Crescendo: Homestake Opera House Benefit "Artument"

I was invited to be a part of

The Crescendo Gala

which is a fundraiser for the 

Historic Homestake Opera House

in Lead, South Dakota

on June 3rd.

I am honored to be one of four fine artists

creating "Art-uments"

which are artistically altered

musical instruments

each of which

will be auctioned at the Gala.

My piece is titled

Live Your Own Song

and

it is inspired by my friend Dawn Wink's novel Meadowlark.

Meadowlark is based on the life of Dawn's Grandma Grace

on the harsh early 1900's prairie of eastern Meade County

in South Dakota.

It is a raw and heartbreaking story,

yet one of deep resilience, strength, and friendship.

I chose a passage from the novel

featuring a conversation between Grace and her friend Daisy.

Daisy encourages Grace to live from Song,

like meadowlark...

and that all creatures and people have their own Song,

they just have to find it.

"Most people live their whole lives and never listen to the songs of life,

not their own or any around them.

Scares them too much.

It's easier to go through life living the way everybody else expects you to.

But when you're listening to your own song, Grace, you feel deep peace, right here."

She reached out and placed the flat of her palm on the center of Grace's chest.

...to live life in song, Grace,

that's what the Great Spirit intended.

Meadowlarks inspire me as a birder.

They arrive with the announcement that spring is coming

and then in spring blizzard's harsh winds

they sing in defiance right in the face of adversity.

I love that.

Meadowlarks sing hope to all prairie dwellers.

The process of creating an "Artument"

began with a collage

of an old hymnal page, 

a postmarked meadowlark postage stamp,

dictionary definitions for

Dakota, meadowlark, grace, and daisy;

a poem entitled Meadowlark from a 1916 South Dakota Bird and Arbor Day book,

a daisy elementary school coloring page 

from the collection of local Enning librarian and historian Irma Maude,

a vintage book spine,

and other various papers.

The sides of the guitar feature tissue paper

designed by Melody Ross

and created and sold through

Full Circle Exchange

a job readiness program for female refugees from horrific, war-torn situations.

Layers of acrylic paints were added,

as well as alcohol inks.

I sketched a meadowlark in pencil and then painted with acrylic paint.

The Live Your Own Song Art-ument

celebrates

song,

authenticity to your self,

and

the South Dakota prairie.

Time lapse videos of the art in progress:

Part One

Part 2

Consider Birds Sneak Peek and Supply List

 Consider Birds:

Trading Anxiety for Peace of Mind

an online class

by

Jodene Shaw

based on Matthew 6:26

"Look to the birds of the air..."

beginning May 16, 2016

 Register at

www.whiteowlwings.com

Early registration just $38 through April 20.
Regular registration: $55

Hey friends!

Today I am showing just a sneak peak of a few

projects from Consider Birds

along with a little prayer for the class

and a suggested supply list.

First, just a peek.

I don't want to give away all of the surprises...

Just a note:

the easiest way to get

close photographs of birds

is to feed them in your yard.

I have videos about this

and some fun bird food projects.

But if you want to get started attracting them now,

get some black sunflower seed and start feeding.

****

My Prayer for this class is inspired by this:

My Grandma Marj took me under her wing when I was a little girl.

She taught me the names of the birds and to appreciate the uniqueness of each one.

Each bird was a treasure.

She taught me to build a bird life list.

I will share this with you and you can begin yours if you haven't yet.

Here is my video reading of the prayer:

Lord,

Thank YOU for bringing

Consider Birds together in my mind.

For the legacy of Grandma Marj.

May this journey begin 

to unravel the threads 

that have been tied tightly in knots

of anxiousness, worry and endless striving

that always felt "not quite enough"

in my life, some family members,

and all those who interact with this material.

May the knots

loosen,

untangle,

and

unleash

each of us

in freedom

and

the abundant life

and

unforced rhythms of grace

that You offer.

May a legacy of grace fly forward

on wings

of

gratitude,

value,

and

and

love.

This is my prayer for Consider Birds

and the lives it touches...

Amen, Jesus.

I am just excited for you to experience 

the material I have prepared for you.

This has been growing in my heart since I was a little girl.

I had no idea what a beautiful thing God would do with it all...

including the pain of my migraines

which made me pay attention

and dig deep.

My video message to you about supplies:

Following are photos and a list of suggested supplies for Consider Birds.

Some supplies have links for ordering.

*2x4 or 2x6 inch board cut into squares or rectangles

*Birch round (Michael's)

*Stretched canvas 5x7 inch or preferred size

*old weathered pieces of wood

Paper:  scrapbook papers, old books/dictionaries you can tear up, vintage papers, wallpaper books

You will need a computer to watch videos and a printer to print PDFs of vintage bird images and poetry that I will share with you.

I use a vintage typewriter for text in my art, but you can download a vintage typewriter font for your computer and print from there.

*Gesso:  white, black and clear

*Mod Podge matte or Liquitex Matte Medium

*Golden Crackle Paste and/or Molding Paste

*Optional: Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish

*Sponge brushes

*Stiff bristled brushes

*Black tacks/nails

*Plastic palette knives or just a plastic knife

*old gift cards

*Acrylic Paint:  heavy bodied, academic level, and/or craft paint

Colors I will use:  

Raw umber, yellow ochre, payne's gray, any shade of turquoise, reds, unbleached titanium, white

Suggestion:  Use a 40% off one item coupon at Michael's and get a starter set of Golden or Liquitex heavy bodied acrylic paints. You can mix and make your own colors from a basic set.

*Distress Ink Pad in Vintage Photo and/or other preferred colors

*Others are optional:  Distress Stains, Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy (highly suggest), Ranger Alcohol Inks

*Hammer, needle nosed pliers, scissors, sandpaper (100 grit)

*20 gauge wire in your choice of color (found in beading/jewelry section)

*found or collected objects like sticks (sanded), heart shaped stones or stones of a certain color, beads, buttons, safety pins, clothes pins.... just fun objects you might have or find.

Various Rubber Stamps with patterns and perhaps birds.

*In addition to stamps you may want to collect netting, bubble wrap, jar openers and things that you can create patterns and textures with...

*Sculpey Clay, white, 8 oz.

You don't need an 8 lb box!

Recollections Chipboard Kit for creating a bird life list book.

Spiral bound sketchbook for gratitude journal and prayer projects. (See video.)

These are suggested.

You don't have to use the exact supplies I have.

Use what you have.

Watch the videos and decide how you want to do the projects.

You might have supplies that will fit the project.

Remember, you will have access to this for an unlimited time.

Consider it like a cookbook.  You don't have to buy all the ingredients for all of the recipes.

You get to decide which ones to try first. 

Just This.

When I walk,

I collect images.

Things that are simple.

Some gratitude.

Signs of hope.

To attempt to

shake the cloak

of melancholy

on windy days

that

tire

my

soul. 

I know that

Pooh bear

was talking about

snow.

But if he were talking

about wind,

he would say,

The more it BLOWS

Tiddely-Pom

The more it GOES

Tiddely-Pom

The more it GOES

Tiddely-Pom

on

BLOWING.

Digging Deeper Into The Pain

So last week,

I was feeling pretty great that I had gone 10 days

migraine free,

pain med free.

I'm still 19 days prescription pain med free.

But I had a headache 

Wednesday

and now

today,

pain.

However,

even though I have frustration,

I am at peace for the moment.

I am just curious

about why I hurt.

I am wondering what the message of the pain is today.

I'll be seeing both a chiropractor and physical therapist later today.

I am trying to give myself grace.

To do this "self-care" thing

imperfectly.

It is leading me to things.

Good things.

Taking care of my diet and getting exercise 

have overall benefits

for

my

life.

I am motivated

to do that

now,

even

if I still get the pain.

So I eat greens, greens, greens.

Three times a day:

spinach,

Romaine,

iceberg lettuce,

watercress,

whatever greens I have.

I have my B's:

B12, B6, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Niacin.

Superfoods.

Water.

Peppermint oil.

EFT ~ tapping.

Praying. 

I am trying to keep my mind and spirit

at a healthy pace.

This is hard.

But I am working on it

imperfectly.

I acknowledge all of it

in my writing and creating,

trying to lean into it, listen to it, learn from it

rather than rage against it

or numb it.

I am gently seeking

in the Bible,

looking at the birds,

and kindly

putting together creative opportunities

for others to join me

in the fruit

of this journey.

Not doing art,

not sharing and teaching also,

is just as stressful to me

as doing it at 

a frantic, pressured pace.

So I am putting one foot in front of the other,

carefully, kindly, tenderly.

Learning, sharing, preparing to teach again.

Some days are good.

I feel good and hopeful.

Other days are discouraging, painful, frustrating.

But that is the nature of life.

And today I am ok with that.

Digging deeper into my heart and mind,

beyond the physical

into emotional and spiritual

looking for clues in all of it,

that show me

how to be well,

live well,

work well,

love well.

Backwards Progress

This is Part 2 of dealing with migraines.

Part 1 is here: Backwards Steps 

I'm walking.

I'm taking steps.

Forwards and backwards.

The backwards steps are to strengthen muscles

to hold my spine in place

in various places,

in particularly, my foundation... my bum

and to strengthen myself into better health.

Taking steps.

Literally.

Figuratively.

Physical steps.

Mental processes.

Prayer. Even imperfect, messy prayer.

Thoughts.

Actions.

Letting go steps.

Taking new ground steps.

Slowing down some things.

Accelerating others.

I am accepting.

Accepting that I do get migraines.

Accepting that they have robbed joyful moments.

Accepting the anger that has surfaced with that.

Accepting limitations.

Accepting possibilities too.

Accepting that more tea and less coffee is better for me.

Accepting that I cannot keep up a certain pace.

Accepting that a slower pace does not mean poorer quality, but could mean better.

Accepting that there are times for good enough instead of excellence.

Accepting that excellence can begin with taking care of the little things

like my health,

or accepting that my health is a big thing

and not a

little

thing.

I am accepting myself.

Fully.  Deeply. With love.

Taking time to walk

forwards

and

backwards

means less time for other things.

I am learning to accept that this is ok.

I am learning 

to be kind and gentle

instead of harsh and critical 

toward

myself

in my thoughts

and also

in the

goals

and time frames

I choose.

If I continue to do

what I have always done,

I will continue to receive

the same things.

I have to do some things differently.

Hopefully,

this will be a path

to being headache free,

or at least,

rarely having them.

I am learning to listen

again

for the voice of God.

Speaking to me of

unforced rhythms of grace,

rest for my soul,

keeping pace with Jesus,

working with Him,

recovering my life.

I am seeking help.

Chiropractic.

Physical therapy.

Unique techniques for emotions and pain.

Nutritional.

Prayer.

Writing.

Changing pace and attitude.

From the inside out.

Whole person help.

Not just one part.

I am learning

to nourish my 

body, mind, soul, spirit.

I am learning that

self-nourishment

is humbling and human

not prideful and selfish.

I am learning that when I do not

nourish my whole self

with

rest,

good foods,

water,

nutrition,

fresh air,

walking,

and

kind

expectations

toward

myself,

my body screams at me to

STOP

with pain.

It is that starvation of

self from good nourishment

that steals the joy from

precious moments.

That stealing is through things like

pressure for perfection,

doing everything alone,

expecting myself to have all the answers,

forgetting who I am in Christ,

eating junk,

not walking,

working hours on end in a chair,

thinking harsh, pressure laden,

frantic, anxious, critical thoughts.

I had a moment this week

when I had this vision pass through my mind

of Jesus

taking me by the shoulders,

looking me square in the eye,

with love and understanding, but firmness,

and saying,

"Just stop it. Stop doing this to yourself.

I am not expecting what you are expecting of you."

Matthew 11:28-30 came to mind as I walked this week.

The phrasing in The Message.

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? 

Burned out on religion? 

Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. 

I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. 

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 

Keep company with me 

and 

you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

See,

 I'm learning that God's rules

are life giving

not

life stealing.

He is not the thief.

He is the one who came to give 

me

and you

abundant

life.

I am learning that

taking care

of my human self

with things

like

nutrition

and

rest

and His Word

and

His pace

are

the path

to abundant life.

He WILL show me the path of LIFE.

In His presence is FULLNESS of JOY.

At His right hand are PLEASURES FOREVERMORE.

from Psalm 16:11

(my caps and paraphrase there)

Somehow,

there is this lie

I believe sometimes

that

exercise, nutrition, and God's way

steals my happiness, my joy.

But I am discovering

that

even just walking, 

not a power workout,

and

a variety of good, nutritious, flavorful, simple food,

not complicated fancy recipes,

and

even just chewing on a few 

rich

pieces

of God's word,

just one small bite at a time

not engulfing the whole thing and theology at once,

are

paths of

abundant

joy

and

pleasure.

And I can do it

one gentle

step at a time

right

now.

That's the pace

for now.

AND

there is good news.

Fewer migraines.

Down to one headache last week from three in previous weeks.

Much less pain medication.

Less painful adjustment this time.

My bum doesn't hurt as much.

It is getting better.