PEAP #6 In Honor of the Dalai Lama

No, The Dalai Lama didn't send me an email with his positive energy experience for a week, but my friend Nanette shared this quote from his Facebook page. I thought it beautifully expresses his lifetime of efforts to heal the world and more succinctly and eloquently captures what the Positive Energy Art Project is trying to do on a small level: 

"The basic foundation of humanity is compassion and love. This is why, if even a few individuals simply try to create mental peace and happiness within themselves and act responsibly and kind-heartedly towards others, they will have a positive influence in their community." 

                                                     - Dalai Lama

Art for the Dalai Lama: 

11 X 15 Watercolor and Sumi Ink on Paper

PEAP #5 Gratitude and The Painting in My Head

Last week, I learned of a friend's unimaginable loss of someone close to him. We've all been there. Whether it is because of death or some other transition, loss can bring home all there is to be grateful for in our own lives. I had this on my mind a lot this Thanksgiving, and have been keeping a gratitude list in my mind over the past few weeks-- grateful for good friends, for the health of my family, for the warm sun, for good coffee, for a good night's sleep, for a genuine hug...

I've had this painting in my head for about a month, and haven't brought myself to do it. Finally this morning, I sat and painted, for my friend, and the one he lost. Peace to you.

12 X 16 Watercolor and Sumi Ink on Paper

How to participate in the Positive Energy Art Project

Hi Everyone!


Thanks to all who have already made submissions to PEAP and everyone following along and sending good wishes for the project. So grateful!


If you wish to participate in the project, you can do it a couple of ways--


1. You can "join the blog" and follow along, make comments, be a part of the community
2. You can choose to engage in your own acts of positive energy and share them with the project for posting and I will make art in your honor!


Please see the invitational post from 10-30-11 describing the project in full:
http://positiveenergyartproject.blogspot.com/2011/10/invitation-to-participate-in-positive.html


Enjoy the submissions and art from PEAP 1-4!


With love,
Jen

PEAP #4 in Honor of Ilysa in NJ

Art for Ilysa for being inspired to create and share the simple beauty of snow and community. 

Bronx birds dancing above

Playing with the building tops

Amidst train rumbles

5 X 7 Watercolor & Haiku 

What Ilysa shared about her experience with the Positive Energy Art Project

Jen,   A series of haikus I wrote, inspired by your positive energy project and my experience in the recent snowstorm:   Snow, the heavyweight of the weather champions, break, snap, saplings here.   On this little block families laugh, but cry for fire, light, warmth and milk - gone.   The babies escape. Neighborly love builds here, thaws with the mountains of snow.     - ilysa

PEAP #3 in honor of Tom in Virginia

Art in Honor of Tom for Reminding us of the Role of Spiritual Practice in Creating Positive Energy.

Enhanced Photo of a detail of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NY, NY

Below is what Tom wrote about his experience with the Positive Energy Art Project: 


Trying to apply positive energy did have a discernable effect on my spirituality and well being.  To summarize:

A - I was reminded that my spirituality and well being are not always congruent with the day to day life I lead.

B - Faith is essential for growth so some level of ambiguity and uncertainty is OK

C - Once I learn to stay out of my own way I realize that what I consider to be myself is really the Ineffable living through me until the day comes when I am ready to became a self-eixstent being and can say, as did my Lord Jesus, "He who has seen me has seen the Father"

D - Be patient and stay positive and it will happen.  As John the Revelator said - "Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not been revealed until now what we are going to be, but we know that when he has been revealed, we shall be in his likeness, and we shall see him just as what he is."

E - The positive energy that surrounds will give us enough life to see that day. As Paul said, "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

Thanks for getting me in on this - much love to you and yours!

Tom

PEAP #2 in honor of Anonymous, 41, NY, NY

Art for a friend for teaching us to live acts of positive energy in every moment... to savor life and love generously.

12 X 4.5 inches, collage with watercolor and oil pastels on black paper (aka 'craypas') 

Words shared with the Positive Energy Art Project about the weeklong experience: 

POSITIVE ENERGY ART PROJECT LOG

Sunday, Oct. 30-Saturday, Nov. 5

Prayed for the success of my friend in her new artistic endeavor...gave thanks for my family...carved happy faces into pumpkins...tickled my younger son and enjoyed his laughter...played with my family in the park...admired a tree...cooked dinner with love...snuggled with my husband...encouraged my older son as he talked to me about sensing different parts of the body (do you feel your ears?  do you feel your bellybutton?  do you feel your hair?) ...celebrated Halloween in full force...savored the feeling of the warm sun on my cheeks and the cold chill in the air...admired a bird eating a berry...wished my sons would grow up to be best friends...sent and received love texts with my husband...hugged my boys...caressed my baby boy's forehead as he fell asleep...made my sons laugh belly-aching giggles as I sang, mimicking different music styles...admired the blue of the sky with my older son...admired the moon and said "good night" to it with my sons...exchanged smiles with a stranger...helped a lost tourist find her way...meditated and drank the sun...prayed for an acquaintance who was suffering...consoled a friend who was sad...encouraged a friend who was facing a challenge.

Anonymous

41 years old

New York, NY

PEAP #1 in honor of Alison, Philadelphia, PA

Art in Alison's honor, for teaching us something about how to be kinder to ourselves, Let go of judgment and be in the process of learning...

watercolor on paper 6.75 x 12 inches 

Below is what Alison Traweek wrote about her approach to the Positive Energy Art Project (edited down just a bit)


"...I'm at the beginning of my career in the Academy, and currently working on two articles that will, ideally, become my first publications. I am a strong writer, I even rather like writing, and my papers are both on topics that are interesting and important to me. Sounds great, right?

Yeah, I totally wasn't working on either of them. I'd gotten them off the ground, and then just stalled. If I had to explain the freeze, I'd say it probably has to do with fear of finishing!... Every outcome is scary, so I dug in my heels to prevent any of them. As anyone with tendencies to avoidance knows, however, avoiding doesn't actually help; you just become anxious and down on yourself, and the work still doesn't get done. 

So when it came time to think about where to focus my positive energy this week, I thought of Jen's observation that we often care for ourselves last of all. I decided to reframe my approach to my scholarship: I would no longer think of it as a process inevitably leading to negative and scary judgements in the long run, but rather concentrate on the way that deep involvement in and engagement with my work makes me feel better immediately, both because I legitimately enjoy my work and because I no longer beat myself up about avoiding it. Sitting down to work thus became a conscious double kindness to myself. I felt good about myself for working at all, and stimulated by wrestling with the intellectual problems my arguments presented to me. 

I can't claim that it was perfect - However, a week ago this article was just vague ideas and a pile of unread scholarship. Now it is a solid grasp of the bibliography, 4000 words laying out a pretty coherent argument, and a very nice feeling of confidence and accomplishment. Not bad for a week's work. And I have my work cut out for me this week: to get up the courage to actually follow through on the submission!

Optimistically yours,

Alison"

Guerrilla Positive Energy

Looking out the window of the gym this morning, as i was cursing the elliptical machine for its terrorizing tactics, this is what I saw:

And I got to thinking. How great would it be if all the trucks and busses in NY had loving messages written on top. So much of our life in the city is above ground. I'd like to see "I LUV U..." more often when I look down!

I wondered how could I do that, guerrilla style, and plaster the truck roofs with positive messages all over the city without getting arrested? Feel free to share ideas...

Enjoy the day!

check out the previous post for how to participate in the positive energy art project : http://positiveenergyartproject.blogspot.com/2011/10/invitation-to-participate-in-positive.html