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Meander & Muse

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New Work: Into the Woods

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Going With the Flow

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October 24, 2019 Leave a Comment

Meander & Muse

The Importance of Doing Nothing

A couple weeks ago I gave myself the rare gift of taking a slow walk alone. I had no agenda, no destination, and no time limit. It was HEAVEN.

I’ve read many times how important it is to give yourself down time, particularly as an artist, in order to allow your brain to rest and recharge. In fact, it’s often in those times of “doing nothing” that the ideas really start to flow because the brain is relaxed. (Article links below)

It’s amazing how difficult it is to allow oneself this time and freedom. I had to remind myself to slow down, be in the moment, loosen up and PLAY.

Of course, I wasn’t actually doing nothing. I was walking, thinking, looking, and (obviously) taking pictures. But it was something about the meandering nature of the whole excursion that made it special.

What does it mean to meander?

It’s all about intention and direction. Whether it’s a winding or indirect course, like a meandering stream, or an just an aimless wander, a good meander is unstructured, organic, and unhurried. It’s about setting the mind free to ramble as well as letting the route form with each spontaneous step.

It’s a chance to daydream. Ponder. Space-out. Imagine. Muse.

To muse is to think silently, to meditate. About something in particular or nothing at all. The archaic definition includes the act of gazing in a meditative or wondering way. What do you know? That’s just what I do!

Then, of course, there is The Muse – artistic inspiration in goddess form. I think of the muse as anything that inspires awe, reverence, and expression.

Meandering summons The Muse.

My muse is nature. There’s no better way to conjure up fresh ideas, discover a different perspective, think outside the box or form new connections than downtime in the great outdoors.

The place I return to again and again is this lake. Just blocks from my house, Lake Nokomis is my haven in the city. It is never the same place twice.

I could spend hours just gazing at the water! Then there’s the flora and fauna, including all manner of trees, bugs, birds and butterflies, an occasional muskrat and native plant gardens along the shore.

I’m blessed to have this place that is so familiar, yet always new. It’s a perfect meandering spot. Like being with people you love most, the ones who know you best, a favorite place allows you to relax your mind and just be.

Music is another great companion for musing! The October playlist evokes migration, movement, fall colors and the feel of chill autumn days.

FLY (03: October 2019)

The Littlest Birds / Jolie Holland

Free Fallin’ / Tom Petty

Autumn Town Leaves / Iron & Wine

Come In From the Cold / Joni Mitchell

Autumn Leaves / Caamp

She’s a Rainbow / The Rolling Stones

Water Under the Bridge / Tow’rs

Rolling Stone / Wild Rivers

Further to Fly / Paul Simon

Wild Is The Wind / David Bowie

Meet Me Where You’re Going / Cloud Cult

Don’t Let It Get You Down / Johnnyswim

Listen on Spotify here.

RESOURCES on the benefits of Downtime

Simon Gottschalk. In Praise of Doing Nothing, The Conversation, May 31, 2018.

Manfred Kets De Vries. The Importance of Doing Nothing, Forbes, July 1, 2014.

Ferris Jabr. Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime, Scientific American, October 15, 2013.

October 01, 2019 Leave a Comment

New Work: Into the Woods

Work in Progress from Frontenac

After our sailing trip a few weeks ago, we camped overnight at Frontenac State Park (sweetly, the first place Brad & I ever camped together more than twenty years ago). The best part, aside from just being together, was heading out for a couple of hikes.

The hiking trail near the campground ran through dense forest along the top edge of a steep bluff. It created a dramatic contrast between the bright sunlight breaking through the canopy and the deep shade of the forest floor. It’s a challenging photography situation, too; the light is constantly shifting between extremes of dark and light and from cool to warm tones.

Not every photo is meant to become a finished work of art. I think of my daily photos like a sketchbook. So many of them are disposable and quite awful! Thank goodness for digital photography! It give me the freedom to experiment and discard at will while I explore new ideas or play around with different techniques. And, sometimes I’m just gathering information.

From the photos I shot that day, I’ve started working on a series of forest pictures. They reflect both dreamy and dazzling, dappled light, the many layers of leaves revealed through highlight and shadow, and the striking forms of tree trunks cast in silhouette.

Here are a few of the images from the new ‘Forest Light’ series:

Select images from Wildflower (including the new Forest Light series) will be available for purchase online. See more of my finished work: terrarathai.com.

I’ve had my head in the trees all week and I can’t think of a better place to be! So until next week, I’ll leave you with a little tree inspiration.

Plus, I’ve got The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben on my reading list. Have you read it? It’s all about how trees are social beings that share resources, communicate and maintain family ties. Fascinating stuff!

A few more photos from our time at Frontenac:

Pictured clockwise from upper left: Pale Touch-Me-Nots (impatiens pallida); Shelf fungus & lichens on crooked branch; my family patiently waiting for me to catch up on the trail; our awesome REI Kingdom 6 tent; Great Northern or Modest Aster (canadanthus modestus); shelf fungus and yellow mushroom on mossy log.

Frontenac State Park

29223 County 28 Boulevard
Frontenac, MN 55026

September 24, 2019 Leave a Comment

Going With the Flow

Life Lessons from the Mighty Mississippi

Thoughts on Flow

This month I’ve been thinking about FLOW. Our family enjoyed a sailing trip and time along the Mississippi River early this month. Plus, it’s National Yoga Month! This idea of flow – graceful movement, harmony with wind & water, body & breath, a way of staying in balance – is a frequent intention for me.

As someone who likes calendars, plans, to do lists and goals, life’s ever-changing current can be challenging. I’d like to float but sometimes my instinct is to fight. Go with the flow is a spiritual challenge but it sure feels good when I can let go and enjoy the ride!

Come Sail Away

Our sailing trip started at the Lake City Marina and Yacht Club on a pleasantly cloudy, blue sky day with just the right amount of wind. We sailed Lake Pepin, the largest lake in the Mississippi River and the birthplace of water-skiing! On this September day, though, it was all sailboats and seagulls!

I was a little “nervous-cited” (a term our daughter Zola uses to describe that particular combination of fear and anticipation that causes butterflies-in-the-stomach); I’d never really been sailing before…

There were white caps on the lake. Maybe it was a little too windy? And, why do the sailboats always appear to be on the verge of tipping over?

I had no need to worry. Captain Harry was calm, confident and charming with thirty years of experience sailing Lake Pepin. When I asked him about the dramatic lean of the boat (heeling), he coolly informed me that I didn’t need to be concerned until the sails were actually touching the water.

He also explained what I couldn’t see beneath the water – a deep keel that counter-balances the force of the wind on the sails. Ahhh…

Even Keel

“Our Lady”, a 32′ ketch, sailed smoothly along through constantly shifting winds and changing conditions. Under the calm guidance of Captain Harry, and with small adjustments to sail positions, the boat stayed the course, moving steadily and without upset or drama (much to my relief).

It reminded me of the concept of Equanimity in yoga. It’s a type of balance and resilience that is a primary goal of yoga practice, an ability to maintain inner calm and peace in the face of life’s difficulties. In other words, no matter what life throws at you, yoga is meant to help you stay even keel:

Whatever chaos might be swirling around us, equanimity allows us to stand in the middle with a steadiness of mind and a compassionate heart, holding joy and sorrow in perfect balance.
– Judy Bierma, Living Yoga: 6 Steps for Equanimity in Your Yoga Practice (link below)

Like a River

The river itself is a perfect metaphor for the ever-changing flow of life. It, too, works best when in balance. The banks hold a certain amount of water. Too much and the river floods. Too little and there’s not enough movement. The current carries some things along and leaves others behind. Too much holding on causes blockage and stops the flow.

I like Lake Pepin, the lake within the river. The lake is really a natural reservoir, a holding place. Except that this is not stagnant water – it keeps passing through, following the Mississippi current to the Gulf of Mexico.

It goes with the flow.

I loved sailing. The thing that struck me first, after we’d entered the lake, raised the sails and turned off the motor was the quiet. I felt immediately relaxed by the subtle sounds of the wind in the sails and the lapping waves. No motors to interrupt the reverie. Not even the splash of paddles!

Sailing had a different feeling than any other boat ride I’ve been on. It was a feeling of harmony, least effort and working with the wind and water instead of striving against these natural forces. It felt like breath and movement, opening to the sky and letting life happen in the moment.

The sailing trip was a Christmas gift from Brad’s sister (Thanks, Michelle!). We are all for sharing new adventures and this was a perfect experience for the four of us to anticipate and enjoy together. So much better than “stuff”. If you’re looking for experience gifts, she used a great company called Cloud 9 Living that provides services in cities all over the U.S. (link below).

Flow Playlist: Songs for September

Rock on with your bad self! You’ll need a free Spotify account to listen.

Resources:

Gem Sailing

Cloud 9 Living

Judy Bierma. “Living Yoga: 6 Steps for Equanimity In Your Yoga Practice“.

September 18, 2019 4 Comments

Walk This Way

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

One of my favorite things to do is walk. Walking has a pace and rhythm that allows for observation, contemplation, and breath. It is an important part of my creative process and a favorite family activity in all seasons.

These pictures are from a recent hike in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a 14,000-acre corridor of land and water located along the Minnesota River. The refuge runs through urban, rural and industrial areas while providing habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife and access to a public, natural environment for nearly 3 million people living nearby.

Nature Walks: Two Favorite Things

I’m not the only fan of walking. From the ancient Greeks to the present day, writers, artists and philosophers have given props to the benefits of walking – particularly in nature. From Henry David Thoreau’s famous essay “Walking” to Fredrich Nietzsche’s assertion that, “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking,” there is a rich history of walking enthusiasts.

Turns out there’s something to it all. In the article, “Why Walking Helps Us Think,” Ferris Jabr details ways that walking stimulates brain health by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain as well as improving memory function and connections between brain cells. (Article linked below)

September 10, 2019 Leave a Comment

Garden Tour: Longfellow Gardens

Claude Monet famously said, “I must have flowers, always and always.”

I’m with Claude.

When I was dreaming up this blog, I always knew that garden tours would be a regular feature and I couldn’t wait to create and share these stories!

With a wealth of public gardens in and around Minneapolis where I live and destination gardens to be discovered when we travel, this is the first of many Wildflower garden tours both home & away.

I’m starting off with a garden that’s very close to home but one that I only recently got acquainted with:

Longfellow Gardens – Minneapolis, MN

Establishing Shot Longfellow House & Gardens — Historic Longfellow House seen from nearby Longfellow Gardens

I love being a tourist in my own home town. Longfellow Gardens and the buttery yellow Longfellow House nearby are local landmarks I’ve driven, biked and run past many time over the years.

But, like so many things in our everyday surroundings, I mostly rushed on by it without paying much attention until I made a point of “stopping to smell the roses” and really experiencing this place. I’m so glad I did.

The garden spans more than 13 acres and features a mix of annuals and perennials with an emphasis on building healthy soils and attracting pollinators. While the gardens have a long, rich history, the existing site was only completed in 2015 after the construction of a highway tunnel necessitated relocation of both the gardens and historic Longfellow House.

Keep reading