thinking of it as a chore - is a radical change for me.
I don't plan when I collage - I go through magazines and cut out the things call to me and then arrange them on the paper in the way that 'feels' right.

In the process of doing this, the issue about change got addressed with wisdom from some wiser part of me:"You will reach a turning point beyond which change comes easily"

The words "comes easily" are written on a colour copy of a watercolour painting that flowed out of me so easily after years of thinking I was 'no good' at watercolour.

The grungy blue star paper was made using this technique: grunge star rubbed impressions

~